Don't think my bladder pain is TMS

[twocups88]

Hello all,

Unfortunately I don't think my bladder pain/IC is TMS. I wish it was, but certain things tend to make me believe it's not. For instance I feel irritation and inflammation when I eat foods heavy in acid. Also I get these sharp shooting electrical shock pains in my pelvis. Anyway thanks everyone for the help. I wish it was TMS becauseI fear eating this bland diet for the rest of my life. Any suggestions would be appreciated.

Thank you

 

[miffybunny]

Hi, your brain has made the association to the foods and so now you have a conditioned response to innocuous stimuli. A lot of these attributions that are made in the medical world and anecdotally online....food and weather for ex. are utter nonsense and have zero scientific evidence. Zero. So when you eat a bland diet, your brain feels "safe". Totally psychological. Your pain is very real however and I do get that! Your "IC" is a problem of neural circuits sending false alarm signals. It' s not a medical condition, it's an anxiety/psychogenic issue that is totally reversible. I suffered from IC years ago and it was full blown and I still remember vividly how awful it was but I got better and have not had any re occurrence of symptoms. I even had bladder surgery after a terrible child birth and I'm still fine. Everything you wrote is actually proof that it IS TMS.

My suggestion would be to do the SEP, watch Dr. Schubiner's talk that he did a few days ago (it's posted in the general discussion thread) and possibly have some psychotherapy with a TMS therapist.

 

[twocups88]

I will look into it Miffy thank you. I do think anxiety is involved but I do think there is a physical problem as well.

 

[Fan]

Hi, your brain has made the association to the foods and so now you have a conditioned response to innocuous stimuli. A lot of these attributions that are made in the medical world and anecdotally online....food and weather for ex. are utter nonsense and have zero scientific evidence. Zero. So when you eat a bland diet, your brain feels "safe". Totally psychological. Your pain is very real however and I do get that! Your "IC" is a problem of neural circuits sending false alarm signals. It' s not a medical condition, it's an anxiety/psychogenic issue that is totally reversible. I suffered from IC years ago and it was full blown and I still remember vividly how awful it was but I got better and have not had any re occurrence of symptoms. I even had bladder surgery after a terrible child birth and I'm still fine. Everything you wrote is actually proof that it IS TMS.

My suggestion would be to do the SEP, watch Dr. Schubiner's talk that he did a few days ago (it's posted in the general discussion thread) and possibly have some psychotherapy with a TMS therapist.

Hi, your brain has made the association to the foods and so now you have a conditioned response to innocuous stimuli. A lot of these attributions that are made in the medical world and anecdotally online....food and weather for ex. are utter nonsense and have zero scientific evidence. Zero. So when you eat a bland diet, your brain feels "safe". Totally psychological. Your pain is very real however and I do get that! Your "IC" is a problem of neural circuits sending false alarm signals. It' s not a medical condition, it's an anxiety/psychogenic issue that is totally reversible. I suffered from IC years ago and it was full blown and I still remember vividly how awful it was but I got better and have not had any re occurrence of symptoms. I even had bladder surgery after a terrible child birth and I'm still fine. Everything you wrote is actually proof that it IS TMS.

My suggestion would be to do the SEP, watch Dr. Schubiner's talk that he did a few days ago (it's posted in the general discussion thread) and possibly have some psychotherapy with a TMS therapist.

 

[Fan]

Hi, your brain has made the association to the foods and so now you have a conditioned response to innocuous stimuli. A lot of these attributions that are made in the medical world and anecdotally online....food and weather for ex. are utter nonsense and have zero scientific evidence. Zero. So when you eat a bland diet, your brain feels "safe". Totally psychological. Your pain is very real however and I do get that! Your "IC" is a problem of neural circuits sending false alarm signals. It' s not a medical condition, it's an anxiety/psychogenic issue that is totally reversible. I suffered from IC years ago and it was full blown and I still remember vividly how awful it was but I got better and have not had any re occurrence of symptoms. I even had bladder surgery after a terrible child birth and I'm still fine. Everything you wrote is actually proof that it IS TMS.

My suggestion would be to do the SEP, watch Dr. Schubiner's talk that he did a few days ago (it's posted in the general discussion thread) and possibly have some psychotherapy with a TMS therapist.

Hi Miffy
Thank you for the info on this. I am working through ‘unlearn you’re pain’ as know I’ve emotions that need dealing with and had traumatic childhood which has now resulted in many TMS type ailments, all of which have been investigated medically. My latest sticking point is my bladder as I keep having these flares that feel like cystitis but no infection is ever found. I’ve had a cystoscopy and a rigid Cystoscopy..they found my bladder to be full of debris and like a snow globe but no diagnosis made. I have read that IC is just a diagnosis made when nothing can be found and i really want to believe it’s TMS and I have read about the brain bladder reflex and how strong it is and can cause physical symptoms..such as blood and bits in urine etc. When I have a flare like I’m having today, if I sample my urine I can see it is cloudy and has bits in, which then makes me worry and analyse etc as I assume there is something physically wrong but I do believe I have TMS I just need that reassurance and to keep working through the book to get to the bottom of my emotional stresses to find resolution. I would find it easier to be calm and not focus on this soreness and urgency in my bladder and cloudy urine and general unwell feeling if I knew for definite it could be TMS and that it can physically do this to me which would I am sure, help my recovery. Any advice you have would be so welcome thank you

 

[miffybunny]

Hi Fan,

Yes that's a great book and you do well do to work through it.! IC is a wastebasket diagnosis for when doctors cannot find anything structural or infectious (like a tumor). When I was going through that miserable experience, I had a hydro distention and I was shown an image of my bladder which looked all red and angry and scary! As it turns out ALL bladders look like that when they are distended! Urologists and doctors unwittingly create mental prisons for people by giving them labels and traumatic treatments. It's called medicalization and it sounds like you have been medicalized. I remember having awful infusions with catheters that were traumatic and provided zero relief of my urgency and spasms. I'm very suspicious of the terms your doctors used like "debris" and to be honest it sounds nonsensical. I can guarantee it has nothing to do with your pain and symptoms. I actually have a sling holding up my bladder now and lots of scar tissue in the area but zero pain or urgency so it's further proof of how psychological IC is. It's extremely important that you eliminate doubt in your mind that there is something physically wrong with your bladder, because it will be a barrier to "healing" (you are already well actually but your brain just doesn't know it yet). You may want to contact a TMS doctor like Dr. Schubiner just to get that nagging thought and worry out of your mind. I actually spoke to Dr. Schubiner years ago about my CRPS. That 2 minute phone call changed my world because I just needed affirmation from an expert.

 

[Fan]

Hi Fan,

Yes that's a great book and you do well do to work through it.! IC is a wastebasket diagnosis for when doctors cannot find anything structural or infectious (like a tumor). When I was going through that miserable experience, I had a hydro distention and I was shown an image of my bladder which looked all red and angry and scary! As it turns out ALL bladders look like that when they are distended! Urologists and doctors unwittingly create mental prisons for people by giving them labels and traumatic treatments. It's called medicalization and it sounds like you have been medicalized. I remember having awful infusions with catheters that were traumatic and provided zero relief of my urgency and spasms. I'm very suspicious of the terms your doctors used like "debris" and to be honest it sounds nonsensical. I can guarantee it has nothing to do with your pain and symptoms. I actually have a sling holding up my bladder now and lots of scar tissue in the area but zero pain or urgency so it's further proof of how psychological IC is. It's extremely important that you eliminate doubt in your mind that there is something physically wrong with your bladder, because it will be a barrier to "healing" (you are already well actually but your brain just doesn't know it yet). You may want to contact a TMS doctor like Dr. Schubiner just to get that nagging thought and worry out of your mind. I actually spoke to Dr. Schubiner years ago about my CRPS. That 2 minute phone call changed my world because I just needed affirmation from an expert.

Hi Miffy

thank you so much for taking the time to reply. I really appreciate it and your comment about your situation with regard to scarring and surgery and the fact that these do not cause you pain really resonated and my flare calmed immediately, but my tennis elbows/cubital tunnel is through the roof at the moment!! Thank you so much for giving me this hope, and the confirmation I was so desperately seeking. I will continue to work through the Unlearn your pain’ programme and read as much as I can with regard to mind body issues and also keep with this forum as it is such a good support and information network. Take care and keep safe and well x

 

[miffybunny]

Hi Fan,

Glad my story helped! I had the surgery 16 years ago after a terrible childbirth and have not had a single bladder issue since. As far as the elbow pain you are experiencing, it's typical with TMS for the brain to divert symptoms to other areas in an attempt to distract (or "protect") you for "danger". It's what Sarno called symptom substitution. This is yet further proof your issue is TMS and psychological in nature! If you work through the book and stay the course in terms of relaxing and shifting focus, you can definitely reverse this!