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Scanh
3 Posts |
 Posted - 03/03/2009 : 13:44:43
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Hi everyone,
I'm not exactly new to the forum...I've been lurking here occasionally for a couple of years but never got around to posting for various reasons. This community has been a tremendous source of help and hope for me. Because of it and Sarno's "Mindbody Prescription", I was able to completely overcome extremely debilitating testicular pain that I endured for almost two years - although I'm still not entirely sure of how I managed to do it. I want to thank you all for forming, maintaining, and being a part of this forum. I would feel absolutely hopeless without it.
I've found so much of myself described in Sarno's works. Before confronting the aforementioned problem, I struggled with occasional agonizing attacks of abdominal pain that responded only to beer (most of the time) or emergency room painkillers (thankfully a rare occurrence once I discovered the beer cure at age 18). Chronic headaches began in my mid-20s, and by 31, I was struggling with a dependence on an aspirin-caffeine headache powder and the rebound effect. Acid reflux started at 30 or so and continues to this day. Episodes of RSI also terrified me. Then the testicular thing.
You know the story, I think. Lots of doctors, lots of tests. No evidence of anything physically wrong...until the testicle thing. Oh, there were theories abound on that one, and plenty of physical evidence. Surgery was recommended several times.
Anyway, these days I am struggling with a new manifestation - chronic rhinitis that seems unresponsive to every medication under the sun (except otc sprays which cannot be used for more than a couple of days without risking rebound congestion issues). I have no problem believing that this is yet another TMS manifestation, yet that belief doesn't seem to help much, if at all. I've been seeing a therapist for some time now, and while I'm making progress in some areas, the rhinitis is as prominent as ever, interfering with sleep, concentration, etc. Drinking several beers often helps, but not always...and while I enjoy drinking, I do not enjoy HAVING to do it in order to be able to breathe properly.
I write this in the middle of the night suffering through another sinus infection, unable to sleep, feeling utterly doomed and consumed with fear. I would do anything just to be able to breathe normally again. It is hard for me to avoid reverting back to looking for a physical cause and/or solution when almost no one seems to have had the physical manifestations I've had to put up with. Just hearing from someone who has had similar issues would help me tremendously - especially if they have been successful in dealing with it. Has anybody here had chronic or "vasomotor" rhinitis as an issue?
Making matters more complicated is that I'm an American living in Shanghai. My options for therapy etc are limited. Would anyone here be up for talking via Skype? I really need to talk with someone who knows where I'm coming from.
Thanks for taking the time to hear me out.
- Scott |
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pandamonium
United Kingdom
202 Posts |
Posted - 03/04/2009 : 05:45:41
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Hi Scott,
glad you made it from a lurker to a poster :)
I have no idea about rhinitis but it sounds very painful, did something happen around the time it started that you could journal about?
I hope someone else can help, have you used the search facility?
Cheers. |
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Capn Spanky
112 Posts |
Posted - 03/04/2009 : 07:45:24
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I don't have any experience with the kind of symptoms you're experiencing. I was able to get rid of my irritable bowel syndrome, as well as elbow and back pain through Dr. Sarno.
I was going to suggest taking Dr. Shubiner's online class. I've never taken it, but I've been highly impressed by what I know of Dr. Shubiner. If I was still experiencing symptoms I wouldn't hesitate to take his course.
It's interesting that beer (mind-altering alcohol) alleviates your symptoms. You might want to explore and do some journaling about that. |
Edited by - Capn Spanky on 03/04/2009 07:47:16 |
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drziggles
USA
292 Posts |
Posted - 03/04/2009 : 09:28:23
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One typical feature of TMS symptoms is fear/distress which is out of proportion to the degree of the symptomatology. Listen to yourself: "utterly doomed and consumed with fear"--you've got a stuffy nose, not a brain tumor! The first thing is to put things in perspective: what is the worst thing that could happen with rhinitis? Breathe through your mouth!
Not to be callous, but you need to suck it up and figure out what it is that is actually bothering you, which is clearly not this rhinitis.
Naturally, you should consult with your medical doctor before making any medical decisions. |
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scottjmurray
266 Posts |
Posted - 03/04/2009 : 12:03:36
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quote:
chronic rhinitis
This is listed as a TMS equivalent on p.27 of The Divided Mind, "allergic rhinitis." The fact that it's become chronic indicates something.
quote:
It's interesting that beer (mind-altering alcohol) alleviates your symptoms.
When I used to frequent the pelvic myoneuropathy forum there was a guy who claimed that beer alleviated all of his symptoms as well. He would drink 5-6 beers a day in the afternoon and wouldn't have any pain. Could be that the intoxication briefly substitutes as an emotional repression mechanism so the symptoms back down for a bit.
~*~
author of tms-recovery . com |
Edited by - scottjmurray on 03/04/2009 13:27:22 |
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Capn Spanky
112 Posts |
Posted - 03/04/2009 : 12:45:19
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| One thing that helped me break through was having absolute and total faith in the TMS diagnosis and believing at a deep level there is absolutely nothing wrong with me. |
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Scanh
3 Posts |
Posted - 03/05/2009 : 01:26:03
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Thanks for the responses everyone! Just reading them makes me feel better.
I've had a terrible day though. While the antibiotics seem to be taking care of the sinus infection, I got that abdominal pain this morning (funny too, because I haven't had that issue in at least a year). Drank a few beers around noon after leaving work early, and now I have the most godawful headache. This cycle typically repeats itself in the evening after I eat again.
quote:
One typical feature of TMS symptoms is fear/distress which is out of proportion to the degree of the symptomatology. Listen to yourself: "utterly doomed and consumed with fear"--you've got a stuffy nose, not a brain tumor! The first thing is to put things in perspective: what is the worst thing that could happen with rhinitis? Breathe through your mouth!
On seeing this initially, I laughed. It is, of course, true. But then, sleep is an elusive creature when you have to have a sip of water every five minutes because your mouth dries out. And my fear the other night wasn't about the rhinitis, but the sinus infection. Warding away thoughts like "What if this is the infection that turns out to be resistant to this antibiotic?" is tough when sitting up alone in the middle of the night.
But I agree; ultimately it's not the rhinitis, or any other symptoms, that are the real problem. That's why I've been seeing a therapist for the last 18 months in addition to reading Sarno's books repeatedly and trying to do what he suggests. It has worked before (at least I think so because I no longer have the testicle issue). I just can't seem to identify what my primary issue is...although I think I'm getting close. I can't get there fast enough!
quote:
I have no idea about rhinitis but it sounds very painful
Rhinitis is basically a stuffy nose. It's not painful, but it tends to be quite a distraction when you've had it for an entire year :)
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positivevibes
204 Posts |
Posted - 03/05/2009 : 03:00:12
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I'm going to throw something at you that isn't exactly a TMS thing.
I was having problems with recurring sinus infections for many years. Guess what? I had a tumor the size of a thumb in my sinus! No ENT doctor had ever bothered to do a CT scan of my sinuses (X-rays don't show soft tissue like a tumor). Fortunately it was totally benign. It's called a Sinus Hamartoma and actually it's quite rare (lucky me).
I had endoscopic sinus surgery to remove the tumor this past October. For the first time in years, I got sick with a cold a few months ago and it did not turn into a sinus infection. I can also breathe so much easier now and I also sleep a lot better. The tumor was blocking up my sinuses. It was amazing I could breathe at all in that nostril!
I don't tell you this to scare you, but to perhaps caution you that you might want to get one more "physical" test, the CT scan of your sinuses.
I am lucky to have one of the best sinus surgeons in the country only 10 miles away. He's the one who did my surgery. Why did I have the tumor? He thinks I was born with it (birth defect) and it just grew over the years, to the point where now it blocked up enough sinus to be noticed.
If you've had both an X-ray and a CT scan of your sinuses and they can't find anything wrong, then you know that it might be a manifestation of TMS.
Just my 2cents.
Oh yeah, one more thing I want to add. Have you ever tried doing saline rinses several times a day in your nose? If you've never tried that, look up the Neilmed Sinus Rinse Kit. They sell it at most drugstores and also online. It's very simple, easy, and cheap. |
Edited by - positivevibes on 03/05/2009 03:04:01 |
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New to forum - short history and some questions
