[guilloche]

My brain guy suggested that I try a sauna. I think he had a lot of reasons why, and I didn't quite follow all of them... but I tried it this week.

The first time - I felt really good (probably because I tried something new, yay me!) - came home, had dinner, and crashed into exhaustion. It was late at night, so no worries.

Today was the second time. I was in there for 25 minutes (same as before), but this time, I spent a few minutes laying on the top bench (where it's hotter). I'm not sure if it matters... but... I feel rotten! (I also did about 20 minutes of interval training on a bike before, since I was at the gym.)

I got home around 3pm (it's after 9 now) - drank lots of water, had some healthy food... and blah. I've been sort of... not exactly dizzy, but not quite right. And my head feels a little pressure. Mostly, I just laid around the rest of the afternoon and didn't get anything done

Was it just the extra heat? I think I'm *supposed* to feel good after, but I'm starting to think that nothing is actually going to ever feel good (except chocolate, that feels really good!)

Curious if anyone else has any experience... I know, it's a bit of a weird thing... but also know we have lots of folks from different countries here, where maybe it's more common...

Thanks!

[Nammu]

When I was in college I participated as the gym had a sauna but you did not speak of the cool down? After being in the heat your are to cool your core by either being outside in the cold or by useing cold water. It's a process of heat up cool down.

I don't think I could do it.

the idea sounds, well... nice, relaxing in a quiet dark room on a bench

that said the heat would bother me a lot. I hate heat, and the fact that i'd just be dripping with sweat sort of freaks me out.. losing all that body fluid

and I'm sure I'd end up with a splitting head ache too because of the dry air

[guilloche]

Nammu - Thanks! I do hop in the shower after, but I can't jump directly in to the cold water, I feel like I'd have a heart attack! So... I wait for the water to warm up, get in, and as I'm rinsing off, I slowly keep adjusting the water colder until it's as cool as I can take it. Then spend a few more moments in that trying to get cool.

I don't know if I'm cool enough though - yesterday after the shower, my skin was still pretty red/splotchy looking, and when I go outside, I don't feel cold at all (though in fairness, it's not super cold here right now.)

Thanks!

Raging_Vortex - I thought I'd hate it too! I hate heat, and have a history of over-heating (I grew up in a very hot, sunny state). That was the first thing I said when this guy recommended that I try it!

But, somehow, it feels different! I'm not sure why? I get sweaty, but I don't feel the same way as I do when I'm sweating from exercise for example... I sort of just *glisten*, but not get super drippy? It's weird.

Anyway, I'm kind of blah today, but between the time change, feeling not well yesterday, and struggling with a bunch of depression stuff... I guess it is what it is.

Thanks!

No I don't sauna usually unless I swim, which I don't usually. I have heard its good to sauna before exercising. I have heard it's not good to go after exercising. Not sure why, and don't quote me because I don't remember exactly.

I find that sometimes after a warm / hot bath, I feel SUPER lethargic and low energy, and yucky. Maybe try drinking some cold ice water, or splashing your face with ice.

Curious to know why your brain doctor suggested the sauna? For relaxation?

[guilloche]

Thanks Ptak.

Yeah, I've been reading a bit too, trying to figure it out. It sounds like it's better after exercise - if you do it before, you can get a bit dehydrated (and too relaxed), which makes exercise more difficult. I've been doing just a short bit of exercise before, mostly because I don't get to move much, and since I'm at the gym anyway, it seems like a waste to not do something.

You're right! I tend to feel that way after a bath too! It's interesting, I don't feel the same immediately after the sauna though... but it may be because it's still really new to me, so I'm excited about that. Yesterday though, ugh, I just felt yucky all day.

re: Why he recommended it. I'm not 100% sure. We were talking about the fact that I've been getting a lot of bad headaches since starting the neurofeedback... like one every 2 or 3 days (I tracked a 12 day period, and had headaches 8 of those days - it's really making my life harder!)

He thinks there might be "something vascular" going on, but I'm not sure what exactly he means. He thought the sauna could help... and was curious for me to try it, and see how I felt. The first time felt better... but I wonder if I just overdid it with the heat the second time.

He did say he's just trying to give me some alternative tools to help, and to "get things moving" - again though, I'm not sure if he means that in a metaphorical way, or an actual physical way.

thanks!

[healingme4me]

My doctors do not recommend it for me, whatsoever-health reasons. Not to say that I've never pushed the limits as they are great for drying off from indoor pools, but I wouldn't subject myself more than a rare occassion.

Thanks for replying, guilloche. What is neurofeedback? And oh my goodness, yes, that is a lot of headaches so I hope something helps. Vascular is related to the blood vessels in our bodies, at least that is my understanding.

[guilloche]

Healingme4me - Yeah, I can understand that. I was looking online to see if I could figure out under what circumstances you shouldn't use them... for example, it looks like if you have issues with low blood pressure, you should avoid, since the heat makes your blood vessels open up a bit more, which reduces the pressure. I'm sorry that you can't use them though!

Ptak Ah, thanks! That's interesting (re: blood vessels) and makes sense then with the sauna.

There's a whole discussion of neurofeedback in the "Alternate Treatments" forum, here: Neurofeedback Therapy

(Though it kind of devolved in to me talking about my current experiences, since I can't find anywhere else to really talk about it!)

The shorter version: Are you familiar with the idea of "brain waves" - like, how we produce slower (delta) waves when we sleep? Neurofeedback involves using sensors on your scalp to detect the types of waves you're producing at different locations (which correlate with different structures in your brain), and then giving you feedback on the computer to make more or less of different types of waves.

It's basically a specialization of "biofeedback" dealing with brainwaves, instead of things like heart rate or skin temperature.

The "rewards" are things like sounds from the computer, or if you're watching a game... you might see a rocket move forward (with sounds) when your brain does what you're trying to train it to do. When your brain doesn't do the right thing, the feedback stops (so no sounds, the rocket may slow down or stop).

It's actually amazingly cool, and I wish it were more well-known and available. I'm working remotely with a cognitive neuroscientist out in California, so I have the equipment at home and hook myself up, and he updates the protocols (i.e. where to put the sensors, what frequencies to reward) each week for me.

From what I've seen - it can help with an amazing amount of stuff. Focus, depression, anxiety, ADD. A really good book, if you're interested, is Seburn Fisher's "Neurofeedback in the Treatment of Developmental Trauma: Calming the Fear-Driven Brain" - the beginning was a bit of a slow read (talking about parts of the brain), but as she gets in to describing her work with people, it becomes absolutely fascinating.

I have a long history of failed therapy, including my most recent attempt, which ended pretty badly. So, I'm hoping the NFB will help... And for the first couple weeks, something got better! But, we've been constantly tweaking and trying to figure out how to get it work without overtraining (my brain seems to be sensitive) - so I lost the gains that I made.

If you're curious, I wrote a ton in that other thread!

Hope that made sense... I haven't found a really great way to explain it succinctly yet! Thanks for asking!

Thanks for explaining Guilloche! That is all very interesting! I have not heard of it before, so will have to check it out in my free time. Very interesting.

[healingme4me]

Originally Posted by guilloche

Healingme4me - Yeah, I can understand that. I was looking online to see if I could figure out under what circumstances you shouldn't use them... for example, it looks like if you have issues with low blood pressure, you should avoid, since the heat makes your blood vessels open up a bit more, which reduces the pressure. I'm sorry that you can't use them though!


!

MS. Overheating is not good for this neurological illness.

[88Butterfly88]

I've never used one. I'm at risk of getting overheated due to medication so it wouldn't be a good idea for me.

[Velvet Lounger]

I've never used a sauna. Not when a nice deep warm bath will do so admirably.

[guilloche]

Ptak - No problem! I find it absolutely fascinating, so I don't mind explaining at all. I just wish I was having better results with it!

HealingMe4Me and 88Butterfly88 - I'm sorry But, yeah, definitely better to stay safe and follow the doctor's recommendations!

Velvet Lounger - Ooh! A nice warm bath sounds so perfect... all I have is a tiny, cramped, not very inviting bath tub though! I think that was a *huge* oversight on my part when I bought the house, I didn't realize how depressing this little tub would be! Weirdly, I've also developed some kind of anxiety that if I fill up the bathtub, it may... you know... *ahem*... fall through the floor (it's on the second floor), plunging me to an embarrassing and painful demise. I guess b/c the house is old and creaky, it feels like... it *could* happen.

So, I'm not doing much soaking these days!

[Velvet Lounger]

Originally Posted by guilloche

Velvet Lounger - Ooh! A nice warm bath sounds so perfect... all I have is a tiny, cramped, not very inviting bath tub though! I think that was a *huge* oversight on my part when I bought the house, I didn't realize how depressing this little tub would be! Weirdly, I've also developed some kind of anxiety that if I fill up the bathtub, it may... you know... *ahem*... fall through the floor (it's on the second floor), plunging me to an embarrassing and painful demise. I guess b/c the house is old and creaky, it feels like... it *could* happen.

So, I'm not doing much soaking these days!

Oh, how I understand your anxiety! It is completely feasible fearing a floor collapse while in the bath.

Though I am reminded of a laughable scene in the The Pink Panther, where Inspector Clouseau and Kato go crashing through a wall into someone's bathroom!

I was wondering though, could you have room for a sit-in bath? They are about half the size of a standard bath, taking far less space while allowing a nice relaxing soak. I've just had a browse and found Armitage Shanks make 'Showertub'. It is lower priced, enabling choice of shower, or tub and yet is made from lightweight reinforced acrylic.

[guilloche]

Originally Posted by Velvet Lounger

Oh, how I understand your anxiety! It is completely feasible fearing a floor collapse while in the bath.

Though I am reminded of a laughable scene in the The Pink Panther, where Inspector Clouseau and Kato go crashing through a wall into someone's bathroom!

I was wondering though, could you have room for a sit-in bath? They are about half the size of a standard bath, taking far less space while allowing a nice relaxing soak. I've just had a browse and found Armitage Shanks make 'Showertub'. It is lower priced, enabling choice of shower, or tub and yet is made from lightweight reinforced acrylic.

Thanks Velvet Lounger! I'll take a look at the sit-in tubs... though I think that one day I'll either just move out and try to find someplace a little better, or redo the bathroom... if I do that, I'd definitely want to replace the tub - and also have them check the floors/walls to make sure there's no water damage that would make it unsafe!

I mean, it's *probably* fine... lol. But, you know!

I wish I could move... but everything around here is really expensive, and I don't really feel stable/settled right now (i.e. I'm not loving my job!)

I really wish I hadn't chosen something quite so old as my first home. I didn't realize what a pain it was going to be.

Thanks!

[Velvet Lounger]

Originally Posted by guilloche

Thanks Velvet Lounger! I'll take a look at the sit-in tubs... though I think that one day I'll either just move out and try to find someplace a little better, or redo the bathroom... if I do that, I'd definitely want to replace the tub - and also have them check the floors/walls to make sure there's no water damage that would make it unsafe!

I mean, it's *probably* fine... lol. But, you know!

I wish I could move... but everything around here is really expensive, and I don't really feel stable/settled right now (i.e. I'm not loving my job!)

I really wish I hadn't chosen something quite so old as my first home. I didn't realize what a pain it was going to be.

Thanks!

Thank you, too.

If you decide to move, apply for a ground floor apartment as these are usually cheaper since the higher you go, the more one has to pay. A ground floor apartment would mean no more worries of unexpectedly plunging through the floor. At least that is something!

Living in London where I hail from, everything is expensive. But I found not only an antique slipper bath, but also a splendid gas range made by La Cornue. The slipper bath was an indulgent expense, but that stove was at a fraction of its original cost. Just keep shopping around, look at the small ads, search around on google. You shall find, I guarantee you will.

There are some lovely showers including one that will fit above your bath. The shower has shatterproof safety glass. To economize further, look for a shower head made by EcoCamel. They come in standard fittings, but their star buy is they save water! And give a lovely spritzy shower. This is done by mixing air into the shower's water, thus saving money. I'm sure you'll find similar in the US.

I'd take advice from a builder about waterproofing your bathroom walls. Usually it's a membrane or some sort and shouldn't be expensive.

[guilloche]

Thanks for advice, Velvet Lounger! I'm actually in a townhouse (so two story, with nobody above or below me) - which is nice! I'm not sure that I could go back to a flat-style, I'm pretty sensitive to noise and even with this, I share walls with neighbors, and sometimes go crazy when I can hear them.

I had to google "slipper foot tub" - but ooh! So pretty! I bet it's lovely!

I'm afraid that renovations might not happen for awhile, there's lots that needs fixing as it's an older building, but I can dream, right?!

RE: The Sauna - I tried the sauna again last night, but stayed on the lower bench and was only in for 20 minutes. There were some logistics issues, so I had to drive home to shower - so I didn't really get to cool off properly, and of course ended up a little bad feeling (headache) from that.

Talked to my brain guy tonight and mentioned it, he told me to go ahead and try again, but stick to just 20 minutes on the lower bench, and be sure to rehydrate after (which I'm doing, I swear!).

He said if I keep feeling bad from it, he'll give me something else to try... like... ice baths - which omg - that sounds AWFUL! I'd rather do the sauna!!! Nobody jumps into a tub of ice to relax!!!

(I didn't mention my fears about the bathtub falling through the floor to him, but there's that too!)

[romantic rose]

No. The meds I am on make it difficult to breathe in humid or hot rooms so it is too uncomfortable. Even going to the swimming pool is probably a no-no now.

[guilloche]

Oh yikes, I'm sorry Romantic Rose. Yeah, it definitely sounds like the sauna would not be fun with those meds

re: The Sauna - I'm actually starting to wonder if the sauna isn't the problem for me, if it's the exercise that I'm trying to do before.

I went yesterday and did 20 minutes on the bike, but with intervals (so a couple minutes easy, then about 40 second of super fast/hard pedaling, repeat).

No sauna. But I ended up dizzy and with a headache. I was going to go to the store to pick up lunch after, but when I got there and walked in, I felt like I might pass out - so turned around and left

Next time I might just try the sauna by itself, no exercise. Even though I think I really need the exercise...

And... now I'm kind of nervous that there's something (physically) wrong with me. Even though the intervals were intense (you're supposed to go as fast as you can) - I don't think I should have been that sick feeling after. Ughhhh....

[Taylor27]

Yes i do every time i go the indoor swimming pool love it

[Psychstudent1]

Occasionally, and a great stress relief!