Genital tingling

Hi, im new here, my problem was pelvic pain, since i started treating this as tms, my pelvic pain subsided, but the problem now is that it is replaced with genital tingling which is worse than the pain. It is so uncomfortable, no position can make me comfortable. Please help if somebody is experiencing this and have healed.

 

Hi Candy

If your doctor has elimated all physical causes, such as infection, it's most likely TMS at work again. I've never suffered from pelvic pain myself, but IC was one of my symptoms, so same area.

This is very common and to be expected. It's just your brain trying another distraction on you before it eventually gives up. Don't let it frighten you, that's exactly what is required to distract you from your emotions.

I know how uncomfortable this is, but be brave and tell your brain that you know what it is and you're not buying into it. It may not go immediately, but if you try to accept it as TMS without fearing it, it will fade away.

Keep up with whatever TMS education programme you've chosen, you can do this it just takes practice, time, patience and courage.

The heart of TMS healing is very simple, LOSE THE FEAR, LOSE THE PAIN.

I hope you get some relief soon. Don't be a martyr to it, if pain medication helps take it.

Bless you

 

hi mermaid,

Thanks for your reply, it helps a lot when you know that somebody had experienced this and recovered. Actually, i was in the process of fully fully as in 100% accepting this, i told myself that whatever will be will be, but as i was more open to my symptoms and not distracted from it, it became worse and made me focus on it again. Then i thought to myself that i let my tms win again. Then i cried and thought that i fell to square 1 again. Would it be okay if you could share with me how yoh lose your fear of your ic symptoms?

 

Hi Candy

Try not to put so much pressure on yourself to eliminate this symptom, don't scold yourself or you let the fear back in. TMS is TENSION myositis syndrome; being impatient causes tension, so exaccerbates the problem. I know this whole vicious cycle seems like an impossible maze to extract yourself from, but it's not. It's just an overactive ANS caused by an accumulation of stress hormones. There is no "IT" to free yourself from, only an illusion we create for ourselves.

Anyway, to get to the bit you really want to know

The thing that helped me the most to lose fear of my symptoms was the work of Claire Weekes. If you haven't already, get hold of a copy of "Self Help For Your Nerves", available on Amazon. I also still listen to her CD "Pass Through Panic" while I'm driving (don't be put off by the tilte). I listen to Dr.Harold Shubiner on Youtube most mornings as well while I'm getting ready for work.

You really do need to brainwash yourself with TMS facts far more than you would ever imagine, for your unconscious mind to accept it and stop the automatic fear reaction to symptoms being triggered.

Keep calm, have faith in the process and stick at it. Alan Gordon said somewhere in the "Ask a Practitioner" section that losing fear is a decision. Have the courage to make that decision.

I've found TMS healing a slow very bumpy road, but worth the effort.

One last thing, don't forget to practice self compassion.

I hope some of that helps.

 

Thanks for your inspiring reply ms mermaid.

 

Thanks for your reply ms mermaid. Yes, i already practice the teachings of dr. Claire weekes, face, accept, float and let time pass. I also listen to her audio recordings while driving.

 

That's good, just be patient and I'm sure you'll be fine

 

thanks for your encouragement

 

Hi Candy,

This was one of my (intermittent) symptoms that went along with my back pain and sciatica. It was most definitely TMS and went away along with the rest of the symptoms...I fully recovered from it and have not had it in quite some time. You might have read, when you start TMS work sometimes the symptom imperative is at work and you get worse before you get better! So don't give up. Personally, I think I had a sort of nocebo effect going on....as a physical therapist I knew all the worse case scenarios the tingling could have been and kept worrying about them...thus making the tingling worse! Sounds like you are on the right track, just keep trying to be patient, ride it out and relax, though much easier said than done. Take it easy and know it won't heal immediately but that you're doing the right thing.

 

Thanks a lot mindbodypt,

Your words help me a lot and they encourage me. Its nice to know that somebody had experienced this and recovered.

 

Hi min

hi mindbodypt,

Would you mind sharing what you did in order to fully recover? And how did you lose your fear?

 

Sure I don't mind sharing! This process started about 2 months ago. I made sure to treat ALL of my symptoms as TMS even if they felt weird, from the back pain and spasm to the tingling in my pelvis and legs. I think it was easier for me to lose my fear for a couple reasons. I had already had an MRI showing that I just had routine herniated discs and nothing serious. It also helped that i'm a PT so I would know if something was REALLY wrong due to my medical/anatomical knowledge. I knew that tingling and pain wasn't indicative of anything super serious...that is why I got the MRI a few months ago, to rule out anything major. This rationalization REALLY helped me lose my fear of something being seriously wrong. I started gradually doing more exercise and activity as I felt better (currently i'm able to run, do yoga/pilates and starting some weight training again). I also have an active meditation practice which helps a ton with acceptance of the current situation and decreasing anxiety.

The other thing I had to do was read A LOT about TMS and integrate it into my current PT-based knowledge. To really beat TMS you have to fully understand it and believe in it as being the true cause of your pain! I read all 3 Sarno books, and also bought books by doctors Schubiner, Schecter and Georgie Oldfield (since she is also a PT). I started the Structured Educational Program and found these forums! I did (and still do) lots of journaling to "think psychologically" if I feel a symptom and try to figure out what's bothering me or what the emotion is. It also helps that my husband is supportive and talks a lot of things over with me and understands TMS.

That has been my journey in a nutshell! I hope that helped outline some of the things that will help you. Feel free to ask me any questions I hope you start feeling better soon.

 

thanks a lot for sharing ms mindbodypt.

thanks a lot ms mindbodypt for sharing and thanks for your help. Im so grateful for finding this forum, not only are the people here so supportive, they are also very full of hope.

 

hi again,

Im feeling a lot better now although my anxiety became high. Im just curious, how did you lose your fear of the very annoying symptoms. I know that this is tms and theres nothing structurally wrong with me, i also had mri, so in this aspect i dont fear it anymore. My fear right now is the feeling of the symptoms. How did you lose your fear of the symptoms when it became so annoying aside from thinking psychologically? Did you do something physical to bear the discomfort? Or you just allow it to be there and think psychologically without easing yourself from the pain or tingling? And did the pain or tingling just slowly lessen in intensity or it just disappeared suddenly?

 

So this took some time for me. Fear of the symptoms once you know there is nothing "wrong" is basically anxiety, which I did suffer from for a bit, its part of the whole syndrome. Here are a few things that worked well for me:
-using a heating pad, taking a warm shower or bath really helped me physically relax...I didn't believe this would cure my TMS but I thought of it like taking a Tylenol for temporary relief
-mindfulness meditation was extremely helpful to work on the idea of noticing the symptoms as sensations but trying not to have judgement of them. this is a mindset that takes time and practice to cultivate but over time will help decrease anxiety. There is a great online mindfulness based stress reduction course I did even before I had TMS: https://palousemindfulness.com (Online MBSR/Mindfulness (Free)) I highly recommend it!
-distraction from the symptoms with humorous things (watching a funny TV show or reading something fun), or just keeping busy to have less focus on them
-seeing a therapist to deal with any residual anxiety you have

The symptoms gradually declined over a period of a month. The tingling went away first for me before the general pain but everyone is different so don't apply my example to yourself specifically.

Hope that helped!

 

thanks for the reply, with regards to watching funny tv shows, did you enjoy them immediately, because as for me, since this tms started, i put off watching my favorite movies because i lost interest in them because all i am focusing right now is my health and pain, and i am thinking that if i will watch them again, even though i wont enjoy ay first, would the enjoyment eventually return?

 

Dr. Sarno says "tingling" is a TMS symptom--I believe he says it in the Medscape interview that I just put up and has a broken link.

g'luck!
tt

 

Thanks, i know it is tms, its just that its so annoying and uncomfortable.

 

Despite the discomfort I tried initially to just focus on the show I was watching or book I was reading and enjoy it. It helps to take your attention off the annoying sensation as much as possible and not give it much credit. Using a hot pad can also help with distraction if it gets really bad (replaces the tingling with another sensation temporarily).

 

thanks a lot for your help ms mindbodypt.