Desperate due to chronic/disabling anal pain!

[Forest]

Hi @brycesara,

As the founder and administrator of this site, I spend a lot of time fighting spam, much of it drug-related, and a significant portion of it skillfully disguised (the latter is usually written by people who put certain search terms into Google and look for active threads relevant to conditions related to the product they are selling).

I noticed that you registered your account 10 minutes before making your post. Also, you talk extensively about a drug that is known as party drug. Most notably, I couldn't help but notice that you didn't mention Dr. Sarno or your journey of attempting to apply TMS concepts to your own. You mention that it has been quite some time that you have been on here, but the only suggestion you say you received was to go see a PT. You seem unaware that that is not the type of advice you would typically get here.

Perhaps all of these things are coincidences. To ensure that this is the case, I will be reaching out to you via personal message to learn a bit more about your background in TMS. Please respond to my message. TMSers share a deep body of common knowledge and similar experiences, so it will be very easy to verify that you are who you say you are.

Thank you, and I wish you and your husband the best!

 

[broncos24]

Hello everyone!

Im a 27 year old female from Los Angeles and just wanted to share my story. Im really hopeful I will receive some kind of support from members who suffered from a similar condition who can shed some light on this. Im simply feeling at my wits ends and looking for any type of reassurance for hope. I been endlessly searching for answers on the net for over 4 years now and after exhausting amount of research I stumbled across this place. I'am really starting to believe my issue is connected to TMS at this point but of course like many I have doubts at the structural side of things due to my situation. I'am really desperate for not even a cure at this point but at least someway to manage my pain to be able to return to somewhat a normal life. This condition has completely left be disabled. I cant work, complete day to day activities or simply just function. The depression and mood swings as a result of the chronic pain have consumed me and led to impacting close relationships. It's difficult for people to understand what you are going through when you have a throbbing pain in your butt all day with no relief from anything. The worse thing is waking up every morning and wondering if it will ever end?

I will give you guys a fast forward version into my journey since it is too complex and long to get into details. My problems started over 4 years ago. After being constipated for a few days I noticed blood spotting on the toilet paper and started to have sharp pains in my rectum during bowl movements. After a quick search on google my symptoms seemed to be associated with an anal fissure. When the bleeding continued even after my bowel movements went to normal I visited a colorectal surgeon. After a rectal exam that seemed normal I had a colonoscopy which came back normal as well. The doctor did not locate any fissures or hemorrhoids that can be causing the pain. He told me I have a first degree external hemorrhoids which cant be causing the symptoms Im describing (Almost everybody has a 1st degree hemorrhoid which is harmless) I visited this specialist for 6 months every two weeks. Every two weeks he did an anal exam and confirmed there was nothing there. In addition every 2 weeks he prescribed a new cream for a fissure to test out to see if it might help anyway. During this time I went through 6 different creams, all the typical ones that get prescribed. I did not get the slightest relief from anything including pain medication. All the typical recommendations were done such as adding fiber to my diet, taking stool softeners and suppositories. However, even with healthy bowels, the pain remained. The pain that started as only sharp stinging during bowel movement gradually became constant. There was deep, dull, burning pain inside my rectum during the entire day (worse with bowel movements) At this point I was having trouble sitting for more than 15 minutes and the only thing that gave a sense of relief was a heading pad or sitz bath. The Dr. did not have any more creams he can prescribe so he decided to do an MRI to rule out anything serious. MRI came back normal so he send me USC to be seen by another specialist.

By the time I got to be seen at USC it has been a year that I been in pain and bleeding during every bowel movement. He was the top colorectal surgeon in the department and he magically located a chronic anal fissure during my first rectal exam. He informed me since I have been suffering for so long, the only solution would be to go in for a surgery (Sphincterotomy) "This surgery is the suppose to be the easiest fix for a fissure with a 95% success rate" After my surgery the bleeding has finally stopped but the pain remained, getting worse by the day. The first few months of my follow up visits the surgeon concluded that the fissure has healed and he believed the pain is coming from the surgery incision site which didn't seem to be healing. He started using silver nitrate in the area to heal the wound. For the first time in over a year I felt my pain almost disappearing after he used the product. This made me think the fissure is healed now all we have to do is heal this wound and Ill be pain free. During my 3rd visit to him when the pain was getting worse again and I was desperate for my dose of nitrate, he informed me the incision site is all healed and Im good to go. Indeed, I was confused because the pain was still there but he stated he wasnt sure why I was still in pain. Another 6 months went by and I was in severe pain every single day despite my bowels being under control. My Dr recommend to try botox which I did, no result. All the crazy pain killers he prescribed me after the surgery did not even help the pain the slightest. He started to put me on anti anxiety medications to help relax the muscles in the area which did not help. Finally he gave up on my condition after 2 years and decided that Iam suffering from a pelvic floor dysfunction (ani levatore syndrome) He told me its a disabling condition that some people just have to live with. It has no cure or known cause and he already tried everything with no success. The last thing that was left was PT. I attended PT for pelvic floor for about 2 months with no relief in my symptoms.

Feeling at the end of my rope for the next 2 years following this I saw another 4 colorectal surgeons. None of them detected an anal fissure yet none concluded pelvic floor dysfunction either. They all had their opinions but nothing to fix the issue besides everything I already tried. I had another 40 anal exams during this time, one under anesthesia to help them go deeper and get a better look. I also had an anal ultrasound which came back normal. I was recommended to get another MRI possibly but you just get to a point where you are exhausted. At this point Iam convinced I must be suffering from some kind of tight muscles in the area that just cant relax. I do feel my symptoms getting worse when stressed, anxious or angry. The muscles inside my anus constantly feel locked where I cant relax. The amount of pressure I feel in my rectum is horrific. It always feel like passing gas or having a bowel movement can release the tension but then I end up straining and forcing a bowel movement and making everything worse. The pain is there 24 hours a day. There hasnt been a single second in the past few years where I did not feel the pain. Some days are better and some days worse. However, the past 6 months I have only experienced the worse side of things. Sleeping has become impossible due to the pain and I can only lay on my stomach. Im not sure how much of my day I can spend in baths at this point. No relief from any pain medication whatsoever.

I want to believe this is TMS because I can see how increasing exercise, focusing on changing my thoughts, keeping myself busy and just reading success stories here helps my pain. However, can Ani Levatore Syndrome be TMS when its a structural diagnosis? I read how TMS is usually not a constant pain that has a pattern but my pain is directly connected to not being able to sit on my butt and pain getting worse after bowel movements... Is it still possible that I can relax this damn anal muscles through TMS after-all and have some kind of relief despite botox, physical therapy and muscle relaxation meds failing for this condition? Another factor that makes me think this is TMS related is the amount of mysterious undiagnosed conditions I have suffered with in the past 10 years. Endless medical testing and visits to Drs with no answers and then symptoms just disappear. However, this one has lasted the longest which keeps making me have doubts. Please help and thank you!

Holy cow you have met your partner! Your story matches mine and we had the same surgery. I’m going to keep this simple. I’ve been through 2 year of Anal pain from hell!!!!!! I’ve been to 12 drs who say they are experts in the anal area. I’ve been on so much meds it’s not even funny! I couldn’t sit, walk, run... you name it I was in so much pain. I’ve been around the world trying to find answers until I ran across Steve Ozanich. He saved my life. I read his book all 3 of them and I spoke to him for 3 hours. You are fine in the anal. I repeat nothing is wrong with you. You have seen every colon dr out there and they said you are fine. My anal muscle are tight as well. I finally said screw it I have TMS. I have problems in my life to work through. I started working out in pain. I started siting in pain. I just told my find I don’t give a crap watch your doing to me I’m living my life. When you walk and do anything in life I know that you think of your anal pain and wait for it to flare up. You need your pain and that is your problem. You need to stay present and enjoy life. Pills are a bandaid. I promise I was on all of it. I still have flare ups and I just continue on with my life and it fades away. I’ll have 3 good days and then a minor set back. I’m still working on TMS. The big picture is this... there is no Guide to heal!!!! Steve won’t tell you to wake up and do this and that. He just tells you to be present and enjoy life. Your pain will fade. I promise. I was just like you in horrible anal pain for 2 years. The more you search for answer the more your brain has you nailed down. Stop searching for answers and enjoy life. Your body is already healed. Read Steve Ozanich books.

 

[brycesara]

Hello Sara,

Thank you so much for sharing your husbands story. It sounds like we have a similar journey which gives me hope.It is so reassuring to hear he is doing better. Im a truly believer that this is muscle/nerve pain as well. Im in such a desperate state of mind that after reading all the steps you have taken I followed by doing everything instantly. I went ahead and ordered the book just now and got in contact with a Ketamine clinic in LA which there seems to be only one in my area. Surprisingly they are open and operating. They can see me as soon as a week. They do have concerning pricing though. They told me patients usually need 5 infusions and each one costs $1800 + infusions boosts after to keep up if there is relapse. They are not in network with any medical insurances. Im just curious if that is anywhere close to what costs you guys had to pay for this?

I tried the gabapentin orally and it gave me awful nausea with a lot of side effects. The amitrypiline did not help as much.Nefidipine ointment and diltizem was what I used when I first got a fissure and that failed as well. The only thing that helped me is 10 mg Valium before I sleep and hot baths for the past 4 years.

I just have a few questions. What degree was your husbands internal hems which they decided to remove. Did they believe it was causing any of the pain or it was more of a trial error thing? Also as far as the clonidine for protagia flugax 2 x day and oral sublingual ketamine... Did the Keramine clinic doctors prescribe these? This sounds like the only thing I havent tried.

Another natural remedy your guys can try which has been really helpful in relaxing my muscles and helping with anxiety is Kalm with Kava.

Hope to hear from you soon! God Bless!

Hello again,
You are welcome. Happy Easter as we celebrate the resurrection of our Lord & Savior Jesus Christ. Bryce has started to get some pain back. It's been almost 1 month since his last ketamine treatment.
Yes the ketamine doc recommended at least 3-4 treatments and others recommend 5-10 depending on severity with boosters along the way. Yes the prices are all over the board. The one Bryce went to was $800 per 4 hr infusion. He got 1 mg/kg per hour, so it was 380 mg ketamine, 1 mg Adivan, 40 mg magnesium, 250 mg propofol, .1 mg clonidine all with the 4 hr infusion. He was going to keep getting more but our local one shut down due to virus.
There's another one in clevland Ohio about 4 hours from us that is $800 also and others I called were $1600+. Hopefully he can get an appt this week in clevland. He was doing so well.
As far as the internal hemmroids they were very small. The doc really didn't think they needed treated. It is called infared the doc just uses a heat light and shrinks them. It was more Bryce's thoughts of what was causing him the pain than the docs.
Yes the ketamine doc prescribed the clonidine and the oral ketamine. The clonidine I researched and then the doc researched and found the same trials and thought it might be beneficial. I think it has been. It's constipating so after you take it 3 weeks it slows your digestion down. But he takes a small amount of miralax, magnesium, hydro c & ageless gi recovery (type in gutsense store), olive oil, fish oil, Metamucil, colosan. These all help keep BM soft and the hydro c makes it easy to pass.
I'll try those things you mentioned and see if they help Bryce. Thank you.
Also Dr wise has a 6 day immersion clinic in CA somewhere. It might be worth it since you live out there to attend one. I talked to a few people on forums that did that and through Gods healing were better and slowly get off meds. If Bryce is ever able to travel further again I think it would be worth it for him to atrend as well. They show you how to do trigger point release and relaxation. The book is very informative too.
Praying for you and pray for us! God Bless, Sara

 

[brycesara]

Hi @brycesara,

As the founder and administrator of this site, I spend a lot of time fighting spam, much of it drug-related, and a significant portion of it skillfully disguised (the latter is usually written by people who put certain search terms into Google and look for active threads relevant to conditions related to the product they are selling).

I noticed that you registered your account 10 minutes before making your post. Also, you talk extensively about a drug that is known as party drug. Most notably, I couldn't help but notice that you didn't mention Dr. Sarno or your journey of attempting to apply TMS concepts to your own. You mention that it has been quite some time that you have been on here, but the only suggestion you say you received was to go see a PT. You seem unaware that that is not the type of advice you would typically get here.

Perhaps all of these things are coincidences. To ensure that this is the case, I will be reaching out to you via personal message to learn a bit more about your background in TMS. Please respond to my message. TMSers share a deep body of common knowledge and similar experiences, so it will be very easy to verify that you are who you say you are.

Thank you, and I wish you and your husband the best!

Hello I'm sorry for any confusion but I copied and pasted this from another forum I wrote on that I joined 6 months ago and just copied and pasted. Im sorry for that. What party drug are you referring to? My husband is only on prescription meds. Message me anytime.
Sara

 

[miffybunny]

Hello I'm sorry for any confusion but I copied and pasted this from another forum I wrote on that I joined 6 months ago and just copied and pasted. Im sorry for that. What party drug are you referring to? My husband is only on prescription meds. Message me anytime.
Sara

This community is for healing using the mind body approach of Dr. Sarno. It's a psychological approach to psychogenic pain. While you may be well intended, it's inappropriate for this forum. I had 5 long ketamine infusions myself for CRPS and I can say unequivocally that it is not the solution. It's a disassociative drug. I'm glad your husband is doing better but I can assure you it's from his belief system not the drugs. You are not addressing the root cause and therefore symptoms will most likely continue or crop up in other places. You can't fix a psychological problem with physical treatments. Your posts detailing his drug regimen don't belong here.

 

[brycesara]

This community is for healing using the mind body approach of Dr. Sarno. It's a psychological approach to psychogenic pain. While you may be well intended, it's inappropriate for this forum. I had 5 long ketamine infusions myself for CRPS and I can say unequivocally that it is not the solution. It's a disassociative drug. I'm glad your husband is doing better but I can assure you it's from his belief system not the drugs. You are not addressing the root cause and therefore symptoms will most likely continue or crop up in other places. You can't fix a psychological problem with physical treatments. Your posts detailing his drug regimen don't belong here.

Thank you I didn't realize this about this site. Just trying to help. I'm not sure what the long term answer is, but at this point living day to day. And he was in so much pain that even with our beliefs he was suicidal. Just wanted to get out of pain and after the 1st ketamine treatment he was out of pain for the 1st time in 6 months. That in itself is worth it to just share with people until they find their answer they can at least keep someone from committing suicide. We were both so desperate and so grateful for some relief. He wants to go see Dr Wise in California state but he still has trouble traveling far at this point. I'll look into that doc you referred to also. He can at least sometimes sit and sometimes drive compared to laying down 12 to 24 hrs a day in pain. He's had a flair up and his hope is dwindling again. If the ketamine can bounce him back for now until we find a permanent answer then that's better than him not being here or being in pain. Hope you understand that these are suicide pain syndromes and just trying to help others. God Bless.

 

[miffybunny]

Thank you I didn't realize this about this site. Just trying to help. I'm not sure what the long term answer is, but at this point living day to day. And he was in so much pain that even with our beliefs he was suicidal. Just wanted to get out of pain and after the 1st ketamine treatment he was out of pain for the 1st time in 6 months. That in itself is worth it to just share with people until they find their answer they can at least keep someone from committing suicide. We were both so desperate and so grateful for some relief. He wants to go see Dr Wise in California state but he still has trouble traveling far at this point. I'll look into that doc you referred to also. He can at least sometimes sit and sometimes drive compared to laying down 12 to 24 hrs a day in pain. He's had a flair up and his hope is dwindling again. If the ketamine can bounce him back for now until we find a permanent answer then that's better than him not being here or being in pain. Hope you understand that these are suicide pain syndromes and just trying to help others. God Bless.

Yes I do understand. CRPS is called "the suicide disease" for that reason. It has an extremely. high rate of suicide and I prayed for death myself. I highly suggest you read "The Mind Body Prescription" by Dr. John Sarno. It changed my life. All chronic pain stems from the brain, no matter the body part. You will never find the answers from pills or the medical industry I'm afraid because it's truly a psychological problem. I went down every rabbit hole under the sun and I'm here to tell you there is a way to overcome any chronic pain syndrome. I also recommend you explore this site because it's a treasure trove of information. Good luck!

 

[JanAtheCPA]

@brycesara, I echo @miffybunny 100%. Dr. Sarno's theories about the mindbody connection have been the basis of recovery for the members of this forum. Good luck.

 

[Andres]

Hello, i have been struggling with anal pain for about 6 months now. One doctor suggested anal fisure. I wonder if you ever found a way to improve your condition?

 

[GainingHope]

Hello Hopeful818,

My story is almost identical to yours. I developed an anal fissure over 3 years ago during my pregnancy. At the time, I thought it was hemorrhoids and was told they would go away after I have the baby. Fast forward to after giving birth it went away for a bit but then I developed constipation, likely due to me not watching what I eat and not drinking nearly enough water for a breastfeeding mom, and the pain came back. Of course this was when COVID-19 just started so I couldn't see a doctor. Months later I finally started going to doctors who were attempting to treat the "hemorrhoids" with all forms of hydrocortisone which of course wasn't helping. Eventually I was referred to a colorectal surgeon and was diagnosed with the anal fissure, in addition to the hemorrhoids. She also applied something in the office that may be silver nitrate (not 100% sure) and sent me home with a diltiazem ointment prescription. I felt better almost immediately and pain was fully gone in less than 2 weeks. On my follow up, she said everything is almost fully healed and told me to stop the Miralax that I was taking for the constipation. Within days the constipation came back and the fissure reopened. I went back to her and she did the silver nitrate and told me to keep using the diltiazem. This time it wasn't working. Eventually she brought up the sphincterotomy after months of suffering but I was hesitant due to the risks. I asked about botox and she said it's better to combine it with a fissurectomy. So I decided to give it a try as there was "no risk" involved based on what she told me. After about 9 weeks post-op she told me everything is 100% healed but I was still having pain, now it was constant deep throbbing ache like you described. She diagnosed me with levator ani and told me to try pelvic floor physical therapy. Again she approved of me going off the Miralax (which I had restarted after the fissure recurred), and again I developed constipation right after (even though I weaned gradually this time) and reopened the fissure. I still tried the PT, which did nothing. I asked her to run more tests so she sent me for MRI, manometry, defecography, sitz marker study, nothing unusual was found. Because my anal tone was not high, she agreed that sphincterotomy can be avoided and suggested repeating the fissurectomy with botox and an advancement flap this time. Eventually I couldn't bear the pain anymore and agreed to the 2nd surgery. The flap retracted and it did not heal despite me now having my constipation under control. I then started seeing other surgeons some of which said it's muscle spasm that's causing the pain and the fissure is healed, others saying I have to get the sphincterotomy to heal the fissure. Eventually I tried PT again, had trigger point injections, tried oral medications, tried more topical creams like nitroglycerin and nifedipine, nothing worked. One doctor told me in addition to the fissure I now also have an internal ulcer caused by the 2nd surgery. He urged me to get the sphincterotomy (which I did end up getting) but when the ulcer didn't heal after he said I need another flap surgery to close the ulcer. He also had me undergo a colonoscopy, which did not show anything unusual. After doing both surgeries I still did not gain any pain relief - after now having 4 surgeries in the area within a span of 2 years. I have done multiple rounds of botox, PT, acupuncture, seen chiropractors, pelvic floor specialist, pain management doctors who did various injections - nothing helped. I tried all kinds of oral and topical creams and suppositories to no avail. A surgeon I saw recently is now suggesting to extend my sphincterotomy incision (which obviously has a lot of risk) and another surgeon is suggesting to do another flap surgery, but a different type this time, to cover the area of the previous flap surgery that was unable to heal on it's own and essentially left a nonhealing fissure. Obviously I am reluctant as both are essentially repeating what was already done and did not work.

Just recently a doctor suggested I read Dr. Schubiner's book "Unlearn your Pain" which then lead me to explore the TMS realm. I also listened to Dr. Sarno's "Mindbody Prescription" audiobook and Dr. Alan Gordon's "The Way Out" audiobook. The concept resonates strongly with me but I am also somewhat skeptical as fissures and even anal pain are not brought up in any of the books, it seems like a very atypical presentation, especially if the fissure is also the cause of the pain and unresolved. I am trying to stay hopeful and optimistic although it is quite challenging. But, it was intriguing to hear of someone else going through something so similar to me, as I thought I was the only one, and also considering it being TMS. My next step is to try working with a TMS therapist as I feel I need more personal guidance in the area.

My pain is very similar to yours too, it gets worse with sitting and bowel movements and its a constant ache also mixed with some sharpness. It feels like a pressure but also just feels like an open wound that is constantly being scraped.
It is a horrible thing to live with, and I hope that you have managed to gain some relief while on the TMS track.
I would love to hear any updates to your story. This is such a difficult and personal topic to discuss, I feel that no one can understand unless they have been through it. I would love to connect and discuss this more with you if you're open to it.

 

[Manjuno]

Hi, GainingHope,

the thread is quite old but thank you for refreshing it as it let me come across it yesterday. It was actually quite a shock for me as what you are describing, is EXACTLY the thing that's been bothering me for 3,5 years now. I was never diagnosed with a fissure and got misdiagnosed which put me on the wrong track from the very beginning. (Also, the doctor that misdiagnosed me, is considered the best in his field in my country, so there goes my faith in conventional medicine). My theory is this: I had a fissure at some point, no doctor checked for it, noone suspected this may be the case and in time it healed itself. But I got so worked up over it, stressed so hard (also because the doctor was convinced it's a more serious problem that can't really be treated) that the brain learned that pain, it remembered it and than it started throwing it at me even though there's structurally nothing wrong anymore (I had four different doctors look for the fissure later on - they found nothing). What makes this theory probable, is the fact that initially I had this pain for a few weeks/months and then it went away only to return during a stressful moment in my life, this time to stay.

That said, I don't think it's productive to discuss our problem from the medical point of view. Only yesterday, I read this thread and my pain got way worse immediatelly because I started thinking again that maybe the fissure is still somewhere there and if I visited a fifth, tenth or hundreth doctor, they would finally manage to find it and I don't even know if it's possible after such a long time, and frankly, I don't even want to look it up. I think we should stay on the TMS route and approach the problem as a TMS symptom. That's the only thing that worked for me so far and alleviated the pain to an extent, not greatly but quite clearly.

 

[Hopeful818]

Here is my update everyone.. Im going to keep this simple. I have feel completely pain free for almost 3 years by doing absolutely nothing. The only thing I did was TMS for a few months and that was it. Today I got an email and noticed I have a some new replies on this thread which I completely forgot about so I came on here to see how I can help. I reread my story and the replies and guess what my pain is back for the first time in years. ‍
If that doesn’t tell you something then I don’t know what does. Trust the journey, sending healing vibes!

 

[sheltered]

Here is my update everyone.. Im going to keep this simple. I have feel completely pain free for almost 3 years by doing absolutely nothing. The only thing I did was TMS for a few months and that was it. Today I got an email and noticed I have a some new replies on this thread which I completely forgot about so I came on here to see how I can help. I reread my story and the replies and guess what my pain is back for the first time in years. ‍
If that doesn’t tell you something then I don’t know what does. Trust the journey, sending healing vibes!

This is awesome! Shout this from the mountain! Folks suffering need to hear recoveries!

 

[GainingHope]

Hi, GainingHope,

the thread is quite old but thank you for refreshing it as it let me come across it yesterday. It was actually quite a shock for me as what you are describing, is EXACTLY the thing that's been bothering me for 3,5 years now. I was never diagnosed with a fissure and got misdiagnosed which put me on the wrong track from the very beginning. (Also, the doctor that misdiagnosed me, is considered the best in his field in my country, so there goes my faith in conventional medicine). My theory is this: I had a fissure at some point, no doctor checked for it, noone suspected this may be the case and in time it healed itself. But I got so worked up over it, stressed so hard (also because the doctor was convinced it's a more serious problem that can't really be treated) that the brain learned that pain, it remembered it and than it started throwing it at me even though there's structurally nothing wrong anymore (I had four different doctors look for the fissure later on - they found nothing). What makes this theory probable, is the fact that initially I had this pain for a few weeks/months and then it went away only to return during a stressful moment in my life, this time to stay.

That said, I don't think it's productive to discuss our problem from the medical point of view. Only yesterday, I read this thread and my pain got way worse immediatelly because I started thinking again that maybe the fissure is still somewhere there and if I visited a fifth, tenth or hundreth doctor, they would finally manage to find it and I don't even know if it's possible after such a long time, and frankly, I don't even want to look it up. I think we should stay on the TMS route and approach the problem as a TMS symptom. That's the only thing that worked for me so far and alleviated the pain to an extent, not greatly but quite clearly.

Thank you Manjuno for sharing! I agree focusing on the medical aspects do not have a good presence in TMS work, however it's quite difficult to completely tune it out as it is a major part of the journey.
It is very encouraging to hear that other people have similar stories and have had success with the TMS approach. I have come into it thinking I may just be the only one who is going through this particular type of issue. Now I know I am not and that there is hope!
I am now convinced that I am on the right path with the TMS approach.
Sorry for stirring things up for anyone on this thread, that was not my intention at all.

Hopeful818, thank you for updating the thread, it's great to hear that TMS had such a positive impact for you!

 

[theacrobat]

I had a diagnosed anal fissure. They misdiagnosed mine as haemorrhoids too and gave me suppositories, which as you can imagine, didn't exactly help! The pain finally went away using TMS methods. Either it was one of those classic TMS things where a structural abnormality was present and didn't need to cause pain, or TMS pain persisted long after the fissure healed.

 

[jox07]

Holy cow you have met your partner! Your story matches mine and we had the same surgery. I’m going to keep this simple. I’ve been through 2 year of Anal pain from hell!!!!!! I’ve been to 12 drs who say they are experts in the anal area. I’ve been on so much meds it’s not even funny! I couldn’t sit, walk, run... you name it I was in so much pain. I’ve been around the world trying to find answers until I ran across Steve Ozanich. He saved my life. I read his book all 3 of them and I spoke to him for 3 hours. You are fine in the anal. I repeat nothing is wrong with you. You have seen every colon dr out there and they said you are fine. My anal muscle are tight as well. I finally said screw it I have TMS. I have problems in my life to work through. I started working out in pain. I started siting in pain. I just told my find I don’t give a crap watch your doing to me I’m living my life. When you walk and do anything in life I know that you think of your anal pain and wait for it to flare up. You need your pain and that is your problem. You need to stay present and enjoy life. Pills are a bandaid. I promise I was on all of it. I still have flare ups and I just continue on with my life and it fades away. I’ll have 3 good days and then a minor set back. I’m still working on TMS. The big picture is this... there is no Guide to heal!!!! Steve won’t tell you to wake up and do this and that. He just tells you to be present and enjoy life. Your pain will fade. I promise. I was just like you in horrible anal pain for 2 years. The more you search for answer the more your brain has you nailed down. Stop searching for answers and enjoy life. Your body is already healed. Read Steve Ozanich books.

Hello!
Same here!! I had an spinchteromy almost 2 years ago .. I have seen 10/12 doctors who told me that I have nothing... al they can see is that they feel a tension around the anus area...I did a LOT of exams .. always the same answer "the is Nothing ...they can't event see a scar ( C02 laser ) ...so ok! ...I'm currently reading the great pain deception ( AMAZING BOOK!) But I don't know WHY. Somehow ..I can't get out of this!.. when I feel a little pain I immediately feel sad, depressed ...even if I know that it's TMS.. it's fucking difficult to stay "calm/happy" when u feel "something" ... now, I can run, sit, do whatever I want ..but I always feel "scared" even when I know that there's no reason to be scared ... as I sais it's complicated.. the Brain plays me everytime!!!... do you have some tips?
Thanks!!!
(Sorry for my English but I'm French haha)

 

[Manjuno]

I think the key is to accept that the pain is there - don't automatically recognize it as a threat. Stop wishing it would go away. Be indifferent towards its presence. You have it for such a long time and it hasn't killed you yet so it's probably safe to assume it won't. When it comes to pain, be less in your body and more in your mind. Imagine your body as perfectly healthy and the pain as something that is not its integral part.

When you feel sad and depressed, confront these feelings. Don't run away from them. Don't struggle too much. Simply observe. Avoid pressuring yourself to anything.

I'm at a point where I'm more or less able to do all of the above. The pain didn't go down significantly yet but it did subside a little (by 20% maybe). However, this approach seemed to free some reserves in my mind and it's easier now to not notice the pain 24/7.

 

[JanAtheCPA]

Hey there @jox07 - this is excellent advice from @Manjuno - you might consider printing out his two short paragraphs and posting them where you will see them frequently. Reading and re-reading these things helps to keep the advice in your conscious brain where you can remember it more quickly and put it into action more easily. It takes practice, and it takes time, but it can be done.

Back in February someone advised you to look into our Structured Educational Program - have you been working on that? Steve O is terrific (I think of The Great Pain Deception as the "encyclopedia" of TMS!)(plus he was a very generous contributor of content on the forum a number of years ago) but I'm not sure he really goes into the emotional work in the book, which many, if not most of us, must do to find recovery.

If you have anxiety and depression, those must be addressed. Perhaps your next book might be Hope and Help For Your Nerves, by Claire Weekes. Dr. Weekes was quite a bit older than Dr. Sarno and was on the other side of the world (Australia), so she knew nothing about Dr. Sarno or TMS theory, but she has saved many lives all around the world, from fear, anxiety, and even depression (non-clinical), for many decades. This was my #2 favorite "TMS" book after The Divided Mind (Sarno).

 

[Hopeful818]

Hello to all my newcomers and old pals,

I updated this post about 3 years later just last week. Im sure some of you saw and it gave you hope that through TMS I recovered. Now I need your help because what is happening is almost unbelievable and somewhat ridiculous to say the least. As you read I mentioned years later just rereading my post I felt my pain come back for the first time. Well I thought that was just a few minute thing. I been in pain for a week now!! Please help me, I really need some advise from
anybody who experienced this. The same pain and symptoms are back that I suffered with for years. I was pain free for the past 3 years, how can just reading my post set me back to this nightmare again? Is this even possible? We all know the mind and pain connection but not to this extend. This seems crazy to be back here again. What you guys think?

 

[miffybunny]

Hello to all my newcomers and old pals,

I updated this post about 3 years later just last week. Im sure some of you saw and it gave you hope that through TMS I recovered. Now I need your help because what is happening is almost unbelievable and somewhat ridiculous to say the least. As you read I mentioned years later just rereading my post I felt my pain come back for the first time. Well I thought that was just a few minute thing. I been in pain for a week now!! Please help me, I really need some advise from
anybody who experienced this. The same pain and symptoms are back that I suffered with for years. I was pain free for the past 3 years, how can just reading my post set me back to this nightmare again? Is this even possible? We all know the mind and pain connection but not to this extend. This seems crazy to be back here again. What you guys think?

What happened is you got triggered by a memory. Remember, a memory is just a thought so don't be bluffed by it. Don't get tricked! For a moment your brain confused the memory with the present. This is totally normal and actually good practice for you. It's part of the human condition that we can get knocked into "trauma" for a moment. Awareness is everything though! When you recognize the strategy of tms, you disable the mechanism. What happened here is you scared yourself and started overthinking and panicking..."what if...?". The truth is you are in control. Those 3 years of recovery are REAL! They happened lol! You are fine right now but your brain "forgot" so just remind it and laugh at the ridiculousness of it. Fight back at doubt and self doubt that crept in for a minute. Your job is to relax and get out of your own way. This will pass! Think of it as a pebble on the road. "What you are aware of you are in control of, what you are not aware of is in control of you." So now you know what happened... you're fine!