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Dr. Schechter's Blog Patients with "Fibromyalgia" Have Higher Incidence of Irritable Bowel Syndrome

Discussion in 'Mindbody Blogs (was Practitioner's Corner)' started by Think Away Your Pain Blog, Apr 13, 2015.

  1. Think Away Your Pain Blog

    Think Away Your Pain Blog Automated blog by David Schechter, MD

    Originally posted: April 8, 2015

    Taiwanese researchers reviewed a nationwide database and found that indivudals diagnosed with fibromyalgia-- muscle pain, myofascial pain, sleep issues, etc. had a higher incidence of Irritable Bowel Syndrome. The frequency compared to the rest of the population without pain was about twice as much. This is interested because in our conception many people diagnosed with fibromyalgia have TMS, tension myositis syndrome, tension myoneural syndrome, the mindbody syndrome (TMS). One of the clear associations that I have seen in my clinical work is that irritable bowel syndrome very commonly precedes or is associated with the TMS prone individual.

    This independent confirmation from Taiwan supports the connection between these conditions which remain ill-defined and difficult to treat in conventional medicine. In my experience a mindbody approach, focusing on education, psychology, journaling, stress awareness and processing is highly effective for both muscle pains and IBS.

    I'm wondering how many reading this who have TMS or myalgia or myofascial pain also have Irritable bowel syndrome currently or in the past?
     
    Porpoise likes this.
  2. Ellen

    Ellen Beloved Grand Eagle

    I had both a diagnosis of fibromyalgia and irritable bowel syndrome. I have fortunately recovered from both by treating both symptoms as TMS.
     
  3. North Star

    North Star Beloved Grand Eagle

    I had a fibro diagnosis. No IBS but issues off and on through out the years. (It's a good think I never read about IBS or I certainly would have developed it. ;) )
     
  4. IrishSceptic

    IrishSceptic Podcast Visionary

    More compelling evidence that this is indeed a systemic syndrome.
     
  5. EileenS

    EileenS Well known member

    I am recovering from myofacial pain and ibs. (They are both tms. The original source of both are long gone.) The pain went from regular muscle aches to full on muscle pain and weird sensations with the development of ibs-d after taking an antibiotic 18 months ago. I had never had any ibs before in my whole life or weird sensations associated with muscle aches.
     
  6. BruceMC

    BruceMC Beloved Grand Eagle

    I know that Dr Sarno states that it's been his experience that patients with TMS often have histories of other disorders that are believed by some to have underlying deep emotional causes, such as asthma, allergies, psoriasis, IBS etc. etc. You wonder about the numbers though? Has anyone every run a peer reviewed science-based double blind study to get some figures on these annecdotal observations that most of us have observed in TMS patients? Just thinking out loud! Sure sounds like an interesting and possibly revealing project.
     
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  7. IrishSceptic

    IrishSceptic Podcast Visionary

    The path to testing Sarno's concepts in RCT is fraught with many difficulties because it deals with emotional and abstract psychological techniques that don't lend themselves well to study, but it could be done. For TMS to gain proper foothold it needs to be done, and done really well.
    I myself try to be sceptical about everything but personal experience(had asthma,speech therapy as child) leads me to believe he is correct. My brain still tells me it's all rubbish but I wrestle back control. I truly can't believe the progress I have made inside the last year having trudged through it for so long.
    We live in hope!
     
  8. jlm

    jlm Peer Supporter

    Yes to current TMS and fibromyalgia and yes to former IBS and Crohn's Disease. Yes to current myofascial pain. My list of autoimmune diseases is extensive. I just read an article yesterday about highly sensitive people having a large number of autoimmune diseases, but the research wasn't there. Too bad because I think the author had a good point.
     
    newarrior, Fifi and IrishSceptic like this.
  9. Porpoise

    Porpoise Peer Supporter

    I've had a form of irritable bowel for many years (including fructose malabsorption and lactose intolerance), and for 3 years now have suffered from all-over body pain and post-exertion malaise which at least one practitioner has diagnosed as fibromyalgia (although doubt has been expressed about the diagnosis because in many ways it seems atypical). As a child I suffered from asthma, excema and food allergies, and over the years as an adult I suffered from bouts of back pain, so I'd say TMS has been a big part of my life. Since I've started learning about and applying the principles of TMS my irritable bowel has improved somewhat, but the pain/malaise has been much more difficult to move - I've made some progress but it's very slow.
     
    IrishSceptic likes this.
  10. IrishSceptic

    IrishSceptic Podcast Visionary

    Gabor Mate probably has some good info on it. The Ted talk by Naomi(not sure of surname) has some incredible stats.
    I like the description of TMS as a kind of "attention surplus disorder" and by someone else(think Scott Brady) as "autonomic overload syndrome" .
     
    Fabi likes this.
  11. EileenS

    EileenS Well known member

    I think only anecdotal observations can be done on TMS. Many people have long histories of what could be TMS and some of us don't (I started having my current issues at age 56, now 58). I realized a few days ago that a heart arrhythmia I had for a few years in my 30's might have been 'TMS'. Other than that, I've just had the usual infections and aches; no asthma, allergies, etc. I think Dr Sarno said in one book that everyone has the potential to get TMS. What matters to me is that applying his principles and seeing the success stories and support on this website are helping me get back to normal, but in a psychological way even better. I was slowly getting better with physio, massage, and seeing a naturopath, (and got the real eye problem fixed that started it all off). With the discovery of TMS info only 28 days ago, I feel I have found the last piece of the puzzle and can also deal with the fear that developed with the TMS. Being in one's 50's is often traumatic. Some have compared it to the emotional upheaval of being a teenager.
     
  12. Walt Oleksy (RIP 2021)

    Walt Oleksy (RIP 2021) Beloved Grand Eagle

    Hi, Eleen. I like the foods for thought in your post.
    It's great that you have discovered how important a piece TMS is in the puzzle of pain and healing.
    One of the best things I like about TMS knowledge, is that it is a great fear fighter.
    I used to think anxiety was going to kill me, until I read Dr. Sarno and began on the journey to
    self-discovery and healing.

    I'm 84 and yes, there are new traumas with every year, decade. Being 50 is a great decade.
    Just don't take it too seriously. Have fun every day. Smell those roses!
     
    IrishSceptic likes this.
  13. EileenS

    EileenS Well known member

    Thanks Walt. I don't know about 50 being a great decade for me. I am nearing the end and it has been a time of great change and self-examination for me. A real roller coaster. Ever the optimist, I looked for the good points. Even in my darkest months of pain, the joy I cultivated was an even closer relationship with my husband. At the wise age of 84, you are an inspiration to me. I am carefully setting the stage for what Jane Fonda calls, 'The third act" of my life.
     
  14. Walt Oleksy (RIP 2021)

    Walt Oleksy (RIP 2021) Beloved Grand Eagle

    Hi, Eileen. I am glad my senior "wisdom" is an inspiration to you.
    I just talk from the heart. And I am a big optimist.

    About bowel problems... I get bowel problems and an upset stomach when I am very stressed.

    A few years ago, I had a blocked bowel and had to get an operation or my doctor said I might die.
    I had the operation but doctors could not figure out what caused the bowel blockage.
    I figured it was from emotional stress and since learning
    about TMS I now know that was true.
     
  15. Markus

    Markus Guest

    Fibromyalgia is the most painful condition that there is. What I find confusing is why the unconsciuos mind would give us the kind of pain that stops jobs,careers,ruins relationships,and every Dr. You talk to describes it differently!
    I think most fibromyalgia sufferers would handle the memories and the consequences of some repressed memory better than any pain the illness FIBROMYALGIA brings!
    M
     
    Last edited by a moderator: May 3, 2015
    Fifi likes this.
  16. EileenS

    EileenS Well known member

    Markus, I do not have fibro and cannot know what you are going through. Please read today's success story profile as it might help answer your questions. Maybe try emailing your question to a councillor for help.
     
  17. IrishSceptic

    IrishSceptic Podcast Visionary

    Yeah I try to tell some people with Fibro about Forest being diagnosed.
    I think you need to realise it was a diagnosis created to classify a set of symptoms that Doctors didn't understand. It has been refined and been accepted by many now as a disease in and of itself.
    I would highly recommend trying to speak with Howard Schubiner who has carried out a controlled trial with Fibro as the focus. He would be able to answer questions& hopefully see if you are suitable for his program.
    I'm going to commit to the SIRPA version soon I feel, as it is difficult for me to do all the emotional work, added to the fact doubt keeps creeping back in! The pain being so real constantly tells you there is no way the Unconscious could be responsible!
    Not sure how much Howard's costs but I know UK version is around £150. And reads all the Fibro success stories.
     
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  18. Ellen

    Ellen Beloved Grand Eagle

    Maybe change your screen name to IrishBeliever? :) Perhaps you are reinforcing the belief that you are a skeptic by using it as part of your name? I think the words we use repeatedly matter.
     
  19. Robdog

    Robdog Newcomer

    Help with IBS as TMS or parasite? About 10 years ago I contracted Blastocystis a very common parasite, from eating a salad, likely. My bowel developed IBS symptoms although I didn’t know the term, I took antibiotics for six month and the parasite remained. Best I can tell by stool samples the past 10 years the parasite is still there. The last sample was 2019. Over the 10 years the IBS would come and go. For the most part I have been able to live well enough although my bowel has never been as it was before the blastocystis took up residence. In June 2023 I ate cooked oysters and within 3 hours I was very sick with cramps and diarrhea. This lasted 3-4 days. My bowel was hit hard. Then the bowel settled down for a week and suddenly started up with all the IBS symptoms of cramps, abdominal pain, constipation or very loose stool. A recent stool test showed Blastocystis is present. So the question: do I treat this as structural with this parasite, maybe a new infection from the oysters or TMS brought on by the dramatic hit the bowel took with oyster poisoning? Thank you for your thoughts.
     

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