Having nightmares

[MooseMom]

I have always dreamed vividly, and for decades I have had dreams with reccuring themes, mainly tornadoes and houses.  When I have a really frightening nightmare, the strangest thing happens...my legs become very painful, as if all of the nerves in them start firing.  I do not dream this sensation...it is real, and these leg pains are what awaken me from the nightmare.  Last night I had a nightmare about demons and fire, and I experienced these same leg pains, but they seemed to be far worse than usual.  In my dream, I became aware of them, and it was as if half of my brain wanted to keep dreaming but the other half wanted to awaken so that the pain would stop.  The pain is so great that it is essentially paralyzing.

Have any of you ever experienced anything like this before?  I've never described this to anyone but my husband.  He rarely remembers his dreams, and when he does, it becomes apparent that he dreams about pedestrian things like pizza and office meetings.  But mine are wild and varied and sometimes accompanied by this awful physical pain.  It's very odd, but then again, maybe it isn't so odd after all.  Anyone have any thoughts or similar experiences to relate?  Thanks...I've been wondering about this for many, many years.

[boswife]

i can only relate a 'similar' situation.  All through my life, i too have been a dreamer..(in all senses of that word actually)  As a kido, when i would have an unpleasant dream, or nightmare, i would have what i always thought was a bee stinging me in my lower back.  It would just sting and sting and sting..  It would continue until i woke up and i would have to move around alot to get it to stop and if i went back to sleep too soon, it would sting me again..  As i got older, i figured that what was happening was i had something wrong giving me the pain, and then the nightmare would follow to get me to wake up to get away from 'that'.  I never did figure out what was going on with that, but still happens on occasion.

[MooseMom]

That does sound similar.  I've had dreams where I was in pain, only to wake up and find that the belly ache I dreamt about was real.  Those kinds of dreams are very useful because they warn you of something that is really wrong.  But these leg pains do seem to be more like your "bee stings"...nothing seems to be causing it, and it goes away upon awakening.

[natnnnat]

I usually dream that I am walking through old houses for different reasons.  I heard once that Jung has a lot to say about that kind of dream.  The other most common dream is that I am attending a kind of festival where many people I know are also present... obviously the festival dreams are often pretty good, though they can be stressful and filled with worry e.g. trying to find so and so, or not being able to find such and such. 

Which is not related to your question.  What is sort of related is that on very rare occasions in my dreams, when I have to resort to some kind of violence, I can't do it.  For example the murderer will be about to attack me, and I have to punch him, or something similar.  Then, inevitably, my vision begins to close down to a tunnel, and my limbs become simultaneously slowed and heavy, so that I can neither throw the punch, nor, by the time the punch should land, can I see the target anymore.  Its as if the universe slows down and starts to disappear.  Its very scary because I still feel that the danger continues, I just cant "do" anything about it.

[ChickenLittle56]

I have had a nightmare today but I am not sure what caused it, was it because I took my medication a little late or was it because I was sleeping later than usual for D. I was having nightmare last night when I woke up suddenly and got up to turn on the light and seen that I was 1 late getting up. Are nightmares my minds signal that I am getting late for something? I had a nightmare last week when I was late taking my meds late and getting up late for D.

[Bruno]

I'm always amazed at the way my mind seems to be able to work into a dream something that I need to do. One of my most common dreams used to be looking for a toilet, I'd find a room but the toilet was missing, I'd find a toilet but the walls were glass etc etc the point being that in my dream I wanted to go but never found a toilet. Eventually I'd wake up and go. I thought it was my subconscious making sure I didn't wet the bed.
This was pre-dialysis when I was going 4 times a night.
Sigh...those were the days (or nights?)
I bet you didn't expect all that.

[MooseMom]

LOL@Bruno.  I think you are right about what your dream was telling you.  Do you ever have dialysis related dreams?

Nat, what does Jung say about dreams that feature houses?  I have all sorts of house dreams.  One time I dreamt that I was moving into a house that was located inside of the trunk of a large tree.  I dream about living in big houses (usually dark) that have rooms that I have not even discovered yet, filled with furniture that's usually large, heavy and dark.  Or I will dream about moving into a house that I discover I don't really like or is in a location that makes me unhappy.  They are unpleasant dreams, but they don't frighten me, so I don't get those leg pains.  I just don't understand the physiology behind the leg pains. 

[natnnnat]

Well I think I read once that Jung said that dreams about houses were a reflection on the state of your psyche.  I am not clear about the details of Jungian analysis, I just remember that much.  I have noticed that for many years, I dreamt of ramshackle houses cobbled together out of junk, or dirty old share houses, whereas lately it is possible I may have dreamt of a slightly nicer house.  Perhaps I am getting my subconscious sh** together.  One can only hope. 

[MooseMom]

Well I think I read once that Jung said that dreams about houses were a reflection on the state of your psyche.  I am not clear about the details of Jungian analysis, I just remember that much.  I have noticed that for many years, I dreamt of ramshackle houses cobbled together out of junk, or dirty old share houses, whereas lately it is possible I may have dreamt of a slightly nicer house.  Perhaps I am getting my subconscious sh** together.  One can only hope.

Hmmm....this is really interesting.  I'll have to start paying more attention to the kinds of houses I dream about.  Not sure I want to know, actually.

[boswife]

ewwe......... thesee are making me want to scream..YES!!  all but one i think i've also had...  My house dreams are of houses with many rooms and secret rooms, and i often get lost.. mostly im pleased with these dreams though.  The bathroom thing....yep!!  been there done those  lol  Usually though mine end up unable to rid myself of my pants.hehe  And the slow arms, mine are both arms and legs just wont go fast, but then i do fly so that takes care of that..

Boy, this dream and pain question has gone of on another direction huh..lol
and, i dont think i've ever typed so fast and had to correct myself mid word (spaz fingers) in all of my posts...lol  Dreams have allways been an 'issue' for me, good or bad, im a dreamer.

[MooseMom]

I've had tornado dreams for as long as I can remember.  Generally, the tornados come close to me but never actually harm me.  Some years ago, I dreamed that I was standing on the porch of one of those stilted houses on Galveston beach, and there was a tornado far off in the distance.  When I awoke, I thought that since the tornado had been so far away and that I had not been afraid, that would be the end of my tornado dreams.  But no.  They eventually returned, and now the tornadoes actually hit the building in which I am sheltered.  That's a new element.  Used to be that I would close my eyes and hear the tornado pass, but now, the noise from it is so loud, and it actually hits and the walls crash in on me. 

It would be easy for me to claim that I have these dreams only when my mood is tempestuous or when I am going through a tough period in my life, but that has never been the case.  When I have these dreams seems to be entirely random.  I'll go for months without having one, and then I might have several within a few weeks.

I am not sure what they mean, but several years ago, I went to the movies and saw "War of the Worlds" with Tom Cruise.  Typical Hollywood alien invasion movie, but it so seriously creeped me out.  I thought long and hard about what it was that frightened me so, and I came to realize that I have this fear of being attacked from up above...both tornadoes and aliens represent danger from above that I am way too small to fight.   I don't think the tornadoes represent chaos or disarray; I think they represent fear for which there is no remedy.

[kitkatz]

I have nightmares where I am trying to call work on a touch tone phone and I cannot punch the numbers in correctly.  I try over and over and end up in tears very frustrated in the dream.

[MooseMom]

I have nightmares where I am trying to call work on a touch tone phone and I cannot punch the numbers in correctly.  I try over and over and end up in tears very frustrated in the dream.

Oh yeah, I get those, too!  I'm usually trying to get a flight either to or from London Heathrow, and I either can't find my phone or I can't punch all the required numbers or some such thing.

[Riki]

I can't use a phone or drive a car in my dreams.. I have a phone phobia, so that could be why I can't use the phone.. and I"m legally blind, so I don't drive.. *L*

I've had the dreams about looking for a toilet, and not being able to use them.. they were too high, or there was no privacy to use it.  a toilet in a dream is a trigger now, I tend to wake up when I see one.  I didn't make it once, though.  It was in the months after my first transplant, though, when I was still learning how to hold it.  I woke up in a warm puddle. *L*

I have very vivid dreams, sometimes I have a hard time telling the different between the dream and reality.  I had a strange one a few weeks ago.  I dreamt that my best friend was on dialysis too, and I watched as the nurses took her needles out and hold her sites.  She had the big, white Savon bandages on her arm.  I watched as she went over to the scale and got her weight.  Then she came over and sat down next to me, waiting for me to be finished so we could go home.  About then, I woke up.  I looked around, and I didn't see her.  I almost asked one of the nurses where she went, but before I did, I realized it had been a dream.  My best friend has never been on dialysis, nor has she ever been to my dialysis unit, even as a visitor.  That was one dream that I was glad was a dream.. I never want her to have to go through the stuff that I do.

[okarol]

I wonder if there's a way to remember dreams. I swear I rarely dream anymore, maybe once every 3 or 4 months.