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 Success Stories
 Pelvic, Perineal, Rectal Pain or Levator Ani
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SarnoFan

USA
72 Posts

Posted - 05/24/2009 :  22:53:55  Show Profile  Reply with Quote
I overcame backpain in 2000 after reading Dr. Sarno's books. 8 years later had a hysterectomy that went well, but 2 months later I became very stressed when a friend got sick and almost died.

I suddenly started having perineal/rectal/thigh/groin pain a few days after having a painful bowel movement. It increased over the next few days after I lifted a heavy object. I went to the ER worried my surgery had failed.

No diagnosis was made after having a CT, MRI, U/S, pelvic exams, colonosopy, over the next 16 months! Drove my family NUTS. No doctors, chiros, PTs, websites, etc. could help me. They all INCREASED my symptoms. I cried daily. Stopped work and lost my income. I was losing my mind. I could not walk, lift, sit etc.
Then I realized, Aha! It could be TMS!! I still struggled with it because my symptoms were so strong (came and went) that my mind went back to worring that the doctors did miss something physical.

I was having pelvic PT but found it worked only temporarily so I stopped after three months. I decided to stop worrying about it.

At one point during my dark days, I thought I had PN from my websearches(Pudendal Neuralgia). Later a doctor confirmed it was PN! She prescibed Lyrica and Neurontin which I tried and later flushed down the toilet. She then wanted to try steroid injections. I got a panic attack just thinking about it. She then gave me Xanax which did help me sleep and this helped a lot. I only took one or two a week if needed. Another doctor (a GastroEnt.)found an anal fissure (first time I ever had one). This fissure healed but I still had pain. She then found I had proctitis which was incurable. The fissure also caused sphincter spasms and breath stopping deep rectal spasms in the middle of the night. I was told it will never go away and would need suppositories daily for the rest of my life. I tried them and they made me worse. A proctologist said I do NOT have proctitis then diagnosed 'levator ani syndrome' and sent me to a PT. Another Dr. friend said could be scar tissue or fibromyalgia.

--STOP!!!--AAGGH!!--- I decided to ignore everything and go back to Sarno theory. How embarassing that I let myself get this far and having everyone I knew feel sorry for me.

I finally realized I went through this (silly but oh so painful)process when I had back pain years ago. At that time I visited: chiros, orthopedics, physiatrists (-not psychiatists), rheumatologists, neurologists, etc.

I went back to my Sarno books, tapes etc and I can say that a few months later I'm 95% better. When I stress out or I'm disappointed, I take a hot bath and relax. I say to myself "this too shall pass". I don't let myself go into a "black hole of doubt and hopelessness" again. I do struggle with anxiety on/off. A website that helps with this is www.anxietycentre.com (note Canadian spelling of 'centre'). They focus on the mind body thing 100% and really do have the same concept as Sarno, but make no reference to him. They have more of a 'nuts and bolts' approach and cover almost every symptom known.

I wish doctors could help people using TMS theory first instead of throwing incurable diseases/syndromes at them. I'm still de-programming myself away from the physical and fear. That 5% of pain left can easily go full blown if I let it.

Edited by - SarnoFan on 05/24/2009 22:54:23

HilaryN

United Kingdom
879 Posts

Posted - 05/26/2009 :  15:35:58  Show Profile  Reply with Quote
Thanks for that story, SarnoFan!

quote:
I wish doctors could help people using TMS theory first instead of throwing incurable diseases/syndromes at them.

Yes... we need to educate them!

If you're interested, pandamonium and I have put a copy of letters we wrote to our doctors on the TMS wiki.

http://tmswiki.wetpaint.com/page/Example+Letter+to+Family+Doctor
http://tmswiki.wetpaint.com/page/Example+Letter+2+to+Family+Doctor

Feel free to copy either one and substitute your own story to send to your doctor/s.

Hilary N
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Carolyn

184 Posts

Posted - 05/26/2009 :  18:43:19  Show Profile  Reply with Quote
Great to hear another pelvic pain success story!! Your story is so similar to mine. I had all those same diagnoses and more. I am happy to report that I remain completely cured of all pelvic pain and I think it has been at least 4 years.

Carolyn

Carolyn
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jude

14 Posts

Posted - 05/27/2009 :  16:59:01  Show Profile  Reply with Quote
Thanks for the report! I can really relate, especially since I too had pelvic pain (wrote an entry on it here recently), and also because I did the same-- started trudging down that endless diagnosis route, and then suddenly had that "aha, maybe it's TMS" moment that was the beginning of turning things around. Like you, I'm in the 95% cure range, where little flare-ups aren't frequent and don't last long.
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lara

USA
101 Posts

Posted - 01/13/2012 :  09:15:46  Show Profile  Reply with Quote
Is still someone over this topic? i have the same symptoms,and is hard for me to believe it is all in my own mind,can somebody help me? i have had ctscan,mris,etc,pts ,they only find very tight pelvic muscles,and last dr i have seen so far diagnosed me with PNE!
my symptoms are:
Rectal pain
Sacarl pain
Perineal pain
Sometimes vaginal pain and burnin
Rectal burning

All of thi after having a hemorrhoidectomy and sphincterotomy back in july 2011.i am a very anxious and nervous person.and i have noticed the more anxious i feel the pain increases!
i am actually taking 900 mg of gabapantin(generic for neurontin)

Any advice?
Please help me
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