Numbness, tingling, electric shocks, paresthesia, allydonia, small fiber neuropathy

I feel I do have a good support system, but I have built it on my own accord - A good neuropsychologist and physiotherapist (who specialises in chronic pelvic pain for women - but actually is so open minded and helpful she took me on as a patient for all my issues!), both who are familiar with the idea of the mind-body connection and are confident I don't have a structural issue. I went through dozens of 'professionals' before I settled with my current physio and psych. I only have 2 family members, both of who are likely responsible for traumas/unmeet needs I guess and who have a host of their own issues. This forum, has by far offered the most support and hope and I attribute it completely to people like yourself who stick around after their personal victories to help others. Your post was also linked on Reddit a few times as well, i think on the BFS or health anxiety subreddit - which is how I came across the idea of TMS and purchased John Sarno's book.

I wish some of those people who checked in around 2013/2014 who were experiencing issues came back. There are so many similar stories, but only very few chose to stick around. I look forward to using my time in the future to help others.

 

I remember reading success stories and realizing those people rarely ever checked back in. Definitely their prerogative and nothing wrong with moving on, but it made me mistakenly believe that once you’re “cured” (a term I no longer use as it’s not accurate), life is an easy road from there. The truth is that the mind-body connection is part of life and we all - no matter how good or bad we perceive our lives to be - are responsible for managing it over time. This connection continues to exist, even if the symptoms are as minor as a twitchy eye when we get into words with our family, a colleague, or whomever. The good news is that we can use it to our advantage.

I’m much more concise and less detailed with my own life details now, but some of my previous entries were essentially an open diary for this reason. I remember how important it was for me to have transparency and someone to relate to.

I’m glad you have healthcare professionals who consider the mind-body connection and support you. That is a major win! What do you feel has helped you balance emotions? How have you worked to rewire your thinking? Truthfully, I don’t think I was consistently happy until after I turned 30 and had been in the process of reasoning with myself and reframing my views. It’s crazy how life used to seem so hopeless and tiring, but now I could live for a thousand years and love it. Emotions are incredibly powerful.

Keep on keeping on. This forum is definitely a fantastic support resource!

 

You deserve every bit of that hope. You inspire me with your words! I hope you’re experiencing genuine enjoyment in life, even if you’re currently having symptoms. It’s amazing how neuroplastic our brains - and flexible our lives - truly are. Keep going!

(I apologize for multiple posts - my cell phone isn’t letting me respond to multiple people at once or copy and paste very well.)

 

Thx you for your kind words

 

I completely agree, which is why I'm using this thread to document my journey, I guess - the ups and downs. I'm still working on the emotions. My views are still all over the place and trying to figure out who I truly am. My neuropsychologist believes there were serious unmet needs in my childhood which have resulted in my building a type of "scaffold" around myself, through being a perfectionist, organisation, routine, etc, instead of meeting that need within myself and as a result, it is putting extreme stress on my body and producing physical sensations. It's hard to undo a lifetime of obsessive behaviours. Some days I feel extreme rage, the next I feel like I seriously over-reacted. I'm sure the story is the same with everyone here. I have ordered The Great Pain Deception by Dr. Steve Ozanich as well as Hope And Help For Your Nerves: End Anxiety Now by Dr. Claire Weekes. I am eager to read the books.

 

Sunrise,

Look at what you just wrote, "Just an update, my nerve issues seem to have subsided quite a bit (knock on wood!) but my tinnitus has flared up significantly and ear pressure (fluid?) is really bothering me. IBS too!

"What a crazy cycle. I often wonder what 'normal' people feel like, I'm always hyperfocused on something. Nerve issues, bowel/bladder/pelvic issues, tinnitus, eye floaters, etc."

Regarding your update... Remember, that your symptoms will move to another area to distract you. If that is happening, smile and tell yourself that "I got this!" It's your mind creating new pain or symptoms at different areas to DISTRACT YOU!! Don't give in. Say to your mind, "I understand. You are moving the pain and symptoms around to distract me from what I really want to say or do."

Now look at what Miffybunny wrote, "Symptoms are "triggered" by certain movements or positions to which your brain has now developed conditioned responses."

You are totally focusing on what is going on "Nerve issues, bowel/bladder/pelvic issues, tinnitus, eye floaters, etc."

I am guilty of this myself! For some reason, I experience extreme foot pain when lying in bed at night. The pain increases ten fold. I experience more foot pain in the shower for some reason. It's learned pain because now I am expecting it in those situations. When I get ready to ride my bike or exercise, the pain in my feet increases. It's a cycle, learned pain. Like Miffybunny said, we learn/come to expect it when we do those "normal" activities.

Remember. We are angry. Most of that anger is at one's we are closest to. Wife, daughter, son, brother, sister, mom or dad. Secondary anger comes from work, job, boss, job, etc. If possible, express this to the ones you feel are causing this. If it is too much or causes too much tension, express to your mind that you have resolved this and that the pain and symptoms can go away. Tell your mind this every conscious moment of the day! "The symptoms are psychological, not physical"

Trust me, I am guilty of allowing all this to affect me. I am still trying to work through this. But I have hope. I felt that rush of blood and oxygen to my feet and legs and it was absolutely wonderful! Remove or eliminate as much as possible the negatitivity that the family throws at you. They are your worst enemy! Those closest to you, if they are in a negative state, should be ignored, or dismissed, if possible. Don't let them bring you to their level.

I hope this helps.

 

I am reading The Great Pain Deception by Steve Ozanich and he quotes Sarno when he mentions that the pain moves up and "flares up" old injuries. I have zero nerve issues for the last 10 days, but my tinnitus has increased tenfold. All year, it has been so low, that I forgot I had it for the longest time. Now, my nerve issues are gone and my ears feel all sensitive to sounds and tinnitus blaring. Also, my IBS issues are gone. For the longest time I thought it was related to some damage/sound exposure or something, but now I am thinking it might just be so minor and exacerbated by TMS switching the sensations elsewhere.

 

Definitely TMS/the mind-body connection! Time to start asking yourself what’s up and how you can help yourself feel balanced again.

 

What do you suggest? What's your process in feeling balanced?

 

Dorado, I guess I have the question as Sunrise, how do we go about feeling balanced. I wonder why my sensations (prickly and hypersensitive skin sensations on my legs, sensitive to clothing) and a surging feeling through my chest, are hanging around so long. The sensations move around on my legs, so the location in which it feels annoying for awhile totally clears up and it moves to another location within minutes. I have developed awful anxiety around these symptoms to the point I feel like I’m going to explode at times. I’ve been tested to death and I saw my doctor yesterday for something unrelated and he said to me that I’ve been tested so extensively that he thinks it’s the way my body deals with stress, although he hasn’t a clue what I should do about it other than mindfulness. At times I have patience and feel encouraged and other times I feel totally fearful and defeated.

Sunrise, I’m happy to hear your neurological symptoms have settled down. It sure sounds like you’re on the right track. If you have any idea why your symptoms left please let us know.

Sorry for posting on your thread Sunrise, but I have the same question for Dorado as you.

 

Balance - to me - means we are healthily managing our emotions, have identified ways to help ourselves feel safe, and don’t let TMS/the mind-body connection stop us from enjoying our lives. As I always say, TMS is nothing more than our bodies physically responding to our emotions: It boils down to how we control and experience them.

There isn’t a one-size-fits-all approach to achieving balance. For me, cognitive behavioral therapy and viewing sources of my anxiety (including obsessive compulsions since I had been diagnosed with OCD as a child and again as an adult) as “trolls” helped significantly. I also had to reason with myself on a daily basis and ask internally whether certain actions and emotions were truly helping me become the person I wanted to be - I had a clear picture in my mind as to what that person looked like. Reframing my perspective, daily walks, music, cutting off toxic people, setting healthy boundaries and being honest with others as opposed to constantly engaging in “goodism,” forgiving or at least doing my best to move on from sources of trauma, looking forward to the little things in life (e.g., petting my cat, reading a good short story, reorganizing data in an Excel spreadsheet and writing better formulas), not going out until 7 AM and drinking with my friends across the city, etc. were critical for me.

What will help you be a happier person?

 

It's all good - this is a thread for everyone. We're all fighting the same fight. Keep the posts coming!

 

Does your numbness come and go too? I have pretty much all of your symptoms including the tinnitus which doesn’t happen as often now. My arms are currently my biggest problem at the moment, can’t sleep at night because they go numb or just hurt. I was diagnosed with SFN by biopsy. It is so scary because I never know how I’m going to feel day to day or if a symptom is going to go away or be permanent. I’m struggling to enjoy life. I literally just stumbled across this site at 4:47 am because I can’t sleep and am in so much pain and just worry that my life will never be pleasant again.

 

Sunrise- I am happy to hear of the improvements in your symptoms. Good luck with your recovery.

JADSPR- I am not going to venture an opinion on your diagnosis of SFN and whether it could be TMS as I am not a medical professional, however if you do actually have real SFN I would highly recommend the following as there ARE solutions for SFN :
http://www.neuroplastix.com/ (Home | Neuroplastix) - to relieve pain caused by any physical health issue at all.
Also look for Bob Diamond's facebook group for Solutions to Peripheral Neuropathy or website: https://theprotocol525.com/?fbclid=IwAR122UCLV7mdStBEEDynsRT4slU-Pqzg9Ef16hSR9reh7rruTy2fmNBrxdY (The Protocol 525)
The facebook group is a bit militant BUT there is really good science behind the vitamin protocol.

 

Thank you for this information. I purchased a program (DNRS) but with my fatigue I have found it hard to follow through. I will definitely look into it. I have seen the 525 Protocol, I take a lot of the supplements but not this specific program. I have reached a breaking point so I will reconsider his program. Thank you for responding, I really appreciate it.

 

Neuropathy, unless it is caused by the actual direct physical damage to the nerves, is TMS. Neuropathy is caused by overstressed nervous system not being able to cope with the stress and sending out alarm. SFN is one of those many diagnoses that they give you if they can't figure out what is wrong with you. I had neuropathy, it all went away with emotional work and meditation. Dozens of people on this forum recovered from neuropathy by treating it as TMS. I am working with a woman who has been suffering from neuropathy, low blood pressure and elevated heart rate for over a year. With meditation and mindfulness exercises, all of the above symptoms are 80% better after only 2.5 months of practice. As soon as she gets stressed out, neuropathy returns, but a meditation session eliminates it completely.

 

Maybe a stupid question but I’m new to TMS...Is it still TMS if I have been diagnosed with primary Sjrogrens which is the cause of the SFN? Sjrogrens would be considered structural?

 

I am not an expert on autoimmune conditions, but I have seen reports on autoimmune conditions being significantly improved by the TMS approach. Search this forum for posts on autoimmune conditions. Check this one out: https://www.shannonharvey.com/ (www.ShannonHarvey.com). Many of us (me included) were told that our conditions are incurable. Well, they may not have a cure, but you can heal from them! I did - give it your honest try, too!

 

This is music to my ears TG957 as I have nerve inflammation and probably some nerve entrapment. Are you able to say a bit more about what kinds of neuropathy people have recovered from? Many thanks

 

I had neuropathy in my hands and recovered. I highly recommend that you use a search feature on this forum and search on keywords "neuropathy" or "neuropathic" and read posts that come up.