| T O P I C R E V I E W |
| guej |
Posted - 07/20/2009 : 12:16:21
I have been in chronic pain (24/7..debilitating pain) for one year now in my right buttock/hip area. After the usual 3 ring ircus of every physical treatment and doctor on earth, I have completely repudiated a physical cause and based on my reading on TMS and visit with Dr. Sarno, am confident I have a classic, albeit, severe and painful, case of TMS.
For the first 9 months that I was in pain I could not tolerate most heavy duty painkillers, so I took nothing and really suffered. Being in severe pain 24/7 affects your whole body. I couldn't sleep, I had IBS, I was drained and basically debilatated. Finally, a few months ago, I started taking a low dose of Tramadol (before I found Dr. Sarno's program). It helped tremendously. I could get out of my house again, work part-time and take care of my 2 young kids. I was never satisfied with "managing the pain" for life, so I kept searching and found the TMS world.
It's been 5 weeks since I saw Dr. Sarno and began his program. No miraculous cure from the pain yet, but because I no longer fear physical activity, I've started exercising again, riding my bike with my kids, swimming, etc. I do these things through pain, but mentally, it has helped me so much and I am hoping that over time, being active will help my brain in shutting off the pain. I'm also doing the journaling, etc. My question to the forum is this: I am trying to cut back and eventually eliminate pain meds. I only take one pill a day (I could use more, but it's tolerable with 1 pill), and I've been trying to push it back a few minutes every day so that eventually it will be so late in the day that I won't bother taking it. I tried a few times to go with nothing, and it was not good! I know I fear the pain, and that is one of my greatest obstacles, but when you've been in chronic pain and it has virtually ruined your life, I am so afraid that not controlling the pain will cause it to spiral out of control again. I am working really hard on the Sarno program. I have a call in to Dr. Sarno to ask if it is harmful to keep taking a low dose of pain meds while working through the program. I'm trying to learn how to banish pain on my own, so pain meds make me feel like I"m getting a "fake" victory. I do hold out for at least 1/2 the day to see how I"m doing on my own. Anyone have any thoughts? I never thought I would ever take a pain killer, but after having such a horrible year, i finally gave in. |
| 9 L A T E S T R E P L I E S (Newest First) |
| HilaryN |
Posted - 07/23/2009 : 11:57:17
Guej,
Yes, that's it exactly. Rushing to come off the meds, or rushing into activity which appears to cause the pain too soon can be counterproductive for exactly the reason you said - the pain can come back with a vengeance if you try too soon and it makes it harder to do the work of reprogramming your mind.
As you say, in the book you get the impression that you should get better almost immediately. I gave up first time around for that reason - I wasn't getting better so I thought it wasn't going to work for me.
But it's definitely worth persevering! I did so 2nd time around and I got there eventually!
quote:
I know everyone is different, but for me, controlling the pain somewhat, even with meds, keeps me positive, allows me to really delve into Sarno's program, and also allows me to live a fuller life (which, in turn, makes me positive about recovery).
You've made another very important point here: EVERYONE IS DIFFERENT, different things work for different people and each person has to find what works for them. Often you don't know until you try. Those of us who have recovered will offer our advice as to what works for us, but the same thing isn't going to work for everybody.
e.g. There are some who will go straight into activity and it works for them, whereas for others a more cautious approach is better - 2 contradictory approaches, one works for some, the other works for others!
Hilary N |
| guej |
Posted - 07/22/2009 : 12:23:54
Dr. Sarno is on vacation for a few weeks, so I will pose the medication question to him when he returns and post his reply. Always good to get perspective from the man himself!
Yesterday I held off on taking a pain killer until 4:00pm. It was too long. By then, I was in moderate amount of pain, and even though I tried to "ignore it"(!), it was all I could think of (which is, of course, the strategy of the pain). I found I couldn't read, journal or think positive. In fact, I started to get really down. So today I took a pill a bit earlier and I feel like I'm on track again and feeling positive for recovery. I know everyone is different, but for me, controlling the pain somewhat, even with meds, keeps me positive, allows me to really delve into Sarno's program, and also allows me to live a fuller life (which, in turn, makes me positive about recovery). I'll do what I have to do for now, in the hopes that I'll wake up someday and not feel the need to take anything. When you don't get instantaneous results, like some of the book readers, it can get a little discouraging. I need to stay upbeat, and being in less pain, even if artificially induced, keeps me on track. Thanks to all who responded. I don't need to beat myself up about taking a pill every day. I beat myself up enough about having this syndrome in the first place. |
| pandamonium |
Posted - 07/21/2009 : 14:52:01
Hi Guej,
I also symapthise with having the pain and a young family to look after. My situation was very similar. I would not beat yourself up about taking the meds, sometimes you need that crutch while you are starting on your TMS journey but this is only temporary. Eventually you will be able to give them up I am sure.
I also denied myself pain killers for years before giving in, I ended up on amytriplyline and anti inflamatries but I stopped taking them completely and was fine. Even now if I do have a crappy day, I'll take a pain killer while I try and figure out what's going on with me emotionally if the pain is stopping me from normal activities. I am 99% pain free these days after 10 years of chronic back pain
My story is here http://www.tmshelp.com/forum/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=5396
Good luck
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A beginner's guide to psychology: If it's not your mum's fault.... it's your dad's... |
| HilaryN |
Posted - 07/21/2009 : 07:58:58
guej,
Don't feel bad about taking the meds. You're heading in the right direction by gradually reducing them. Do it in your own time, don't rush.
All the best,
Hilary N |
| guej |
Posted - 07/21/2009 : 05:54:55
Peg: If you are reading this, can you send me an email? My email address is listed in my profile. I would love to pick your brain. Our situations appear to be similar, and you seem to have conquered what I am struggling with...fear of the pain, which keeps the pain hanging around. Thanks. |
| guej |
Posted - 07/20/2009 : 19:58:58
Peg: I remember reading your success story a few weeks ago, and really relating to it. Going through this, with young children, has been horrible. And yes...working and managing a household, coupled with a personality that has trouble asking for help, and then being resentful when I don't get help, finally did me in! I have a feeling I'm going to be heading to therapy at some point. I journal, but I can sense I'm just writing, and avoiding the "feeling" part.
As for the meds, I tried percocet,vicodin and dilauded. They all made me so ill and I lost a ton of weight for the few weeks when I tried them. I never took any of them regularly. I'm ok with Tramadol. It doesn't make me groggy, nauseous or sleepy. I take only 1 low dose pill a day. I was taking valium and amitriptyline for months just to get more than 4 hours of sleep a night. As soon as I started reading Sarno's books, and returned to exercising, I found myself naturally sleepy at night again, and now I'm completely off meds at night. So, I'm not worried about an addiction. I've never increased my dose of Tramadol, even though I'd probably feel less pain if I did. I don't begrudge people who need pain meds to get by. I used to be a lot more judgmental, but now that I've had the unpleasant experience of trying to live a life while in chronic pain, I understand you need to do what you have to do. The difference is now that we found out what TMS is, and that people can and do recover, I know I won't need them forever. It has always been my goal to go medication-free. I just have to avoid the temptation to get "lazy", and take a pill to kill the pain, instead of doing the work to get rid of permanently.
Thanks for the encouragement. I had a very big guilt trip about taking meds, but now, at least, I feel like I'm working towards something and that they just serve as a temporary means of getting a little relief. I'll post again after I talk to Dr. Sarno, to share his thoughts on this. |
| Peg |
Posted - 07/20/2009 : 17:40:52
Hi guej,
I'm sorry to hear about what you've been through. It's scary and depressing to feel debilitated with no apparent hope of recovery. I don't blame you for taking some medication. Your resistance to taking something until you were desperate, and your sensitivity to medications make me think you will be successful at eventually discontinuing it.
I don't think Dr. Sarno wants anyone to suffer and as Plantweed says, he recommends it for acute pain.
I think what is most important is to continue doing the emotional work and not to beat yourself up about the med. I also don't think obsessing about the med, dose, time etc is a good idea as that will take your attention from the emotions that are so hard to face.
Perhaps you returned to exercise too soon? Dr. Sarno recommends a very gradual return to activities after the pain is much improved from doing the emotional work. It's important to take care of yourself. Give yourself the time to recover. Give yourself credit for taking this work on. TMS recovery can take time, acceptance and understanding. You work and have two young children. I would venture to guess you have numerous other responsibilities in your life as well. Please don't push yourself to do everything all at once, just because you found the way out. Take the time to really look within and listen to the message that your body has been trying to get you to hear.
You said: " I am so afraid that not controlling the pain will cause it to spiral out of control again."
Not controlling the pain with medication, is not, in my experience, what causes pain to "spiral out of control". It is the FEAR of it that causes it to spiral out of control. It is FEAR that causes the pain to persist.
Have full confidence that you have found the answer to your chronic pain. Tens of thousands of TMS patients seeing dozens and dozens of TMS physicians, and psychologists, not to mention the thousands of book cures, have recovered from years of severe, debilitating pain applying this information to their lives. You can do it to.
Keep reading Sarno, other mindbody connection books, this forum and check out the tmswiki.org.
I had ten years of pain before finding Dr. Sarno's book. My success story is here on the forum at:
http://www.tmshelp.com/forum/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=5469
I wish you better days ahead. Take care of yourself.
Best,
Peg
In questions of science, the authority of a thousand is not worth the humble reasoning of a single individual. Galileo Galilei |
| Baseball65 |
Posted - 07/20/2009 : 16:47:03
I think you should stop using the painkillers immediately. I will e-mail you my mailing address so I can properly dispose of them !
...but seriously
Being someone who not only has shared the joys of TMS, but also drug addiction, I learned more about opiates than I ever wanted to know(that's what I figure you're chewing there....Vikes, Perc's, MsContin...something blue and fuzzy?)
Funny thing about them...even all morphined up in the hospital, the doctor would ask me "How do you feel" and I would giggle "It's killing me, but I feel a lot better"
Opiate Painkillers don't kill pain...they change the users perception of the pain. Even Doctors and Pharmies in the PDR List it's uses, half life etc, and than state "action: unknown"
They know how steroids work. They know how anti-inflammatories work, and antibiotics...all doctors know about opiates is that patients stop complaining when they are given out.
If you need that mental respite from the pain...sort of like a 'time out' than it's not a big deal, but from someone who has crawled around on the floor projectile vomiting begging for God to kill him ASAP, I would strongly advise you to discontinue them as soon as you can. It's a fun ride, but the kick is NASTY.
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| Plantweed |
Posted - 07/20/2009 : 12:23:42
In his books he says he prescribes strong painkillers for acute attacks. I would imagine that taking them is OK if it helps you get back to "normal." Maybe just gradually, slowly wean yourself off them over a long period of time as you feel better. |
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