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Jeff
USA
68 Posts |
 Posted - 09/28/2006 : 10:53:23
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Everyone -- I would appreciate your insights.
I have suffered from a variety of ailments over the past 18 months -- right arm/neck pain, general body aches and pains, horrible anxiety, prostatitis-like symptoms, insomnia, muscle twitching, pins and needles feelings, GI tract problems, fatigue, etc. Many of these symptoms have receded (or I've just learned to live with them).
I have seen a variety of internists, neurologists, urologists, rheumatologists, acupuncturists, physical therapists, and pain doctors. I have had blood tests, urine tests, a colonoscopy, EMGs, Xrays, ultrasounds, MRIs, etc. And still after 18 months I do not have a diagnosis as to what is wrong with me. All of my tests appear to be normal.
The most bothersome pain for me in recent months is in my lower legs and ankles -- a burning-type feeling and an achey tightness. The burning tends to swirl around my ankles and lower legs. It is never in precisely the same place two days in a row, although there are certain hot spots it keeps returning to, primarily on the inside of my legs and ankles. Sometime both my legs are sore, tight and achey, all the way up to my thighs. I also have a burning feeling on the inside of my thighs, made worse by sitting in front of a PC all day, and I have had right groin pain consistently for 18 months. The closest any doctor came to a diagnosis was to say that "something must be impinging on a nerve that goes into your legs" to explain these pains.
The one pain I have not had is back pain! Funny story -- I read the Sarno books two weeks ago, and just after doing so I started getting back pain. I laughed to think that my brain may have realized it "missed" a symptom and the Sarno book reminded it to try back pain as well. The back pain is now gone.
I fit the TSM profile to a T in terms of personality -- perfectionist, overachiever, insecure, hard working, highly self-critical, etc. And I work in a high-stress job.
It has now been several weeks since I read the Sarno books, and I have tried implementing the treatment plan (although it is a bit vague) on my own, including keeping a journal. My leg/ankle pains wax and wane, but they have not gone away. This week they have been worse than ever.
One issue is that before reading the Sarno books, I had already accepted another "alternative medicine" theory for my symptoms. I was given a 3-week course of Cipro just when all this started last year. As some of you may know, the conventional medical community believes that Cipro and other fluoroquinolone antibiotics do not cause significant side effects, but there is a growing community of sufferers who have experienced symptoms very similar to mine after taking one of these antibiotics. This community rejects the conventional medical approach and believes that the antibiotics have caused these types of symptoms as an adverse drug reaction. (I raised the TMS approach in a recent email to this group and they largely rejected it as being contrary to their own view that chemicals are causing their symptoms.)
So I am having trouble truly believing the TMS approach since it would require me to give up this other theory I have been clinging to for many months now.
I would appreciate your thoughts on whether you think I am a candidate for TMS and, if so, how I can move forward to try the Sarno approach as a path to getting well. My physical pain symptoms have been hell on me, my family, and my job for 18 months. TMS makes sense to me, particularly given my frustrating experiences with doctors over the past 18 months, but I'm not sure how to "get there" in terms of implementing the TMS approach.
Thanks.
Jeff
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drziggles
USA
292 Posts |
Posted - 09/28/2006 : 11:50:06
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Sounds like you have already answered your own question about whether you have TMS or not fairly well. People who aren't willing to believe the TMS concept (or don't know about it) cling to any possible cause, no matter how little sense it makes, to explain their symptoms. Why would taking an antibiotic cause persistent symptoms of infinite types that don't go away, but get worse over time? It is not logical, but neither are "multiple chemical sensitivities" or any of the other things that people also invoke. Let it go. By the way, how are all these other people with "cipro induced symptoms" doing? Follow them at your peril. People here actually get better!
Naturally, you should consult with your physician before making any medical decisions. |
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turtle23
USA
13 Posts |
Posted - 09/28/2006 : 12:28:25
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I am not sure I can tell you how to "get there", but the first thing I did was accept the diagnosis because it made sense to me. If it makes sense to you try to get in touch with your feelings and what happened right before the symptoms started, or what has happened in your past that may be catching up with you.
The one thing I learned over 7 years of medical appointments for my back pain, is that ultimately I know best about MY body. Knowing that is powerful!
Good luck on your journey,
Turtle |
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wrldtrv
666 Posts |
Posted - 09/28/2006 : 23:09:42
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Jeff--I don't think you have much to lose by trying the Sarno method. I sounds like you've tried everything else. I agree with Dr Ziggles that it doesn't make any sense that you would have such varied and long-lasting (18 mo!) from cipro (how long have you been taking it?).
I have had a similar history of varied unexplained symptoms that moved around, nothing ever dx'd... I resisted Sarno and TMS as an explanation for a long time because I simply couldn't believe the brain could create such REAL symptoms. For a very long time I gave lip service to TMS, while continuing to search for structural explanations. I can't say I don't still backtrack on this point occasionally, but believe me, I have made much progress.
It might be easier for you to make this leap of faith than it was for me. My nature is that of a skeptic so I really had to see that Sarno's theory was working in my own life to believe it. Not only my life, but reading about others here on this board who have also made progress. Good luck. |
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Littlebird
USA
391 Posts |
Posted - 09/29/2006 : 01:36:59
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Hi Jeff,
I'm quite new to learning about TMS and applying the treatment, but I'd like to share my experience with some of the pain that seems like it ought to have a neurological source.
I've had irritable bowel, bladder problems, insomnia, anxiety, depression, fatigue and body-wide pain for years, but I've also had things like vertigo, extreme burning pain that's generally referred to as nerve-pain, severe muscle tightness to the point of sometimes being barely able to walk, jerky muscles that interfere with writing and eating, and other symptoms that are often associated with Multiple Sclerosis. Yet my medical tests come out normal.
Last year the burning leg pain got very intense. I had different types of burning, like the kind of muscle burn when you over-exercise, and a sensation on the soles of my feet like I was standing on hot pavement, and pain in my ankles and legs that felt like I'd stuck them up to a hot stove and got a bad burn. The muscle tightness and tingling also became much worse than what I'd had before. I knew it was triggered by stress.
Just before discovering Dr. Sarno's "The Divided Mind" I had decided to try to reduce my Neurontin medication because of side effects, but every time I tried, the "nerve pain" got worse. Then I read the book and my pain has diminished quite a bit, so I've started weaning off the Neurontin with no increase in symptoms. In fact I have fewer symptoms now then when I was on the full dose. I've also had fewer allergy problems than I usually have at this time of year, and don't seem as bothered by chemicals as I used to be. It's all improving.
I have found it very helpful to read the experiences of others on this forum. The search function is very handy for finding specific information. For example, I did a search on the term "Multiple Sclerosis" and found that people have overcome similar neurological-type symptoms to what I've had. So I recommend that you continue to read here on the board, because learning of other people's successes with this treatment will probably help you develop confidence that it really is TMS and that you really can get better.
Wishing you all the best--Corey |
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Jeff
USA
68 Posts |
Posted - 09/29/2006 : 06:35:59
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Everyone -- Thanks for your helpful thoughts. Corey, your message was a particular inspiration. I have so far avoided taking any medications for my burning and nerve pain, and I really don't want to go down that path. It is always nice to hear others' stories when their symptoms are similar.
On the Cipro issue, no one really knows why Cipro would cause such long-lasting pain. However, the prevailing layman's theory is interesting -- it is the same theory as Sarno. In particular, the theory is that Cipro results in ischemia, which causes the various symptoms that people suffer. Sarno, of course, also theorizes that ischemia is the body's way of translating stress, rate, etc. into physical pain. So there may be more similarity to the Cipro and TMS theories than one first imagined.
Jeff |
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drziggles
USA
292 Posts |
Posted - 09/29/2006 : 15:34:34
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| Sounds like there are some similarities, except regarding the things that matter--the root cause and way to get better! Once again, the Cipro concept seems like a red herring to me, and an obstacle to recovery. |
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Do I Have TMS?
