lyme in Putnam
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 11561
posted
Dreaming constantly,, does that mean sleep deprived ?mentally feeling worse and disoriented when I get up.n happen to anyone? Newly off antidepressants, much stress, Lyme...is dream sleep or well rested? I'm confused. And have read up on it and still don't understand. Afraid to sleep, knowing I wake up in the same state daily and stay a mental confused mess all day. Psych told me to take clonapin .5 3x. Day. So tired, not the healthy tired. Asked about melatonin, definate no with new herbal teas on treatment. Anyone? I'm tempted to have a glass of wine and say too bad, tired of thinking. Thanks
-------------------- He took u to it, He'll you through Posts: 2837 | From NE. | Registered: Apr 2007
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posted
not sure what to tell you. I haven't had a dream in 4 years since i got sick, but I don't/can't sleep for more than 20 minutes at a time due to pain. I constantly have to change positions.
I never get more than 4 hours in a 24 hour period. I am extremely tired all the time. I know I never get into a deep sleep, I figured that is why I don't dream.
sorry I can't be more help, maybe someone will come along and help us both.
Posts: 111 | From northeast Iowa | Registered: Oct 2006
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posted
Clonapin .5 3 times a day is a decent amount of clonopin...no wonder why your foggy all day long.
i would dring with all that clonopin....I understand maybe taking one at nighttime to sleep but that;s kinda alot.
As a matter of fact I slept like crap too last night...but my issues were that I was to the bone freezing, shivering, and I had 6 blankets on top of me plus a lot of pvc's
anyone know why that could be...I'm thinking the usual thyroid or adrenal junk!
i think we'd feel so much better if we could just get a little uninterrupted sleep!!!
Posts: 151 | From south east | Registered: May 2010
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posted
my spelling is awful...from no sleep..haha...I think I meant to say I would think that with all that clonopin...you could be disoriented and tired all day.
Posts: 151 | From south east | Registered: May 2010
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posted
Mookie-- I noticed your comment about being cold to the bone. I have a long history of those episodes--when it seems nothing you do can make you warmer. It feels as if you aren't freezing from the outside in, but from the inside out.
First you should have a chat with your LLMD or physician about these episodes and see if they feel they are connected to an already established diagnosis (Lyme or Co-infection) or condition (Thyroid, Adrenals). If things remain unclear, keep looking.
Many infections associated with Lyme can cause high fevers and chills. I do not know what you have been diagnosed with, but from my own experience, try looking into the likely suspects of Ehrlichia, Mycoplasma Pneumonia, and Relapsing Fever. I have also tested positive for Cold Agglutinin Disease, but I don't know that much about it and if it could cause the "bone-freezing" episodes or the lesser "shaking chills" that I experience. I also have Lyme and some other infections and conditions, but they seem like less likely culprits.
Good Hunting.
Posts: 6 | From California | Registered: Nov 2010
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posted
Putnam---I'm sorry you are having so much trouble with sleep. Lyme/coinfections can cause so much trouble even without messing with our heads. But when it causes chaos in our brains or 'control systems', it can really make you feel like you're on the losing side of a war.
You said that you are dreaming constantly, and seem to be wondering what this might imply in terms of your sleep quality. I am certainly no doctor, but this does sound like you might not be entering into a deep sleep. You also say you wake up feeling worse and unrested, which would further imply not getting enough effective sleep. ( Keep in mind that feeling disoriented in the mornings can be made worse if you have particularly low blood pressure in the mornings, or if you have decreased oxygen saturation. ) Having Lyme, or just being ill in general, can put you under a lot of stress. Lots of stress can easily change our entire brain chemistries and is infamous for causing sleep disturbances.
You note that you are freshly off of your anti depressants, which could also be a major stressor. The big questions are.....Did you slowly work yourself off of the medication over an extended time or did you go cold turkey? And, how long did you give your brain to recover once you were off the medication before you began taking sleeping meds? These are my concerns 1) many anti depressants can remain in your system for a long time once you quit taking them, often for weeks 2) your brain has gotten used to having the drugs supplement its functions, or in other words, it could easily have become lazy by having your medications provide the goods and do all the work. These are both two good reasons why any anti depressants need to be weaned off slowly. By slowly decreasing the dosage over the course of weeks or months, you are allowing the chemical levels in your system to decrease gradually over time, as well as giving your brain time to get back in the game and get used to doing it's own work again without the help of drugs! Simply by changing or removing any prescription medications that your body has become accustomed to could easily create changes in your sleeping patterns or sleep quality. It is best to give your body and brain enough time to try to make its own corrections before adding new meds.
If any of this seems applicable to your situation, I think you should take a moment to consider your medication situation. I am a fan of giving your body some time to "get clean" and get back on track. However, always keep in mind that getting healthy or keeping healthy requires getting plenty of sleep, so putting aside your sleeping medication may not be a viable option at all. It all depends on how you feel and what you are up to trying if your body permits. And if you plan on changing any medications, always make sure your physician is in the loop.
I personally try no to take sleeping meds because I am already on so many medications (for lyme and coinfections and heart and thyroid and supplements for seemingly everything) that the whole thing simply makes me uneasy. So instead I have tried to come up with some things that will help me sleep when I need it. A cup of hot herbal tea, a hot bath, or a midnight snack will often help me get more in the mood for sleep, although often it's just not enough. I would say a glass of wine would be fine, however, consuming alcohol while taking sleeping meds or treatments for lyme can be a very bad idea. So please be careful before drinking. There are lots of websites with helpful tips from people who, like us, have trouble sleeping. Trying some of these ideas in conjunction with any medication can be helpful. And if some work for you, then it can help keep your body from becoming too dependent on meds.
Try to remember that mental confusion/ brain fog is very very common in Lyme, and there are many others out there that often find themselves feeling the same way you do. I don't believe any one thing has been pinpointed as being the source of the problem, but as many Lymies will testify, it sure is a big pain in the a**. Sometimes I can barely read, let alone write. Sometimes when I speak I start a sentence and then trail off, and just simply forget that I was speaking at all. And not getting good sleep or enough sleep only makes it worse. Keep at it until you find a method that works for you. Sleep is good, and good sleep is better.
Hope this helps, or is at least a little informative.
Good Luck.
Posts: 6 | From California | Registered: Nov 2010
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Actually I have mycoplasma, ebv, hhv6, past ehrlichia, but cdc neg for lyme, but pos. RMSF...
I dont know what to say about those bone chilling freezes, but will see a new doc at the end of the month and that is one of the top issues on my list... Thanks for responding
Posts: 151 | From south east | Registered: May 2010
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posted
My daughter (who is a nursing student) tells me that Klonopin can disrupt the sleep. I believe she said that normally you are supposed to go through stage 1, 2, 3, 4, and REM stages of sleep, but when you are on Klonopin, you wind up skipping stage 4. Might want to look into this...
Posts: 495 | From USA | Registered: Mar 2010
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TerryK
Frequent Contributor (5K+ posts)
Member # 8552
posted
Stress, meds and illness can all cause sleep difficulties. You might consider asking for a sleep study if it doesn't get better soon.
Melatonin will help if you are low, won't help if you aren't. The toxins created as a result of lyme disrupt MSH (melanocyte stimulating hormone) which can cause us to make less melatonin. We also make less as we age. I found that the active form of folate (a product called folapro) helped me sleep through the night. I also take melatonin and magnesium.
You probably already know this but alcholol is really bad for lyme patients. Can bring on a flare. It makes me sick.
Posts: 6286 | From Oregon | Registered: Jan 2006
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posted
I personally don't recommend a sleep study. They can be very expensive and would probably only confirm your suspicions of not getting deep sleep. Like I said previously, I have a long history of sleep disturbances and just this summer went in for a sleep study. When the results came back, I was basically informed that I don't enter stage 4 sleep and overall my sleep is just ineffective and non-restorative. I felt that it was a lot of money for something that was pretty clear already.
Posts: 6 | From California | Registered: Nov 2010
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TerryK
Frequent Contributor (5K+ posts)
Member # 8552
posted
Pandemonia - I'm sorry to hear that your sleep study was so expensive. Insurance generally covers the cost of a sleep study.
While it is true that not every sleep disorder is treatable, many are which can be very important in healing from lyme disease.
It seems that a number of those with lyme have sleep apnea. I do and over the years I've seen many others on this site find out that they do too. Untreated sleep apnea causes many terrible problems including diabetes, obesity, fluid retention, severe fatigue, irritability, heart atacks, strokes, death etc...
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