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Goodney
USA
76 Posts |
 Posted - 01/14/2011 : 17:07:23
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| Many years ago I conquered chronic, disabling back pain after reading "Healing Back Pain" by Dr. Sarno. Over the past couple of years I have suffered with increasing neck, hip, and hand pain. Today a rheumatologist diagnosed me with Psoriatic Arthritis. He wants me to start on Methotrexate immediately. Does anyone have any thoughts or experience with regard to Psoriatic Arthritis as a TMS equivalent? |
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maccafan
130 Posts |
Posted - 01/15/2011 : 16:19:01
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Greetings, what exactly is Psoriatic arthritis? How is it diagnosed? And what exactly is Methotrexate?
It sounds serious and whenever "a" doctor diagnoses something serious or for that matter just about anthing it's necessary to get another opinion or several opinions depending on how serious it is. To just start taking some new drug without at least checking the side effects list is asking for possibly a lot more trouble. And is it on the bad drugs list?
Most doctors are like car mechanics, it's hard to find a good one. It's hard to find one that actually gives a damn about you and isn't just trying to meet his quota for the day.
Before I had back pain I had chronic shoulder pain (it started after withdrawing from Xanax. The pain was so sharp and painful I would lift my arm with my other hand to do something. I couldn't sleep on my side. I had neck pain (in the back in the middle of it) that hurt so bad I couldn't turn my head. My hip wouldn't hurt but it would go numb and tingly. This went on for years. I noticed that the intensity of this would wax and wane over the years too. This was before I was educated on Sarno and felt it was protracted withdrawal symptoms like my tinnitus so I didn't go to the doctor. I was sick of doctors and tired of trying to trust any more of them. But after Sarno and conquering my back pain the shoulder and neck pain stopped too!
I've been tricked so many times now by my TMS that now it is the first thing that I think of no matter how weird or scarey the symptom. For instance 4 days ago my lower rt. teeth started to hurt again especially one and I thought uh oh maybe it is something this time because it really hurts and in a different way this time. I felt the old adrenaline kick in and I started to worry about the dentist drill and it possibly making my tinnitus worse! Then I thought @$%#, not this time. I've already been through this thing with my teeth and gums. Not gonna do it again. By the next day the worst pain was gone and the leftover sting, sensitivity on my gum stopped after 3 more days.
So be careful because arthritis is a notorius TMS trick!. And we are all tired of being tricked. It's like the Who said, "We won't be fooled again!". |
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Goodney
USA
76 Posts |
Posted - 01/15/2011 : 17:43:49
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maccafan my friend:
Thanks for the reply. Psoriatic arthritis is a potentially serious arthritic condition affecting a fair number of people with psoriasis (which I have). My neck x-rays showed mild to moderate arthritic changes throughout. My blood test showed an elevated sedimentation rate (indicating inflammation).
Methotrexate is an immunosuppressant chemotherapy drug that has potentially serious side effects, including liver damage and tuberculosis.
I will definitely seek a second opinion. Maybe I'll ring your friend Doctor Robert. :) By the way, what is the bad drugs list? |
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Nor
152 Posts |
Posted - 01/17/2011 : 05:14:16
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Goodney,
My husband was diagnosed with a rare autoimmune disease about 7 years ago. He was started on methltrexate with prednisone and then moved on to immuran. He began using Sarno's approach immediately. About 5 years ago, he discontinued meds and feels much better. He still gets flare ups when he's stressed but deals with them using a psychological/Sarno approach. It has long been know that autoimmune diseases and stress are closely linked.
Good luck. |
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maccafan
130 Posts |
Posted - 01/17/2011 : 12:02:26
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 (Dr. Robert) Good one, Goodney,
If you do a search for a bad drugs list you'll come up with things like ConsumerReportsHealth.org and a lot of other sites. I can't remember the ones I've used in the past right now. But the idea is to find pharmeceutical drugs that have been taken off the market due to deaths and long term physical health damage.
In the early 90's I was diagnosed with disc degenoration between L4 and L5. I was told I was in for a lot of pain in the future and that my spine would fuse together. Around 2002 when my back really flared up I was xrayed again and you could barely see the disc this time. My doctor said I should take one of the new cox 2 inhibitors like Bextra (NSAID). I checked up on it a little and didn't like what I learned so I didn't take it. Since then Vioxx and Bextra were pulled from the market so I'm glad I didn't. I started researching back pain and bought some books. Dr. Sarno's was one of them, thank goodness. So my back is fine, great, I don't worry about it. If it does try to flare I use it as my bad emotions-o-meter and do the physcological work. In fact my nightmare back pain was the easiest symp to realise and conquer. It has been these other weird symps not so commonly covered in Sarno's work that have ruined my life for different lengths of time until "the light bulb" went on with them too.
I've heard of chemo drugs being used to try to calm down an overactive immune system. And a lot of chemo drugs cause cancer down the line besides the side effects you mentioned.
Dr. S considers psoriasis TMS. Have you read The Divided Mind by Dr. Sarno? Six other doctors (who agree with Dr. S) contributed to this book. One is Dr. Andrea Leonard-Segal, M.D. who is a rheumatiologist. Maybe she has a website and a way to contact her.
I'm glad Nor responded to your post. Sounds very similar to your case, doesn't it?
Anyway I just want you to watch out for the Maxwell Edisons majoring in medicines out there. And you know why...
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drziggles
USA
292 Posts |
Posted - 01/21/2011 : 10:48:47
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While autoimmune conditions like psoriasis may be affected by stress, I would not consider them a TMS equivalent, and would consider a medication like methotrexate to be reasonable. Working on stress certainly cannot hurt in addition, for sure...
Obviously, you should consult your physician before making any medical decisions. |
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Psoriatic Arthritis - TMS?
