A Dreamy Question for all!

[Rena705]

I find this rather funny but I want to ask all of you to see if there is any fact to an article my Mom read earlier this week.  The article apparently stated that people that have MS "DO NOT DREAM WHILE SLEEPING"!  Mom called and said that there isn't any way that I could have MS because of this...I have and have always had absolutely WILD dreams all my life!  Actually I had a dream a few mornings ago where Russell from Survivor came to my Mom and Dad's house and walked in and laid a briefcast on the kitchen table.  When he opened the briefcase it was full of loose Marijuana and he was trying to sell some to my MOM!!!  My Mom is the biggest anti-marijuana person I have ever known!  ha ha

So, my question is, Is there anyone here that does not dream that has been diagnosed with MS???

Lots of Hugs,
Rena

[twopack]

Thank you Dr. Park for dropping in and giving us an expert opinion on this.  This group offers substantial proof that MS alone doesn't keep them from their dreams.

Between the sleep apnea, MS fatigue and meds that increase tiredness and fatigue, I sometimes wonder if my entire life isn't some kind of horrible made-up-in-the-mind adventure.

Mary

[Lulu54]

Hi Dr. Park,

It is always good to see you pop through here.  Thanks for your input about sleep apnea and REM sleep.

There have been several articles on sleep and MS patients in recent times in the assorted MS magazines.  All have been interesting to read and I can relate to a lot of what was written.

be well,
- L

[Steven Y Park, MD]

I agree with twopack that there may be a big degree of overlap between sleep apnea and MS. If you remember my informal poll a while back on this forum, that the overwhelming majority of you can't sleep on your back, and have parents that snore heavily.

Perhaps if sleep apnea is progressing, the loss of REM sleep is what's reported as lack of dreams. Sleep apnea, by definition, prevents you from staying in deep sleep, since you'll stop breathing and wake up every time you go into the dream (REM) state. If you reach REM sleep and wake up suddenly, then you'll remember your dreams vividly.

[stargazerv_2000]

I cannot remember most of my dreams, but somehow most of the time, I know I was  dreaming something.  If it was upsetting, whether I remember the dream or not, I am emotional and upset.   If it is dangerous, I seem to either stop the dream, or wake up just before the worst happens.  I think this odd because it seems we have some consious thought while asleep.  I do have sleep apnea (mixed or Central)  but Wellbutrin was accidently discovered to really  help me, so that I do not wake up gasping for breath from a swollen throat, or my brain waking me up by hearing pounding on the door, running into a block wall (the worst) or hearing my dead mother scream out my name.  

Stargazer

[twopack]

I actually remembered two dreams from just before awaking this morning.  In one, work was trying to figure out how to get me to work the weekend I was just given off.  In the other, the hubby stuffed his Carhartt bibs in the washer but left them half hanging out.  Wow, that was exciting.....not!  I guess vivid dreams aren't in my repertoire.

Mary

[tonyad]

  Hey, I agree this person did sneak into that suitcase!!!! (dangit!)
Too much time on their hands!!

So we shall call this one a "Bust"
because we are the "Myth Busters of MS"  :)

Take Care,
~Tonya

[Quixotic1]

Oh, Puppy Poop!

Quix

[Rena705]

Wow...I didn't expect sooo many responses!  I guess this "article" my Mom read in our city newspaper was probably written by someone either with nothing else to do or someone that did smoke some of Russell's pot!  I didn't think there was much to it since I dream some ridiculous dreams and have all my life.  I didn't change when I was diagnosed or afterward so there isn't much to it after all.

Well people, we have yet again discounted the writing of yet another nitwit about MS...keep up the good work people!!

Lots of Hugs,
Rena705

[twopack]

It's interesting that both articles cited mention damage to the posterior brain.  Visual interpretation is in the occipital region so I've got to wonder if there isn't a connection.  The articles are from 1995 and 2004.  Wonder if there's anything more recent.

I'm also wondering what the dreams of blind people are like, especially those blind from birth.  I wonder about a lot of things.  Guess MS hasn't taken away my curiosity.

Mary

[serenity402]

i too haave the craziest dreams, i dream about killer budgies, dogs that only wnt to attack ppl, mushroom clouds on the horizon, me not being able to walk (that one features most often) on my left leg and i have to crawl everywhere but im trying to walk so no none notices i have a problem, so i think that article is bogus

[serenity402]

i too haave the craziest dreams, i dream about killer budgies, dogs that only wnt to attack ppl, mushroom clouds on the horizon, me not being able to walk (that one features most often) on my left leg and i have to crawl everywhere but im trying to walk so no none notices i have a problem, so i think that article is bogus

[GrannyJo6]

Well, that is surely one of the weirder things I have heard! I've always dreamed. Different drugs affect dreams. One antidepressant I was on gave me these epic dreams with a cast of thousands that I didn't know. Very interesting, but weird. I was on Ambien for awhile and just went to sleep and woke up and don't remember dreaming very much except just before I woke up.  Anyway, seems like one of those things that are written that are just plain inaccurate. Sweet dreams, everyone!

[sllowe]

When I read your title, I thought for SURE you were going to talk about Hunky Italian Neuro.

Amazing what they put in print.

When I sleep, I dream. Guess I've really not got MS!

[Wobbly]

I have always dreamed and live in a dream most of the time now...or a nightmare sometimes.... but don't we all

take care
wobbly

[jensequitur]

This article talks about a woman who lost the ability to dream after a stroke.  They don't say exactly what structure of the brain it was, but they say it was deep in the back part of the brain.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/3645576.stm

[jensequitur]

I spent two years after diagnosis not dreaming, or at least not remembering my dreams.  Sleep was a big black pit with nothing in it.  I was having cognitive problems anyway, so it might have been connected to that.

I started taking Aricept for the cognition, and I started dreaming again!  They were very boring dreams at first - taking out the trash, cooking stuff, being at work...  Gradually as my thinking improved, my dreams got more interesting.  In 2009, I was back to normal dreams.  

[essdipity]

Rena, could you ask your mother what publication she read that in? It's certainly not true, but if we could look for ourselves we might find that she is misinterpreting what she read.

ess

[Wind_and_Water]

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/7591509

Wow.  Loss of dream recall is actually reported as a possible symptom, for some people with multiple sclerosis.

[tyler911]

Hi

I dream a lot too,

The best one was last week, i had been dreaming all my teeth fell out, with blood everywhere and was having a heck of a job finding a dentist, to fix them,

When i woke in the morning, I was in one heck of a state, calling to my husband to find my teeth, as they had fallen out, and there was no way i could go to work with just gums

Needless to say, I think he was ready to call in the guys with the white coats, but that dream was so darned real, it was scary

Lol have to say i found my teeth when i was fully awake ha ha, still in my mouth

Tyler

[twopack]

I do dream but I'm not sure how often because I very seldom remember my dreams.  I do have sleep apnea so before I used CPAP, I awoke so often that I got very litle REM sleep.  I simply didn't sleep well enough to dream even though I didn't realize it.

I think sleep apnea occurs more frequently in people with MS than it does the general population.  Maybe that explains why the idea came about that MSers don't dream?

Unless it meant that we've given up on our daytime hopes (dreams)?  That unfortunately also happens far too frequently.when symptoms overtake desire.

Mary

[doublevision1]

do you know where the article came from?  I've never heard something like this about MS, where on earth do these ideas come from.  I remember my dreams every morning, they are vivid, sometimes bizarre and usually entertaining.  A dream I used to have over and over is my grinding my teeth so hard they fall out.  I do grind my teeth at night, not as much as I used to.  I suppose that's the reason for that dream.  I read some Jungian analysis that this dream represents a fear of death but I don't think it's that complicated, I think it's just the teeth grinding.  I STILL have a recurring dream about either missing an algebra exam and not being able to graduate (high school!), or not showing up to class all semester in university and then having to write an exam I know nothing about, and trying to figure a way out of it.  I am always so relieved when I wake up and realize I did graduate and I don't have to worry about it.  

I have the same dream as Dennis about dreaming of lyrics of a song.  I'll be trying to remember lyrics to one song or another at night; then wake up having remembered the entire song, with it playing in my head when I wake up.  This has happened a few times.  I guess that's the brain working stuff out when it's not busy with all the awake functions it needs to deal with.  my very scientific explanation.  :)

Often I wake up laughing, at some nonsensical dream that seems funny until I try to explain it, then it just makes no sense.  The weird thing is my husband does the same thing, wakes up laughing too.  It cracks me up.

[Sailorsong]

Wow you have about as crazy dreams as I do. :)

Let see what kind of dreams I have had.

1) Dream of lyrics for a song ( I'll wake up singing them sometime)

2) Dream of music ( wake up humming that ).

3) Dream up movies (fadeouts and all between scences ) Last one was a post appopcolys ( SP?) type movie.


4) Dream about experiences while in navy ( These I don't care for).

5) Dream about circuitry for computers. ( Some of my best design ideas came that way).

When you think about it I have very entertaining nights

Dennis'

[Lulu54]

What a great dream - did you share it with your mom and was she entertained?

Yes, people with MS dream. I think I remember that we all dream when we hit that deep sleep, it is just that we don't necessarily remember the dream when we awake.


- Lulu