Digestive problems

Hello, my name is Michelle (or Mickey, Mickey Lou). I am new here, and very much looking forward to interactions and new knowledge about my TMS. My pain started 17 years ago, and I’ve been diagnosed with fibromyalgia, small fiber neuropathy, insomnia, Morton’s neuroma, DeQuervain’s tenosynovitis, gastroparesis, IBS, duodenal ulcer, depression, generalized anxiety, and back and neck pain. Those are the main ones. I really wish I had learned about TMS before I had surgical fusions at L5-S1 (lumbar spine) and C5-7 (neck) levels that did not fix my pain. Upon reading The Way Out (Alan Gordon) and The Divided Mind (Dr Sarno) and starting Pain Reprocessing Therapy, my full-body pain and parasthesias mostly subsided, but I still have a lot of muscle and tendon pain. I used to feel like I had fire ants in my veins at night—that part is gone now, and I am sleeping again! It is so wonderful to know I am on the road to recovery!

Now for my question: regarding IBS and gastroparesis (delayed stomach emptying), does anyone else have these symptoms, do you think they are TMS, and have you had improvement since beginning this program? I believe my ulcer has healed, but I still get nausea and vomiting because of gastroparesis. I am also severely constipated. I stopped taking oxycodone about 40days ago, stopped muscle relaxers last week, and I’m weaning off of gabapentin as well. Kicking all this medication to the curb! Has anyone seen improvements in their digestive complaints?

Thank you, Michelle

 

Dr David Clarke is a retired gastroenterologist who heads up the PPDA - a mind/body (tms under a different name) association. Here’s an interview you might find helpful. The PPDA website lists a lot of symptoms, it might be helpful. https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=9Uhpgoi5fd0

Amazing progress so far!

 

Oh wow! What an amazing interview, and towards the end I got to hear a very satisfying explanation of how mind-body symptoms can be felt in the stomach and gut. Dr Clarke believes that muscle contractions are causing IBS—an explosive contraction will cause diarrhea, while a spasm, which does not move things along the tract, will cause constipation. Many people experience these symptoms because the gut is so densely wired with neural connections that the gut is often called our second brain. It only stands to reason that severe, repressed emotion can cause illness in the digestive tract. He goes on to describe a patient with gastroparesis who made a full recovery after being treated with TMS/mind-body techniques. For anyone else who is interested, acid reflux, whether or not it responds to PPI medications, can be a mind-body symptom. This has been very educational for me, and I hope that because I have seen a clear explanation for my IBS and gastroparesis symptoms, I will start to heal those problems as I continue my journey. Such a relief to know these things, and to be in a psychotherapy program that actually works. Thank you!

 

@MickeyLou How are you in your progress? I am in the same boat !