| T O P I C R E V I E W |
| Suz |
Posted - 01/02/2006 : 16:35:36
Hey all,
I have successfully conquered a recent back flare up of TMS and more importantly, have started eating anything I want - wheat, dairy, rice, sugar, chocolate etc. This was a big problem for me - I used to get acne and stomach problems really badly. Now I get nothing - unbelievable! I stopped being afraid of the food and slowly starting introducing them.
I am convinced that the back pain, acne, IBS, food allergies have been replaced by a hormonal problem. My monthly cycle (forgive me guys for this!) has become very erratic - normally it is every 4 weeks - but has changed to every two to three weeks. I went to see my Obgyn and he did my yearly examination and said it might be due to stress or possibly polyps. I have to watch it and come in and have a sonogram if it continues.
I remember having this issue a long time ago - also when I stopped doing my diet. I am wondering if this is just a new thing that the brain has grasped on to. After all - why would the doctor say "stress". His answer was for me to take hormones to regulate it - something I am not prepared to do.
I am thinking of calling Sarno and getting his opinion on this. After all - I have conquered alot of symptoms - no sciatic pain, no IBS, no acne or rosacea and now I eat what I want - that is incredible - considering I had these symptoms for 12 years.
Have any of you ladies experienced this before? |
| 20 L A T E S T R E P L I E S (Newest First) |
| Wodg |
Posted - 11/18/2011 : 10:56:31
quote:
Originally posted by Scottydog
quote:
I too wonder why Dr. Sarno doesn't address the fact that it , and many other muscle disorders have mostly female sufferers
Being generally recognised as the "caring" members of society puts women at a disadvantage as far as TMS is concerned. Running the home (ie doing alot of mindless thankless repetitive work), helping out elderly relatives (need I say more), being the main child carer (can be very demanding in many ways) all can contribute.
That's not to say men don't have many pressures but I think the pressures can be exacerbated as women try to fulfill roles they feel are expected of them by society.
Thanks to feminism women now get to work fulltime and also are expected to produce a kid.
Ladies you won! equality!
|
| Scottydog |
Posted - 10/29/2007 : 16:16:13
quote:
I too wonder why Dr. Sarno doesn't address the fact that it , and many other muscle disorders have mostly female sufferers
Being generally recognised as the "caring" members of society puts women at a disadvantage as far as TMS is concerned. Running the home (ie doing alot of mindless thankless repetitive work), helping out elderly relatives (need I say more), being the main child carer (can be very demanding in many ways) all can contribute.
That's not to say men don't have many pressures but I think the pressures can be exacerbated as women try to fulfill roles they feel are expected of them by society. |
| JohnD |
Posted - 10/29/2007 : 15:02:35
Lidge,
Good point about the money and the creating of the pill....its almost unbelievable! Makes me so mad! |
| HilaryN |
Posted - 10/29/2007 : 14:44:07
quote:
Have any women here been able to reconcile TMS with the hormonal mess to their own satisfaction? Do you think it is all TMS at heart?
YES! One of my first TMS successes was elimination of headaches which I got before or during my period. Previously I had taken Evening Primrose supplements to stop them. (See my story in my profile.)
I strongly believe that the body should be able to balance itself out, hormones included. I think that the resources needed by the body to keep emotions from our conscious can take away from the resources it needs to keep the body in balance.
Why do some women get problems and others not?
I think if you believe you're going to get problems (or even hear of the possibility of doing so) then you're likely to get them.
Hilary N |
| cfhunter |
Posted - 10/28/2007 : 19:19:27
Christiane Northrup (not sure if anyone already mentioned this)....very interesting info about childish needs and perimenopause and all these symptoms you mention.
|
| lidge |
Posted - 10/27/2007 : 15:02:29
What is interesting about fibromyalgia, is that for years, it was never taken seriously. Then in the 1980s, it became an accepted diagnosis with no good remedy. Now, they are pushing a drug called Lyrica for it. So, all of sudden, TV is plastered with ads of crying women with the voice over saying that Fibro is real. Of course, now that money can be made by the drug companies, fibro is suddenly real!
It seems the creation of a pill to cure it suddenly "legitimized" fibro as an illness. I think Sarno is on the money with that, though still baffled as to whether Fibro is a distinct physical illness or just Mega-TMS as he states.
|
| vikki |
Posted - 10/27/2007 : 14:15:40
quote:
Originally posted by lidge
My guess from reading Sarno is that he would say that females get it because it is socially acceptable for women to get it and therefore it manifests and is labeled fibro. I would imagine it would be similar to how he thinks no one gets ulcers much anymore because its not "in fashion". I think he would also say that men aren't diagnosed with Fibro because it is not as "socially acceptable" for them.
I agree. I had a couple of doctors tell me I probably had fibro. Would they have said that if I were male? Probably not. I've talked to men with similar symptoms, and no doctor raised fibro as a possibility for them. I figure I must have fit the profile as a woman with pain in multiple areas. |
| corky21 |
Posted - 10/27/2007 : 10:42:59
I just started reading about Dr. Sarno and TMS and I am now on his third book, The Divided Mind. I, too, just recently asked myself it the peri/meno symptoms are a result of TMS. I was also wondering if he was presented with these symptoms. I have to say though, since I've been studying his books, I have felt better. But it could just be my hormones are behaving lately?? |
| lidge |
Posted - 10/27/2007 : 09:56:15
My guess from reading Sarno is that he would say that females get it because it is socially acceptable for women to get it and therefore it manifests and is labeled fibro. I would imagine it would be similar to how he thinks no one gets ulcers much anymore because its not "in fashion". I think he would also say that men aren't diagnosed with Fibro because it is not as "socially acceptable" for them.
I struggle with this question too as despite a lifetime of repressed "everything" I did not get this horrific pain until perimenopause. I have dabbled with the hormones but haven't gotten it right. I know studies have been done where men were injected with estrogen and actually FELT pain more. I had throughout my adulthood fibro symptoms where I had full body pain a day here and there which I attributed to fibro - but it did not disable me as my current pain.
My guess too is that Sarno would repudiate the whole notion of "perimenopause" as it is a fairly recent term used to describe the hormonal ups and downs preceding actual menopause. Maybe he would just acknowledge it as a trigger for TMS. While he might say it is repressed anger at aging, he may not fully understand the physical upheavals that beset many women- that in itself is anxiety producing and must play into this.
I think for me hormonal stuff turned my attention to the physical and then it "took off".
So maybe it was a trigger for TMS.
I'd love to know if anyone has actually asked these questions to Sarno himself. Also wonder if anyone has attributed symptoms to hormones and overcome their pain COMPLETELY through TMS. |
| la_kevin |
Posted - 10/27/2007 : 01:58:29
I've wondered about the female connection to Fibro. I was diagnosed with severe TMS (like Fibro) and I too wonder why Dr. Sarno doesn't address the fact that it , and many other muscle disorders have mostly female sufferers. There are also male dominated disorders in the reverse. It doesn't seem logical that TMS would favor a gender, would it?
|
| armchairlinguist |
Posted - 10/27/2007 : 00:09:03
It's also worth noting that unlike, say, computer work, I'm not sure lack of hormones is something the body can adapt to. Modern medicine has extended our lives without our reproductive systems catching up. I don't have a 'should'-type opinion one way or the other, but it seems possible that menopause could be worth ameliorating chemically.
--
It's not 100% belief that's required, but 100% commitment. |
| Wavy Soul |
Posted - 10/26/2007 : 23:12:42
I don't know if the hormone thing is a TMS equivalent, but I am doing absolutely fabulously on my bioidentical hormones, and I definitely noticed a lot of my severe fibro symptoms along with depression and anxiety went away when I started the estradiol. I was very surprised when this happened. In fact, after 30 years of various kinds of fibro-ish chronic moving around TMS symptoms, I would say that the only PHYSICAL thing I did that helped enormously was taking estrogen. I think it got me to the point where I could even do the TMS work.
Now I am mostly much better, although my father's death and now my mother's imminent demise have stirred up a lot of pain. I know what it is though. Aha, you silly TMS bugger, you can't fool me!!
xx
Love is the answer, whatever the question |
| mizlorinj |
Posted - 10/15/2007 : 07:27:49
When The Body Says No by Dr. Gabor Mate has interesting info on this topic. The question is: WHY is there a hormonal imbalance . . . what is the situation/emotion causing it. So yes, it can be a TMS equivalent.
-Lori
PS thanks to whoever it was on this Forum who posted the link to this great book! More power to the mindbody connection. |
| Curiosity18 |
Posted - 10/14/2007 : 19:03:02
Excellent point, shawnsmith! I remember in my 20s and 30s, before I knew I had TMS, thinking, "this pain is really gonna suck when I get old!" Now I'm 50 and I'm struggling with, what seems to be the worst TMS equivalent that I've had so far. I think that after I conquered musculoskeletal issues, the gremlin needed another (unsuspecting) area to attack (my bladder). I'm really beginning to understand how TMS can be a lifelong process.
Best to all,
Curiosity |
| shawnsmith |
Posted - 10/14/2007 : 10:12:14
Although hormonal problems have not been listed by Sarno as a TMS equivalent, I would not be suprised that since some of these problems are connected with aging, with all the associated repressed emotions surrounding this fact of life, that mindbody techniques in addressing this problem would be of assistance. Remember, the brain will target an area of the body where there is an existing problem or abnormality in order to cover up what it is doing, ie repressing painful emotions.
*******
Sarno-ize it!
Read chapter 4 of Dr. Sarno's "The Divided Mind." Also chapers 3, 4 and 5 in Dr. Scott Brady's "Pain Free For Life" are very important. |
| miche |
Posted - 10/14/2007 : 01:07:52
Lidge, I am so sorry to hear that you have such pain, I get the feeling that you have been throughly evaluated, I was going to suggest that you get a second opinion but you mention doctors in the plural form so I gather that you have had more than one , it is certainly baffling that all the pain medication has not given you any relief ,there is very little medication that offers relief for fibro and tms also , so maybe you are on to something when you suggest tms I have lower back pain that comes for weeks at a time and then leaves, unlike the upper and mid back pain that has been with me everyday for twelve years, some days more severe than others, when I am in a flare then every thing hurts and I also get nasal congestion and real bad stomach aches at such times, I am now getting plantar fasciitis which I never had before. However I am paying more attention to the emotionnal component of these flare ups and although I cannot be sure all the time about what brought them on , I found myself getting major relief a few weeks ago when I told one person exactly what I thought of their behavior and was so upset that my voice was shaking, it felt really good to say it as I saw it without worrying about whether I was right or not, my problem is my ability to PUT MYSELF IN ANOTHER PERSON'S SHOES AND ALWAYS UNDERSTAND IF NOT ACCEPT BEHAVIOUR THAT I FIND HURTFUL AT HEART, AT THE AGE OF SIXTY I have come to understand that I am entitled to my feelings and if someone finds that I am over reacting , it does not automatically mean that I am , and if I am over reacting than so be it as I am entitled to my feelings, somehow getting it off my chest brought me such relief from the MUSCLE tension I was feeling regarding this particular situation that it raised a red flag and made me look at my pain in a totally different light. I have had much difficulty in accepting tms and I am not completely convinced yet that fibro is all emotional, however I believe emotions play a big part in it, you have nothing to lose by doing the tms work, if doctors are perplexed by the intensity of your pain then there may be some buried emotions that you have to look at . I do wish you some relief soon , pain is anxiety provoking in itself especially when doctors do not have the anwsers, sending you my warmest regards, Miche |
| lidge |
Posted - 10/13/2007 : 19:06:46
Miche-
Thank you for sharing your story. I'm so sorry you haven't rid yourself of the fibro- what is odd is that throughout my adult years, I had bouts of full body pain that lasted hours or days which I attributed to fibro. This pain is different in that it is centered on the low back and my legs feel like they are on fire. Like megafibro. My only ER visits ever have been the last month or two.
The pain has been every day in some degree since May and getting worse. As Sarno says, we come to this when we are DESPERATE.
I was told a herniated L4-L5 was the issue, but even the pain management doctor was stumped by it. In my mind, I imagined this was
the disc pressing on a nerve. The MRI showed a herniation pressing on the "thecal sac" but I have to ask myself why I would have the world's worst pain from it? And why is it not getting better?
I have to admit I am online to distract myself from the pain and try to belive this is TMS-
I do have numerous unresolved childhood traumas/issues but the
pain did not seem to come at a stressful time in my life. I am
truly terrorized by the severity and tenacity of the pain
The failure to get relief from even an epidural and meds has baffled
the doctors so what else can I assume?
I wonder whether a lifetime of not dealing with anger or whatever can
just explode into such a mindnumbing pain.
Thanks again for sharing. Really need it now.
|
| miche |
Posted - 10/13/2007 : 18:40:50
Lidge I never heard of vivelle, is this strictly estrogen? |
| miche |
Posted - 10/13/2007 : 18:37:17
Lidge, I took birth control pills until the birth of my last baby at the age of thirty five, fibro came with the beginning of menopause, I once read a report about a connection between hysterectomy and fibro, having said all that I must admit that prior to fibro I had tms or hormonal equivalents my whole life, migraines every month with my periods, ( hormonal) ulcers, constant bladder infections, endimetriosis ( reason for hysterectomy) hiatus hernia and reflux ( still have ) also fibro and menopause both happened at the time that my husband and I ended a thirty year marriage and the year my mother died, so is it hormonal or tms ? I believe that stress affects hormones levels , and that lack of , or unbalanced hormones levels cause stress and anxiety among other things , but mostly if I look at my life I would say stress is the biggest factor , I have the typical fibro tms personnality, I gave even when I was completely depleted, I felt responsible for everyone's wellbeing and happiness, I worried and I fretted, no one ever had to ask for anything, I anticipated every need and wish, my whole life could be described in one word, devotion, yet it was never appreciated, I was taken for granted, with the divorce this was a truth I was forced to face, maybe I couldn't, maybe it was too painful,too enraging , hence the fibro, to lose one's temper was so unlady like, besides I did not think that I was entitled.
Mostly I always felt that I had no power and was at the mercy of my husband, the divorce that I thought would liberate me brought poverty and more stress and anxiety, I am currently in a good relationship but the feeling of inadequacy have never left me, the fibro pain has just added to it. |
| lidge |
Posted - 10/13/2007 : 16:10:43
Miche-
This is such a frustrating area. Dr. Elizabeth Vliet in
Screaming To Be Heard, thinks estradiol is the thing for fibro-
of course you are right, there is the whole group of hormones to consider.
I recall reading that when they gave men estrogen their pain perception increased and that women generally "feel" pain more. So in my mind, I am still not clear whether estrogen addition would make any difference.
Interestingly, on the Vivelle patch, one of the possible side effects
is "back pain". Why is that I wonder?
I think the theory is that lowered estrogen equals lowered serotonin equals heightened pain perception.
To the extent that birth control pills suppress and replace, have
women found that their pain levels have been affected by taking it?
Have any women here been able to reconcile TMS with the hormonal mess to their own satisfaction? Do you think it is all TMS at heart? |
|
|
