Digestive issues as TMS? SIBO, LEAKY GUT, EQUIVILENTS?

[lizstek]

hello there. I have been experiencing major digestive issues for many years now with little resolution from
medical practitioners both conventional and alternative. TMS seems to be part of my picture. I have read Sarno and it all fits to a T. So here is my question.......I have been diagnosed with SIBO--small intestinal bacterial overgrowth, leaky gut, massive food intolerances, fibromyalgia...SO, with all this going on, is it truly possible for it to be TMS? and will emotional work balance my system gut/ micro biome .
OR....I am I someone who has to deal with this medically because it has gone too far? It is not just IBS, but
more than that. I WOULD LOVE TO HEAR FROM SOMEONE WHO IS INFORMED WITH SUCH A SITUATION OR CASE. !!!!! I want to believe and heal myself, but I am concerned it won't be enough.
many thanks!
lizstek

 

[Grateful17]

Lizstek,
Did u read Steve's book THE GREAT PAIN DECEPTION? I know Steve had some G.I. issues too that he recovered from.
Beginning on Page 341 is a long list of TMS EQUIVALENTS. Anything the brain controls can have issues where TMS is concerned. Steve lists over 135 symptoms besides chronic pain and I had almost 40 of them on/off for 7 years. Food allergies have an emotional root cause. Using the TMS knowledge and doing some emotional work can help to calm the fight/flight TMS issue, which in turn helps to heal your physical body.

We have to treat ALL TMS symptoms in the same way and that is to NOT fear or become preoccupied with them. G.I. issues can be really hard to NOT focus on and that is exactly what keeps them going. When it is TMS causing our issues, going to doctors only reinforces the issues too. It fuels the TMS.

Because chronic pain and fibro are what we mostly read about when it comes to TMS, there are fewer stories of people recovering from TMS equivalents, but I know they exist. Let me find a letter someone wrote to Sarno about that. will post that when I find it.

 

[Grateful17]

Here is that letter I spoke of. IT does not give great detail but I still think it may help:

Dr. Sarno, your books have saved me time and time again for the last 12 years. Back in 2000, I was suffering from multiple food sensitivities, multiple chemical sensitivity, and unidentified pelvic pain. I’d tried everything, and had had to quit my job due to a coworker’s aftershave and find another place to work. Then, I started getting low back pain, and found your book “Healing Back Pain”. It intrigued me, and I bought “The MindBody Prescription”. I read the book cover to cover, over and over again. My back pain disappeared within 2 months. It dawned on me that my pelvic pain was TMS, and that disappeared soon thereafter. It was harder for me to accept that my food and chemical sensitivities were TMS, but they also disappeared.
Over the years, I have repeatedly adopted manifestations of TMS, and time and time again, I have reread your book and have eliminated the symptoms of the great majority of them (and reduced a few others, so far). I’m deeply grateful to you and your work, Dr. Sarno. Thank you from the bottom of my heart for all you’ve done. Please enjoy your retirement and know how many hearts and lives you’ve touched. Much much love!!!!
-J, N. Adams, MA.

 

[lizstek]

Hi Grateful17,
Thank you so much for your response. After reading your thoughts, I began to feel more confident in this and also downloaded the book THEY CANT FIND ANYTHING WRONG by dr. clark. I read until the wee hours and learned much about how this issue can indeed hit the digestive system in a big way. I plan to spend the next few days delving into this more deeply. I have tried to get at my stressors before, but feel I am missing something or not getting it right somehow.
I suspect I need to go deeper. I will report back when I have made some progress )
many thanks. I appreciated your responses. They helped my very much to believe I can do this.
lizstek

 

[ShaneM]

As someone who's had experience with TMS and has not had results from it, I can only give you my physical perspective. I have also suffered from gastrointestinal issues for many years, predominantly in the form of Irritable Bowel Syndrome – as you might guess, I also have chronic pain in both hands; I suffer from anxiety, paranoia, OCD, perfectionism, the works. What I have found is the digestive tract, or the gut per se, is heavily linked with how one's mind functions. It's reasonable to believe that if you're anxious you may be causing your own stomach pain; but have you considered that the problem occurring in your digestive tract could actually be causing your anxiety? There is starting to be medical evidence that this may actually be a reality.

I'm like you; although I constantly have horrible gastrointestinal pain no one has been able to find anything wrong with me. That's where I turned to deeper research. When I was very young I was put on a heavy course of antibiotics to fend off a fatal bout of food poisoning. That's great and all, considering the antibiotics killed off all the bad bacteria, but it also killed the good bacteria that I needed. It's because of this that I've had such horrid stomach problems throughout my life; and for all I know it may be the root cause of my chronic pain. You may have the same problem. If you're interested, there is a cure – a quick and effective one – but it's pretty gross, so it's up to you.

 

[lizstek]

Hi Shane---I assume you are speaking of FMT? I have been looking at this option but have not pushed forward yet.
I have a functional dr. with whom I plan to push this option at an appointment next month. Have you done it and if so, can you tell me your experience---
like did you DIY, did it help, how many treatments and so forth. I am way past caring about gross. I too have a history of antibiotic use through sinus infections and a few surgeries. Any info you can share with me would be greatly appreciated.!
lizstek

 

[Walt Oleksy (RIP 2021)]

Hi, Shane. I worried yesterday about financial problems and sure enough got a stomach ache.
I did some positive thinking, deep breathing, laughed a little, and the stomach ache went away,
without even taking some OTC medication I sometimes use. A cup hot milk, maybe with
a little honey in it, also relaxes the stomach. My mother used to drink some blackberry brandy.
That's helped me, too. But now that I know about TMS I don't need brandy. Hot milk and just
positive thinking makes the belly feel better.

 

[ShaneM]

Hi, Shane. I worried yesterday about financial problems and sure enough got a stomach ache.
I did some positive thinking, deep breathing, laughed a little, and the stomach ache went away,
without even taking some OTC medication I sometimes use. A cup hot milk, maybe with
a little honey in it, also relaxes the stomach. My mother used to drink some blackberry brandy.
That's helped me, too. But now that I know about TMS I don't need brandy. Hot milk and just
positive thinking makes the belly feel better.

I'm afraid the stomach pain I'm referring to isn't the stomach ache most people get when they are stressed – it's horrific and almost debilitating. I know there's a correlation between stress and my stomach because if I stress heavily it can set off my ibs; but at the same time I've had ibs since I was very young even before anything happened in my life that would cause emotional turmoil. There's definitely something physically wrong – and if my ibs goes off no amount of deep breathing or chilling out is able to stop it – I've tried so many times. Thank you for the advice though.

@lizstek yes I'm referring to the FMT. It's unlikely your doctor will be able to do anything more than advise you about how to pursue the procedure because doctors in the US technically are not allowed to provide the treatment unless you are suffering from C diff. I have not done it yet, I will be performing the procedure in my home on August 14; if you're interested in following my progress I started a thread here documenting it: http://www.ibsgroup.org/forums/topic/248714-the-things-i-do-for-ibs-fmt-journal/

There may very well be a correlation between our dysfunctional guts and our chronic pain as it could be limiting our ability to heal or causing unnecessary inflammation through leaky gut.

It should also be noted that my brother also suffers from debilitating stomach problems after being put on antibiotics for a month. He's not a perfectionist, nor does he suffer from anxiety or fit the bill for TMS at all. It goes to show that antibiotics can wreak havoc on the system.