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Suz
559 Posts |
 Posted - 03/30/2005 : 07:34:08
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Hi everyone,
I have been away from the forum for quite a while and am now back battling with multiple TMS pain. I have been diagnosed with a very bad case of systemic candida (yeast) which is why I can't eat any sugars at all now without blowing up like a balloon and breaking out in rashes and hives. The doctor thinks it is because of all the steroids they had me on for my back pain (TMS of course). I have to do a very restrictive diet - and take horrible medicine. At the same time, my hip sciatic pain has come back - it is pretty constant - not terrible though. I have not read Sarno's books in months and actually decided to step it up a notch and last week I had my first session with one of his psychologists. It is extremely expensive and I am not keen on going. I have to take an hour 1/2 off from work as it is the only time she has.
I guess I am fed up with the whole thing - the restrictive diet (Sarno believes the yeast thing is TMS as well) - I also have chronic constipation - the doctor says from the yeast - although I think it is TMS as well.
Man - this whole thing is exhausting! I guess I ought to get my books out again and start reading. I have a lot going on in my life (mostly with all these doctors!) I am also angry that I have to spend so much money on all of this. I am also deciding whether to marry my boyfriend or not (there's a big one) - I have already had one failed marriage and am terrified!
So - sorry to rant on but I remember this board was so helpful to me - |
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robbokop
United Kingdom
75 Posts |
Posted - 03/30/2005 : 08:05:43
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Hello there Suz,
My advice would be stop seeing the doctors. Read Dr Sarno's book again to refresh yourself and convince yourself that ALL the symptoms you are referring to are TMS. It sounds like there are a lot of big emotional things you need to address.
Suz, your doctor's theory about steroids causing allergies to sugar sounds far fetched. Don't you think?
Good luck - you can crack it!
Robbokop
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Suz
559 Posts |
Posted - 03/30/2005 : 08:22:58
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I don't know Robbokop. Apparently large quantities of antibiotics and steroids cause an overgrowth of yeast in the intestines. They did blood tests on me and it showed a massive allergy to eggs and almonds (have those every day). They did a skin test and it came up positive for yeast - my arm swelled in a large lump.
It is really hard to know what to do. When I don't eat sugars and carbs, I feel better and I have no rashes, bloating or acne.
I am so torn between the two. I know that the hip pain is TMS but what of the yeast problem?
Has anyone on this forum had food allergy problems resolved by this program?
I would love to eat normally - whatever I want without any problems. |
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Scottydog
United Kingdom
330 Posts |
Posted - 03/30/2005 : 11:37:01
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Hi Suz,
I'm new to this forum and relatively new to Dr Sarno (maybe 2 months ago) and I read him because of a sleep problem (which is better but not cured yet) but I do have a yeast problem which mysteriously ( I thought) has worsened over the last couple of months. I took the usual one dose Canestan treatment (available in the uk) but it made no difference. My head itches so much I have been washing my hair daily with Nizoral shampoo (fortnightly would be enough in the past) so it is great to read that it might be a TMS symptom. I also developed an allergy to wheat last summer which is still there - I tried ignoring it, as Dr Sarno recommends for backache, but had severe cramps etc so am still watching what I eat.
Before reading Dr Sarno I had visited a Homeopathic doctor (nice and easy to talk to) - when I went back to him I told him about the book and my improvement and asked his opinion on psychotherapy. His view was that it can be very expensive and that they make their living by not curing you - once you are better you no longer need them - which made me decide to leave that for the time being.
I have to confess that I haven't yet written my list of possible causes for rage nor put aside a time each day to contemplate my problem and try to deal with it.
Scottydog |
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Suz
559 Posts |
Posted - 03/30/2005 : 12:15:40
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Scottydog,
I also am unable to eat wheat or any grains at all as it makes me cramp and very gassy. I believe that this may be a conditioned response caused by the brain. AFter all, food allergies have become as popular as back pain.
I do not agree about the psychotherapy. Dr. Sarno's group is trained to deal with the TMS condition. - I am seeing one directly referred by him. I told her that this is a short term situation for me and I am only there to "cure" these TMS conditions and then I am on my way. I have given myself a 6 month time frame as it is too expensive for me to go longer.
I am debating whether to discontinue the yeast cure and see the naturopathic doctor and purely focus on the emotional problems. I think part of the TMS cure is to face the fear and not dwell on anything physical. |
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Scottydog
United Kingdom
330 Posts |
Posted - 03/31/2005 : 00:01:57
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Hi Suz,
Yes, a Dr Sarno recommended psychotherapist should do good.
Here in the uk psychotherapy is a less common treatment and I haven't heard of any trained in Dr Sarno's technique. Maybe someone else can advise.
Scottydog |
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n/a
374 Posts |
Posted - 03/31/2005 : 01:39:16
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I took antibiotics for over six months after a severe UTI which wasn't TMS, but it didn't go away, which I think was TMS. All tests came back negative after the initial infection. The doctors said it was a low grade infection that wasn't showing up in tests. Now, that might have been true, but it mysteriously disappeared when I began to have problems with food, mostly wheat and dairy.
I was prescribed codeine phosphate which I was able to get on repeat prescription - I developed a dependence on the codeine and took it for two years. It got to the point that I couldn't leave the house in the morning without having taken 60mg of codeine.
During this time the back pain started and the first terrible back spasms happened when I came off codeine 'cold turkey' (bad mistake). When the back pain really took hold the digestion problems stopped.
As far as long term antibiotic use is concerned, I'll never know for sure if it was that that caused the digestion problems or the whole thing was TMS, but I do know that TMS was a big part of the whole sorry tale.
I have a feeling that all the publicity about the so-called weight gain and health problems caused by carbohydrates that we are subjected to is causing people to assume that they have these problems. It's the health problem du jour in the UK at the moment. That Dr Atkins has a lot to answer for.
Psychotherapy helped me a great deal to get better from TMS, but it is not easily available in the UK and it costs a fortune!
I'd treat it as TMS, Suz. Have another look at Sarno.
Best wishes
Anne |
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Suz
559 Posts |
Posted - 03/31/2005 : 08:03:33
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Anne,
Thank you so much for sharing some of your story - so incredibly helpful for me. The codeine addiction must have been terrible for you.
Did you go to psychocherapy to help you or did you do the work alone through the books?
Also, can you now eat wheat and other foods? I have been doing some form of food exclusion now for 12 years -so it is heavily ingrained in my way of life - this will probably be a tough fear to get over.
I think you might be right - this is probably just TMS. The problem is that I am a huge fan of the blood type diet and I have referred multiple people to it. - when I eat the diet for my blood type, my skin is clear, I feel great etc. Many of my friends have lost lots of weight and feel amazing. So what to do?!
I have never considered that these grain intolerances could just be an equivalent - you are right - everyone is obsessed with different diets and for those in it, wheat is being treated like a poison! |
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Suz
559 Posts |
Posted - 03/31/2005 : 08:08:16
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Sorry - Anne. I just realized that you said you had psychotherapy. That gives me great hope that I will get over this sciatic pain and food problems. Interestingly, since doing this diet rigorously - while my digestion and skin is now clear, the hip pain has started back up again. I think the diet might act as a very effective placebo and my unconscious has just gone elsewhere for a diversion - to the hip.
Wow! I am excited to think I may be free of all these food restrictions as it has been a very tough 12 years. I hate saying no at dinner parties and restaurants and obsessively checking ingredients. |
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tennis tom
USA
4749 Posts |
Posted - 03/31/2005 : 10:08:35
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Hi Suz,
As your TMS psychotherapist told you, TMS psychotherapy is short term work. According to Don Dubin, on Schechter's tapes, 15 sessions is the most he had to do for a particularly resistant patient. In the long run this should be more economical and curative than continuing in the traditional and non-traditional medicine systems.
Regarding your hip, I have had a recent set-back in that regard. I took my hip x-rays to Schechter and he reccommended hip replacement. He told me in MY case it was NOT TMS. If you have x-rays of your hip show them to a TMS doctor for a diagnosis. Sara, who posts on this board, saw Schechter and in her case, her hip pain WAS TMS.
From your posts, you are mentioning the physical aspects to a great degree and the emotional to a lesser degree. TMS thinking helped you before and you may need a TMS "penicilin-knowledge" booster. You are doing the TMS psychotherapy--that's really good. A couple of inexprensive TMS tools I would reccommend would be to download Sarno's "MINDBODY PRESCRIPTION" into your computer. I think it only cost about $10 over the web. The word search on the e-book version is much better than the hard-copy index for finding page references to symptoms. I believe Sarno mentions hives, allergies and many other TMS equivalents you MAY have. I found it helpful to see Dr. Sarno's views on all the various structural and psychological equivalents.
Another relatively inexpensive tool I found was Schecter's audio tapes. I played them in the car and found the impact of the spoken word very useful in reinforcing Sarno's concepts.
Good luck,
tt
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n/a
374 Posts |
Posted - 03/31/2005 : 10:36:58
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Hi Suz
I eat anything and everything now. I cut out dairy for a while and cut back severely on wheat for a while as well. One time, I did one of those 'food allergy' tests in my local health food store - and was told I was severely reactive to dairy and to wheat to a lesser extent.
I replaced real milk with soya, and gave up or found a replacement for all other dairy products. I stopped eating wheat cereals and replaced that with oats. Pasta, cake, cookies etc - I severely restricted.
I lost heaps of weight, but instead of enjoying wearing nice clothes, I couldn't enjoy my slimness because I was so miserable because of my back pain and codeine (lets not beat about the bush here) addiction.
The digestive symptoms disappeared almost completely when the back pain became severe. I didn't connect those two things until I read about one condition replacing another in The Mindbody Prescription. Things began to make sense then.
I can't pinpoint a specific time or incident when I stopped worrying about food intolerance - that kind of sneaked up on me along with the recovery from back pain.
One thing I now know for sure - I don't have any food intolerances. My digestive system was reacting to stress, unconscious anger etc, not food. I eat healthily, but I don't avoid anything either.
As far as psychotherapy is concerned, my therapist managed to 'unlock' things that had made me a prime target for the TMS gremlin. I was very lucky to find someone that I felt completely at home with. She isn't TMS trained, but believes in the mind/body thing. The expense was horrendous - but was definitely money well spent. I know lots of people don't need a therapist, but I really needed a 'friendly expert' to help me get behind the pain and anxiety.
My marriage is my second one as well, Suz - making the decision to go down that road again was truly frightening, but my instinct was that it was the right thing to do and I guess it was - 20th wedding anniversary nest week.
Take care
Best wishes
Anne
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ssjs
USA
147 Posts |
Posted - 03/31/2005 : 12:23:27
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Suz,
I've been going to a therapist on and off for years because not only do I like it, but it has also helped me totally get over any pain I have had for over 20 years now. I posted awhile ago about the terrble pain i used to have and how wonderful the past 20 pain free years have been. Yes I get a twinge now and then, but the twinge is gone very quickly because FOR ME it is important to have the support of a therapist every so often.
Originally I had a Sarno reccomended one...I am in NYC. but I changed to someone she recommended because of a money issue.
Therapy has changed my life in ways I couldn't have imagined!
Sandy
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Suz
559 Posts |
Posted - 03/31/2005 : 12:49:04
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Thank you, thank you, thank you to you all!
I am going to get the Schecter tapes as they might help. I am interested to know that it only takes about 15 sessions for an "extreme" patient. I will talk to my psychotherapist about it.
Anne,
How long did you go to therapy for before you found a change? Did you
write in a journal and read the books alot?
I am so thankful to you for telling me about the food allergies - it would be amazing to be able to eat everything without obsessing! |
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n/a
374 Posts |
Posted - 04/01/2005 : 01:14:13
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It didn't take long before things began to surface, Suz - the first two or three sessions were quite painful - I think all the supressed anger was hiding just under the surface and my therapist helped me reveal it. It hurt a lot for a while - facing up to why I felt the way I did. I had therapy for around six months - that's probably about 20 sessions.
I read MBP over and over - still refer to it now, more than eighteen months on. My physical symptoms are all but gone, but TMS is a formidable opponent so I keep pretty vigilant, that's one of he reasons I still post and read here.
I widened my reading and read widely on anxiety conditions - I found a two pronged attack worked very well for me - tackling the underlying anxiety and fear was of enormous help. From reading here, though, I know that is not necessary for everyone, but it was what I needed. Some books were lent to me by my therapist and some I found myself.
I did journal for a while, but to be honest, it wasn't for me. I found posting here much more helpful - I liked the fact that my thoughts and fears were being read and responded to, by people who knew exactly what I was talking about.
The thing about all the foods we now fear - they are not poison - wheat has been a staple for humans since time immemorial - whole populations would have probably died out without it. Separating out good dietary advice from all the stuff being pushed because someone has a book to sell or one industry wants to boost its sales at he expense of another, is incredibly difficult.
Has Dr Gillain McKeith reached the US yet? If not - watch out - because if she does she'll have you all eating quinoa (what's that for heaven's sake?), and making cakes out of hemp seeds - I'm not kidding. She's from Scotland, as I am, and guess what - she's now, along with all the other food gurus, fabulously rich.
The diet industry is what is poison - not the 'banned' foods.
Take care
Anne
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Suz
559 Posts |
Posted - 04/01/2005 : 07:23:20
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Well - I feel so much better after everyone's comments and stories. I have my second therapy session today - I am not looking forward to it but I really want to get these emotions out.
The food/diet fear may take longer than the fear of pain and exercise for me. I feel incredible when I do the blood type diet - my skin is baby soft and totally acne free - my hair has become thicker and shinier and my bloating has gone away. I have masses of energy and I sleep really well. As soon as I eat grains, I get all the symptoms back again. Could this diet just be a very very effective placebo for the TMS equivalents like acne and digestive problems? This is a very tricky one for me to get over. According to my doctor, wheat used to be much lower in protein - only about 4%(gluten is the protein) - it has been modified to a much higher protein content than it ever used to have and that is why people's digestive systems have not changed enough to accommadate this. I find this a pretty convincing argument - I really don't know. I must admit - i would love a big slice of chocolate cake!
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hello all again!
