Severe Sleep Apnea Fybromyalgia Arthitis Dream Connections

Glad to see some interest in this thread although I truly feel for all you as I am to familiar with the issues. I am still wondering if anyone has made a dream connection with waking up in severe pain? I had another situation last night and couldn't face the day. Things have become tolerable at this time and I forced myself to tend to our pets needs as my wife works the overnights at the Hospital. When I don't wake up remembering my dreams I am not in severe body pain throughout what feels like my bones. Again, this is a personal observation in my case that maybe others may not have made the connection with yet. I realize one size doesn't fit all as we have different body chemistry's etc. I sure hope this thread stays alive and what other information comes out that each of us can research. Thank you for all replies!

1041 wrote:

Bright Choice wrote:Actually, I am totally exhausted and depleted & looking for some input, just trying to connect the dots...

I know the feeling.

Have you read John Sarno. He is fringe, but offers an alternative approach to fibromyalgia.

No, I am not familiar with John Sarno. Any specific book / website?

My preference is alway alternative therapy. I have done a lot of work (successfully) with alternative therapies, problem always is that when I get into allopathic medicine (ie surgery) it is hard to break away from the loop of prescription meds and allopathic treatments etc.

I have been doing "Reflexercise" exercises which I like a lot, it is quite different, you might want to google it.

2Tim215 wrote:Glad to see some interest in this thread although I truly feel for all you as I am to familiar with the issues. I am still wondering if anyone has made a dream connection with waking up in severe pain? I had another situation last night and couldn't face the day. Things have become tolerable at this time and I forced myself to tend to our pets needs as my wife works the overnights at the Hospital. When I don't wake up remembering my dreams I am not in severe body pain throughout what feels like my bones. Again, this is a personal observation in my case that maybe others may not have made the connection with yet. I realize one size doesn't fit all as we have different body chemistry's etc. I sure hope this thread stays alive and what other information comes out that each of us can research. Thank you for all replies!

Well, could your experiences with dreams support the theory that following a bad dream, your body is put into a tense "fight or flight" response that continues when you wake up?

Thanks - I'm checking out Reflexercise.

I read Healing Back Pain (shorter) and The Divided Mind (more examples). Don't worry about the titles; his theory applies to fibromyalgia the same. You'll see what I mean.

Bright Choice wrote:

2Tim215 wrote:Glad to see some interest in this thread although I truly feel for all you as I am to familiar with the issues. I am still wondering if anyone has made a dream connection with waking up in severe pain? I had another situation last night and couldn't face the day. Things have become tolerable at this time and I forced myself to tend to our pets needs as my wife works the overnights at the Hospital. When I don't wake up remembering my dreams I am not in severe body pain throughout what feels like my bones. Again, this is a personal observation in my case that maybe others may not have made the connection with yet. I realize one size doesn't fit all as we have different body chemistry's etc. I sure hope this thread stays alive and what other information comes out that each of us can research. Thank you for all replies!

Well, could your experiences with dreams support the theory that following a bad dream, your body is put into a tense "fight or flight" response that continues when you wake up?

Well, could your experiences with dreams support the theory that following a bad dream, your body is put into a tense "fight or flight" response that continues when you wake up?

This could be a possibility. I am pretty new here and I am not familiar the "fight or flight" theory. First time I have heard of it. I will see what information I can find doing a search. Appreciate the reply and always receptive to learning more, thanks!

Bright Choice wrote:My preference is alway alternative therapy. I have done a lot of work (successfully) with alternative therapies, problem always is that when I get into allopathic medicine (ie surgery) it is hard to break away from the loop of prescription meds and allopathic treatments etc.

Allopathic: adj. any form of medicine that actually shows positive results if you study it scientifically.

Glad to see some interest in this thread although I truly feel for all you as I am to familiar with the issues. I am still wondering if anyone has made a dream connection with waking up in severe pain?

I usually remember dreams every day, often more than one. Not always the details, but I know I was dreaming, and sometimes I remember them. For the most part, I don't have pain associated within the dreams.

That said, there are times where real life is mixed into my dream. Back when I had braces, I would sometimes dream that my teeth were moving around, or doing strange things, and I would wake up with my teeth hurting. One time, I had the strangest dream that I had a mustache, and I would keep shaving it off, and it would regrow and tickle my nose. I'm female, so this was totally bizarre. I woke up to find a cat tail in my face (and in my nose, tickling me).

I do know that I have had dreams in the past where somebody was chasing me for whatever reason. So, those could have been related to apnea episodes. Fear, running, probably breathing hard.

The past couple months, I have had some pain issues that have awoken me multiple times during the night. But I can't recall any bad dreams. One issue is a strained muscle in my thigh. It hurts every time I roll over, or need to move my right leg. And when it hurts, it screams. I don't normally take any pain medication. I complained to my doctor about 5 weeks ago, and I was told to stretch more. I've been stretching, and it hurts as bad as ever.

The other problem started about 2 weeks ago. My back is hurting while in bed. It started while on my vacation, and I believe it is because I was sleeping in different beds while traveling, and I am used to my waterbed at home. It would start hurting partway through the night, and then clear up within an hour of getting up. Once home, it started getting better and stopped hurting for 3 days. Then I went out of town again. It didn't hurt that night, but did hurt the first night back. I have been sleeping with a mild muscle relaxer most nights to try and help it relax and quit hurting. I did try tylenol once. But right now, the only relief I get is from an ice pack.

I can't remember any bad dreams in the past few months, lots of regular dreams though.

Apparently I am a little different, I have 2 very bad knees (arthritic, both need replaced), A ruptured disc at L-4/5, 2 bulging discs at C3,C4 and siatica. I am on Norco 325/1000, Flexeril and Soma, plus several other drugs. If I don't take the norco, flexeril and soma before bed I always remember my dreams, My sleep study 3 weeks ago, stated that I only went into a fragmented, light sleep due to high pain threshold. So for me its due Meds sleep good and not dream or don't take Meds and keep waking up do to pain and not get restful sleep but hey I usually can remember my dreams. Vivid but I wouldn't say nightmares

I have been on the same pain med a while back. For some reason even with a strong muscle relaxer the pain meds keep me awake, plus I was dealing with nausea. I have changed pain meds several times over the last 15-18 years. Now I'm finally on one that doesn't cause nausea but still keeps me up at night when taking before bed. My doctor said this happens with some people. I am glad it works during the day when I need it but doesn't help me sleep . Waiting on my latest new med to help me sleep! Such is life, I'm grateful my doctor is working on it with me. I'm getting ready for my presentation to obtain a new Autoset machine to replace the data incapable one that was deceptively pushed onto my lap! Hopefully this will help me sleep with rest so I can get past my severe oversleeping issues (unless taking my pain meds ).

I think our brains create a story (dream) to go along with what our bodies are experiencing in an attempt to interpret the pain or anxiety. I was told that antidepressants would help my fibromyalgia but I didn't want to take them. I have started to lose weight and to focus on relaxing and I am not in as much pain.

I think unhealthy people will often have a multitude of conditions so I can see how they get linked.

Elle wrote:I think our brains create a story (dream) to go along with what our bodies are experiencing in an attempt to interpret the pain or anxiety. I was told that antidepressants would help my fibromyalgia but I didn't want to take them. I have started to lose weight and to focus on relaxing and I am not in as much pain.

I think unhealthy people will often have a multitude of conditions so I can see how they get linked.

I can say for sure that the Cymbalta has helped me a great deal and is not a narcotic which I was pleased with as it helped me to decrease my narcotic use substantially. It is quite expensive, my top co-pay prescription, but maybe 2013 a generic might be available. Unfortunately I do have multiple issues, most hereditary from what I found, and I have to have strong narcotics on standby with muscle relaxers for Flare-ups etc. I can't speak to the dream theory as some of mine are so vivid and sometimes so terrible that I couldn't even share the content with anyone. I am surprised at times I don't wake up with Post Traumactic Stress Disorder, or maybe I do??? At other times my dreams are still vivid but I wouldn't consider them nightmares. Often though I know most people in my dreams from "real life". My faith gets me through each day also with help from family and friends, like the many compassionate people here who take the time to answer often repeated "newbe" questions over and over to help a stranger they never met and don't know!

You wouldnt be taking Ephedrine by chance or something that causes Vasculitis? I have it and it hurts like all let out. Secret is stop taking medicine that causes Vasculitis and drinking tons of caffine.

sleepyindetroit wrote:You wouldnt be taking Ephedrine by chance or something that causes Vasculitis? I have it and it hurts like all let out. Secret is stop taking medicine that causes Vasculitis and drinking tons of caffine.

I am a coffee drinker, no Ephedrine that I know of unless it is in a medication I'm not aware of? I am not familiar with Vasculitis, I would have to a search to learn about it.