Pain vanished - but replaced by constant colds

[FBryant87]

In 2012 I successfully controlled a TMS pain which I'd suffered from for 3 years, and my life resumed normality.

In 2014 the pain came back at full magnitude for around 2 weeks, but after some temporary doubt, I was able to manage it again. It have not noticed it since.

What I have noticed over the past few years is that I am mildly ill (cold-like symtpons) all the time. The symptons rise and fall like infections which overlap one another, and on the rare occasions they're not present - I always have some form of congestion/nasal irritation. I've seen a doctor and tried to identify allergies but of course, no luck.

Is this TMS in another form? I know it's common for pain to present itself in other areas, but this time it's clearly infections. If it is TMS, what is happening?

a) Is my subconscious triggering cold-like symptons?
b) Is my subconscious suppressing my immune system?

Are there many cases like this?

All thoughts very welcome.

 

[Ftaghn!]

Yeah, I had this! My throat would feel sore all the time, and I was tired NON-STOP (which was way worse than the soreness in my view). What made the whole thing non-dangerous to my mind was realizing I was probably just depressed, and that it'd go. And it did, but like any TMS thing, it took a while.

 

[talldrinkofwater]

I've had similar experiences. Felt like a sinus infection/cold. As long as I treat it like TMS I am able to get the symptoms under control to some extent, although if I take medications, etc, it's like I am legitimizing the symptoms.

 

[Paulita]

Me too! I've managed most physical pain - sciatica, knee pain, calf pain, hip pain by using TMS principles. But I do have a constant cough, runny nose etc. I don't treat these symptoms with any medication. However, I think I'll start treating it as TMS and see what happens. Looking forward to it

 

[Baseball65]

Ten years before I ever read Sarno I spent a whole winter (Halloween to groundhog day) sick as all hell with cold/flu's. One would leave and a new set of symptoms would come. My Dr. got so concerned he tested me for AIDS (It was new then and the test was a big deal) I had been a drug abuser and that was the only thing he thought could explain all of the back to back to back illnesses.

Of course it came back negative (and that ended the symptoms)... however, looking back I was living in Constant stress... I was homeless, I had drank away my life, I had a court issue hanging over my head...of course I needed a distraction. The thought of how useless I had become was absolutely intolerable to my conscious brain.

I haven't had a cold or flu in YEARS now, though I used to have stuff going on quite a bit...and I am an EVIL SMOKER (come on guys...pile on) Whenever I feel ANY sickness I always stop and think why I might need a distraction.

Yes...TMS can grab ahold of anything. It usually grabs something that's good and scary and super distracting.

 

[Lunarlass66]

Ten years before I ever read Sarno I spent a whole winter (Halloween to groundhog day) sick as all hell with cold/flu's. One would leave and a new set of symptoms would come. My Dr. got so concerned he tested me for AIDS (It was new then and the test was a big deal) I had been a drug abuser and that was the only thing he thought could explain all of the back to back to back illnesses.

Of course it came back negative (and that ended the symptoms)... however, looking back I was living in Constant stress... I was homeless, I had drank away my life, I had a court issue hanging over my head...of course I needed a distraction. The thought of how useless I had become was absolutely intolerable to my conscious brain.

I haven't had a cold or flu in YEARS now, though I used to have stuff going on quite a bit...and I am an EVIL SMOKER (come on guys...pile on) Whenever I feel ANY sickness I always stop and think why I might need a distraction.

Yes...TMS can grab ahold of anything. It usually grabs something that's good and scary and super distracting.

Yep... Tms manifests itself in some frightening and incredulous ways. I think I've experienced just about all there is in ways of illness, pain(back, legs, rib elbows, hands, feet.. Been tested for RA and various labs, xrays, mris... The whole nine yards) breathing issues(asthma), chronic sore throats and laryngitis, nerve issues anxiety and it's accompanying counterpart, depression.. My fear (and question) is with all the stress and strain of long term suffering, do we actually DO physical damage? These days every medical article emphasizes the importance of managing stress and I fully acknowledge my tendency to "tms over tms" if that makes any sense at all..
I've been reading Alan Gordan's new structured program day by day as it's posted. He's a brilliant therapist, but (and I wonder if others here notice this..) I STILL find some deep part of me feeling resistant to the diagnosis of MBS/TMS... after all, most of us over 50 will have some bodily degenerative change.. How can anyone know for sure this isn't cause for any pain? I know studies show imaging, xray, MRI findings correlate poorly with symptoms... I just can't understand WHY I have such a powerful need for proof and reasaurance. I DO notice my pain, or maybe just my ability to tolerate it is greatly influenced by emotional stress and anxiety.. Any insights would be much appreciated... Thanks so much. Btw, sorry for the long tangent.. I started out just wanting to empathize with Baseball65... He's got an incredible success story and has back issues much like mine...