AllGoodHere
Well-known member
It is the end of the year and a good time to say bye-bye to the Forum. A quick summary of my symptoms and their progression follows.My symptoms started in late 2005 with inexplicably trembling muscles. That progressed to clamping muscles, then weird sensations and more symptoms (vibrations, hot water on skin feeling, small thumps, twitching, spasms, and hyper toned areas, to name a few). It was a tense time for me, this all started when I was taking care of a very ill mother and with work and other family problems it was very stressful. After Mom died in 06 I contracted a very bad virus and after that, the neural sensations got worse. The extreme muscle tension was all new to me because I had always had very relaxed muscles even after working out pretty consistently – I figured it was a manifestation of stress complicated by an infection. Having taught some movement disciplines I am very acquainted with many techniques and even though some things helped, it became impossible to use past techniques on this somewhat new situation developing in my body. However I ignored most of it, getting by on lots of NSAIDS and meditating more often: and tried lots of home remedies until I started getting injured and had to cut my physical pursuits down. My GP, after seeing no problem in my blood chemistry, thought I was going daffy and I really was getting tired of people telling me ‘oh, you need more fluids, take calcium, take potassium, etc. etc.’, when I had, of course, already tried all that ‘normal’ stuff. Then to the orthopedist a few times with sprains, strains, & swelling around areas that had been tense. Physical therapy helped with the awful tension headaches and tinnitus, especially cranial-sacral therapy but it was short-lived and hard to afford on a bi-weekly basis. Then terrible stabbing back pains (knock you off your feet kind) started and my GP sent me to a neurologist. The neuro said I had 2 ruptured discs and Cramp Fasciculation Syndrome (MRI and EMG evidence) and I would get better. LOL he didn’t say it would take so freaking long though! 
I think the ruptures were actually due to the tenseness of my muscles – mostly because for 2 years prior I was plagued by other such things but there is no way to actually tell. I tried lots of Rx’s – they made me forgetful, lethargic, and the best thing about the one I used the longest (Gaba) is it let me sleep when I was getting extremely exhausted from not sleeping well because of fascics and cramps. I cut it out after a half year – it was either that or up the dosage again and use more post-it notes because it made me so forgetful. I used Amrix for a while but tolerance develops fast & it sent me into withdrawal when I stopped it after 3 ½ weeks.So here I am at the very end of 08 and I have gotten much better. I have fewer hyper toned muscles and less frequent sensations and sometimes none for days at a time. I still have some muscle relaxants to take in case I get overly tense muscles so I can stay away from injuries. I still get occasional weird sensations. I take good care of my diet and that helps and am looking forward to getting back to being more physical again. Yeah! 
Signing up this month for both yoga and qigong classes! My practice of both has been haphazard and inconsistent and going to class will help with getting me back on track – will see if I can add more vigorous cardio activities back in later. About leaving the Forum: I am grateful that I found first Steve at his pnhe site and then this forum as both have helped me in the worse times, when I thought that for sure if it got any worse I wouldn’t be able to bear it. It helps to hear that ‘yes, it will change, you will not have this forever, it gets better, worse, better, manifests differently’. As I’ve gotten better I’ve tried to help out others (at least I hope I have) but now I need to focus on getting my own health back and not be sitting in front of the computer somewhat hooked on the Forum news and stories and tracking of others to assist. For all of you out there that are in the throes of it – take heart – it does get better. Nerves take longer to heal than any other part of the body and their integration with other systems is complicated (ask someone who has had a one accidentally severed and experienced the growth back). You have to remain positive and not focus on the negative aspects of this syndrome: if you really believe you are fine then it’ll help you progress – I really did most often reply to concerned questions with “I’m OK” and just this simple declaration can help you move on and out of focusing on your symptoms. Sigh 
you have to be patient and give them a chance to resolve, you have to find ways to calm yourself and let healing happen, you must try to see the nerve weirdness as a temporary manifestation of your body coping and also a healing process rather than a disease. A difficult task but a possible one that will let you progress through this. Good luck all and here’s to health in the coming years.
I think the ruptures were actually due to the tenseness of my muscles – mostly because for 2 years prior I was plagued by other such things but there is no way to actually tell. I tried lots of Rx’s – they made me forgetful, lethargic, and the best thing about the one I used the longest (Gaba) is it let me sleep when I was getting extremely exhausted from not sleeping well because of fascics and cramps. I cut it out after a half year – it was either that or up the dosage again and use more post-it notes because it made me so forgetful. I used Amrix for a while but tolerance develops fast & it sent me into withdrawal when I stopped it after 3 ½ weeks.So here I am at the very end of 08 and I have gotten much better. I have fewer hyper toned muscles and less frequent sensations and sometimes none for days at a time. I still have some muscle relaxants to take in case I get overly tense muscles so I can stay away from injuries. I still get occasional weird sensations. I take good care of my diet and that helps and am looking forward to getting back to being more physical again. Yeah! Signing up this month for both yoga and qigong classes! My practice of both has been haphazard and inconsistent and going to class will help with getting me back on track – will see if I can add more vigorous cardio activities back in later. About leaving the Forum: I am grateful that I found first Steve at his pnhe site and then this forum as both have helped me in the worse times, when I thought that for sure if it got any worse I wouldn’t be able to bear it. It helps to hear that ‘yes, it will change, you will not have this forever, it gets better, worse, better, manifests differently’. As I’ve gotten better I’ve tried to help out others (at least I hope I have) but now I need to focus on getting my own health back and not be sitting in front of the computer somewhat hooked on the Forum news and stories and tracking of others to assist. For all of you out there that are in the throes of it – take heart – it does get better. Nerves take longer to heal than any other part of the body and their integration with other systems is complicated (ask someone who has had a one accidentally severed and experienced the growth back). You have to remain positive and not focus on the negative aspects of this syndrome: if you really believe you are fine then it’ll help you progress – I really did most often reply to concerned questions with “I’m OK” and just this simple declaration can help you move on and out of focusing on your symptoms. Sigh you have to be patient and give them a chance to resolve, you have to find ways to calm yourself and let healing happen, you must try to see the nerve weirdness as a temporary manifestation of your body coping and also a healing process rather than a disease. A difficult task but a possible one that will let you progress through this. Good luck all and here’s to health in the coming years.