Feeling lost with throat pain

I got over over my chronic back pain/sciatica in 2020 with TMS work, and I’ve had random symptom imperatives on and off since.

This symptom has really gotten me though, and I’m feeling a bit defeated. I’ve had burning and a raspy throat on and off for about 18 months. I’ve been periodically treating it as TMS and it’s settled down and come back multiple times, but sometimes I’ve also just been trying to ignore it.

I’m just feeling lost with this symptom. I’ve been told it’s from reflux and I sometimes get chest pain. I had a laryngoscopy about a year ago that was completely clear. I’ve also tried medication.

I saw my old TMS coach recently and it was helpful, I’ve started to stop restricting what I’m eating after seeing him. But I guess I’m feeling so lost because this feels so different to typical TMS. The usual “it’s from the brain”/neural pathway talk just isn’t working for me because this is caused from acid reflux rather than something from the brain so it’s just kind of confusing me.

I’m just wanting some help on how to think of this as TMS, when it doesn’t really seem like it’s a brain issue that most TMS experts refer to.

 

I have a fairly similar symptom, a cough that comes from the back of my throat. It’s related to scientific reflux, which is a symptom of anxiety.
I suggest noting how you feel your anxiety levels are when you are symptomatic, and further explore your emotions and stress levels at these times with your tms work. Note how you are thinking about yourself, and if you are partaking in self care. Simple things we can let slide.
I use medication at these times, and only one is helpful. I also eat an acid reducing diet, meditate and do the things I listed above. If you search this forum, you will find acid and silent reflux is common.

 

I have the same issue after resolving pelvic pain (3 years). Any updates? Thx

 

@balancedanswers yes I am doing much better!! Not 100% all the time, but honestly it’s been getting close to it.

It was definitely the hardest symptom to shake after my sciatica. I ended up doing a lot of journalling, somatic tracking, but mostly I just really began deeply believing that it was TMS. I was lacking trust because of fear. It’s the hardest part of this work.

I would just repeat affirmations and self-talk to myself over and over when I was in pain, and almost say to my throat “It’s okay, it’s just TMS”, “I know this is TMS”, “I’m safe”, etc.

I hope you can get over it quickly! It’s an awful symptom having it in your throat, but as long as you got the all clear from your doctor, it’s definitely TMS.

 

Thanks so much for the fast reply! May I ask if you saw a doctor as all?

I went to see my GP, he said I did some mild red throat and mild middle ear infection so this is not 100% psychosomatic and gave me antibiotics and told me "if you dont get better naturally you can take the antibiotics if it's bacterial.. if it's viral the body should heal on its own". But, given that I'm working on my health anxiety I am just wondering if I want to jump down the medical rabbit hole and make sure with an ultrasound to make sure its not cancer. I do jump a few steps given 3 years of chronic pain. I'm so grateful your back pain and my pelvic pain went away, I can't believe I'm almost 100% pain free down there... but these symptoms are strange.

 

If I may jump in here. Throat pain is what brought me to Sarno.
I think it started from having burned my throat from eating something too hot and swallowing it down.
I gave it time to heal and it really wasn't healing. After awhile I tried NOT TALKING to help it heal.
Still no luck. Then (yes, health anxiety here too) I started thinking it was something with my esophagus. And then my Thyroid.
And of course cancer.

Searching and searching and I came across this forum and the 20/20 Sarno video. I talked to a few people here who had throat pain and couldn't speak but that was no help because the person that I spoke with told me all about how she used a voice coach, etc. etc. etc.

And then I picked up a pen and paper and the rest is history. On the second day of writing and visualizing myself whacking my sister over the head with a bat, I felt my throat loosen. Mind you, I'm not a kid living at home with a sister. I'm a card carrying AARP member, my sister and I live in different states and we get along just fine. It was my little self batting my sister, probably because of feeling scared that mummy was mad at me and not her.
I kid you not that throat pain, the not being able to talk, etc all dissolved.

 

Thanks for jumping in! This helps.

I'm taking a round of antibiotics just to be sure. If it's viral, it will go away in time, very few viral throat infections stay long and I'm 99.99% sure I have no underlying conditions after all the tests.

 

May I also ask: did the doctor examinations find anything? My doctor for example confirmed I had redness in throat and mild middle ear infection

 

Keep in mind that the antibiotics are likely to make you feel worse. And that might cause you to spiral downward.
If you had a bacterial infection, it wouldn't be hanging around causing a sore throat for 18 months.

 

Thank you all for responding to this updated thread.

Update: today I went to see ENT doctor, got a laryngoscopy, all clear. I'm very logical and scientific, here is my progress:

1. 3 years pelvic pain
2. Last month, went to Australia for LENs therapy and Body LENS
3. Upon return home, thought it didn't work, so focused 100% on TMS
4. First week not much progress, 2nd week, started sensing less pelvic pain
5. 3rd week, it seems like I can masturbate without pain, which is amazing bc I suffered with this for 3 years.
I am unsure of Body LENS helped, but LENS definitely helped - it helped my brain optimize and rewire so I stop going down negative spirals.

Weird thing that happened after my pelvic pain stopped - I got back pain - I never got back pain before. The back pain moved around. It was scary, the old thoughts came back - what if I have cancer / spine problems....

It made no sense. Random tingling pain in lower right ab, chest. Went away after 1 day.

Then, I had a lingering cold, and a sore throat that won't go away.

At first I thought i was TMS, but doctor did say ears are slightly bleeding and throat is sore. I remember having a cold on the flight back and my ears hurt a lot on descent. I do not think this is TMS - it's obviously a cold and having to fly with changing air pressure. Doctor said ears healed,

So this leaves the sore throat.

1. I tried antibiotics, seems to have no effect but this ruled out bacteria
2. If viral, most infections clear on its own and there's not much you can do unless your situation gets really bad, usually this is due to an underlying condition compromising your immune system
3. Throat cancer, which is rare, I decided I wanted to get a laryngoscopy to be sure
4. Cancer - did cancer test all came back negative for CTCs (cancer tumor cells)

So, now doctor says its GERD, but I've never had GERD before, and the symptoms don't match, I don't feel heartache or chest pain or anything come up the throat. In fact, when taking the antibiotics I did want to throw up a few times.

Today when I returned home, I thought to myself:

One, I'm glad I got the laryngoscopy. It was covered by insurance and it was something i needed to be sure. I think everyone can ask, "what evidence do I need to rule out physical realm issues so I can focus on TMS?" and evaluate that the procedures to do this. For example, I think laryngscopy is safe, but I would avoid a PET-CT scan to find cancer bc that has radiation. A cancer marker blood test is just a normal blood draw so it's fine.

Two, I do things that hurt myself. With the pelvic pain I pressed too hard with internal wand and caused massive nerve pain by overdoing it. I drank a lot of garlic and ginger and it's possible I did too much and learned today that it can irritate the throat.

So there's nothing else to do now but TMS, and maybe change up my juicing ingredients.

If there is evidence of acid reflux/GERD, I will try medication or deal with it then.

Hope this helps anyone in similar situation.

 

From your description, it really sounds like TMS manifestation all over the body to hide how you truly feel. I would have focused on journaling, 5 whys, what may have pissed you off that you are unaware, and rereading Dr. Sarno's mindbody prescriptions. Garlic and ginger won't hurt your throat either. Maybe take a break from seeking medical care within the system and focus on your emotions and see how it would work.

 

update: sore throat was gone the day after I saw doctor for laryngoscopy.
I removed garlic and ginger for 2 days then reduced the amount thereafter.
Continue to practice Mindbody work.

 

Jan, you’ve said it here! Everyone I know—everyone—seems to be struggling with some form of mental illness or addiction since the pandemic. Collectively, we are stressed and it’s showing up in different ways for different people. We might be the lucky ones with TMS, because we are forced to address our emotions. And honestly, to nurture our views of a Higher Power or an eternal Truth. Or whatever we may believe in.

 

@balancedanswers
TMS can do weird stuff. One of its favorites with me is coughing. I have done it for months on end before. Doctors have given me antibiotics, codeine cough medicine or have just shaken their heads. But always in the end, it was time that made it go away. I just ignore things and then I guess enough changes take place for it go away. This last time, I coughed for almost 2 months after having Covid. I got hoarse from coughing to the point I couldn’t talk on the phone with anyone. I said to myself, “who do you not want to talk to?” And I could name a couple people (one is my sister. Addressed in other threads). As soon as I said that, my cough started to subside.