Pain is a Loop

Just a short thought that I knew from books and have then been able to demonstrate in my own life: pain is a loop. Meaning, if there are many areas that aren't working right in your body or mind that cause pain, reducing one area may help the other areas improve. Easier said than done, right? But this may be something you want to "inventory" for yourself: "So, if I can't get the vestibulitis under control, is there another area that I can address?" Examples are:

• Allergies
• Hypothyroidism
• Mood problems (in my case, Bipolare 2 disorder)
• Nerve problems (see posts on nerve injections)
• Bladder problems
• Uterine problems
• Constipation (see post on my technique)
• Fibromyalgia
• Stress
• Unhappiness
• PTSD
• Mechanical problems with your body
• Fear of sex

For me, the most surprising thing that has helped the vestibulitis is staying on a diet that avoids my food allergies. One food I am sadly allergic to is chocolate. Chocolate cake will make the burning more intense the next day. Has this cured the vestibulitis? No. But any action I can take is worth it. Interestingly, the allergist said that my allergies are low-level. But avoiding problem foods seems to avoid additional inflammation. UPDATE 7/1/2015: After one year not eating chocolate without significant improvement, I am eating it again.

I take Allegra (Costco sells it least expensively) twice a day. I am also on Singulair to help my asthma, but it looks like it also may push back on allergies in general. Other allergy pills and preventive measures are out there.

Why am I Constipated?

Okay, not a subject generally discussed, but here goes. Constipation is a common occurrence when you have vulvodynia.

My first theory:
Your pelvic muscles are tight and clamp down on the your large intestine. The poop sits there and dries out, forming dark pellets that don't move easily to the rectum. When it does get to the  rectum it sits there again, refusing to come out. This is because in both the large intestine and the rectum, peristalsis, smooth muscle movement that propels poop forward, can't work optimally. Your poop gets stuck.

My second theory:
People with vulvodynia can have have up-regulated "fight or flight" nervous systems. This shuts down the gastrointestinal track's normal functioning, including peristalsis. A wiki excerpt on the sympathetic nervous system follows at the end of this blog entry.

Note that my first and second theories can co-exist and both are, in my opinion, viable explanations for why someone with vulvodynia is constipated. So what to do? Here it gets gross. Read the next blog.


From Wikipedia on "Fight or Flight"

Sympathetic nervous system

Main article: Sympathetic nervous system

Promotes a "fight or flight" response, corresponds with arousal and energy generation, and inhibits digestion.

• Diverts blood flow away from the gastro-intestinal (GI) tract and skin via vasoconstriction.
• Blood flow to skeletal muscles and the lungs is enhanced (by as much as 1200% in the case of skeletal muscles).
• Dilates bronchioles of the lung, which allows for greater alveolar oxygen exchange.
• Increases heart rate and the contractility of cardiac cells (myocytes), thereby providing a mechanism for the enhanced blood flow to skeletal muscles.
• Dilates pupils and relaxes the ciliary muscle to the lens, allowing more light to enter the eye and far vision.
• Provides vasodilation for the coronary vessels of the heart.
• Constricts all the intestinal sphincters and the urinary sphincter.
• Inhibits peristalsis.
• Stimulates orgasm.