MS Fears Returned

[Serenity1990]

I'm having an awful few day. Was pretty much back to my old self then on Sunday I suddenly felt this massive head pressure and my right arm was weak. Since then there has been definite numbness on part of my right arm, reduced dexterity and overwhelming fatigue.

Also yesterday I had an episode in the supermarket where the while side of my face went numb as well.

I'm terrified, don't really know where to go from here. This isn't just anxiety.

[Trueman]

It can be just anxiety. I went through exactly the same kind of phase for a while. With a variety of other symptoms. I thought there would never be an end in sight. But there was. Try to steer away from thinking about the symptoms..

[Serenity1990]

Thanks for the reply, it's reassuring. I'm trying not to think about it!

[Trueman]

My anxiety heightened a lot of those symptoms you mention. Turned out that I suffered from sinus related vertigo induced migraine combined with peripheral nerve hyperexcitability (which means I twitch constantly but for no reason - benign). But the worst days involved, loss of sensation in ankles/feet, arms, tingling, problems swallowing, felt like something stuck in my throat constantly, chest tightness, co-ordination issues, brain fog, eye pain, balance issues.. list goes on but now I can see that they were anxiety. It took me ages to get to that point. But it passes if you tell yourself each day there these sensations are just normal for anxiety. And try to distract yourself. Go and do one thing that makes you feel better at least today. A snickers bar would cheer me up albiet for 20 mins! If not that, a book, a bath, a walk..

[Serenity1990]

Thanks again for the input. :)

Might I ask how sinus related vertigo induced migraine was diagnosed? Never heard of that one!

[Trueman]

Ha ha.. Well I suffered from sinus/ear problems which never quite recovered with antibiotics. Then I saw a neurologist for my PNH. There was talk about MS and I went for a brain scan. Came back fine. In the end after various other tests the neurologist said I suffered from vertigo induced migraines most likely linked to sinus issues (most likely brought on by my smoking ashamedly). This affected my balance coordination etc.. Fatigue and nausea all came with it but the anxiety caused a lot of this too.

Since then I have learnt to recognise the signs of both the anxiety and migraines a little better... I have said goodbye to MS. I get less migraines now (avoiding triggers) still have HA moments but slowly seeing that the more i distract myself the less I think about things. But it's hard to do.

---------- Post added at 18:26 ---------- Previous post was at 18:19 ----------

Actually it might even be migraine induced vertigo ha ha.. Either way and even with my other HA moments I find steaming my face calming.. Breathing in the steam.. Try it. If anything it will clear out those sinus and your head a bit! In through nose.. Out mouth...

[Serenity1990]

It's funny you should say that as when I ended up in A&E with stroke-like symptoms in January they said they suspected it was a bad migraine - though I've never had them before. Also I've been feeling sinus pressure. Did you get the arm numbness with this as well then? Also what do your headaches feel like?

Thanks again for replying, you've made a massive difference to my day! :)

[Trueman]

Migraines can really debilitate you and for days.. I went through periods where (now i know they are) migraine for 1-5 days sometimes with little respite. They would come in phases every couple of weeks. All those symptoms together. The numbness in arm I would get at night a lot but tingling through day down arm. I'm not sure if this was because of the margarine or the stress of the migraine. Either way yes, migraines can be wonderfully debilitating things! Loads of different types but you don't have to have the visual disturbances, flashing lights etc.. That's why I never thought it was migraine because I never got that.. The neurologist told me that's just the traditional view of a migraine.

Stress can cause a lot of your symptoms, try and believe that and see if it makes a difference each time you tell yourself. Might not straight away.. But it might eventually and sooner than you think. Worth a try. In meantime, ask you GP about migraines..

---------- Post added at 20:22 ---------- Previous post was at 20:16 ----------

Oh and the combination of sinus/migraine/anxiety either together or separately gives you that heavy full head feeling.. Feeling of pressure...

[Serenity1990]

Actually I've been getting the visual auras (wavy lines) the last couple of days.

The thing that's not convincing me though as my head pain is mainly terrible pressure, with only the odd short episode of localised "pain" on the right side, either behind the eye or above my ear.

I'm very aware of the physical impacts of anxiety, and I've been suffering with various weird and wonderful symptoms, from twitching to tingling, for probably around a year now. However this is my third episode of symptoms that are just different. I've been exhausted, amazingly so. Come 11pm my legs are so heavy I can barely lift them, and I'm taking a year off from working so I have literally no reason for this. Today when my head pressure was bad I was so tired my mouth was basically in a permanent yawn. My hand felt numb, I drove and stopped at a shop; in the shop my arm just became totally weak and I could barely hold the bottle of water I was buying.

I just don't know what's going on with my body any more. It's certainly not just anxiety but it doesn't perfectly fit the picture of MS either (I don't think), though probably more so than anxiety right now. I've also had a clear MRI, though just my brain not c-spine or spine, but I know this makes MS unlikely (though not impossible).

[Trueman]

I understand how you are feeling. For a good while I believed (and still sometimes do) that there was something else going on. It couldn't just be anxiety. And it wasn't because I then found out it was migraines and sinus and ear related too. But the anxiety really contributed.

I only had a brain MRI too. And yes, if that's clear you can pretty safely say you don't have it despite not having a spine MRI. I got the full head feeling, the pressure, it wasn't always pain. That pressure can be caused by the ears/sinus areas. Have you had your ears checked. Perhaps an ENT referral if th GP thinks it appropriate. All these areas can affect your sense of orientation, coordination. The numbness/tingling/twitching is more than likely anxiety. My PNH is affected by my anxiety levels. I can fire off twitches everywhere. A relaxed day I might twitch 20+ times or notice them anyway. On a bad day, more like 50-100 who knows..

But I understand where you are at. Maybe just try thinking about more simple explanations and chat to your GP? I hope you have tried a steam! I won't mention that again ;)

Also the fatigue is huge with migraines. Huge. I cannot stress that enough!

---------- Post added at 21:38 ---------- Previous post was at 21:33 ----------

Oh and the other thing maybe consider? Allergies. Simple explanations and manageable.

[Serenity1990]

Thanks again for the reply. I too have what you call PNH (aka BFS aka physical manifestations of anxiety), which I know can cause much of these things.

Though can I just ask, what are your migraines like? Is head pain predominant or is it mostly aura symptoms? I'm just curious as to what the head pain feels like from a confirmed sufferer.

Thanks again!

[Trueman]

Pain behind eye classic migraine.. I get that. Always right eye! Right ear..

---------- Post added at 21:50 ---------- Previous post was at 21:44 ----------

Oh sorry missed your reply there. Well, really as you have described with pressure heaviness, everything can seem foggy or extremely bright/noises maybe accentuated. Feel like vision is affected. My eyes struggle to keep up focussing on things. Pain behind eye a lot for me. Side of head. Sometimes cheekbone, jaw and sore gums.. Even went to dentist once because gums so sore. Dentist said migraine related. Struggle to watch TV, look at a monitor, read.. Tiredness overwhelming. Really very much like your symptoms. And nausea. Not always but a lot when migraine at its peak..

---------- Post added at 21:53 ---------- Previous post was at 21:50 ----------

I wonder then if migraines contribute to PNH or vice versa! Slightly nerve related.. Just a thought. Getting carried away now! Better stop.

[Serenity1990]

Trueman, thank you so much for your replies, you've really helped. This is the first time I've come across someone on here (or elsewhere) whose symptoms so closely match my own. I'd be curious to swap stories some time, could be a real revalation!

Btw my headaches are mostly behind the right eye (or above, or below, I'm never entirely sure) or above and slightly forward of my right ear. However they tend to only last a few minutes at a time, which I understand isn't typical of migraine..?

[Yossino]

Lately I've actually been a bit worried about the ol' MS myself. or something neurological...

The symptom I'm most concerned about (coupled with a few others) is my eyes shifting positions randomly. Both eyes will be looking at something and then suddenly jolt to another position.

My limbs also fall asleep in the most mundane normal positions. I'll have my foot pressed up against something and it'll partially fall asleep.

I'll also have those moments where I can't move, talk or even think for a few seconds. Oh and I've had muscle fasciculations for years. Then when I'm laying down getting ready to sleep my legs can kick randomly.

I also have pressure in behind/in my eyes and can sometimes get eye headaches too (not that often though). I don't think a headache is indicative of MS though.

MS really isn't that bad though I don't think though. It's not always progressive let alone a fatal disease. At least I don't panic about it I guess.

[Serenity1990]

I was feeling much better today but the outside of my wrist is still numb. Previous sensory symptoms have come and gone so I knew they were anxiety, this isn't behaving that way. :(

[Trueman]

Morning! Yes, I am happy to swap stories. Hope things are a little brighter this morning :) the wrist thing is it completely numb or tingly?

[Serenity1990]

I'm getting occasional tingling in the fingers but mostly the issue is just lack of sensation in the skin on the outside of the wrist when I touch it. In the last few minutes I've started to get a throbbing pain behind my eyebrow too.

But I am feeling a lot less worried today, thanks largely to this thread. :D

[Trueman]

Oh I have carpal tunnel amongst my many ailments! Sounds bit like that, can cause tingling and wrist pain and numbness. It was supposedly even responsible for my arms going numb at night. There's another test you can have done if you haven't already ;) I will take some time out and let you know my history later today. Sounds like we have a fair bit in common. That way we might be able to pull each other through HA blips :) glad you are a little more positive today. Hopefully we can get on a roll of good days!

[Serenity1990]

I have considered carpal tunnel but it's never been suggested by the doctors and I don't have the signs when I tap on the tunnel itself. I am being treated for possible pinched nerves in the cervical spine but I've read countless stories of those with MS who were originally misdiagnosed with this.

If you could find the time to let me know your history that would be great, I'll try and do the same tonight. :)

[Serenity1990]

Just got back from my physio appointment. He could induce severe tingling in the area in question by holding my head in a certain way, confirming I have a pinched nerve. So rationally for the numbness to be a symptom of MS I'd have to have a lesion affecting exactly the same area as a pinched nerve, which is statistically about as likely as winning the lottery.

Great! So why can I still not shake this worry? I am officially a mess! Lol