A Thread for Newcomers Worried about Multiple Sclerosis (MS)

[MobileChicane]

I'm currently really worried about MS at the moment, the fact that my symptom wasn't listed in the OP but is the most common early sign of MS (bladder problems, frequent urination for a year now) has got me more anxious.

I explained it a little bit in the thread I made...

http://www.nomorepanic.co.uk/showthread.php?t=188339

[maianixon]

I'm not doing that great either, I have joint pain and some muscle pain all over my body and apparently its all anxiety. I literally feel like an 80yo person. I'm not even sure if that is a MS symptom since at least I didn't do a detailed google research on it, but in my head it is. On and off pins and needless and burning skill definitely don't help either.

[BazB44]

This is pretty much how I am. I have been struggling with neuro fears since October/November 2016. So now its what, 8 months later? Usually people say by 8 months you would know for sure, but who knows. There's always "that one person, one case". I started with spasms, then twitches all over, then fingers jerking (myokymia I think its called), weak feelings, fatigue, depression, walking on a boat....and I do get burning/cold sensations, tingling, numbing. Sometimes googling helps believe it or not, but it still just reinforces our fear....I know I gotta stop, but its hard.

[Danny71]

I just wanted to post my experience with the hope that it helps someone who is going through a tough time with health anxiety and is worried that they have MS.

I was convinced I had MS. These were my symptoms, many of which presented themselves during a 8 month period. This symptoms were instigated by PTSD...something I did not realize until after the fact:

- tingling/numbness/tightness on the left side of my face
- insomnia (this got me hooked on ativan, it was the only way I could sleep. I weened myself off, but it was hell)
- burning sensations up and down my spine
- burning and buzzing in my feet
- tingling, tightness in my forearms
- pains in my shins
- carpal tunnel symptoms in both hands
- aches and pains in my joints
- twitching all over, mostly in my calves
- headaches that would last for days
- nausea, dizziness
- tightness in my chest, one night after a panic attack I felt like there was a belt being tightened around my chest - i thought it was the MS hug

My GP told me my symptoms were being generated by anxiety, and I was only making them worse with my constant worrying and googling of the symptoms. I did not believe her, and I insisted on seeing a neurologist. After several weeks of waiting, I paid out of pocket to see a Neuro at a private clinic so I wouldnt have to wait any longer (I live in Canada).

He examined me and basically told me that I had anxiety, and I had hyper stimulated my nervous system. Basically he told me that I could pay to have a MRI right away but i would be wasting my money. He advised that I should stop googling my symptoms and that i needed to believe him.

It was a real struggle for a few days, but I did feel a lot better. It took about 2 weeks for the symptoms to start going away. To make a long story short, after about a year and a half I am pretty much back to 95% normal. I say 95% because even now when I get a little stressed some of the symptoms come back, they do not last as long because I know how to handle them now.

This is what helped me:

- excercise. Just move, walk... do what you can to get your heart rate up for 20-30 minutes a day. Im no physician , but I do know that whatever chemicals/hormones the body releases during/after exercise really made me feel calmer

- epsom salt/magnesium baths. This really helped me relax before bed time

- Meditation/breathing. I would go to my car during breaks at work, just to breath and meditate. I would also do this at night. Look up mindful meditation techniques on youtube - if you are a hard science sort of person look up Dr. Dan Siegel on youtube..fascinating talks about mindsight and mindfulness.

- Nutrition. I really cleaned up my diet, got rid of all sugars and junk food. I started taking a probiotic - healing my gut helped to heal my mind. In addition I started taking 2,000 IUs of Vitamin D. Please go on youtube and search for Dr Hollick, Dr. Hollis and Vitamin D. There is some ground breaking work being done right now regarding Vitamin D that I think will impact many peoples lives. Multiple studies have been done recently that link vitamin D deficiency to everything from neuro symptoms to Cancer.

- Stopped consulting with Dr. Google several times a day. Please stop. In the end the only thing I kept reading over and over was the first post in this thread, initially i read it on the anxietyzone forum, and subsequently I found basically the same post here The post that started this thread was like a beacon of light for me during my worst times.

If anyone is going through a similar tough time feel free to PM me, I will do my best to get back to you.

[Ryzinn]

I've had numerous symptoms over the course of the past two months and have also been having this scare. My GP wants to set up a nerve conduction test for my tingling in my left hand and foot which has been super sporadic and random. It literally comes and goes. Sometimes its the same spot over and over, other times it's random spots but predominately my left extremities.

Lately I've been getting really dizzy/light headed. It's very strange and I'm pretty scared. Yesterday it happened and while I was feeling kinda anxious it kinda caught me off guard whilst walking around wal-mart. It didn't go away until I got home and laid down for a bit. Took some Buspirone, kinda seemed to help so I'm hoping it's just anxiety.

This shit sucks, i'm so tired of being scared/worried all the time. I may post updates in this thread just to kinda keep my sanity.

[Makdarko2010]

So I'm getting this kind of tingling in my tongue and it sort of feels like I burnt it is that normal for anxiety?

[Ryzinn]

So I'm getting this kind of tingling in my tongue and it sort of feels like I burnt it is that normal for anxiety?

How long has it been happening? Is it persistent? Can you still feel with it?


So here's a daily update, just because why not.

Yesterday I didn't tingle very much at all in my extremities. I had a bit of burning/prickling going on in the late afternoon, early evening hours but it subsided just as quickly as it came.

Still getting some dizzy/light headedness. This is also coming and going.

As with all my other symptoms, I seem to get some relief when I'm exercising so I'm just gonna keep doing that.

[Makdarko2010]

It's been like this since Friday so for 5 days

[carteresque]

So now its what, 8 months later? Usually people say by 8 months you would know for sure, but who knows.

This made me laugh, because it sounds like my own experience! I just posted on the other MS anxiety thread - I've been worrying about it on and off for the last 7 years, and probably before that intermittently since the late 1990s! I think I probably always will - on my death bed I'll be going "Well, at least I didn't have MS..." (unless I do, of course )

[Ryzinn]

Still dealing with the dizzy/lightheadedness. Seems to be mostly on the left side of my head, just behind the left eye. just as with the rest of my issues. Seems to be predominately unilateral. Kinda concerning.

The burning/tingling has been less frequent as of late but still presents on occasion.

I'm starting to wonder if maybe I'm getting some kind of silent migraine as I've had on and off temple pressure on this side of my head as well for a few months. It's not painful but it is there. :/

Hopefully this passes soon.