Anal/Rectal Symptoms Changed Location — Looking for Experiences with TMS or Pelvic Tension

[okaoka]

Hello everyone, I wrote here before and wanted to share an update and hear if anyone relates.

My main symptoms are anal/rectal sensations (pressure, discomfort, sometimes aching/burning). I’m not sure if the right diagnosis is levator ani syndrome, pelvic floor tension, TMS/mind-body, or something else.

I’ve seen multiple doctors. In general they didn’t find a major problem. Some mentioned mild inflammation, some mentioned high muscle tone, but nobody seemed worried.

Lately something changed that made me anxious: in the last few days the sensation changed a bit and I feel it in a slightly different location. Part of me got scared, but another part of me wondered if changing symptoms could actually fit a mind-body pattern.

Originally, the symptoms felt more like sensitivity and pressure inside the anal/rectal area. But recently I’ve had something different: instead of mainly feeling it there, I sometimes feel more of a pressure/ache on the left side outside the anal area, almost extending from the left side of the anus down toward the butt cheek. It’s strange because it almost masks some of the original pressure/sensitive feeling in the anal/rectal area. This change has made me worry more because I used to find some comfort in the symptoms feeling familiar.

Things that make me think there may be a TMS / mind-body component:

• Since I was a kid I’ve been very sensitive to body sensations.
  
  
• As a child I had burning when peeing and doctors told my parents stress could be involved.
  
  
• In my 20s I had a long period of burning urination every morning and many doctors couldn’t find a cause. Then I traveled to India and literally the first morning there it disappeared.
  
  
• Later I became very focused on my nose feeling swollen even though a doctor didn’t find anything, and I kept checking with friends.
  
  
• With my current symptoms, when I’m really having fun, busy, distracted, or engaged, sometimes the symptoms fade or bother me much less.
  
  
• When I wake up, symptoms are often absent (although recently I had 2 mornings where I woke up feeling them).
  
  
• Exercise usually helps.
  
  
• Stress and travel anticipation make symptoms worse.
  
  
• After a general massage I noticed significant relief.

Things that keep me worried it might not be TMS:

• I had two hemorrhoid surgeries.
  
  
• The symptoms existed before the second surgery, but changed afterward.
  
  
• The discomfort is present a lot of the time, not only during anxiety.
  
  
• Even when socializing I still feel it unless I’m very distracted.
  
  
• Sitting and after bowel movements tend to make it more obvious (the bowel movement itself usually isn’t painful).

I’ve been trying to approach this from a TMS angle for quite a while and haven’t had a full resolution, which also makes me doubt.

Would like to hear your opinions and thoughts.

Thanks for reading — I’d appreciate hearing your experiences.

 

[Diana-M]

@okoaka
Honest truth? It doesn’t matter what symptom you have. And you don’t need to find someone like you to prove you can heal. All mind-body symptoms can heal. If you do the work to reprogram your brain from survival (danger) mode, explore your life deeply, and make changes, you can heal. No one can say how long it will take, unfortunately. It’s different for everybody. Keep going! Keep doing the work. Keep searching for the approach that will work for you and do what it takes every day. If you don’t give up, you’ll get out of this.

 

[okaoka]

thanks Diana-M, actually i am not looking for someone with the exact symptoms as mine. i want to hear people opinions and experience.

 

[Diana-M]

Oh good. This whole site is filled with that! You’re in the right place Have you checked out the success stories? Also, use the search tool in the upper right hand corner to search out any topic. Stick around. You’ll learn a lot.

 

[Adam Coloretti (coach)]

Hi! I'm just curious as to how many books you've read in this space? Have you read The Way Out by Alan Gordon or a book by Dr Sarno such as The Mindbody Prescription? I say this because that should help you with some of these queries, and also they should help you appreciate that some of the things that you mentioned as inferring a structural problem don't necessarily do so (also, some of the things you listed as inferring a mindbody component on the other side I don't necessarily understand how). The first step is education - knowledge and true understanding of what TMS is and the process

 

[okaoka]

Thank you, Yes I have read all of this books and watched many TMS videos.
I don't think that lack of education about TMS is my main issue here.
The issue is the doubt in the diagnosis and how to really make it work with the doubt.

 

[Adam Coloretti (coach)]

The issue is the doubt in the diagnosis and how to really make it work with the doubt.

I agree, but the education is relevant to the extent that it impacts how you look at different factors (and this can unnecessarily breed doubt).

In terms of those things that you say are indicating a potential structural issue:

- If the surgeries didn't have clear complications, then whilst I understand why you'd have this in mind, it's probably just a red herring. Many would have such a surgery and not have symptoms afterwards (which brings into heavy question its causative effect).

- If they were already there, then I'm more inclined to believe that this is just a coincidence (TMS symptoms can and often do change over time - along with our emotions, stress levels, moods etc). Not that this would rule out TMS, but I'd pay more attention if you didn't have symptoms at all prior to it and it actually seemed to have precipitated it (again though, it could still be TMS).

- For the vast majority of people I would say with TMS (myself included), the symptoms are present all the time. Usually stress and anxiety exacerbate it - but it is rare to find someone with TMS who has absolutely no symptoms in their general state, who only gets symptoms when they're stressed (maybe at the back end of recovery, but not before they've healed in a major way). That view of what TMS is shouldn't give you doubt as it isn't a good representation.

- In terms of socialising - many people are actually triggered by it - so in that case feeling symptoms when socialising would actually be an indicator of TMS. There's no hard and fast rule that says socialising should reduce TMS symptoms - that's heavily dependant on the individual and their emotions/personality.

- Being triggered by sitting and going to the toilet are very very common in people with TMS. I had pain when I sat every time for six years, now it's gone because it was TMS. They are often just conditioned responses, and not reflective of a structural issue.

The best evidence you have is that they can't find anything wrong (everyone has mild inflammation and high muscle tone is also very common) - unless something substantial is suggesting a structural cause in the face of this (nothing you listed qualifies to me - factor in too your other positive evidence that this is TMS), then I think you're absolutely safe (and it makes sense) to commit to TMS