posted
I'm currently treating for Lyme only, and just ramped up on Flagyl, Clarithro, and Augmentin.
I've needed sleep aids of all kinds in the past few years. They work for awhile, then stop. I dont know if i ever had a night where i didnt take something (been in a sleep study, done EEG's, taken anti-seizure meds)...all failed eventually.
So, now i'm sitting here with Lyme, and i KNOW insomnia's common...but does it feel like your descending into madness? The visions i have as soon as i close my eyes--are fast, furious, and totally foreign.
One second i will be seeing a dog (with my eyes closed), then it'll shift quickly to words streaming down a movie screen (i.e. credits), and then to 2 total strangers having a conversation, then...doesnt stop. My therapist awhile back suggested hypnagogic hallucinations...but i have my eyes closed...so i dont know.
But they're weird, disturbing, and totally have me taking over-the-counter unisom (6x regular dose), muscle relaxers, and taking midnite and 2 a.m. saunas.
I feel even crazy posting this, but i am going crazy fast. And yes, i put a call into my LLMD but it could be days before i hear back.
Anyone else have these weird "awake" dreams? Please tell me i'm not the only one.
Posts: 123 | From Minneapolis, MN | Registered: Jul 2009
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randibear
Honored Contributor (10K+ posts)
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posted
i have had some pretty bad nightmares and hallunications.
i've taken practically all otc and prescription drugs. eventually they all fail.
i get anywhere from 2-4 hours per night.
i gave up and now just lay there looking at the ceiling.
-------------------- do not look back when the only course is forward Posts: 12262 | From texas | Registered: Mar 2007
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Keebler
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posted
- Sleep meds can make this much worse, actually. I hope you are not taking Ambien and that can cause all sorts of problems, even sleep walking and sleep driving.
Most sleep aids are very hard on the liver, increasing toxins and making your sleep more troubled, actually.
Hypnagogic Hallucinations are common for ANYone. It's the kind just before sleep, in that hypnotic stage. No big worries there but don't use that term for most doctors. They don't understand that it's just a term for a common thing that happens in a rare window of drifting off to or waking up from sleep. So, of course, you'd have your eyes closed.
With Hypnagogic Hallucinations you may hear things, too, like in a dream but it seems so real. Still, nothing to worry about.
Now, with lyme, Hypnagogic Hallucinations can be more frequent or odd, scary short out-takes, so to speak. The fast stuff is likely because you have more toxins.
Magnesium should help settle these down.
Yes, insomnia is worse with lyme. -
Posts: 48021 | From Tree House | Registered: Jul 2007
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Keebler
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glm1111
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posted
Yes, I have/had these same hallucinations. I try not to get upset about them and just relax and enjoy the show.
What did upset me a while back tho is when I had what appeared to be lottery numbers floating by and I didn't write them down!
So, no you are not going crazy and not the only one having these visions.
Gael
-------------------- PARASITES/WORMS ARE NOW RECOGNIZED AS THE NUMBER 1 CO-INFECTION IN LYME DISEASE BY ILADS* Posts: 6418 | From philadelphia pa | Registered: Jul 2008
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Keebler
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- Gael,
Funny - but you raise a point. While often images or senses will be just mish-mash so don't read too much into all this, but there may also be something of value at times. Song writers, other authors often get their best work this way. Those who solve complex puzzles have delighted with answers that show up this way.
The most frustrating thing is that there is most often a sleep paralysis that occurs preventing us from even opening our eyes or moving a finger. This is quite normal, too. It can be very scary when it happens the first time or two, but it is not uncommon.
I've gone through some wild Hypnagogic Hallucinations - when at my worst years ago. An acupuncturist explained this to me and I was fine with it but mentioned it while getting a sleep study.
They misinterpreted and wrote only that I had "Hallucinations" - and declared me to be schizophrenic from that but also from severe sound sensitivity that I later learned was logical from ear bone problems - and also from lyme and toxins- it's called hyperacusis.
So that is why I caution you not to toss this term around.
[But, still even Hallucinations can be common with lyme. But a non-lyme literate doctor could ruin your medical chart for life if they don't understand all this. ]
Just one place to begin with learning more: -----------
. . . transitional state between wakefulness and sleep.[1][2] . . . .
. . . Such experiences are associated especially with stage 1 of NREM sleep,[46] but may also occur with pre-sleep alpha waves.[47][48] Davis et al. found short flashes of dreamlike imagery at the onset of sleep to correlate with drop-offs in alpha EEG activity.[15]
Hori et al. regard sleep onset hypnagogia as a state distinct from both wakefulness and sleep with unique electrophysiological, behavioural and subjective characteristics,[49][50] while Germaine et al. have demonstrated a resemblance between the EEG power spectra of spontaneously occurring hypnagogic images, on the one hand, and those of both REM sleep and relaxed wakefulness, on the other.[51] . . .
. . . Humming, roaring, hissing, rushing and buzzing noises are frequent in conjunction with sleep paralysis . . . .
. . . Perhaps the most common experience of this kind is the falling sensation, . . .
. . . .
- MUCH more at the link above.
=====================
ttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lucid_Dreaming
Lucid dreaming -
[ 03-08-2010, 07:17 PM: Message edited by: Keebler ]
Posts: 48021 | From Tree House | Registered: Jul 2007
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Keebler
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posted
- You said: " . . . just ramped up on Flagyl, Clarithro, and Augmentin."
But I don't see your support supplements listed. So, what is your LIVER support? Milk Thistle?
What is the form and level of magnesium you take? -
Posts: 48021 | From Tree House | Registered: Jul 2007
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glm1111
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posted
Keebler, You just reminded me of someone who has made about $50,000,000 (million)( did I get the zeros right? )during one of these episodes of hallucinations or dreams?
Didn't the author of the series "Twighlight" say she either dreamt this vampire...boy turned wolf...romance series or have some kind of visual hallucination?
I think we need to pay more attention to this phenomena.
Gael
-------------------- PARASITES/WORMS ARE NOW RECOGNIZED AS THE NUMBER 1 CO-INFECTION IN LYME DISEASE BY ILADS* Posts: 6418 | From philadelphia pa | Registered: Jul 2008
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sutherngrl
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I have horrible insomnia also!
I just had this happen to me a few nights ago. Its only happened that one time; but it was very scary and very weird.
Just like you describe, the hallucinations changed from second to second. I was wide awake, but had my eyes closed. I had just laid down to try and go to sleep.
I am afraid to mention this to any doctor, even my LLMD, because it does sound so crazy.
Posts: 4035 | From Mississippi | Registered: Jul 2008
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Keebler
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posted
- Magnesium will help slow this down. Really. And your LLMD will understand, completely. An over active nervous system and over stressed liver have the NMDA receptors in the brain just kickin' up a storm. Magnesium literally calms the nerve fibers like a wet blanket on fire. -
Posts: 48021 | From Tree House | Registered: Jul 2007
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tick battler
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posted
My husband has terrible insomnia and strange dreams/nightmares as well. Lunesta/Sonata/Sedalin/Seraphos combo has been the best so far.
Hope you are able to find something to calm your brain. My husband has the same stuff going on and the meds do give him some REM sleep. However, whenever he is starting a new med, his sleep is worse.
tickbattler
Posts: 1763 | From Malvern, PA | Registered: Jul 2009
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posted
Hi all. Wow, i have never gotten so many responses from any 1 of my posts--thank you. I thought people didnt know what i meant by hypnagogic hallucinations..and just skipped on by.
But no..i wouldnt toss this around the medical community since they likely would diagnose me with disassociate disorders, or epilepsy (again)cuz i have abnormal brain waves--too much sleep waves during wakefullness. An EEG tech slipped up and said, it's like you have the brain waves of a BRAIN DAMAGED person.
And i think does that (and other TBI's). Darn.
Milk thistle--yes taking that. I also take a bunch of chlorella with meals for detox, and N-Acetyl Choline, lots of water, etc.
Funny-Gael, you mention the book Twilight, and some of the scenes she writes about, well..i'm reading the Twilight series..one after the other. I wonder...hmmm.
Magnesium--gosh i have NOT been taking anything. I feel like a loser, who forgot something vitally important like putting on clothes b4 leaving the house = )
Thank you for the reminder, and i will research seriously for good Mag supps.
Sleep well-and no, ambien is no good. Never slept walked on it, but i just became immune to its effects. I got the jerks, spasms, drummer boy beating in my head as well as the night visions.
I just wonder...how many people in the world have sleep problems as their major symptom and are getting treatment for restless leg and the like instead of the real nasty culprit?
Posts: 123 | From Minneapolis, MN | Registered: Jul 2009
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posted
I posted a few weeks ago about vivid dreams....frequent wakenings....where the dream keeps going but I am awake....
.I have had insomnia since Jan 09.....but your description is exactly what happened to me last week.....
I went to bed and as soon as i shut my eyes it was like a movie in fast forward but all random images that had nothing to do with the other.....it was very bizarre.........thought it was just me.....nice to know I am not alone.......
-------------------- Oct 09 Positive CDC Western Blot Jan 10 Positive Babesia Duncani Jan 10 Cd57 28 Mar 10 EBV, IgM, IgG HHV-6 IgG Posts: 739 | From NC | Registered: Oct 2009
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posted
Insomnia is my middle name. Take loads of sleep meds and still don't get enough sleep. Finally....at my last appoint he's finally seeing what I have thought for a long time.
My am cortisol (6:30), is sky high. So maybe it is at 1 or 2 am when I wake and can't go back to sleep. Did alot of bloodwork for different hormones.
Posts: 847 | From upstateNY | Registered: Dec 2007
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Keebler
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posted
- ADRENAL LINKS are also at this natural sleep thread:
posted
Yes, that's a good theory on the adrenal dysfunction, that it could be causing the body to re-awaken too early from sleep.
My problem is likely no magnesium and i shake for an hour and a half in the mornings--i have done tests during the episode and my basal body temp is really low, then by afternoon i'm tired and drunk walking/slurring/stumbling/etc, and i am running a fever.
What a disease that we have to go through this range of hormone levels/body temperatures/nutritional deficiences..etc.
My mom thought i was going through menopause with her. I am 32.
Now for the past 2 nites, i have started to take my 10 pm meds at 6 30pm instead and my body is pretty well done herxing enough to sleep at a decent time (with Tylenol Pm).
Posts: 123 | From Minneapolis, MN | Registered: Jul 2009
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posted
Keebler, i take DHEA, which i think is a natural supplement for the adrenal glands. I don't know, my LLMD doesnt cover much except straight abx stuff.
Posts: 123 | From Minneapolis, MN | Registered: Jul 2009
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Keebler
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posted
- LizaLu,
are you also taking a very good liver support? I ask because tylenol can be very hard on the liver. A good liver support may not be able to protect enough but it's better than nothing. A stressed liver can cause problems with sleep so it can be a spiral with sleep meds being hard on the liver and an overwhelmed liver causing sleep problems.
A good quality of Magnesium is one the safest sleep aid. Many others here:
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