More convinced than ever before that I have MS

[JaneC]

Sorry, AFAIK is "as far as I know". Three members of my family who have MS were all diagnosed by MRI after being referred to a neurologist. My husband also had to have a lumbar puncture because his MRI was inconclusive x

[GirlAfraid23]

Sorry, AFAIK is "as far as I know". Three members of my family who have MS were all diagnosed by MRI after being referred to a neurologist. My husband also had to have a lumbar puncture because his MRI was inconclusive x

What if my doctor doesn't refer me? :(

[JaneC]

This is what the NHS says

http://www.nhs.uk/chq/Pages/1094.asp...CategoryID=158

[Vixxy]

Your doctor will know what to look for. If he/she has any doubt that you're suffering with a health problem they will refer you. If they dont believe you have it, or need to be referred then they will not refer you. If you are still worried then get a second opinion from another GP. However the worst part of HA is the refusal to trust in your GP.

[GirlAfraid23]

thanks guys. I know what you mean but whenever I go to the GP it seems as though they are not paying proper attention to me and more often than not seem to be dismissing me. I just really want to see a neurologist now

[JaneC]

Have you actually asked for a referral?

[GirlAfraid23]

Have you actually asked for a referral?

Not yet. But I did ask about MS and she basically shrugged me off and shook her head in exhasperation

[JaneC]

If you really feel a referral is necessary then you might have to press your point (Take someone with you if there is someone who could help with that). If the doc says no, ask them to explain why to see if that can reassure you.

In saying all that I've said, the people I know with MS (and that's more than just my family members) have a lot more stuff going on than you have and did even before they sought a GP's advice. I didn't initially realise you'd only had the symptoms for three weeks - I don't honestly think there will be many people with MS have sought a diagnosis that soon.

Alternatively, maybe you need to ask the doc if you might benefit from treatment for health anxiety, if you are not already having that x

[itoldyouiwasill]

I have just emailed them thank you.

None of my illnesses in the past have turned out to be as bad as I have thought.
But the thing that is different this time is that my symptoms have been present for more than 3 weeks and are still present when I am concentrating on something else etc. Whereas before under these circumstances they would disappear.

Sorry can I ask what you meant by a neurologist AFAIK?

You really need to be aware that anxiety is a chronic condition and once it becomes physical these physical symptoms will in turn become chronic.

3 weeks is really no time at all to be thinking that a huge amount of time has passed and therefore it must be MS. Many people, myself included, have suffered the physical sensations of anxiety for years and these persist regardless of us actuially feeling anxious...once anxiety has become physical it has become a chronic physical ailment and no longer is subject to a mental causality.

The fear of MS and other neuro nasties is very common anongst anxiety sufferers and one of the main reasons is because the symptoms are so similar. The crucial thing to remember is that the symptoms do not have to have a physical first cause and they are, in the vast vast majority of cases, the result of a mental process.

[itoldyouiwasill]

http://www.nomorepanic.co.uk/showthr...ghlight=thread

This is thread I devised for another forum but which Dooges kindly posted here....have a read as it may give you some insight and help into this.