Nightmares, Repeated Wakeups & Waking Up With Dizziness & Sudden Irritability

[Roslie22]

Hi everyone.

I was just wondering if anyone could relate to experiencing dizziness and sudden irritability with nightmares the whole night and repeated but brief waking ?

(Regarding the nightmares: I keep dreaming that no matter where am in the dream , people I talk to transform into the abusive person, or I'm just being followed by the person)

Using yesterday night as an example .
Last night, I woke up 3 hours in, then every 2 hours after. Which is unusual.

I woke up later from my alarm and was tired *early starts this week * and I felt incredibly weak and dizzy. Even though I felt over the dream (I can usually brush it off) I started crying and became very irritable. Even though I was looking forward to what I had planned today. I couldn't get out of bed (from the dizziness and weakness) so I had to take a prescription anti dizziness pill (only for semi emergencies ) so I could get somewhere on time and not throw up.

I've had this twice last year where a family member had to come home from work to feed me because the whole room would spin out of control and I couldn't really move or twist.

I'm inclined to think something subconscious is going on ( with ptsd links ), not just physical and it's really making me curious. (The connection between Nightmares and dizziness/weakness)

What are your thoughts ?

 

[Esterio]

Hi everyone.

I was just wondering if anyone could relate to experiencing dizziness and sudden irritab...

Hi Roslie22. Thanks for the post.
I can relate with most everything you have said here. The last thing you say is something I strongly agree that with your symptoms are related to your PTSD. Good sleep seems to be impossible to get.
I have come to the same conclusion as you have your physical health and PTSD are connected. The better my sleep is the better I feel. I notice that if I get a little sleep or no sleep my symptoms are worse.
My problems are chronic and have been with me long term. The worse the PTSD the less I sleep, the less I sleep the worse I feel. I think it is a cycle.

 

[Roslie22]

Hi Roslie22. Thanks for the post.
I can relate with most everything you have said here. The last thing...

Hey Esterio!

Thank you for your reply ! I'm sorry you can relate to this. Sleep is such a vital thing and it really wrecks havoc when we don't have enough of it.
I see .. so you think having ptsd changes our sleep wake cycle etc (quality of sleep )?
Yeah it definitely seems like a vicious cycle. Still amazing how I'm consistently having nightmares. I feel like I can't control anything .
I woke up maybe 6 times and forced myself back to sleep...

 

[Esterio]

Hey Esterio!

Thank you for your reply ! I'm sorry you can relate to this. Sleep is such a vital thin...

Hi Roslie22
My sleep is completely screwed. I can not shut my brain down to get to sleep. I wake up lots either in panic or mostly crying at this time and I don't have any remembrance of the dreams or nightmares. I have no thoughts at all when I wake up. Then my brain starts flash my life before my eyes going so fast it is impossible to get back to sleep. I also suffer other effects that I relate to PTSD, I have a lot of GI Tract problems. No interest in food either I used to love all kinds of different food now I eat to survive. PTSD effects most everything in my life. I have not remembered any dreams or nightmares now for many years 10 or more I think. Some think that to be lucky. I have too much memory that is not there and that is very distressing in other ways. Not knowing what went on though times in your life is very hard to deal with. PTSD is hard to deal with. I did it on my own for many years now I need help I started back in to therapy 2 months ago and started EMDR the other day. I am starting to understand myself a little bit now.
Hope that gives you more to go on. PTSD is a long term illness. I think it is manageable with care. Good luck on your journey.
Peace Be Safe

 

[Roslie22]

Hi Roslie22
My sleep is completely screwed. I can not shut my brain down to get to sleep. I wake up lo...

Thanks for your reply @Esterio ! Very informative

Oh man I really understand that... (not being able to fall asleep due to racing mind ) on the onset of ptsd it was really bad exactly like you describe with the crying upon waking even at like 3 am.

But only recently (after travelling believe it or not) I must have tired myself out so much I now just auto sleep unless I'm not tired enough.

It's definitely a vicious cycle for us both .
That's a downfall of our auto coping mechanisms. We don't remember much to protect ourselves from overload. Yet it becomes expressed in other ways which drive us crazy (nightmares etc)

I also have very bad gi problems. Ibs severe (have to follow fodmap diet + no alcohol nor caffeine) and also have immune reactions towards wheat which make me incapable of living day to day if I kept eating it . Sucks a lot... who knows if there will even be a cure. But it is manageable at the moment. I guess the main issue is other people saying things like " my god I'd kill myself if I had to give up all those things/ I don't know how I'd live" more than anything which is stupid.

Congratulations on the edmr therapy! I think it will help you a lot, apparently it's changed lives and sped up progress a lot! You should let us know how it goes!

Good luck on your journey too and all the best ...

 

[nerfmercy]

I really struggle with sleep too. Before my attack my sleep pattern was fine. The odd bad dream here and there but now its every night. I have to save the people i care about from the attacker and i can never get there in time. Either i die or they die. I really understand what you mean by dizzyness. Though that is rare for me, i've maybe had it about 3 times? It was a really bad nightmare, like i was reliving the whole situation. And the next day i just couldn't get out of bed. It hurt my head so much.

The worse sleep i get the worse my panic attacks are the next day or the worse i react to certain triggers. So i defiantly agree with ptsd effects physical health. I find though, that when my boyfriend comes to stay the night i sleep much better, sometimes i dont even dream. Its like his presence is a sense of safety for me. Im not sure, i've never understood it.

 

[Esterio]

Thanks for your reply @Esterio ! Very informative

Oh man I really understand that...

Thanks Roslie22.
I have made a post under "Therapies" called "First EMDR Today" and will continue to post there. I some times wake up several times though the night. If I am able to sleep at all.
I have quit eating and drinking all that you have listed and many more. None of it made a difference at all. The only thing that does give me some relief from GI problems is a medication called Lomotil. The big problem is knowing how much to take a head of time it is hard to regulate. With out it I am in a mess. With it Life is tolerable.
People are very insensitive unless they suffer as well. They do not think before they open their mouths.
Sooner a or later you need to sleep but that does not mean you will get enough. I get so tired and then I do sleep but it is so broken I don't feel rested.
Last week I tried to take sleeping pills, I have never had any luck with them in the past. I agreed to give them a try. I did get more sleep a couple of nights. The problem was they didn't work on most nights and I am spaced out all day long. To the point that I didn't feel safe to drive. So I stopped them now and feel better in the day time but nights are ify as to weather I get much sleep.
Glad you found my last post informative.
Peace be safe

 

[Roslie22]

Thanks Roslie22.
I have made a post under "Therapies" called "First EMDR Today" and will continue to...

Hey @Esterio!
I see! i'm going to snoop out the Therapies thread then! Thanks for the info :)

I'm so sorry about that.. I very much understand the desperation of trying all these things to calm down the g.i symptoms but to no avail. I just wanted to clarify if you have tried a FODMAP diet? It's the only thing which made my quality of life return close to normal!

I've just looked up the medication you listed, I'm so sorry you go through this. If I don't follow a fodmap diet I often need to take medication that does the opposite of yours... Makes us realise that IBS and related G.I problems come in many forms (and causes).. Please be careful regarding nutrient absorption. *can often happen in your case* (some vit + mineral blood tests may help ). found out I am very close to having anemia of chronic disease
m.
Yes thats right, very "good" people i've heard such things come out of their mouths. Makes me a bit concerned actually.

I see.. i'm not sure what sort of sleeping pills you mean, but definitely I agree with your worries reg. functioning the next day and driving. I've heard many people saying the effects made them sleep 14 hours and they couldnt do much the next day.
I think the furthest I would go is a infrequent anti anxiety (Benzodiazepine). They help you get to sleep, *calms down racing thoughts*, but it reduces the time we're in deep sleep.

All the best again ! :)

 

[Roslie22]

I really struggle with sleep too. Before my attack my sleep pattern was fine. The odd bad dream here...

Hi @nerfmercy !
I'm sorry to hear you struggle with this too... I think thats what really gets to me. Is that we end up not having nightmares for a while, then something triggers us (for me it was being stalked), and things from years ago that I didnt even remember, are now flowing through nightmares.

I really encourage you to think deep about those repeated nightmares. If you are having therapy i would also encourage you bring it up to your therapist. Last year when I had psychotherapy I was encouraged to investigate my dreams (if it already came to my attention and i was confused). Once I figured out why, they would disappear. As if your subconscious is telling you something you need to know/something you have to process. and I believe Sigmund Freud and Karl Jung stressed the importance of this.

For e.g had a nightmare my best friend (no longer), transformed into a school bully, and it wasnt until later that I realised how toxic and hurtful she is to myself and others. But that dream made me investigate the situation and take the first step

I see... it seems almost like you might have been in tension during the night? (Teeth grinding or straining the muscles around your face) during the nightmares! or perhaps also through tossing and turning?

For me aswell regarding effects of less sleep. and i tend to guilt myself on it a lot too... as I have an ex best friend who has borderline (if I even sense a hypersensitivity in me. I criticise myself a lot for fear of 'turning into' her) .

That's very sweet reg. your boyfriend . I am happy that you have a secure network ! :) . Most definitely his presence is helpful to you! I think feeling safe makes all the difference to our health...

All the best! :)

 

[Esterio]

Hey @Esterio!
I see! i'm going to snoop out the Therapies thread then! Thanks for t...

Thanks for the reply Roslie22
I have not heard of the Fodmap Diet I will look it up. thanks.
I get all my blood work done once a year unless something is happening and all my test are good.
Medications are a drag I have nothing but trouble with most of them. There are a couple I can't be without.
I had someone laugh at me over the phone once while I was having a panic attack. They didn't really think about it at all until I told them the next day.
Sleeping pills are hard to deal with I have had ones that knock me out for 12 hours and then I am spaced for days. Or ones that I don't get much sleep benefit from but screw with me for days after words in a daze. I hope I can do something else. I have been told that those symptoms will go away with use. That says to me then I would need to take them all the time so that I didn't get the side effects.
I will ask my dr. about Benzodiazepine May not be for me I don't sleep more than 2 hours in a row now on a good night.
I have been hearing about these heavy weighted blankets that may help with sleep problems. I am going to look into them some more.
Thanks for all the info