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wrldtrv
666 Posts |
 Posted - 02/13/2006 : 19:22:41
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Has anyone experience this? It is not at all painful, just a feeling that my hamstring is being squeezed. When I sit I can feel it is a little sensitive over that buttock. It is almost a sciatica thing, but is not painful. I remember having exactly the same thing about four years ago and it took several months to disappear.
Okay, I just started training for a marathon, but I don't think that has anything to do with it because the incident four years ago occurred during a period when I wasn't running much at all. Still, running does seem to aggravate it. It initially occured during a run last week, lasted a few hours and disappeared. It occurred again the next time I ran but was gone when I finished, but then started again w/out exercise, though at a milder level. That's the way it was yesterday before I went out for a little longer run. I felt it getting worse during the run and now it's much worse today.
Could this be TMS? The incident four yrs ago occurred at an extremely stressful period of my life and that is also true today. I'm thinking I ought to have an ortho/sportsmedicine guy at least take a look. |
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geeta
USA
21 Posts |
Posted - 02/13/2006 : 20:41:04
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if you get it checked out it is not going to stop the hamstring from hurting! i found over the past 2 days when i haven't been able to run because of all the snow in new jersey, that i haven't been thinking about my hamstring to much and it feels a lot better than when i am constantly thinking about it and fearing that i will make it worse.............try taking a few days off and relaxing as much as you and having nothing to stress you. i have also found that focusing on another part of the body say for example 'the foot' in the same way you would the hamstring helps. I am going running on wednesday so i will let you know how it feels.
It's hard resting it i know, but give it a couple of days where you don't have to think about it to much if that is possible
Nathan
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Dave
USA
1864 Posts |
Posted - 02/14/2006 : 08:01:32
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quote:
Originally posted by wrldtrv
I'm thinking I ought to have an ortho/sportsmedicine guy at least take a look.
They will probably find nothing and send you for PT and then the cycle continues.
If your first thought is physical, the symptoms are likely to continue.
If all you are feeling is tightness, why do you feel the need to have it checked out? |
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vikki
95 Posts |
Posted - 02/14/2006 : 15:43:29
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| This sounds like the exact problem that started my experience with TMS -- hamstring tightness with butt sensitivity while sitting. If you see a doctor, you will be told to stop running and probably sent to physical therapy and for tests. In my experience, PTs *always* give you a structural diagnosis, even if it's something as vague as "muscle imbalances." This is a way to guarantee that the problem will persist. If you *do* want to get it checked out, I would see a doctor who's sympathetic to TMS. (I've had a good experience with Dr. Schechter in Beverly Hills, if you're near that area.) |
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art
1903 Posts |
Posted - 02/14/2006 : 18:01:05
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If this isn't classic TMS, I'd be very surprised...I hope this doesn't sound harsh, but I've read many of your posts and you seem to be stuck.. At some point you have to take that leap of faith...Don't you think it's time?
As you know, I'm a runner as well...Not just running, but biking, kickbiking, TRikke-ing, and health club stuff like eliptical and stairmaster...I've learned to ignore the fleeting and not so fleeting aches and pains...The human body is a magnificent machine, and well able to handle the moderate stress I subject it to...Especially if you're going to run a marathon, this kind of worry is going to drive you nuts..In this case, you've got something that you concede isn't even painful...
I'm with Dave...and Vicki...why even bother going to a doctor? He's either find nothing, in which case you're going to feel relieved for two seconds until the next symptom makes itself felt in which case the whole cycle will start again with worry, and another post like the one you just put up, and possibly another visit to a doctor...Or alternatively he will find something, in which case it's off to PT and a course of anti-inflammatories, and time off from your running...Either way, I'm going to go out on a limb and tell you that chances are, there's not a thing wrong with you...
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Edited by - art on 02/14/2006 18:11:06 |
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wrldtrv
666 Posts |
Posted - 02/14/2006 : 23:34:12
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All good posts. And you're right, Art, I am still skeptical about TMS. It's not my nature to take a leap of FAITH; I seem to need more--objective scientific evidence rather than anecdotal evidence, heresay. Maybe that's a weakness. I actually wish I could take a leap of faith, but it's just like believing in God; either you do or you don't and there's no forcing it. Each in his own time, own pace.
One thing that added to my skepticism was that study that came out several months ago about ulcers. The researcher drank a solution containing H-Pylori bacteria to intentionally try to give himself and ulcer. He succeeded. Then, he took the appropriate antibiotics to cure it. Doesn't sound like the classic TMS Sarno said it was.
Not that one probable error invalidates the whole theory, but it raises an eyebrow.
I will probably have the leg checked out by ortho despite my reservations for a couple of reasons. First, my REAL fear about this hamstring symptom is not so much that they will find a injury, but that they won't. Let me explain: If you read my previous posts you will see that my issue was "MS-like" symptoms. Okay, all tests were done and everything was basically ruled out, incl all the other big neuro diseases. But every time a symptom occurs that COULD indicate one of these scary diseases, like the very hamstring stiffness I have, I'm back again in the middle of the fear (maybe they missed some test; maybe I really do have ______). So, viewed in this way, being told I have a physical injury that requires corisone or some other treatment doesn't sound too bad. But if they say, "no, can't find a thing wrong with you, that leaves me with two possibilities in my own mind: TMS or one of those horrible neuro diseases. And since I have already expressed my caution about TMS that leaves me thinking the worst, neuro disease. This, despite absolutely no evidence of it.
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art
1903 Posts |
Posted - 02/15/2006 : 07:04:57
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I've been where you are, which is lost. I hope you get it wrld. It will change your life. Right now, you're caught in a cycle of obsessive worry and hypochondria...the cognitive end of TMS...And while it's considered a benign "illness" if you will, it's not harmless...Stress is a very damaging thing over time. IF you want to worry about something, worry about that. For another thing, it's such a profound, even tragic time-waster. Just think about how much time you spend each and every day of your life worrying needlessly.
TMS isn't something that can be proven to you because you're always going to have the next symptom..It's a disease of thinking, and the cure lies in changing those destructive thought processes..
It was vital for me to connect all the dots...to understand that my constant worry and obsessing was not a by-product of all my symptoms, but their root cause..
I was a very ill guy for many years...Thanks to my understanding of TMS, I have my health back...I have my life back...
At some point you have to begin to understand that worry won't protect you...fear is not some kind of magic talisman that can keep the boogey man away...eventually something bad will happen to you and all the obsessive worry in the world can't prevent it...We all get sick, we all die....of something...
Why not enjoy life while you still can? Think of all the genuinely sick and injured people in the world who woujld gvie anything to change places with you...to of all the healthy things in the world, to actually run a marathon?
Try to see how lucky you are and what a terrible waste of time all your worrying is...
You're evidently a smart guy, but intelligence can cut both ways..
Think less, live more... |
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Dave
USA
1864 Posts |
Posted - 02/15/2006 : 07:44:18
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Your obsessiveness about the symptoms and fear that there is something seriously wrong with you add fuel to the TMS diagnosis.
I think you shortchange Dr. Sarno's 30+ years of clinical history. Maybe he can't prove TMS in a lab, but thousands of success stories have to hold some weight, no?
Good luck finding your path... |
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vikki
95 Posts |
Posted - 02/15/2006 : 10:47:07
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If there's no physical evidence of a serious neuro disease like MS, then it is *highly* unlikely you have it. That is what the doctors all told me. I tend to worry about these things too, and maybe for you the thing to do is to address the fear of having such a serious disease. Feeding your fear by going for more tests does not strike me as the right thing to do.
I could also really identify with something else you wrote:
"I actually wish I could take a leap of faith, but it's just like believing in God; either you do or you don't and there's no forcing it. Each in his own time, own pace."
I have struggled with this myself, both for spiritual matters and for TMS. With TMS, I decided that even if I didn't believe it completely, I could at least *act* as if I did -- I stopped researching my symptoms, stopped seeing doctors, stopped restricting my activities, and basically started living my life. As I saw results, even small ones, the faith came on its own. So, for me, I think the process actually worked in reverse. |
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geeta
USA
21 Posts |
Posted - 02/15/2006 : 10:56:00
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well i just did my tow mile run..........no problems with me hamstring, but i did have a lot of stomach cramping beacuse i had a really stressful day yesterday, but my hamstring was fine!
try reading Monte Hueftle's book from runningpain.com it really help me alot. I have only been running again for the past two weeks since reading that book.........with two and a half years without running beacause of Hmastring, back and groin pain. Good luck
Nathan
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art
1903 Posts |
Posted - 02/15/2006 : 13:37:14
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vikki wrote
quote:
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I have struggled with this myself, both for spiritual matters and for TMS. With TMS, I decided that even if I didn't believe it completely, I could at least *act* as if I did -- I stopped researching my symptoms, stopped seeing doctors, stopped restricting my activities, and basically started living my life. As I saw results, even small ones, the faith came on its own. So, for me, I think the process actually worked in reverse
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There's a whole lot of wisdom in this Vikki...'"Act as if" is profoundly powerful medicine...
With respect to faith being some sort of passive thing...For most of us, faith of whatever stripe requires effort and courage...It doesn't come by magic, except for a few rare lucky ones..
One thing thas has helped me with the worry and hypochondria is to understand that there is an implicit over-valuing of self involved in it..I could worry for hours on end if the little twinge I felt in my knee was going to develop into an injury that would keep me from my running, and yet not give the slightest thought to all the people in the world who say, didn't have enough to eat...
My knee is just not that important in the scheme of things...
I used to worry so ferociously that I actually did make myself sick...I developed all kinds of genuinely terrible symptoms including hypoglycemia and food sensitivities...I was sick for years...It was only as I began to understand the role that my emotions played in this that I began to get better...But it hasn't been easy...One can develop stress related ailments that are often called TMS equivalents, like fibromyalgia, but in my opinion they also have a genuine physical component that doesn't just go away in the way for example, back pain will go away when understood as TMS...
I don't pretend to understand these very complex issues...All I know is I'm much better now....I owe a huge debt of gratitude to Dr. Sarno and this forum...
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Edited by - art on 02/15/2006 14:20:14 |
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Andrew2000
40 Posts |
Posted - 02/15/2006 : 16:24:24
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| Vikki, your posts inspire me a lot ... acting 'as if' and the 'just do it' philosophy help counterbalance some of the introspection (and over-thinking) that sometimes go along with TMS and the recovery process ... thanks for sharing your insights. |
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wrldtrv
666 Posts |
Posted - 02/15/2006 : 22:54:20
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I'm really impressed by the wisdom of some of the comments on this topic. You're right, Art, that I'm "caught in a cycle of obsessive worry and hypochondria" and that worry won't protect me, it just feeds into the whole process. I'm curious to know more about your journey from "very sick" to where you are today.
I happened to have a psychiatrist appt today. I got off Celexa over a year ago, was okay for a few months, then plummeted into many more months of depression, anxiety, and finally the physical symptoms that brought me to this board a few months ago. The two (mental and physical symptoms) seem to go together; when I'm feeling fine mentally, though still tending towards hypochondria, it is less of a problem. When depressed/anxious, the hypochondria is much worse. I really don't know which causes which because they seem to occur at the same time.
Anyway, I discussed with the psych the very things I've been discussing here. He basically said what you all have been saying. "Stay away from doctors" he said. That's exactly the wrong thing for you to do because it feeds the process. Do this instead: I'm a doctor. The next time you are tempted to go to a doctor to have something checked out, call me instead and I will tell you whether you need to go or not."
He also said, "The fact is, your body is growing older every day, declining inevitably. Someday, sooner or later, you will find out that you have a real disease, and someday you will die. What are you really afraid of?...
I asked him if he would consult with my neurologist, compare notes, verify tests and results... He did. He called me back later today to say the neurologist agreed that I checked out fine on all neuro tests, both recent and four yrs ago, the last time I had symptoms.
At the least I am rethinking seeing the orthopedist to check out the leg. I guess it depends on how much it interferes with my marathon training. I am pretty clear now how running to doctors, researching symptoms on the internet and all the rest are a red light for me. Still, it's not something that can be changed overnight. I'll tell you, when you are feeling a symptom like leg weakness and it feels SO REAL, so scary, it is extremely hard to resist a physical explanation and run for help. |
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vikki
95 Posts |
Posted - 02/16/2006 : 18:50:24
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quote:
Originally posted by art
One thing thas has helped me with the worry and hypochondria is to understand that there is an implicit over-valuing of self involved in it..I could worry for hours on end if the little twinge I felt in my knee was going to develop into an injury that would keep me from my running, and yet not give the slightest thought to all the people in the world who say, didn't have enough to eat...
Art, I think this is key. I think most of my problems stem from being too wrapped up in myself. I have also actually made myself sick by worrying about my own health. I still spend way too much time obsessing over every little twinge, but I have been making a serious effort to reduce the self-involvement.
Andrew, I'm glad you've found my posts helpful. It would be an understatement to say that I tend to overthink things. When I tried journaling and psychotherapy, I found that it fed right into that tendendy -- I kept obsessing about whether I was "thinking the right thoughts" or whether I believed the diagnosis sufficiently. I can't always control my thoughts or beliefs, but I can control my actions -- acting "as if" seems to short circuit my doubts and obsessive thoughts. |
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art
1903 Posts |
Posted - 02/17/2006 : 09:19:41
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Vikki wrot quote:
I think most of my problems stem from being too wrapped up in myself. I have also actually made myself sick by worrying about my own health. I still spend way too much time obsessing over every little twinge, but I have been making a serious effort to reduce the self-involvement
I nearly died. I've been planning on posting my story and I'll do that soon I think. I once read something by Andrew Weil to the effect that one is not going to recover from any sort of chronic illness unless there's a profound, or at least meaningful, change in one's approach to the world..I have found that to be true... |
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wrldtrv
666 Posts |
Posted - 02/17/2006 : 12:54:28
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Art--That would be great (posting your story). I sure would like to hear it. I like your Andrew Weil quote too; do you know where you read it?
Vicki--I can sure relate you what you said about being wrapped up in yourself and obsessing over every twinge. It becomes a habit; we become so good at body scanning, noticing the slightest symptom. Just yesterday I noticed how in the course of one day I had various tiny aches and pains, some lasting only a few minutes, others longer, but all departing eventually. All utterly inconsequential. |
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yowire
USA
70 Posts |
Posted - 02/19/2006 : 19:18:48
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From wrldtrv:
quote:
And you're right, Art, I am still skeptical about TMS. It's not my nature to take a leap of FAITH; I seem to need more--objective scientific evidence rather than anecdotal evidence, heresay.
You say you need objective scientific evidence, but what you are really conveying in your posts is that you want absolute certainty. This is not skepticism, it is psychological. As you know, there is no such thing as absolute certainty in anything, even science. quote:
I happened to have a psychiatrist appt today. I got off Celexa over a year ago...
This quote seems to me to be totally contradictory to your statement that it is not in your nature to take a leap of faith. In seeing a psychiatrist, taking medication and even going off a medication there are so many leaps of faith that it would take a while to list them.
Your posts also indicate to me that you are, in fact, a believer in the TMS diagnosis. I think that you are a believer who holds on to a thin veneer of skepticism for a psychological purpose.
Yowire |
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wrldtrv
666 Posts |
Posted - 02/19/2006 : 23:11:16
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First, some good news. I canceled my orthopedist appt. Today I went out an ran twice as far as last Sunday when I had the hamstring problem. I was pleasantly surprised to find that though there was occasional tightness during the run, it was mild and now, several hours later I feel 100%. I thank several of you, espec Art and Vicki, who posted very useful comments earlier in the week that made me think. And what the psych said this week also made me think about some things. For one thing, I realized (as several of you pointed out) that going to an orthopedist for this problem could only create more problems than it could solve. I already had all the neuro tests to basically rule out anything neuro so that leaves a real physical problem or TMS. If a physical problem, it'll heal on its own as it did last time. If TMS, there is nothing a doctor could do anyway. But let's say the neurologist was wrong and somehow I really have something scary. Then too, the orthopedist could do nothing. So, really, there doesn't seem to be any reason to see one.
Now, to respond to Yowrie's post: I don't think I am being at all inconsistent. The fact that I "take a leap of faith" in seeing a psych, going on and off meds...is really exactly the same thing I am doing here. Do you think I would have spent so much time on this board if I totally disbelieved it? So, my coming to this board is really a leap of faith also. No, I don't need absolute certainty to give something a try. In fact, I rarely dismiss something without a fair trial. I am really very practical; I believe in whatever works. |
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wrldtrv
666 Posts |
Posted - 02/25/2006 : 23:14:21
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| Just thought I'd mention that the hamstring tightness I had two weeks ago that started this whole string and that I nearly panicked and ran to the ortho about, has pretty much disappeared. This, despite continuing to train for my marathon. But there's the other problem I have had for several months, off and on: perceived leg (hamstring) weakness. Not just this, but a jittery feeling also. It's not really weak (all neuro tests done earlier), but it seems so. I think it may be due to the lexapro I started about the same time. Anyone else have these symptoms with antidepressants? It tends to be noticeable earlier in the day, but by night it is usually gone. Maybe that's because I take lexapro in the AM and it takes until night for it to start to leave my system. |
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Tunza
New Zealand
198 Posts |
Posted - 02/26/2006 : 12:18:36
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Hi Wrldtrv,
Drugs like this can give you strange physical side effects. I had random muscle twitches when I was on Paxil years ago. The twitch would jump from one muscle to the next and I'd start 2nd guessing where it was going to appear next.
This left me feeling on edge all the time (or maybe the drug made me feel on edge so I reacted by twitching but there was no way I could get voluntary control over the twitches).
Tunza |
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Hamstring/buttock tightness
