Lymemares (nightmares)

     Nightmares are often a part of late stage Lyme Disease. I have had many nightmares over the years. I can even recall a repeating nightmare in my youth. In my late teens I began to have nightmares.  By the time I was in my late twenties, and especially in my thirties and forties, nightmares were a regular part of my life. I often woke in a night sweat trying to scream and flailing around in the bed. My husband often woke me to stop me. He said I was kicking him and making noises like I was trying to talk. The nightmares had a common theme of some disaster happening and my having no control over it. Or I would be watching something horrible. Or something horrible was happening to me. I never will relay the images I saw because thy are so gruesome I don't want anyone else to have these imposed on them. However, I can tell you there was light at the end of this long tunnel.
     The treatment I received from the doctor in Boston did not stop the nightmares, but increased them. Nor did he ever ask me if I was having nightmares. When I had my initial meeting with Dr. Jemsek that was one of the questions he asked. I was so symptomatic that I did not think to ask him any questions, never mind why he asked about nightmares. All I could say was yes, I had them. Later in treatment, when I had my senses back again, I did ask. It seems, (now this is layman's terms, only from my experience) that inflammation in the brain stem and in the brain can cause nightmares. My interpretation is that the brain is the hot spot for spirochetes to harbor themselves. They love the nervous system and of course the brain is the motor driving the nervous system. When the brain has inflamed areas, that inflammation, in severe cases, continues down the neck and into the spine. Then can invade joints, etc.. Inflammation from spirochetes, their biofilms, and excreted toxins are again the root of inflammation. Inflammation, in a particular part of the brain, causes nightmares when due to Lyme Disease.When I was treated correctly for my late stage Lyme, my inflammation went down in my brain and, and guess what? NO MORE NIGHTMARES!!! I have not had a nightmare since being treated correctly for Lyme Disease and co-infections. I only have good dreams. I am reminded of this today because last night I had a very funny dream, and I woke up almost in disbelief at the difference in me. I cannot even express the gratitude I have at being treated in such a way that my nightmares have stopped. Not only have nightmares stopped. but joint pain, brain fog, overwhelming fatigue, and all the other symptoms have either disappeared or diminished. I am still in process, and may have to work on this my entire life to maintain where I am, but to me, in comparision to where I was for so many years, it is like death to life.

My "Lyme Comas"

  I am wondering if anyone else in the Lyme world has this happen to them.  Sometimes, in the afternoon only, I go into this very deep sleep. I call them my Lyme Comas. It lasts from 2 - 4 hours. I am either somewhat aware of people around me but cannot respond to them, or I don't hear anything at all. When I wake up, I feel like my brain has 'reconnected' itself and I can think better than before I fell 'asleep'. This is not a typical nap, which I do everyday. This is a much deeper experience and one I cannot wake myself out of on my own. The effects don't last forever, but there is a definite healing occurring during this experience. Anyone else?

Under Our Skin | The Hidden Story of Lyme Disease

This is a link to the Under our Skin store!

Under Our Skin | The Hidden Story of Lyme Disease

San Diego IDSA Lyme protest

  LOVE IT!!!  GO!

Steam Baths for Lyme Detox

    I do not have a nice dry sauna in my backyard, and don't know anyone else who has one. Next best thing: A hot, steamy bath. I even include Epsom Salts. Epsom Salts act to pull out toxins in the skin. Heat does the same thing. Good combination.
    This morning I woke with a headache I felt before I even opened my eyes. It felt as though my brain was trying to push out of my skull. I was groaning before I even got out of bed. Already I was dreading the day.  After an hour or so, when it didn't get better, I decided I had to detox somehow. Since running a mile is out of the question, I decided on a steam bath. I ran the water on the hottest setting possible. I added my Epsom Salts. When the tub was nearly full, it was ready. Hottttt, steam was rising all around me. And I began to sweat.  My tub has jets which run for 20 minutes. I turned them on and sunk my head down into the water as far as possible. My neck and the bottom of my head were submerged most of the time. I must have been in the hot tub nearly an hour. I did have a bottle of water with me, which I drank as needed.
     Moral of the story: I was able to get through my day headache free, and even did some house and yard work. What started out as dreadful became tolerable.

Under Our Skin: The Untold Story of Lyme Disease

Watch movie here:

Under Our Skin: The Untold Story of Lyme Disease

Dry Saunas for Lyme

    I have not been able to find a good link explaining the detoxifying benefits of the dry sauna. However, it does increase an effective sweat to help speed up the process of  detoxing. Anyone close by have one? :)