Escitalopram - supportive for TMS?

R

RenéeB

Newcomer
Hello

This is my first post here and I apologize in advance if my topic isn't suitable for any reason. My son is 17 years old and for the past year he has experienced widespread muscle tension, pain and joint popping along with pelvic pain. He has had every medical test and scan -- and doctors have confirmed he has no structural issue or disease causing these symptoms. He is convinced that TMS makes sense however his OCD type thinking is making it very difficult for him to not fear, not wonder if this will work etc.... He has been off school and desperately wants to return to school for 2nd term so he can finish strong -- it's grade 12 grad year. My niece had similar symptoms (widespread pain) for 10 years and after ONE month of taking Escitalopram, all her symptoms were gone. She was told that the pain signal was stuck in the ON position - and I believe she was experiencing TMS. Does anyone know if Escitalopram has worked? The literature says there's about 30% success rate with chronic pain.
 
"OCD type thinking is making it very difficult for him to not fear, not wonder if this will work etc."
Pretty much everyone who has tms goes through this, TMS is all about the obsession with the symptoms - it is the distraction of the internal pain that people are dealing with.
Starting a free program here or using a program from anyone one of the numerous places they are available (many are paid). Or utilizing a TMS coach and reading Dr. Sarno will start the process for him.
He will learn many skills, and if he's lucky, will be introduced to an evidence sheet.
This is a great way to help him realize what his triggers are, and when he is feeling better or having more tension...realizing that his mind really does play an essential role in his pain.
In general, NO mental health drugs help people deal with TMS...but placebo's sometimes do help for a time. Until stress overwhelms the nervous system again and pain and or anxiety return.
Reading Dr. Sarno yourself will help educate you on how and why the chronic pain occurs, and that it is internal stress mixed with personality types that generates the pain (from emotional repression). Internal work is a must to heal. That is not to say that some folks need mental health medications to stabilize their anxiety so they can do the internal work...but it is very well known that there is no "magic pill" that stops the symptoms. If there was, there would not be a tms forum...we'd all take the magic pill and be just "fine".
My suggestion is for you and your son to read "The Divided Mind" by Dr. Sarno
Show him this forum, and perhaps the structured educational program here: https://www.tmswiki.org (The Tension Myositis Syndrome Wiki) (scroll down the page to find the program)
The program instructs us to slowly begin to our regular activities. TMS is benign and can't "hurt" anything except to cause physical pain. Your son will learn this... But he needs to go through this himself. He will need to have space to work through his feelings privately with a feeling of safety that nobody will intrude on his need to journal and work through his emotions without anyone "helping" judging, talking about any of this etc. It's great to show him support but he must go through the healing process on his own.
 
Thank you Cactusflower :) Appreciate the feedback re: medications and TMS, and your suggestions. I've read all of Dr. Sarno's books + I'm currently reading "Hidden from View: A Clinician's Guide to Psychophysiologic Disorders" by Dr. Allan Abbass and Dr. Howard Schubiner. My son has started the Structured Educational Program as well. And he's engaged in weekly counselling sessions. I'm curious if TMS affects many younger people (it must)... I haven't read any stories from adolescents dealing with these symptoms. I sure wish it was as simple as reading a Dr. Sarno's book and the symptoms subside.
 
@RenéeB
Nichole Sachs, a tms expert who trained with, and was a patient of Dr.Sarno’s first saw him as a teenager.
It wasn’t common then (35 years ago or so).. , but it is much more common now. Many people who post on this forum talk about being in their teens and 20’s. There is a story of a 9 year old who recovered from her pain (she is in the UK).
I can tell you many of us also recognize that we had tms as children, but it was always attributed to an illness. Mine began around age 5 or 6.
 
Cactusflower said:
@RenéeB
Nichole Sachs, a tms expert who trained with, and was a patient of Dr.Sarno’s first saw him as a teenager.
It wasn’t common then (35 years ago or so).. , but it is much more common now. Many people who post on this forum talk about being in their teens and 20’s. There is a story of a 9 year old who recovered from her pain (she is in the UK).
I can tell you many of us also recognize that we had tms as children, but it was always attributed to an illness. Mine began around age 5 or 6.
Click to expand...
AMAZING! A 9-year old that recovered! That's encouraging.
 
Medication can sometimes provide enough of a "reset" to allow the individual to stop focusing on symptoms and start doing the emotional work.

Doing the emotional work may be challenging for a 19 year old, and my heart and encouragement go out to you both. I believe it can be done. I think that the key to accepting the use of medication is to always view it as a short-term intervention. Mind you, this may require contradicting and/or ignoring medical so-called "advice" - but we TMSers are good at acknowledging that many well-meaning doctors know little or nothing about the MindBody connection!

All the best @RenéeB!
 
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