Extreme flare up

Struggling with extremely bad flare ups?

  • Wicked pain

    Votes: 1 50.0%

  • Dealing with family and friends who don't get it

    Votes: 2 100.0%
  • Total voters
    2
DianeRadvanski

DianeRadvanski

New Member
Just had another night where I could not eat. Couldn't chew...evwry type of pain was at its full intensity. Once again I am sitting in the dark waiting. All I want to do is be able to brush my teeth and my my head on the pillow.

Family and friends I tell them I don't want pity...just support and not judgment.

Feels like someone serrated my scalp with a knife on top of black and blues. Spasms feel like a Charlie horse. My face and eyes r red as a beat.

Just not able to move and I don't feel like reading or anything. It's only the beginning of this TMS journey. My biggest challenge is these damn long las ting flare ups.

It doesn't feel like the nerves on my scalp and underneath will calm down.

Frustrated, angry, and scared...and depressed.
 
I'm so sorry you feel like this... It is terribly frustrating when we get a flare up. All you can do is ride it out - and find any way you can of calming/soothing yourself. Whenever we are in pain, we tense up - and that makes the pain worse - it is really hard to 'relax' into it - or try to soothe it - BUT extremely effective once we work out how. Some mindfulness practice maybe? it can be done anywhere for any length of time. A guided meditation - on a cd - even just silence and some fresh air blowing in the window can be very soothing. Find what works for you.
When i had terrible pain and could not sleep - i had to 'harness' my mind - or it would race off and catastrophic thinking would ensue...! So i spent years doing anagrams of words all night, or trying to remember the greek alphabet, or alphabet games... A to Z of wine, motorbikes, flowers, film stars... or counting in spanish... What mattered was taking control of my mind - not just reacting to the circumstance of being in pain.
I know its easy to say - and bloomin hard to do! But persevere... good luck!
 
hecate105 said:
I'm so sorry you feel like this... It is terribly frustrating when we get a flare up. All you can do is ride it out - and find any way you can of calming/soothing yourself. Whenever we are in pain, we tense up - and that makes the pain worse - it is really hard to 'relax' into it - or try to soothe it - BUT extremely effective once we work out how. Some mindfulness practice maybe? it can be done anywhere for any length of time. A guided meditation - on a cd - even just silence and some fresh air blowing in the window can be very soothing. Find what works for you.
When i had terrible pain and could not sleep - i had to 'harness' my mind - or it would race off and catastrophic thinking would ensue...! So i spent years doing anagrams of words all night, or trying to remember the greek alphabet, or alphabet games... A to Z of wine, motorbikes, flowers, film stars... or counting in spanish... What mattered was taking control of my mind - not just reacting to the circumstance of being in pain.
I know its easy to say - and bloomin hard to do! But persevere... good luck!
Click to expand...
Thank you very much! I have double trouble because my face dermatitis breaks out bad and burns so my entire head is on fire and feels raw. I am stuck in the trap of seeing my friends going out and living life and getting licensed when I used to be in that group. I feel like I am not going to get out of this. Anyeay thanKS again.
 
DianeRadvanski said:
Just had another night where I could not eat. Couldn't chew...evwry type of pain was at its full intensity. Once again I am sitting in the dark waiting. All I want to do is be able to brush my teeth and my my head on the pillow.

Family and friends I tell them I don't want pity...just support and not judgment.

Feels like someone serrated my scalp with a knife on top of black and blues. Spasms feel like a Charlie horse. My face and eyes r red as a beat.

Just not able to move and I don't feel like reading or anything. It's only the beginning of this TMS journey. My biggest challenge is these damn long las ting flare ups.

It doesn't feel like the nerves on my scalp and underneath will calm down.

Frustrated, angry, and scared...and depressed.
Click to expand...

Diane, it may be what Sarno calls extinction burst which for you right now may be really hard to believe. Before I started getting better, I had few really bad flare ups which ended up being extinction bursts. I highly recommend listening to Dr. Weekes audios, especially Part 3 where she talks about setbacks.

http://www.tmswiki.org/forum/threads/claire-weekes-audio.2569/ (Claire Weekes Audio)

Her voice pulled many people, me included, through the depth of despair.
 
TG957 said:
Diane, it may be what Sarno calls extinction burst which for you right now may be really hard to believe. Before I started getting better, I had few really bad flare ups which ended up being extinction bursts. I highly recommend listening to Dr. Weekes audios, especially Part 3 where she talks about setbacks.

http://www.tmswiki.org/forum/threads/claire-weekes-audio.2569/ (Claire Weekes Audio)

Her voice pulled many people, me included, through the depth of despair.
Click to expand...
Wow! So many things to be aware of. Thank you! But I just share I haven't been consistent in my practice so I thought it was from scrubbing too hard with shampoo on my scalp. So far all my doc told me to do was make a list of stressors and evwry time I get pain tell my brain "I know this pain is not harmful and is only a distraction from thinking about (then I quickly review my list with an image of each stressor). That's as far as we got which always left me feelin more stressed becauae I had this list of stressors from past and current.

I may post a question later about the oxygen issue...my doc said 40% of pain is from this...so how do people improve this aspeCT of their TMS? I was doing diaphragmatic breathing even though it hurts my scalp. Anyway thank u for the specific and resource. When my pain is so extreme with these flare ups which happens 5 or 6 days a week I just want to lie in bed and try to sleep. I see a TMS therapist for the 1st time this Ftiday. Hope it's a good fit.
 
MrRage said:
Sometimes when I get TMS headaches I'll take a nice, long, hot shower and it will improve my symptoms.
Click to expand...

I wish I could do that#! The heat and cold are both bad for the scalp nerve pain and my face reacts with burning too. But maybe over tike I can't tolerate warmer temps...I prefer hot showers. Thanks for the feedback!!
 
Diane, it may sound simplistic, but when I am stressed, I drink a cup of hot milk. It calms me immediately.
amino acid and tryptophan which calms us. It can work cold but better hot.

The others have given you very good advice and I echo it. Believe in TMS and you will be healthier and happier than you ever imagined.
 
Hi Walt. I do find a glass of milk effective for me during rhe night. I think I need to come up with a toolbox of ideas and strategies that help me throughout the day and night.

Thank you for your suggestion!

Best wishes
 
Do nothing. Let the storm pass. Rage. Weep. Sleep. Everyday the dawn sun rises gentle and kind, and we start over. And if pain remains, do nothing. Let the storm pass. Rage. Weep.Sleep.
 
Hi Plum. Actually I sat still with ny head still. The allodynia is what killed me on top of the bad spasms.

I am glad u said sleep because I do that when I can. I think I need to find a balance between reading the forums, reading a book and trying the online programs while not doing this all day long...when flare ups r that sevwre I just can look at the computer or read.

I do have an appmt with 2 therapists to see who I like better. One is closer which is good. My primary MD who is a TMS specialist said that I should follow the therapist instructions for homework and programs. I will see.

Hope u r having a good day. All the best to you! Thanks again:-)
 
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