| T O P I C R E V I E W |
| hooray |
Posted - 08/29/2005 : 14:15:05
Hello all. I was wondering if anyone had any experience with TMS as manifested in food allergies. I've been "allergic" to a number of food products for a while but am suspicious because the reactions came about at the same time my other, clearly TMS-caused, symptoms did. I've only read Sarno's "MB-prescription" and he isn't really very clear on this point. It's a little harder to reconcile with TMS because it's like: eatthe food; feel bad. But then, it also has the same kind-of arbitrary, out of the blue history that is supposed to be typical of TMS symptoms. Anyway, if anyone has any info I'd greatly appreciate it.
Quinn |
| 9 L A T E S T R E P L I E S (Newest First) |
| HilaryN |
Posted - 09/09/2005 : 15:20:30
Hi Suz,
I still get itchy legs, and the odd little bit of eczema on my hands, but nothing major or alarming, especially considering I'm eating larger quantities of those foods than before. (Previously I'd got to the stage where I had to cut out all dairy products.)
I think you're definitely on the right track, and there's no harm in tackling it slowly. It's much easier to deal with a small reaction than a large one.
Good luck! |
| Suz |
Posted - 09/09/2005 : 10:03:49
Hillary,
Thank you so so much for sharing your food history. I really struggle with my supposed food intolerances. Your post has triggered me to think about my history with food. My symptoms are constipation and mild acne/rosacea. I have spent years cutting out foods and then cutting out more foods. I seem to associate skin breaking out with too much sugar and carbs. My skin is totally clear when I avoid these. I really believe this has to be TMS. I am slowly introducing things but the fear is deep entrenched in me so this may take time. It really is hearing about other's successes that is helping me break this way of thinking.
How has your eczema been with the re-introduction of these foods? |
| HilaryN |
Posted - 09/09/2005 : 01:28:48
Just to add my experience:
About 4 years ago I started getting eczema - even though I had never had it before in my life. At this time I didn't get any pain from my repetitive strain injury as I was successfully using voice recognition. So in retrospect I think the eczema was a “substitution” – or another manifestation of TMS.
As I hadn’t heard of TMS at the time I experimented with various foods and eventually found that it was caused by eating too much fruit, because when I cut down, the eczema went away.
Some time later I got eczema again, even though I wasn’t eating lots of fruit. This time I found the cause was too many nuts. Stopped eating them and it went away.
Then some months later, you guessed it, back it came again, even though I wasn’t eating excessive fruit or nuts. This time I was infuriated to find it was dairy products that were the apparent cause.  I’d been eating dairy products all my life (I love cheese, and whenever I go to visit a French friend of mine she always knows to stock up!) without adverse effect, and I’d always considered allergies to dairy products and wheat to be a fashion fad.
Since I decided to tackle my RSI with the TMS approach I thought I would tackle the food/eczema thing too (although my main focus and priority was on the RSI), because I also didn’t like the fact that I was having to cut out more and more foods. Who knows what would have been next, otherwise? (Actually, I’ve a pretty good idea: I think it would have been wheat, because I love bread!)
I seem to have been successful, because although I’m not up to my previous quantities of cheese and milk yet (I prefer the “slowly by slowly” approach, too), I am now having half dairy milk, half soya on my cereal in the mornings (previously I’d had to cut out dairy milk completely) and I eat cheese occasionally.
Btw I used to find, too, that too much fruit (especially oranges) usually brought on a cold. I’m pretty sure that’s not the case any more.
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| Suz |
Posted - 08/31/2005 : 09:20:19
Hooray,
I come in late to this topic. Food allergies are the last equivalent left for me. My back pain has pretty much gone as has my sciatica - at least if it flares, I get rid of it very quickly now. The food - well that may take longer. I tend to get very bloated and my skin breaks out when I eat wheat, any grain, too much sugar (even fruit) and dairy. Strange - how I see many people eat whatever they want and have absolutely no reaction - they may get a little fatter but nothing else. I have a long difficult relationship with food. I had a very mild form of bulimia/anorexia that started about 10 years ago and ended about 5 years ago. I am left with a lingering fear of getting fat and strange reactions to food. I realize that the anorexia was just a TMS equivalent. I am really working on getting over these food issues.
The strange thing is that I was on vacation last week - felt very relaxed by the end of the week. I ate some chocolate brownies and fruit at my sister's house for lunch on Saturday. I was very relaxed about it and thought - what the hell, I'll eat them anyway. Well - I had no bloating and more importantly, my skin didn't break out at all. Very interesting! I am convinced that the acne/rosacea and the bloating are related to the anxiety level at my high pace job. Avoiding these foods acts as a very strong placebo but the real root is anxiety about performing well at my job. I am very conscientious and a worrier (classic TMS personality)
The answer? I think it is all in overcoming the fear - just the same as exercise. Start eating the offending foods little by little and take it from there - completely ignore the symptoms. I hate having my skin break out so it is a very effective distraction for my brain. It works well! I think it is important to stop the acne creams as well -I barely use them now.
Anne has had great success with overcoming her food allergies - there is a great post from her on this board. Sometimes I read it for reinforcement! Also, Sarno talked to me about his food allergies - he had in the army. They disappeared when he left. It was all about anxiety for him. They did a whole bunch of tests and told him to avoid the foods.
Food problems are very in vogue now just like back pain. I think it is smart to eat healthy foods - avoid the junk.
My problem is that I really bought into the "eat right for your type" diet - this is all based on blood type. The guy who wrote all the books has had great success in helping cancer patients etc. I felt markedly different eating for an O blood type - avoiding grains and dairy. I have more energy, clear skin - but constipation!
I am having to break this long standing conditioning with doing this diet for the last 10 years |
| hooray |
Posted - 08/29/2005 : 21:01:31
Thanks all...I also realized after I posted this that there was a search button and that this had been talked about before. Always good to hear people's insights though.
Quinn |
| drziggles |
Posted - 08/29/2005 : 19:55:01
Excuse me, that was a really rude reply from me! Didn't realize you can't edit posts after the fact...
Don't take this the wrong way, but a post like Lmvine's sounds a bit like an advertisement--I should have checked your profile before flaming!
Let me put this another way...umm, I am somewhat skeptical as to the usefulness of "energy manipulation" in treating things that are, in my mind, more likely to be manifestations of TMS. That's better. |
| drziggles |
Posted - 08/29/2005 : 19:51:21
No offense, but that EFT looks like a load of crap and is antithetical to the concepts of this forum. Not to say that everything Sarno says is to be taken as gospel--there are certainly some disagreements here on various topics, but I don't think strange voodoo energy manipulation really fits here.
The idea of conditioning that Fox mentions is the key to how TMS and food allergies (or other allergies, such as "Multiple Chemical Sensitivies") can be related. Just like people get associations such as: "sit in a car too long = severe back pain" when one is not the cause of the other, someone can get other TMS symptoms, e.g. dizziness, hives, nausea, headaches, etc., in association with exposure to a food or any possible substance, agent, situation...
In my (albeit limited) experience, it's very unusual to see people with many different sensitivities (be they foods, medications, etc.) without other symptoms of TMS, or emotional components like anxiety. Then again, I am a neurologist, so I may have a selection bias... |
| Lmvine |
Posted - 08/29/2005 : 16:43:26
Food sensitivities worked good for us by using EFT. www.emofree.com.
Test for sensitivity by doing muscle testing and then clear by doing EFT. Did well for my & my wife's sensitivities not only to food but also makeup, soap,etc.
Dan |
| Fox |
Posted - 08/29/2005 : 14:58:40
The Sarno philosophy has worked well for my scitica, headaches, and tinnitus, but I have to admit that my "food allergies" are a tougher nut to crack....But I am certain that the same sort of conditioning is involved....You eat something and you just happen to get some stomach pain, perhaps because you feared it was a little "spicy" and risky to begin with...From then on, at least for us compulsive TMSers, that particular type of food is forever associated/paired with stomach pain.....From then on, everytime we eat that feared food (if we dare), our brain turns on the discomfort through some physiological process and the distraction begins again. So we just avoid that type of food, and the same thing happens with other types of food, so that eventually you have a list (of course, being the compulsive perfectionist that I am, I actually do have a written list of foods to avoid)of foods so ends up being so long that you only have a limited range of "safe" foods left. |
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