• Skip to main content
  • Skip to secondary menu
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer

PrettyIll

Header Right

Dr. Diana, both a doctor (therapeutic optometrist), and a recovered POTS and ME/CFS patient, offers help and hope for POTS, Dysautonomia, Ehlers-Danlos syndrome, Chronic Fatigue, Chronic Lyme, vascular abnormalities, Fibromyalgia, and Multiple Sclerosis. Dr. Diana is now working full time at POTS Care.

  • Home
  • The Driscoll Theory®
  • Videos
  • Meet Dr. Diana
  • Forum
  • Store

Reply To: Do you feel sick when you lie flat on your back, or have you ever felt "paralyzed"?

NEW STUDY! Parasym Plus™ for Multiple Sclerosis › Forums › PrettyIll.com Discussion › POTS › Do you feel sick when you lie flat on your back, or have you ever felt "paralyzed"? › Reply To: Do you feel sick when you lie flat on your back, or have you ever felt "paralyzed"?

July 6, 2012 at 7:17 am #2544
Give My Daughter the Shot!
Participant

I can’t effectively sleep on my back because what’s the point of sleeping anyway – it’s not like I’m going to feel rested – Just Kidding! The reason I struggle to sleep on my back at all is because of ‘my tail’ (a massive knot of bones at the base of my spine which prevents me from lying flat). I am not sure when the last time I slept on my back was.

Now, regarding ‘FREEZE DREAMS’… I’d never been to the doctor for my ‘freeze dreams’ since they occurred during my teenage years and into my twenties (maybe up until 30 but not sure about that). While they were terrifying and I was certainly completely paralyzed, I never considered seeking medical assistance. I did, however, inquire of friends and they had feeble ideas or no ideas at all. Not a huge deal since they didn’t happen often. Believe me, a healthy person (which was my identity) is not going to give much credence to a bad dream. I am not sure how often I slept on my back at this point and it may not have been very much. I don’t remember noticing ‘my tail’ until after I was a teenager or at least late teens. If anything it has become more bothersome with time, ‘my tail’ that is.

During these ‘freeze dreams’ I once dreamed of Freddy Krueger hand (complete with blades) coming down toward my forehead but couldn’t wake myself no matter how desperately I tried. I was completely paralyzed in every way. I remember trying desperately to move and it was weird because I was also awake. Anyway, you can imagine why I might have overlooked the paralysis portion of this as a teenager and been more impacted by the Freddy Krueger portion.

Other times that it happened weren’t necessarily nightmares, however, I always thought of them as a sort of nightmare since the abovementioned is the first one that I remember having and I always remembered it so vividly. The other times I recall desperately willing any part of me, (specifically my pinky which was so close that it was practially already touching my partner) to move just a teeny teeny bit and make contact with my partner so that I could be ‘wakened’. I was never able to establish contact. Absolutely no vocals and, while struggling with such desperation, don’t even think I was able to breathe heavily or squeak or anything. I wanted to do anything to attract attention to my mere existence and remember thinking that if I could be touched, I might ‘wake’. I was just ‘suspended’ and ‘invisible’ and could do nothing about it. I may have ‘awakened’/snapped out of it/come to with an abrupt gasp but am not positive. I was just so darn grateful to be out of it. I still thought of this experience as a ‘freeze dream’. I’ve never heard of it before nor has anyone else. I am not sure if this is the same as this post.

I was actually awake or more than subconsciously aware of what was happening. Maybe trapped of suspended in some state of being type feeling?? I was completely paralyzed and aware that I was desperate to be rescued/’awakened’ from my state of being (which I labeled as a ‘freeze dream’). No couldn’t speak, or I would have. Could not make a noise or a move whatsoever – not even the slightest – even though I TRIED LIKE MAD!!!

I haven’t read this whole post but will review to see if y’all have been having ‘freeze dreams’ too. I’ve never heard of anyone having any idea what this is. It happened other times but I don’t remember them so vividly. It didn’t happen ‘all the time’ or anything. OH, the times that I mention and recall were definitely on my back!! Trapped and paralyzed while on my back!!

Footer

PrettyIll.com

This website was created to inform, educate and brainstorm with fellow patients and doctors. The content should not be used as a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Readers are encouraged to confirm all information with other sources and their physicians. The creator of this site will not be liable for any direct, indirect, consequential, special, exemplary, or other damages arising from the use of this website.

Twitter: @prettyill

What others say

“Dr. Diana will always hold a very special place in my heart for her selfless devotion to helping everyone, not just the Ehlers-Danlos community. I hate to think what my life would be without her insight and guidance.”

-- Chris Gross

Listings by topic

  • Chronic Fatigue
  • Consult
  • Contact
  • Coping
  • Ehlers-Danlos
  • Fibromyalgia
  • Hydrocephalus
  • Mast Cell Disease
  • Multiple Sclerosis
  • Orthopedic Issues
  • Pain Control
  • POTS
  • Speaking Engagements
  • Store
  • Uncategorized
  • Vascular abnormalities

This work may not be reproduced, copied or used in anyway without the express permission of the author -- that's me © Dr. Diana Driscoll 2020