View Full Version : A Thread for Newcomers Worried about Multiple Sclerosis (MS)
Hello all,
I read this post in another forum and it really helped me. I just had to share it with you... If you would like to know the link or website where this came from please feel free to ask me :) This is a lengthy post, but well worth the read.......................................
I have devised this thread as some guidance for those people who have visited this forum and are concerned about specific symptoms that are effecting them and, in particular, those who are worried that these symptoms are an indication of neurological conditions such as Multiple Sclerosis (MS), Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) & Motor Neurone Disease (MND).
The first thing that must be realised is that NOBODY on an internet forum can ever diagnose you or truly give you any reassurance that you do not have these conditions. Should anybody experience any signs or symptoms that are new to them they should ALWAYS approach their doctor in the first instance in order for these to be examined. In the vast majority of cases a GP will be able to advise you that these symptoms are benign but some doctors will often refer you to a neurologist for their opinion, if this should happen it is not value laden as regarding a possible diagnosis but rather would be the standard format for how you present to the doctor.
This thread is good news, it is good news because it has had to be written, it is good news because hundreds, maybe thousands of people have logged onto this board and countless other anxiety forums totally convinced that they are suffering from a neurological condition despite being told by health care profesionals that this is not the case. All these people ask the same questions and all these people have the exact same worries as you are having now. If this is you, if you have been to the doctor, maybe even a neuro, maybe even two neuro’s, maybe even had an MRI, maybe even two MRI’s, well, you get the picture, if you have been told by your health care profesional that you are healthy but you are struggling to believe this you may find some help from this thread.
So, you have come to an anxiety board. I guess that is because your doctor has told you that you are suffering from anxiety. Actually, my guess would be that your doctor has told you that you are suffering from ‘just’ anxiety and, if you are lucky, you may have been given some leaflets, you may have had some books recommended and you may even have been given some medication.
So, what took you to the doctor? Was it the tingling? The pins & needles? That damned annoying twitching eyelid that just won’t let up? Was it that weird thing when you keep seeing the flashing in your periphiral vision? The strange sensation in your throat where you just can’t swallow? The constant muscle aches and cramps? The constant small joint aches and cramps? Do you have that weird internal vibrating feeling? Was it the percieved weakness in all your major limbs? What about the foot drop you have been noticing, the clumsiness, finding the car keys in the fridge? Was it the chronic constant fatigue, that feeling when you wake in the morning like you haven’t actually gone to bed? What about the myclonic jerking, that bizarre moment when your whole body jerks like you have had an electric shock? Was it that constant twitching in your calf muscles that looks like you have a bag of worms under your skin? It could have been the parathesia, the feeling on your skin where one moment it feels sunburnt and the next minute it feels soaking wet? Maybe it was the atrophy, you know, the muscle loss in your bicep, your thigh that is so obvious to you but what frustratingly nobody else can see? What about………are you bored? I’m bored!
So, you have had some of those right? Maybe like me you are unlucky enough to have had every one of them…not much fun is it! When you first started getting these weird and wonderful symptoms cropping up I bet one of the first things you did was run off to the all powerful internet and consult that all knowing oracle, the good lord GOOGLE. If you did this, if you searched for your symptoms on a search engine on the internet, congratualtions, you have taken the first step on developing this weird and wonderful anxiety disorder known as Health Anxiety. The reason we Google is because of a basic human need at a time of stress, we are scared and we want reassurance, the problem is nothing you ever read on the internet will give you the reassurance you need, you will unwittingly discard the plethora of evidence that tells you that you do not have a neurological illness and instead will latch onto and inflate those things which seem ambigous, why would you do this? I suggest that at this point it may be adavantagous for you to look in the Genaralized Anxiety Disorder folder on this forum and see the negative thought processes and over generalization and catastrophising that defines GAD, it just may ring some bells for you.
So, by the time you have gone to the doctor you are pretty much resigned to the fact that it is MS or if you are really unlucky ALS. You picture yourself in a wheelchair, the kids looking at you with pity as you can’t play sports in the park with them anymore, you picture your partner standing by you and caring for you but all the while you feel the resentment, they never signed up for this, you picture the scene in four years time, confined to a hospital bed with your family and friends round you with the fruit and flowers…..BUT WAIT!!
Oh joyous news, the doctor has said you don’t have MS, you don’t have ALS, what you have is anxiety, well, just anxiety….oh believe me there is a BIG difference. You have got out of jail free! The doctor has examind you thoroughly, he has taken your history, he knows the patterns, he has seen people with MS and ALS and you are not one of those. With a skip and a step you are on your way, same time next year doctor, yep, no worries…so with a happy heart and an increased vigour you are off out of the surgery door to continue with your life that had been on hold up to then. MS, ALS how could you be so silly eh?
…and then it begins! Right, the doctor said this is anxiety, I’m not anxious though, why do I still have these symptoms if I’m not anxious….something just isn’t right here. The more you think about it the more it seems obvious, hold on, I saw the doctor on Friday afternoon, I bet he was just thinking about the weekend and wanted to get rid of me. I’m sure that the doctor should have done more tests than he did you know, crikey, I’m sure when I told him the numbness was down just the one side he didn’t listen to that, that bit is crucial and he never heard it. Hold on, this freakin eye twitch is getting even worse and I’m not even anxious, where is the telephone? What is that doctors number?……welcome to the loop!!
If any of the above seems familier to you, believe me, you are not alone…as strange as it may seem the fixation on being convinced you have a neurological condition after being told that you are in actual fact suffering from anxiety in very common.
Firstly, you need to realise that both MS and ALS are rare disease’s. Not only are they both rare disease’s but they also tend to effect spefic groups based on ethnicity, age and sex so we are talking about rare disease with partial excluding factors. In contrast, anxiety is an incredibly common and debilitating condtion that effects people both physically and mentally.
Anxiety is generally percieved to be a mental condition, when we are anxious we are anxious in our head and this can kick in the flight or fight syndrome which in turn causes the physical reactions. These reactions are generally thought to be a racing heart and palpitations, sweating, increased adrenaline etc etc. Now, this is all well and good but how does this fit in with those symptoms that mirror MS etc so effectivly.
I personally believe that the reason most people fail to be believe that their symptoms are being genrated by anxiety is because the concept of anxiety is never actually expalined sufficently. A large number of doctors will often expalin to you that you are suffering from ‘just’ anxety and this usage of the term ‘just’ is supposed to make us somehow feel reassured. The problem is that this has the opposite effect, how can a ‘just’ something cause all these real physical symptoms. If anxiety is effecting me mentally how can it make me twitch, buzz and go numb?
For some people anxiety will surface in the tradional panic attack, much seems to be written on this side of anxiety and this is not what we are concerned with here. For a sizable group of people when anxiety starts to manifest itself physically it is through physical sesnations that effect various aspects of our nervous system. This is why the sensations of this physical anxiety so closely mirror the symptoms of a condition such as MS, they actually effect the same part of the body, now, here is the crucial and all important difference, the symptoms of MS are caused by an organic condition which whilst treatable is irreversable and the physical sensations of anxiety are caused by the mind and are of course reversable. In short, you have to understand and accept that the mind can actually generate these physical sensations.
Whilst for many people physical anxiety can strike out of the blue, I am of the opinion that for the vast majority of people anxiety starts to become physical after whay could be many years of bad stress and anxiety management. You may not have even noticed this. We all have an anxiety threshold and the majority of people will probably never approach the blow off point, yes, a sudden and severe stressor could take someone right over the point from the baseline (think Post Traumatic Stress Disorder & Conversion Disorder etc) but most of us operate at an anxiety level that our bodies can handle. The problem is that if we stress ourselves constantly over a period of time, we do not allow our thermostat to reset and one sunny day something will happen, some stressor which can be a bad or even a good event and which we may not even realise the significance of will push us over the limit and it is at this point that our anxiety will effect us physically and more often than not impact on our nervous system.
This also happens to bring us to another crucial factor and what for many is the paradox that holds us back form accepting the anxiety diagniosis, how the hell can this be anxiety when I am not anxious? It makes no sense to me!
What we need to realise is that once we have crossed the anxiety threshold no matter what we do we have to surrender ourselves to our mind and body and accept that we are now operating to a timescale that WE CANNOT CONTROL! We can think we are being as cool as Fonzie but we need to accept that the damage whilst reversible has been done and it is just a case of closing the stable door after the horse has bolted. Our body is now in control of us and the physical sensations will only stop when our body and mind are sufficently recovered.
It is at this point where we commit the ultimate folly, do we do as the experts suggest and sit back and realx and float through this stage? Of course not, we do the total opposite, we monitor our body for every twitch and interpret this as a sign of a misdiagnosis, we become hypervigilant, paranoid, self absorbed…this behaviour just creates more and more anxiety and we do not allow our body and mind the time necessary to recover….we are, in effect, pouring gasoline on the fire and expecting it to go out.
If you read this forum you will find a variety of posts that will offer you suggestions as to why you are suffering from the physical sensations of anxiety. Some people will advocate medication, some Cognitive Behaviour Therapy etc etc but what you will realise is that there is no one right way. I am truly of the belief that recovery is all about acceptance and learning to respond to fear correctly but how we do this is very much an indvidual thing. It could well be that you have issues with GAD and you can see how patterns realting to that disorder resonate with how you currently feel about your health, for example, note how both MS and ALS are diseases with which we lose control of our bodies. It could also be that you have issues with OCD, traits such as reassurance seeking and body and symptom monitoring could suggest this. There may well be suggestions that you could be sufferring from elements of depression, there is as school of thought that believes that the mind will somatise physical sensations when there are aspects of your life that your unconcious is unhappy with etc.
I hope this has helped if you have just visited here convinced you have MS etc and you are feeling scared and confused. You may have noticed I have not mentioned anything specific about MS or ALS and that is because there is no reason to...you do not have those. Your doctor has told you you are suffering from anxiety and therefore you are in the right place. Refrain from researching about diseases you do not have and instead concentrate on dealing with what you have today. Of course, what you have today doesn’t guarantee you won’t have MS or ALS tomorrow and if that thought fills you with fear use your time here wisely and believe me, it becomes a lot more bearable.
itoldyouiwasill
17-01-09, 02:52
Hey, can I have my thread back please!!
Regards
pan
agent orange
17-01-09, 13:50
Thankyou for that thread Dooges. I have actually been diagnosed with a Somatoform disorder with hypochondria, I have had some of these symptoms and still have them. I have been checked for M.S and been cleared. The symptoms are horrible to live with each day and I would one day like to have my life back.Knowing my luck a true disease will get me..
Oops, sorry pan, I didn't realise you were a member here also.
Thanks for writing this, it helped me so much.
I just have to get over a few more things, and hopefully I can move on.. But you have definately got me going in the right direction.
Thanks again.
Brad
itoldyouiwasill
21-01-09, 15:43
Lol....no worries.
Seriously, I'm flattered...anyway the more people who find it useful the better. Take it you are on AZ as well then?
Yeh, but I only just found AZ and joined about a month ago...
May I ask if headaches was a concern of yours whilst going through this horrible HA ?
srthomas21
29-01-09, 20:22
Thanks for writing this. I have almost all of these symptoms and I've been to two doctors boths said I was suffering from Anxiety but I was convinced it was MLS or ALS because of all the weird symptoms like internal vibrating (this happens in the morning when I'm waking up, really weird) muscle cramps, joint pain, vision issues, night sweats etc etc.
This makes me feel much much better and will help me a lot.
Thanks again
Scott
Great to hear that Scott.
Your objective now is to stay positive and keep reminding yourself that it's anxiety related.
I had to come back and read that post at least half a dozen times when my confidence started to wain a little.
You have been to two Dr's, trust them as they can tell if you have anything sinister way beyond what any self diagnoses on the internet can.
TRUST, BELIEVE, ACCEPTANCE AND PATIENCE.
Your symptoms won't go away over night. Wait time and stay positive and eventually you will be OK :)
Cheers
Brad
srthomas21
30-01-09, 00:30
How long did it take for you to start feeling normal again? I think I'm gradually improving but still have weird symptoms going on.
Scott
Scott,
I wouldn't say that I'm feeling normal. I'm functioning ok and not really worried about anything to much now. Just these headache type dull feelings i'm getting in the back of my head ( upper neck ) and in the facial region. Trying to stay positive and not think the worst. Other than that you have to let time pass. Don't worry that your symptoms are not dissappearing overnight because they won't. I have read that it takes as long to get over your physical symptoms of anxiety as for the time you have been worrying about your health. But everyone is different.
Just sit back, relax and know that your not about to die. Unless you walk out the door and get run over by a car. And something tells me your not afraid of that so don't be afraid of the twinges etc.
Cheers
Brad
Wow! You described me to a T! I have had the same situation going on. Weird physical symptoms. I was sure I had MS after reading every God awful thing on the internet that only worsened my fears. After an MRI, an MRA and bloodwork which all came back fine I still worry that something else is horribly wrong n "the doctor just missed it". I have been told that this is all anxiety related and need to see a psychiatrist but havent been yet. I think this site will really help me. Its already nice to see people going through the same things I have been through and am still going through!
Glad to hear that lsa826. Remember to remain positive :)
I just wanted to say how much I found this particular thread useful. It basically describes me to a T.
I have suffered nearly all these symptoms (currently getting the pins and needles, the aching muscles and joints, etc, etc). The symptoms sometimes move all over the body, but are normally just in the arms and legs although they come and go. I have been checked by my doctor, been to see a neurologist, had an MRI scan and been told it is all normal, in particular with no evidence of MS. I did have very minor degenerative changes to the cervical spine, but have been told this is basically "wear and tear" of the neck because I'm 35!
I have found it difficult to accept that a neurologist (at possibly the leading institute for neurology in the country) has told me that I am fine. I keep worrying that maybe they missed something, maybe they didn't hear me descibe my symptoms too well.
Now my resolution is to re-read this post every day, until I can accept that I am fine. I think finding this thread has saved me from going down the medication route.
Thanks again.
itoldyouiwasill
04-02-09, 14:27
I just wanted to say how much I found this particular thread useful. It basically describes me to a T.
I have suffered nearly all these symptoms (currently getting the pins and needles, the aching muscles and joints, etc, etc). The symptoms sometimes move all over the body, but are normally just in the arms and legs although they come and go. I have been checked by my doctor, been to see a neurologist, had an MRI scan and been told it is all normal, in particular with no evidence of MS. I did have very minor degenerative changes to the cervical spine, but have been told this is basically "wear and tear" of the neck because I'm 35!
I have found it difficult to accept that a neurologist (at possibly the leading institute for neurology in the country) has told me that I am fine. I keep worrying that maybe they missed something, maybe they didn't hear me descibe my symptoms too well.
Now my resolution is to re-read this post every day, until I can accept that I am fine. I think finding this thread has saved me from going down the medication route.
Thanks again.
Nah, don't bother with that....just accept you are fine now and get your life back today! Think of all the time it will save!
Glad the thread helped.
srthomas21
07-02-09, 03:42
How long have you been going through this? I think mine started around August and gradually got worse and worse.
The neck stuff is weird isn't it. Some days are better than others but I am feeling better.
Did you ever have symptoms with your voice, like it was crackly ? Also was your energy level affected? I feel tired a lot and wonder if its anxiety related.
I never thought anxiety could do this to you. Did something particular bring your anxiety on or did it just come on its own?
Thanks again for your input.
Thank you! This is me! I am saving it so that I can read it when I was really anxious. I have only been to the doctor once and did tell her I thought it was anxiety. She agreed and in my mind I wish I had told her every symptom but I know it's anxiety and I'm fed up of constantly feeling like I am going to die. The problem I have is that I watched my gran die from this. And even though this probably makes me less likely to get it cos it wasn't the inherited kind so this makes me even more unlikely to get it. But that doesn't help me.
It is slowly easing up but it is taking a long time. Thanks for this I'm keepng my fingers crossed that it will eventually go all othere's have.
Good post Dooges!!!
*edit* just realised itoldyouiwasill originally wrote this. you have a great way of explaining it all.*edit*
I went though the same thing only last year. I had the muscle twitches, limb jerking, preceived weakness in left arm, pain in left arm for 2 months, dizzyness, blured vision.... even tripping over objects.
I coudln't understand why all of this would suddenly occur as i thought i never really had anxiety in the past.
So in a nutshell i spent 5 months worrying about MS and MND. Most people around here might remember me lol...... (itoldyouiwasill toldmeiwasntill so many times) My Gp told me i was fine, and after 4 months of symptoms sent me to a neuro, who also told me i was fine. I didnt belive them though.... well i did, as i left feeling happy everything was ok, but its like your brain wont let it go.
What finally made me realise that i had anxiety was reading my neuros report. He wrote everything we spoke about, almost as if he was writing a novel. You could even sense his tone and how he was astonished that i would think i had MS or MND in the first place. It made me feel like a proper hypocondryact. :roflmao:
I dont belive i am a hypocondryact but my doctor has listed me down on his computer as one. Guess i have no way of shaking label away lol. :doh:
So in September 2008..... after 5 months of symptoms and realising nothing was wrong with me.... (Your brain really has to accept it 100%) my symptoms - mostly muscle twitching and limb jerking slowy faded away. It took 3 months and didnt go overnight or in a week or two.
So basicaly ive been symptom free since Christmas. Ofcourse i get the odd twitch and limb jerk.... but thats normal. I only just notice it due to what i went through.
It saddens me that people still have to suffer from this heath anxiety.... i wasted 5 months of my life with it.
Nah, don't bother with that....just accept you are fine now and get your life back today! Think of all the time it will save!
Glad the thread helped.
How are you doing Itoldyouiwasill? Has your Nervous System reset itself?
hopingitsanxiety
08-02-09, 15:40
Hi there,
I am new to this forum and came across this thread. It describes exactly how i am feeling right now. I am convinced i have ms and i am so frustrated because nobody can help me. It started with tingling all over my body and throughout a 6 month time period things have got worse. I not have tingling, itching and burning sensations, my muscles twitch regularly and last nite i had electric shocks that jolted me awake, infact whever i try to sleep my muscle jerk will wake me up. I have random pain around my body, weakness and aches. I also feel dizzy when i walk. I'm really struggling, even my family dont want to be around me anymore cos i just cry constantly. I went to a and e today hoping they'd do a neuology test but i need to be referred. Have a doc appt tues so will ask for referal for an MRI. The thing is, i got a virus 2 yrs ago that stays latent in my body and some studies suggest that it is triggered by a virus so it all makes sense. I am so scared tho. Just can't help but feel so sad. My doctor thinks its anxiety but i am not convinced it would cause all this? and axiety about what?! My only anxiety is because of my symptoms. I am so afraid right now and want to fall into one big sleep and never wake up :weep:
I am sorry to be depressing. I am hoping someone can help me....
Hi there,
I am new to this forum and came across this thread. It describes exactly how i am feeling right now. I am convinced i have ms and i am so frustrated because nobody can help me. It started with tingling all over my body and throughout a 6 month time period things have got worse. I not have tingling, itching and burning sensations, my muscles twitch regularly and last nite i had electric shocks that jolted me awake, infact whever i try to sleep my muscle jerk will wake me up. I have random pain around my body, weakness and aches. I also feel dizzy when i walk. I'm really struggling, even my family dont want to be around me anymore cos i just cry constantly. I went to a and e today hoping they'd do a neuology test but i need to be referred. Have a doc appt tues so will ask for referal for an MRI. The thing is, i got a virus 2 yrs ago that stays latent in my body and some studies suggest that it is triggered by a virus so it all makes sense. I am so scared tho. Just can't help but feel so sad. My doctor thinks its anxiety but i am not convinced it would cause all this? and axiety about what?! My only anxiety is because of my symptoms. I am so afraid right now and want to fall into one big sleep and never wake up :weep:
I am sorry to be depressing. I am hoping someone can help me....
Hi hopingitsanxiety
If your Dr said its all anxiety..... i would seriously belive him/her. Anxiety can casue these symptoms.... Especially muscle twitching and muscle jerks. These were my two major symptoms that convinced me i first has MS. Then while reading MS sites, i started getting burning skin sensations and other times it felt as if water was dripping on my skin. (These only occured because i read about them)
Basically back in April last year i woke up feeling really dizzy. I coudlnt understand what would be causing such a thing so the first thing i thought was a brain tumour and then Dr Google Suggested MS. My gp said it was a inner ear viral infection called Labyrinitis....... but the worry and this not believing them set off the twitching and muscle jerks..... which set off the weakness in my left arm, which set off more worry and then i would google and google then i had muscle pain in my left shoulder which lasted 2 months straight.
So basically, i would see your GP again on tues, If he says Anxiety then accept it. :) Doctors dont really explain how Anxiety causes your body to act like this, but mine did explain that your brain is connected to nerves that are connected to other parts of the body eg; skin and muscles. So when your brain gets consumed with all this worry, it sends out this overreacted impulses. (Well something like that anyway)
After you accept it... it will take a while for it all to calm down again. You would think once you stop the anxiety, the symptoms will fade.... but they dont. Well for some they do but for me it took 3 months.
So overall, yes anxiety can cause your symptoms, your symptoms will cause you to have more anxiety, and you can have these symptoms even when you think you arent anxious.
srthomas21
10-02-09, 00:06
I went through some of the same things you are going through and because I was worrying about my health all the time I got depressed really fast. I was having emotional breakdowns, didn't want to do anything, couldn't go to work, couldn't live my life.
I went to two docs and both said it was anxiety mixed with depression. I accepted that and immediately started to feel better. They gave me some meds for it- celexa and klonopin which has really helped.
I too could not believe all my symptoms could come from anxiety because the drs didn't really explain it to me. The symptoms are very real, they are not in your head, they are physical but they are caused by health anxiety and or depression.
I found the medicine has helped quite a bit. If the Drs tell you its anxiety it probably is. They know what they are talking about. The hard part is accepting it so your brain and body can start to relax and recover from all the stress that has been put upon it.
My symptoms aren't gone but they are a lot better.
itoldyouiwasill
10-02-09, 15:57
...glad it helped you Doo.
It amazes me that I can read this and I still think that it's not just anxiety! Logically I know it's all in my head but because I haven't had all the tests and my doctor automatically said it was anxiety I don't believe it! I don't just have HA I also have OCD and SAD so it never seems to ease up. I know that the symptoms won't ease up til I 100% believe it's anxiety, even though I had a couple of symptom free days when I wasn't anxious for about 2 days - I still can't get my head round it.
itoldyouiwasill
10-02-09, 18:38
It amazes me that I can read this and I still think that it's not just anxiety! Logically I know it's all in my head but because I haven't had all the tests and my doctor automatically said it was anxiety I don't believe it! I don't just have HA I also have OCD and SAD so it never seems to ease up. I know that the symptoms won't ease up til I 100% believe it's anxiety, even though I had a couple of symptom free days when I wasn't anxious for about 2 days - I still can't get my head round it.
But that is the thing, it is not all in your head! The symptoms/sensations are very real and very very physical. The ONLY difference is that their causality is actually grounded in the mental rather than being generated by some physical organic illness, disease or ailment. It really is crucial that this is understood or it is almost impossible to attribute all this to 'just' anxiety.
srthomas21
10-02-09, 18:59
For what its worth my Dr. told me that the medication can make the anxiety worse before it gets better. It takes at least 3 weeks for celexa or whatever he put you on to start to kick in. You won't even notice a difference until it gets in your system.
When I went on it I did feel more anxious and shaky but it got better.
I totally can relate to the heaviness in the back of the head. It sucks and I thought I seriously had some sort of neuro issue going on but once I believed it was anxiety and let the medication kick in its going away.
It won't go away all at once. It will take awhile for the symptoms to go away but they will gradually go away.
Hope you feel better soon. We know what you are going through and its not fun but things will get better. You have to believe that .
and has prescribed many different anti depressants which i have not taken as i get too concerned about the side effects. They seem to make my shaking worse and then that causes me more anxiety and so the it continues. I get this heaviness in the back of my head, ,shaking dizziness muscle aches and real weakness. How on earth can this be anxiety but the symptoms you describe are very similar to these.
You post has made me feel alot better though obviously will stay concerned until i start feeling better.
Thanks
I've just started medication - I'm on escitalopram and I've only been taking it 2 days and I'm on a low dose so obviously no effect yet! But I'm hoping it works soon - I don't know what to tell my uni lecturer's to why I'm struggling - this is hard to explain to someone who doesn't have it! I told one person and they looked at me likeI was crazy - didn't help.
And when I said it was all in my head - I mean my head was causing it! It's just frustrating me! Sorry it's getting exhausting!
itoldyouiwasill
10-02-09, 20:08
I've just started medication - I'm on escitalopram and I've only been taking it 2 days and I'm on a low dose so obviously no effect yet! But I'm hoping it works soon - I don't know what to tell my uni lecturer's to why I'm struggling - this is hard to explain to someone who doesn't have it! I told one person and they looked at me likeI was crazy - didn't help.
And when I said it was all in my head - I mean my head was causing it! It's just frustrating me! Sorry it's getting exhausting!
Yep, you will find that people just do not get this at all. Then again, if you had read about this or whatever before you experienced it would you fully have understood it...I doubt it, it is a very frustrating and debilitating thing.
I too used to find I wanted to talk about this with everybody as it is a disorder that you feel you can sort of make sane by talking about it but to be honest that never really used to work...I would mention it to people and they would just not get it at all and say something like 'oh, if you have had the tests you must be fine' and totally fail to see the disorder part of it. To be honest, I would maybe discuss it with one or two close friends and leave it at that...if you have to say why you are unwell for any particular reason I always used to say I had some anxiety issues and no more. I think I expected people to understand what it was and how it was so total in taking over my life but thinking about it you are really asking for and expecting the impossible.
Yeah I normally just say I have anxiety - I never used to tell anyone but people don't understand how one minute I'm a really good student and then the next my grades plumit. I think I have told one person at uni I don't dare tell anyone else.
I do tend to get better in the summer though.
srthomas21
10-02-09, 21:49
Nutmeg, have you asked your Doc about klononpin or something like it . I took that for about a month until the other med kicked in. It really helped take the edge off the anxiety and especially helped me sleep at night. I took it in low doses but it helped quite a bit.
srthomas21
11-02-09, 01:04
Your brain is causing your physical symptoms. Health anxiety is a disorder with real physical symptoms so as stated by many of us before the symptoms are very real but the symptoms are not the result of any disease.
Trust me I know how you feel. All my test came back ok. There was nothing wrong with me but my symptoms were real and were causing a lot of problems.
I was to the point where I didn't think I'd ever feel normal again. I finally excepted the fact that it was anxiety and started on some medicine that has really helped.
I take celexa and I took klonopin while the celexa kicked in. That treatment worked for me and it has just helped me calm down and relax a bit. On a side note celexa and other SSRI are used to treat anxiety and depression which usually the two go hand in hand. In some cases depression will cause the health anxiety and sometimes the health anxiety causes the depression.
In my case my health anxiety caused me to very depressed. Luckily it only lasted about a week once I realized it was my anxiety and I didn't have a life threating disease. At one point I seriously thought I was going to die of several diseases.....MS, ALS, Diabetes, Parkinsons etc. I could barely function, I felt sick all the time and new symptoms were randomly popping up.
The major mistake I made was googling my symptoms. That is the last thing you want to do. I would literally look something up on google about some life threating disease and then the next day I'd have new weird symptoms that I had read about. It was crazy.
I'll give you an example, I had been having this weird neck thing going on. It felt like my head weighed 20 pounds on my head and sometimes I would get tingling up the back of my head . So I typed in weak neck heavy head into google and one of the results brought me to an ALS website. I started reading about that and found out it was a terminal disease that had to do with your muscles and I started to freak out. I stood up and my legs were totally weak. The next day I woke up and all my muscles in my body felt weak and shaky all over. I was sure I had ALS and had 5 years to live.
Went to two doctors both said I didnt have ALS and that is was anxiety. I finally accepted that and I started to feel better. It's been about a month since that and my symptoms are slowly going away. I think it has been with the help of the medicatoin and me just realizing that I'm ok.
Hope that helps. Feel free to PM with any questions you may have.
srthomas21
11-02-09, 01:13
http://failblog.org/2009/02/02/mugshot-fail/
If you haven't seen this blog it's great. Good stress relief.
take a look
www.failblog.org
I only went to my doctor a week ago, and just before I went I was improving my symptoms I had were easing up - then a couple of days later it just got alot worse. I don't like asking about specific medications - I have to go back in 3 weeks and she'll probably up my dose or something. But I think she's confused cos I have OCD and she thinks Panic Disorder as well - she hates diagnosing specific mental health problems. I just find weird how real the symptoms are.
shaunyboi69
25-02-09, 19:00
thats nicely put mate thats how people should think
Nutmeg,
I know what you mean by taking a few steps forward and then come crashing back to earth with new symptoms or old ones coming back to haunt you. Kinda what I'm going through now. You have to stay positive and tell yourself " It's just anxiety stupid " ... Thats what my pysch told me and seems to work a little for me.. But youhave to really believe it or there just words. Just like they are just thoughts that has put you/us in this predicament to start with. i have some issues/symptoms now i'm trying to deal with. Hopefully deep relaxation stuff and exercise will help and prove to myself again what we all know deep down is ( and I won't say just ) anxiety.
agent orange
16-03-09, 20:30
I have found that medication does not work for my anxiety, even the doctor agreed, but I sometimes am finding it difficult to let go that I do not have a neurological condition. I like a lot of you feel that the doctor has missed something, even though the tests and scan was negative. It's difficult especially when your symptoms seem to always be there. My doctor say's that it has to be the undifferentiated somatoform disorder and I find this very hard to deal with. Some days are easier than others and when I am tired I find my body is worse.
Agent,
I agree with you that when I'm tired my stmptoms get worse or my thought patterns get worse which in turn lead to the worsening of symptoms.
Let me put out a question to you all.
With your percieved neurological condition, and the certain time frames surrounding the different conditions, does / will your anxiety over this problem lessen with time as your symptoms don't progressively get worse. Like they should if you had an actual diagnosed condition.
agent orange
21-03-09, 10:52
I don't think the symptoms have gotten worse particulary in the two years I have been worrying about M.S. I see the doctors very often and have a good relationship. I always have some degree of symptom that is there, but as I have Undifferentiated Somatoform Disorder and it is a life long condition, it is very difficult to treat and the condition is very linked to physiological symptoms. My anxiety has decreased for certain symptoms like I.B.S, but not for others.My symptoms have not progressively gotten worse, I percieve they have, but in fact and reality they have not and have remained the same over the last 2 yrs. I have been anxious for over 7 years. I have and had lots of symptoms which have worried me. I eventually went to have a clinical test and scan with neurology, which were remarkable for their normality and yet I cannot understand why I feel these symptoms, now I know doctors get it wrong but I have been too many times for the same symptoms for them to not take notice. For me my next course will be to accept that this is anxiety if I can and that is not what I am doing, for years I have not accepted this and I need to go in for some good counselling. Sorry for the long post.
P.s Undifferentiated Somatoform Condition is linked in part to Hyponchondriasis and is a recognised mental condition. Refer to your G.P/clinician for information and to be diagnosed. There however are some very good sites where information can be gained.
What a brilliant post that is dooges, definitely worth a read.
xxx
Wow.. This is such a valuable thread... I wish I had found it a couple months ago... It describes me so close, I could have written it... A short search for my other posts on here, and as cinny8414 in my normal forum, http://bbs.stresscenter.com/eve would tell you that, you hit it right on the head.. In fact, so much so, that I am going to go ponder this a while..
God Bless
Hal
worriedsick2009
18-05-09, 21:19
Hey, can I have my thread back please!!
Regards
pan
wow you guys are everywhere!
Just giving this a little bump to help out any newcomers.
itoldyouiwasill
07-06-09, 14:16
wow you guys are everywhere!
...as are you worriedsick!
regards pan:whistles:
I wish I had found this thread before - it is like reading my life story! I have had 3 MRIs - nothing found but I can't get rid of the fear of MS etc. Just as one symptom disappears, another appears. I don't seem to be able to stop myself from googling even though I know what the end result of googling will be - more fear and more symptoms - it is like an addiction!
I also think that people like us are so highly tuned into their bodies that they make something of nothing. For example, at the moment, I have just discovered that I have a small patch - say about 10p size - on my left shoulder/upper back which is not as sensitive (not numb) as the same place on the other side - it is really freaking me out, I keep obsessing about it and testing it and of course google drew me straight to all the MS sites. The thing is, it has probably always been like that and I am just being hypervigilant and it is probably just one of those asymetrical things about me. If I ask my husband if it would bother him, he looks at me as if I am mad - he just dismisses it straight off as just one of those things. I so wish I could be like that but I am stuck in this vortex now. Even when the drs tell you nothing is wrong, you want to believe them but you don't and you start looking for other symptoms or evidence that they've got it wrong. I HATE this health anxiety but your thread is spot on and it's reassuring to know that there are others out there like me! My problem is breaking the cycle now..it has been so many years. Also not helped by people saying that if you think about something enough it becomes self-fulfilling..!!!
tashbarnes87
25-06-09, 17:05
Does anyone get muscle jerks lke when your falling asleep but in the day? im getting lots in my legs at the moment well especially today and panicking i also get a popping feeling under my skin. I just googled an really scared now :( they happen randomly and tend to be in my calfs and side of my legs never when standing. My eye is twitching too :( x
agent orange
25-06-09, 19:00
Tash, I really think your symptoms are anxiety. I have muscle or nerve blipping under the skin and lots of us do. Eye twitching too.
helpmepleas99
25-06-09, 20:13
Oh my God, this post was absolutely brilliant, and utterly reassuring. It's so amazing how so many of us have gone through the same symptoms.
When I first got my symptoms, it was after a major operation - during which time I was in pain, and still worrying about my job. My job was a HUGE burden on me for around a year. I was working so many late hours. I also had some personal problems, and have never been the most confident problem.
I see now how all these issues have manifested themselves into what I am experiencing now.
I have taken a blood test and will await the results, in order to see if everything is ok. If everything is ok, I am going to start seeing a therapist again for my personal problems, try to go swimming, yoga and maybe even some massages.
Oh. And a DESPERATELY needed holiday
hannah1989
26-06-09, 22:00
I have just read this thread and have felt such a surge of relief! I cannot put into words how helpful this has been. Thank you so much for sharing.
I'm glad I found this thread.
I worry I have MS. I have suffered from health anxiety for about 4 years now since I was pregnant with my son.
Just over 2 years ago I woke up in the night with a dead arm and the numbness spread to my face. This happened three times and the doctor said it was just where I had been pinching a nerve.
At the same time my eye sight went funny (double vision) for 2 weeks. I saw the doctor and optician. The optician said my eyesight was fine but I had a lazy eye which had come out because I was ill. I still don't know whether to believe him or not to be honest.
Around this time I was suffering from depression and basically hated life! I don't know if this was anything to do with it or not?
Anyway my eye sight cleared up and I was fine again.
But then about a year ago I started getting burning, cool sensations in my head and in my hands.
I went to the doctor and told him about my worries of MS but he said it was just overactive nerves. He gave me some pills but I didn't take them as the symptoms went away by themselves.
Since thursday I have had a tingling in my finger and thumb and a bit in my feet too. I am convinced it is something to do with MS and I have been googling it which of course has made me feel worse!
All my symptoms point to MS even though the doctor has just said its anxiety and in his words 'It's very unlikely to be something serious'
Also when I'm anxious I get an odd heavy type feeling in the right side of my face and sometimes a small patch of numbness on my back.
I hate going to the doctors as it makes me feel even more panicky but I think I might go again this week.
Anyway if any of you guys can give me any more advice then please do because right now I am constantly on edge :(
captainworry
01-07-09, 13:49
I'm suffering this fear. My right leg feels weak and strange when i walk, along with my right hand feeling clamped and strange.
I know this is an older thread but I can't shake the idea that I have some horrible nuero disease. For months I have been having recurring pain in my fingertips, tips of my toes, feet, hands and tailbone. I am now having burning feet and very sore calf muscles. I have been diagnosed with anxiety but I have not had any major tests like an MRI. I am so scared this is the beginning of the end. My life seems to be spiraling out of control. I don't sleep well and I get choked up over the tiniest things. My wife thinks I am nuts and I am beginning to agree.
Amazing! I have had all these physical symptoms (and more!!) and have been to my neurologist about 8 times over the course of 2 years!! I have had 3 MRI's (the third one I requested) and have visited my doctor loads. I have been told I am suffering from anxiety. I was put on Metazapine which helped. I started to feel much more positive so eventually weaned myself off the tablets and immediately started to experience withdrawal - night sweats, insomnia, dreadful crawly skin and burning scalp. I also have terrible muscle pain and nerve pain in my lower back and legs. My muscles feel very tight! Just when I think all is improving I experience all these alarming symptoms and guess what............ I start to google again and worry something has developed. I went back to my Neuro and he said it is all a reaction to coming off my drugs but I am starting to worry again that perhaps i didnt explain my symptoms very well. I have had hypnotherapy once which was fab and plan to have another session to put a lid on all this worry.
Hi,
I'm Taliya. I am new to the site.
I just came to this thread yesterday, and it has helped to calm me down a bit, but I'm still scared.
It all started about a month ago when I started seeing visual snow/increased after images/sensitivity to light. I went to 1 optometrist, the ER, 3 opthormologists, all telling me that my eyes are fine. My GP told me my brain is fine too and wouldnt send me for any more tests. When i asked him how he knew he brushed of my question and said "i just do, im a doctor," he was in a hurry to get me out of there.
Since then I have moved in with my boyfriend to a new house, and he has gone out of town for a month. I feel alone and detached and panicky.
Now my right arm feels weak and heavy.
I know it isn't actually weak because I am a circus artist and i can still do everything i could do before.
But, I have convinced myself I have MS and as much as i read and feel reassured i can't seem to shake the fear. I felt better yesterday, and today I woke up still feeling better but wondering why my eyes and arm still feel weird. Which makes me more scared, if my symptoms are still there when i don't feel anxious i convince myself they must be real. The past few days I have gotten so scared that I get light headed and dizzy and burst into tears no matter who im around alone or in public.
I finally found a different doctor and he is referring me to a neurologis. But, honestly, that only scares me more.
AAAAHHHHH
taliya
helpmepleas99
07-11-09, 00:17
Every time I start to feel low, I read this thread and feel so much better :)
I have to say this thread has brought a semblance of sanity to my life in the last few weeks. I have suffered from anxiety pretty badly before (had a period i was convinced i had a brain tumour) and have been teetering on the brink of getting the sack from my current job. It's been going on for over a month now and that was when my symoptoms began. Started with a twitch in the eye which moved on from there to pretty much all over my body but namely in my limbs. I then decided to foolishly do a search on google which brought me to ALS initially. I spent the majority of my working day doing strength tests and checking my balance. I have now managed to rule out ALS. My new focus is MS. My whole left side has started to get painful and feels weak, though again i am relentlessly doing strength tests and not finding much, just an ache and fatigue... I have an itching sensation now, though the twitching appears to be subsiding slightly. My neck which is always stiff has got worse and my jaw aches when i chew for a prolongued period. I am probably most paranoid about my left foot which i feel will start dragging any moment and anytime walk about i am hugely concious of this and my balance in general. All this has left me not really feeling myself. It could well be anxiety but i have went for bloods and awaiting those results...
Any thoughts? It would be silly to deny i havent been stressed of late but the symptoms feel like they are stacking up and the worry is getting unbearable.
Cheers
Gob.
I'm with ya there Gob, i too did exactly what you did, started with a twitch above my right eye and then in my calf and now i twitch or get nerve bumps everywhere, i then googled twitching and came up with ALS,MS, Lyme disease etc, of course i freaked out, couldn't eat etc.
I've had 9 blood tests and all have come back normal, but i'm now waiting to see the neuro in december for my peace of mind as my doctor really doesn't think i have anything wrong with me physically and it's all stress / anxiety / somatization.
Only thing wrong with me now is i still twitch occasionaly, have the lump in my throat sometimes and i have pain in my arms and thighs.
hi dooges,
found the post very useful as I too have my own enduring neuro worries though mine is centred more around Parkinsons than MS. could you send me the link for the website you mentioned.
thanks
fin
tashbarnes87
18-12-09, 14:49
i am twitching cnstantly in my left leg todayy when ever i am lying down the top of my leg goes nuts i can see it doing it under my trousers its making my anxiety sky high :(
I just can't shake the worry that vCJD is reponsible for my anxiety, I'm just counting down the days until the neurological symptoms become apparant.
Hi guys.....wow.....brillient thread....i have been in a state, i mean almos bordering hysteria since december when i started getting crawling sensations on my face....googled it (as you do) and sine then i have had numb patches, burning, numbness down one side....the list goes on.
Thankyou so much xx
Hi
I found this forum when I was experiencing prickling in my arms, legs, face etc .... I am glad I found it, I feel relieved in some way that other's experienced the same feelings and that I wasn't imagining it .... Reading what the 1st post was a further posts calmed me down ...THANK YOU :):)
I have been experiencing headaches, dizziness and nausea along with the other symptoms described the Dr's tell me Migraines so am on tablets....Never read the side effects I have decided as they seem to panic me more, lol .... Thanks again for writing this thread it helped a great deal this evening when began feeling ill again
Thanks for the great thread!!!!! It has been very useful. Just one question - how are we supposed to recover - when I can't seem to do much without being so exhausted??? I know your thread mentions resting, but this is very impractical in real life. I look forward to your views on this. thanks
This post is brilliant. Can it not be a sticky?
harrys mummy
05-11-12, 11:51
Hi I've just found & read this thread while sitting in the doctors surgery for the 2nd visit to a doc regarding my numb/tingley fingertips!! It started weeks back with my middle finger & ring fingertips on my right hand, tried my hardest to ignore it until last weekend when I visited a client (I'm a community carer) who was diagnosed with MS around 30 after the birth of her first child, that's me except the diagnoses!!!! Alarm bells rang out how I got through the rest of the days work I dunno!!! So here I am again, nearly driving myself nuts convienced its MS! First doc who I saw last week said she thinks its carpol tunnel, ok that sounded good for 5 mins, but then MS again!!! The exact same fingers on the left hand are also funny now! So here I am waiting trying not to scream!!! Dawn xx
Anxious lu
05-11-12, 19:52
I don't know of you will see this or not but I'm glad this post was suggested to me.
I recently had an MRI and recueved an appointment from the neuro for januray 4 months after t scan.. I panic I think ms ESP considering my symptoms!! I ring the hospital and am told by the doctor who carried out the MRI he referred me due to my migraines and the neuro auras they produce (MRI was to be sure it wasn't Tia)..
Still ms sits in my head.. Should I get over is at doctors have
Not mentioned It even by now? My scan was in september :-( this numb patches, twitches etc... I think about it all the time..
That article was great :)
I have suffered from numbenss and tingling for the past 8 months, it started the day after i had a shoke i have aching eyes and my joints ache all the time. I have seen a neurologist and had a clear MRI but can't seem to shake of the fact i think it is MS.
I have had 'neuro' symptoms for over 26 years. I had optic neuritis in 1986 and since then everything from numb patches, sore patches, tingling, flashing lights, lack of movement in fingers, fatigue etc etc etc. I have 2 MRI scans over the years and teice seen a neurologist. After my first MRI they ruled out MS mainly because I had been symptom free for 7 years since the optic neuritis but that was assuming my other symptoms were anxiety of course. My last MRI was over 12 years ago and there was nothing new to report. My symptoms over the years have been atributed to anything from stress, anxiety to trapped nerve or compressed disc. Now I know I am an anxious person clearly this is what brought me to this site in the first place! but I cannot and do not believe my recent 'new' symptoms can be anxiety. On the 22nd October I noticed the skin on my left ankle was numb (nothing new to me, this happens) but on 9th November I suddenly (and I mean suddenly) was unable to walk properly. I am walking as if I have become flat footed. My feet slap when I walk and it appears to be what they call 'foot drop'. Walking any distance is really tiring and slow. GP has referred me back to the neurologist and requested an MRI. I have convinced myself I have MS or MND or ALS and I am in such a dark place. I had a hysterectomy last year for endometrial cancer, was diagnosed type 2 diabetic in August. I put myself on a rigid diet and exercise regime and have lost 2 stone. I am the lightest I have been in 30 years and should be ecstatic and so pleased with myself but this has just made me feel so awful and all my efforts are wasted if I am just going to end up in a wheelchair or worse. Reading the original post to this thread sounds just like I could have written it and in a small way makes me think maybe, just maybe I am not ill. But then the demons come back and I am back to googling and fitting my symptoms to what I believe. I dropped something at lunchtime and think thats another symptom and I think my right hand may be shaking a bit - I am a hopeless case and its severly affecting my relationship with my husband and 12 year old daughter. Apologies for a rambling post, I am hoping it makes me feel better to get some of this off my chest as I don't feel I have anyone to talk to.
Thanks for the original post, it was quite insightful.
I've browsed this forum for the past 6 months, looking for advice on multiple things, all cancer. I have seen posts upon posts from people worried about MS, but it's never been a concern for me, I'm not sure why, it just hasn't. But apparently my mind thought it would make a nice present for 2013, and sure enough, all of a sudden I'm pretty sure I'm suffering from this...
Reading back, compared to others, I don't even have serious symptoms, I guess. My eyelid twitches sometimes for a week or so but then it'll stop, I've never given this a second thought, until now. However, my main worry is a sort of tingling itch, which is concerning me. It's weird though, I can sit on my bed all day, doing uni work, playing games, on Skype etc, and not feel a thing. I can then get into bed and watch films for about 4 hours. I can then watch Netflix for an hour, and feel nothing. But AS SOON as I try to get to sleep, it starts. It stops me from sleeping most of the time. I actually gave up this morning, and took my dog for a walk. To say I'm someone that doesn't wake up until 2pm normally, this is a scary thought for me.
I dunno, it's probably nothing, and I'm worried for no reason, like normal. I do get bouts of pins and needles, and all the related twitching, but in the past I've put it down to anxiety, but when connecting all the dots, I'm not so sure.
This post has completely opened my eyes up, just 30 minutes before reading this I was crying and in a panicky state. Thankyou x
I have all of these symptoms and have become very weak and drained i feel so ill... My doctor has done loads of bloods... But i think my body is exhausted !
Maude1love
01-06-13, 09:23
I too have been worried about MS lately..I have hypothyroidism which makes me very weak but I started having shakiness in my hands, terrible constant headache and neck pain and now I have this subtle head jerk which freaks me out. I don't necessarily feel stressed, well now I do but sometimes you don't feel the anxiety per say but physically it shows. I feel like I Need to go see a doctor to check on my thyroid which could be off but I'm petrified that it could be MS or PD...
Another thank you for this thread.
I already knew that my migraines were a result of my dodgy mental health. I kind of knew my jerking was anxiety related as mine is really closely correlated to fearful thoughts. I could put the slight dizziness down to my inner ears still adjusting to the lack of nicotine in my system (stopped smoking)... but then the weird numbness in my hands and feet started coming and going and I couldn't understand why my arms felt sore and sometimes they felt just plain weak - surely I'm not that out of shape? And how could it be anxiety when it happens even when I feel like I'm coping okay?
It didn't help that my company does charity work with neurology type folk and they came to give us a chat last month about MS, Parkinsons, Motor Neurone Disease and stem cell research. Nor does it help that I've known one person with each of these conditions, and it is my sister that has MS. No googling required for me to get into the anxiety loop. And then I got to thinking of my own mortality and how I am going to die of something but I am wasting my life being anxious - that's when the depression kicked in too!
So all in all, I was getting to my wits end when I came here and found this thread and it got me back on the level. Well, relatively speaking! :-)
I too have been worried about MS lately..I have hypothyroidism which makes me very weak but I started having shakiness in my hands, terrible constant headache and neck pain and now I have this subtle head jerk which freaks me out. I don't necessarily feel stressed, well now I do but sometimes you don't feel the anxiety per say but physically it shows. I feel like I Need to go see a doctor to check on my thyroid which could be off but I'm petrified that it could be MS or PD...
I have had a virus or something for the past 10 days and my legs have felt so heavy and "wonky" and now my arms, too. A couple of times my fingers spasmed/jerked, so I, too, freak out thinking its MS or PD and then have been having severe panic attacks and shaking. Started to take Ativan yesterday to get me through this. The heaviness feeling in my body is the scariest. I've never had this. I'm totally not feeling like myself. I also have hypothyroid (Hashi's). Hope you are feeling better. I hope this passes soon.
This is a great post! Exactly how I feel all of the time
peediedj67
27-07-13, 06:34
all above sounds like me to a tee!! get blurred vision every day(mostly in mornings like now) numb fingers,pins and needles,dizzy,tired every morning as if i havent slept,ringing in ears,sore backs,weird pains in feet,legs etc,heaaches,foggy head and other things, convinced its ms, been tested for diabetes,thyroid,glucise,had a ecg and blood pressure checked all ok, getting a mri scan soon,still very worried
I found this site 4am this morning in a full blown health anxiety crisis. i cant thank you enough.
I guess ive suffered health anxiety and depression for years, but eight weeks ago it came to a head.
It started with a tingle on my left leg. after a day or so i became concerned and googled. Oh my gosh, what a mistake, i can list 42 illnesses that i could have had!
A week later the tingle turned into pins and needles, burning, cold water sensations anywhere or all over my body. I felt in a constant state of panic, breathless, inner vibration, tinitus, cramping, fuzzy headed and preoccupied in only myself, nothing else mattered. No matter how scared, i became addicted almost uncontrollable, trawling on google, driven by the need to understand what was wrong.
I countlessly saw my GP and asked doctors at work what was wrong. My Gp did blood tests and they came back normal, she also prescribed sertraline and propanolol. That breifly satisfied my need for a day and most of the sensation went. But the next day 'poof' like magic they were back with vengence.
I went back to my Gp who diagnosed me with depression and health anxiety and signed me off work last Friday and increased the sertraline to 100mg.
But accepting health anxiety is really difficult. I try logically to understand it and reason with myself, its a bit like Jackel and Hyde.
Last night after scouring my body for bumps, spots i found an alarming mark that im sure wasnt there before. I went into full blown crisis melt down.
I drove to my parents and asked them to look, they looked at me like i was mad as it was a freckle, but im sure it wasnt there.
Maybe im now super wired and anything is a major crisis. However, as i said i found this site last night and it really did reassure me. Im not crazy, and one day i will get over this. All i can say is thank you so much
Hi There. That's me wrapped up in a few paragraphs. I'm at my wits end with all this worry. I think i might have MS and have tried to seek answers. You're right...this google thing is dreadful.
Will print this off and re-read it till im tired of reading it.
Thanks
Pete
If anyone needs any information, feel free to message me! I have cared for my father for the last 4 years as he suffers from secondary progressive MS.
This is a great post.... I cant believe how familiar it all sounds (but I guess thats my anxiety not letting me believe that I might actually be well). Im now pregnant and convinced that my pregnancy will 'bring on' the MS symptoms..... Woke up with pins and needles in my hand this morning which went away when I straightened my arm but the fact Im on this site obviously shows that its playing on my mind. Dont want to be stressed out the whole of this pregnancy!
Thank you for the post, I will save it and read it whenever I need it.
I am in this exact position right now. I went to the doctor about a tremor i developed, convinced it was MS. He put it down to an essential benign tremor caused by anxiety and upped my meds (50mg to 100mg Sertraline). However, after him asking me about tingling, pins and needles and numbness, I've started feeling it! Oh what a wonderful and terrifying thing the mind is...
Healthanxietynut
09-05-14, 15:11
Can I just say how amazing it is to know that there are so many others who've experienced pretty much the same thing (not that I like the idea of other people having to go through this too but you know what I mean :) )
I've been experiencing health anxiety for the last couple of years, fixated on one illness or the other! This last week I had literally convinced myself that I had ALS, it had got the point in which I was hoping I was wrong and that it was MS instead! I know how bad that sounds as MS is awful too but when you're mind is being ravaged by all these thoughts I suppose it's hard to think straight. Everyday I've been consistently panicking and bursting in to tears (no matter of location or time) I've cried so much more than I thought was humanly possible! Literally screaming and begging to not have ALS.
For a couple of months now I've been getting lots of random twitches/jerks/spasms mainly in my arms and legs but generally all over, I kept dismissing them, not wanting to think that they may be the cause of something serious but then I was talking to my friend about them and she said I should go to the doctors and right away I was on my phone on google! BIG MISTAKE! Of course ALS came up and lo and behold it was the one I was fixated on! As I was reading more about it I was accumulating more of the symptoms and for the last two days my left leg has felt very weak especially around the ankle, almost like I'm about to topple over. I had a doc appt this morning and she put all my symptoms down to my anxiety/depression and you know what? When I left I DID feel better, I actually stopped thinking about my leg for a while and when I did think about it I realised that it didn't feel as weak or unusual. Don't get me wrong there's still a massive part of me that thinks she's got it wrong and I actually have got something really bad but noticing how my symptoms lessened after seeing the doc just reassured me a little! I just find it hard to comprehend how anxiety can have such a MASSIVE physical impact and make you feel god damn awful (also a little crazy! :roflmao: )
I can't say how thankful I am to have come across this post and forum! I wish you guys didn't have to go through this too but I suppose we can try and support each other :D
Abi x
ALiarsPromise
02-06-14, 01:26
It's so crazy that this was posted as this is my number one fear. It probably doesn't help that I work for a Neurology clinic. Everytime my foot falls asleep or I feel a tingle I go into panic mode. IT is Aweful!
peediedj67
12-07-14, 10:49
I to have a lot of symptoms similar to ms and am very worried, had these symptoms on and off for about 3-4 years. and flared up again a week ago, after 2 very stressful weeks at work,been suffering for over a week now ringing in ears constantly, palpitations,blurred vision(eyes take about 30 mins in morning to fully focus)pins and needles numbness at end of finger, sore lower back,sore shoulder ,burning pain in wrist,dizziness,always yawning.
As I say very,very concerned its ms :( googled the symptoms when 1st felt like this and concerned everytime it flares up
Been to doctors about this around 6 times, been tested for diabetes,had a ecg,ultrasound,numerous urine samples given,a few eye tests(had drops for dry eyes) blood tests taken
Always told its dry eyes or a virus, I have never asked doctor if its ms but going on Monday and going to ask to be tested for it as sick of feeling like this (although I still work,go out running,go to gym etc)
Hi everyone, I am new to this site and I have already found tis site super helpful. I have some questions though.I had an anxiety attack this past week over my health thinking i had a blood clot in my leg and thinking i was going to die. I went to the doctor and she told me I have anxiety and she gave me meds...i also expresses fears that I might have ALS and she didnt even bat an eye at the thought that i might, but i have muscle twitches, cramps and they seem to get worse after I do physical activities or I am on my feet all day or in pain (from a leg injury) and i was wondering if anyone else has this happen?
P.S. I also have some neck and back pain, pins and needles feelings and some nausea, which I have learned are signs of excessive anxiety and GAD as well, I have yet to be tested for ALS or MS, but i doubt i have them because my limbs were feeling heavy and tired but have since went back to normal and the tiredness has not returned.
mark henri
06-10-14, 15:37
I would like to give thanks to this thread poster for sharing such a valuable post and I think that it would be much better for all of the members of this Forum.
Keeping this thread fresh.
HoldingoutforHope
16-10-14, 22:44
It reassures me a little knowing that Im not the only one who suffers from ALS/MS related health anxiety. This episode has been the worse I have had by far and I am still checking my feet every night for weakness and twitching. Im glad to see that there are others who understand this! :yesyes:
Hey,
I am another one of the countless sufferers it seems. I am worried I have MS also. Have been to the GP twice- one did a neurological examination and told me that I definitely do not have MS- that I have anxiety. I felt so great leaving the doctors but it didn't last long. I haven't been to a neuro and am now convinced I should go.
I get so frustrated with the whole thing. Its going on with 3 months now ( which I know in comparison to some of the accounts I have read here might not seem like a very long time). For the last 6 weeks I was completely over the MS obsession and I was anxious about other health related issues. Last week I was in really bad form and I noticed a MS/Anxiety symptom and it has taken off from there again. I feel annoyed that I had finally convinced myself that I didn't have it and now it is back again. It takes so much willpower to not make another doctor's appointment but I know deep down that I am only feeding the anxiety - instead I try to focus on what the doctor told me and leave it at that but its easier said than done. One of the most frustrating things I find is that even when I don't feel overtly anxious that my anxiety symptoms are still present and this is what makes me panic the most I think!
I have always suffered with anxiety but health anxiety is relatively new to me. The one thing I don't do is look up the symptoms of MS - I know quite a few of them but there are others that I don't know. The reason I do this is because I know by the following day I will have a new symptom that I didn't have before. This is also the reason I have refrained from mentioning any symptoms I do have here- I think it adds fuel to the whole situation. A psychiatrist I went to see told me that if he said that an itchy nose was a symptom of MS, that he would be almost certain that within a short space of time I would have an itchy nose! Hence my reluctance to list symptoms etc.
The original post on this thread was very comforting to me - esp the part about expecting anxiety symptoms to stop just because you don't feel anxious at a particular time. This is me all over.
I have had a full blood profile done which all came back completely normal. The doctor did a neuro examination on me which was normal and for 6 weeks I was symptom free and not thinking about MS.
I hope this helps someone, I know I find it helpful to read other people's accounts. MS seems to be one of the biggest health anxiety fears and that in itself comforts me.
jenjen2309
30-11-14, 10:14
Hi I posted in a different post and I have major health anxiety surrounding MS. Someone replied that it wouldn't be a death sentence if I did but I'm not trying to say people with MS can't live a good life I'm just trying to share my feelings that I have this deep rooted fear that I have this disease. It consumes my days and nights at the moment it's torture
Really glad I read this thread, I had worries about MS a while ago and other brain problems and the symptoms started going away then today I was hit with dizziness again and it just turned in to a panic attack, but now I've calmed down, I know that the more gaps in between my symptoms the better I am getting, also I think dealing with what I'm actually afraid of which is being out of control and change has helped a lot.
Hi there,
I posted on this thread a few months ago. Like so many other people I too was convinced that I had MS and nobody was taking me seriously.
The point of me writing this update is to give other people some hope. That's what I constantly looked for. I used to spend hours and hours trawling through this site trying to find stories of people in similar situations to me who had a "happy ending". Sometimes I would have come across one and this would instantly give me some temporary feeling of reassurance that it is possible to have all the symptoms of MS but not actually have MS. I know now with certainty that I do not have MS. Not a day goes by but I don't feel a little bit haunted by the whole experience and to be honest it's not something I like to think about.
I never attended a neurologist and I never had any MRI. I used to be begging my doctor to refer me and when it finally came down to it and he offered me one, I didn't take it. He suggested I try Cognitive Behavioural Therapy but if I wanted I could have my neurology referral. So I made a deal with myself, these symptoms had been present for a long time at this stage and I didn't think a few more weeks would do much harm so I promised myself that if I attend a few sessions of CBT and I still felt the same il take the neuro appt.
I started CBT and within a few sessions my MS symptoms started lessening. Before I used to wake every single night when a dead limb or severe pins and needles...This slowly starting happening one every few nights and then vanished completely. The numbness, tingling, pins and needles, prickly skin etc etc started easing off and im happy to say I haven't had one of those symptoms in almost 3 months now. That's not a coincidence. A very important point in my recovery was, one day I had been completley symptom free for about 6 weeks and I was driving and there was a lady on the radio talking about MS and her symptoms, I couldn't help myself, I left it on and listened. As I was listening I started noticing a tingling in my foot, then prickles in my finger tips. That night I woke up with a dead arm and severe pins and needles in my foot. Weirdly enough, I was delighted. It was the finally confirmation that I needed that I did not have MS , but I did suffer from health anxiety. I knew deep down that I had been symptom free for weeks and within minutes of hearing about MS I had symptoms back again. I work in the health profession and I know quite a bit about neurological conditions which is where this anxiety/phobia stemmed from, however no neurological symptoms manifest themselves just after listening to a radio program!!!
I hope this helps every just one person. Take it from me, I know just how lonely it is to feel so utterly helpless and terrified. The only advice I can give you is have hope, even if you take hope from my story; listen to your GP; and fight against this...you have the power to beat it and when you do its an amazing feeling x
Hi there,
I posted on this thread a few months ago. Like so many other people I too was convinced that I had MS and nobody was taking me seriously.
The point of me writing this update is to give other people some hope. That's what I constantly looked for. I used to spend hours and hours trawling through this site trying to find stories of people in similar situations to me who had a "happy ending". Sometimes I would have come across one and this would instantly give me some temporary feeling of reassurance that it is possible to have all the symptoms of MS but not actually have MS. I know now with certainty that I do not have MS. Not a day goes by but I don't feel a little bit haunted by the whole experience and to be honest it's not something I like to think about.
I never attended a neurologist and I never had any MRI. I used to be begging my doctor to refer me and when it finally came down to it and he offered me one, I didn't take it. He suggested I try Cognitive Behavioural Therapy but if I wanted I could have my neurology referral. So I made a deal with myself, these symptoms had been present for a long time at this stage and I didn't think a few more weeks would do much harm so I promised myself that if I attend a few sessions of CBT and I still felt the same il take the neuro appt.
I started CBT and within a few sessions my MS symptoms started lessening. Before I used to wake every single night when a dead limb or severe pins and needles...This slowly starting happening one every few nights and then vanished completely. The numbness, tingling, pins and needles, prickly skin etc etc started easing off and im happy to say I haven't had one of those symptoms in almost 3 months now. That's not a coincidence. A very important point in my recovery was, one day I had been completley symptom free for about 6 weeks and I was driving and there was a lady on the radio talking about MS and her symptoms, I couldn't help myself, I left it on and listened. As I was listening I started noticing a tingling in my foot, then prickles in my finger tips. That night I woke up with a dead arm and severe pins and needles in my foot. Weirdly enough, I was delighted. It was the finally confirmation that I needed that I did not have MS , but I did suffer from health anxiety. I knew deep down that I had been symptom free for weeks and within minutes of hearing about MS I had symptoms back again. I work in the health profession and I know quite a bit about neurological conditions which is where this anxiety/phobia stemmed from, however no neurological symptoms manifest themselves just after listening to a radio program!!!
I hope this helps every just one person. Take it from me, I know just how lonely it is to feel so utterly helpless and terrified. The only advice I can give you is have hope, even if you take hope from my story; listen to your GP; and fight against this...you have the power to beat it and when you do its an amazing feeling x
What a brilliant Post Irish. So good to read and so happy for you that you have got through it. It really does give me hope. I so know what you mean about listen or reading something and then feelings start. It does just show the power of the sub conscious mind. With me it's playing sports and then not even slightly thinking about my symptoms then sure enough they will return the next day. Anyway I am going to start some mindfulness soon with cbt and I'm hoping I will be in the same place as you. Congratulations you have got yoyourife back.
Peterthegreatworrier
21-07-15, 09:46
Wow, Dooges, what a wonderful poast:winks:, particually at a time when I'm freaked out over full body symptoms which I rationally attribute to anxiety - and irrationally to a neurological/spinal problem.
I have just one question though, is it typical for this psychosomatic tingling and related sensations to occur when NOT thinking about the feared problem (I believe it probably is, but I just want to be sure for assurance sake).
Wow, Dooges, what a wonderful poast:winks:, particually at a time when I'm freaked out over full body symptoms which I rationally attribute to anxiety - and irrationally to a neurological/spinal problem.
I have just one question though, is it typical for this psychosomatic tingling and related sensations to occur when NOT thinking about the feared problem (I believe it probably is, but I just want to be sure for assurance sake).
I get tingling all the time and my doctor said it's due to anxiety. Ughhh HA is bad :(
Thank you so much for posting. Literally just came across this forum by a wonderful accident with all these symptoms convinced I had MND!! It's always reassuring to know I'm not alone and not completly losing my mind.
itoldyouiwasill
07-10-15, 13:23
Good to see this thread is still alive and kicking (how ironic) and that its seems to be helping so many people. :)
Wow this is powerful. I could feel the tears building up. I always had stressors I guess early in life like most people. But eating a weed brownie and having a bad trip almost a year ago now has changed my life horribly, and I can blame no one but myself for that. I have had so many physical symptoms since then (all started with DP/DR) and I built up my stress on Google so much. The sad thing is I don't even smoke cigarettes or weed, and it was just a bad judgement call. But I have been trying to shake this off. I will never touch weed again, and I have also gone one month with a sip of alcohol. I am 26, and hope I hope I can get back to normal.
itoldyouiwasill
16-10-15, 16:58
An interesting read here about functional (benign) neurological symptoms. Very reassuring and illustrates just how wide ranging they can be without actually relating to any organic problems.
http://www.sth.nhs.uk/neurosciences/neurology/neurology-psychotherapy-service/functional-neurological-disorders
This is my first post on this forum and I want to start by saying how much this thread has helped me over what has been a very difficult few weeks.
The past month has been my worst ever period of health anxiety. First some difficulties finding words led to googling, which led to me becoming convinced I had a rare form of dementia that can affect people of any age (I'm 36), which led to ever increasing problems with language and speech, which led to a minor breakdown and me being signed off work.
I have been under a lot of stress at work and, as I work in communications, my GP thinks it's no wonder that the language part of my brain became overworked and yielded to the pressure, which I exacerbated massively through my anxiety. Blood tests showed nothing abnormal and my cholesterol was even described as 'beautiful' and I have been referred to a psychologist.
What I did next was something I'm sure members of this forum are familiar with - I compulsively googled in an attempt to find more benign causes of my symptoms. I noticed that MS can also cause cognitive impairment and, right on cue, my tingling reappeared.
I first thought I had MS about a decade ago when I experienced tingling and and a sharp pain in my shoulder blade. This was diagnosed as a trapped nerve and I was given anti-inflammatories. It comes and goes but in general I've kept reasonably calm about it after my initial panic.
I've experienced a lot of tingling, cramps and pains in my right leg and foot over the years as a result of a broken tibia and fibula (definitely not psychosomatic - it happened on a football pitch with 22 witnesses!) but about 12 months ago I started feeling funny nerve-like sensations in the left as well. This started off with a feeling like my trousers were clinging to my calf and spread until there was tingling or a feeling like my entire lower leg was blown up like the feeling of having blood pressure taken. An MRI showed no trapped nerves in my lower back and the doctor said it was just one of those things and didn't mention MS or anything at all.
The leg has been tingling like crazy over the past week or so and has been spreading up beyond the knee as well as new tingles appearing on my face, arms and fingers. It should be said the left side of my body takes the pressure of an altered gait and is also the side I carry my not-light 11-month-old son on.
This thread is helping me to keep things in perspective and think rationally, even though I'm still experiencing the "MS" symptoms and my language skills are nowhere near where they were. I'm freaking out about once a day and thinking about it all the time but this is still a massive improvement on where I was a short time ago.
Having diagnosed myself with several heart attacks and brain tumours and numerous cancers over the years as well as many other weird and wonderful diseases I would always have said I suffered from some sort of anxiety disorder relating to my health. I always just thought this meant I was a hypochondriac who imagined or conflated symptoms and this has led to me feeling guilty and pathetic.
What has been a revelation to me since discovering No More Panic was the discovery that physical symptoms can be rooted in the mind. It's something I still need to get my head round completely but it has helped me make sense of some things, like how the pains I get near the screws in my right leg have been replicated on the left, and I accept it's most likely the reason why I've "had" MS and dementia in the past month. The opening post here was like a lightbulb going on in my head. That was me they were describing.
Thanks again to everyone who has contributed to this thread. Hopefully we'll all get on top of this thing.
itoldyouiwasill
19-10-15, 13:02
Hey SmithsFan
...does the body rule the mind or does the mind rule the body? I dunno... ;)
If you are interested in the concept of physical symptoms being generated by mind (somatisation) I really recommend you check out the books by Dr John Sarno, his book Healing Back Pain is a good one to start with.
Ha ha! Would love to say my username was an oblique reference to the lyrics to Still Ill and their relevance to my health anxiety but I'm afraid to say that it never occurred to me.
I saw mention of those books earlier in the thread and intend to check them out as soon as I get through the other anxiety-related tomes I'm reading at the moment.
Years on from this thread first appearing how are you feeling now? Are you still having symptoms?
Hi all,
I posted this on the symptoms page before i saw this thread and thought "thats the one for me" so am posting here. I've been having some really weird symptoms and I'm scared so much it is MS as two of my relatives have it. I keep trying to reassure myself that it is anxiety but I've had anxiety for years, sometimes worse than this and never has these symptoms
Has anyone else had the same? Lots of people talk about pins and needles etc but mine is like pulling pain, cramps etc.
- pains in my legs - on and off over past 6 months. On occassions it has been difficult to walk. Since a week ago pains in both legs, thighs, shins, claves and feet. Sometimes crampy, sometimes sharp or twitchy.
- neck aches and pains going up into the side of my face, more like a feeling my neck is weak and cannot hold my head up. sometimes the side of my face feels really cold/tingly.
- left arm and shoulder constantly achey and feel very heavy so much so it is an effort to hold a cup of tea. Other arm also mild achey. Typing like this makes all my arm and neck ache. On my forearm it even hurts to press where the pain is.
- feeling dizzy, like i can't think straight, like i can't think of certain words. I bit like swaying. Last week I felt like i was going to pass out. Also feel shaky like my legs are trembling.
I feel convinced my life is over and i keep thinking about what i would do if it was MS like i couldn't stay in my house as the stairs will become an issue and how would we pay the bills if I can't work and all the things i want to see and do but won't be able to. And how long will my husband stick by me when i can't do stuff and he has to look after me.
I feel like i am having a complete meltdown. Is it even possible all this is anxiety? I have a drs appointment tomorrow so obviously will talk to the dr but has anyone been through similar :-(
itwillbefine
30-11-15, 14:44
Hi Cora,
So sorry that you have this. It sounds somewhat like what I have. Does it come and go, do you have good periods, do the symptoms replace one another?
Just being curious as to what you are going through, I don't have any answers, it's just nice to discuss the feelings and sensations that take up so much of our energy! I still don't know if I have a condition or not, I just know that the symptoms make me feel anxious.
---------- Post added at 15:44 ---------- Previous post was at 15:40 ----------
PS!!!
Know that treatment for MS (which I'm sure you don't have) is constantly and dramatically improving so that a normal life is the reality for people diagnosed today. We will not be in a wheel chair, and people do not die of MS.
Hey itwillbefine,
Yeah i seem to have good and bad periods. Sometimes i think "its gone maybe it was just viral or something" but then its back.
Do you ever think you feel like your fingers are tingling? I'm never sure if its me being over sensitive. Also sometimes patches feel cold or just plain weird. I know it sounds strange but i also feel like i get pins and needles when normal people wouldn't like crossing my legs or sitting up in bed.
I have read a lot about MS and my dread above is getting the primary progressive type where you just slowly deteriorate. Just typing it out makes me feel anxious i have the start of it.
What sort of symptoms do you have? Are you having any tests?
itwillbefine
01-12-15, 12:24
For me, it's been going for three months. started with numbness in one finger, moved on to tingling in arms, hands, then toes and feet. Numb patches on hands, face, not excactly cold. Then pins and needles and Sharp pains randomly. Waking up every night with fingers or toes fallen asleep. Arms heavy and sore, by that time my right side was most affected. My symptoms move from one part of my body to the next every other day
I was freaking out with anxiety. Then all of a sudden it stopped. I was relieved and happy. After 10 days' break, the numbness symptoms returned with stabbing and shooting pains, now only worse than before. At the same time I was coming down with a cold. All symptoms subsided completely or partly, if I was exercising and to some extent if I was socialising. But sometimes socialising also made it worse.
I don't think it's all anxiety and I'm waiting for nerve conduction test, but here's what my current positive theory is: anxiety magnifies symptoms and makes you extraordinarily sensitive. Also, anxiety drains your body of minerals! I found out that my iron levels are low, and low enough for my neurologist to put me on a high dose of iron. I am waiting for magnesium results. I've been taking iron for less than a week, and I am ok. Really ok. Still a little sore feet soles and some pains in my arms. Some days very heavy arms. Various nutritional deficiencies can be directly linked to anxiety and stress.
My GP is not worried about me. My neurologist does not seem too concerned either. They are not AT ALL preoccupied with MS or other serious conditions. And when I think about the conditions I've imagined the past 1½ years, none of my symptoms turned out to be anything. Why would they this time?
If I don't trust the doctors, I google to diagnose myself. I don't trust pilots either, so i dread flying. Maybe a pattern of control there.
The uncontrollable MS is really rare. And more importantly, it comes with much more aggressive symptoms, I am sure of that.
Sorry for the long story!
Mine does go away, certain times I feel almost normal and then its back. Today its my neck hurting and arms are so heavy. Do you get chest tightness too?
I think what you're saying about the anxiety is spot on though it magnifies every little symptom and we're fixated on it which makes it worse. I know it sounds weird but if I am forced to put on my "i'm ok" mask I realise afterwards I wasn't aware of the pain.
I've been taking iron supplements, vit D and B vitamins daily as I did wonder about my iron - its been low before.
My worry about primary MS comes from that i have two relatives with it. I suppose statistically it would be incredibly unlucky for three generations of one family to have it as its not genetic? But then my mind says well i suppose its unlikely two generations but it happened..
itwillbefine
01-12-15, 16:04
Ah, I understand it's difficult. Do your relatives have the primary progressive type?
Would it help to avail as much knowledge as possible - I mean talking to a real life doctor - about treatments?
I don't get the chest tightness. Sometimes I wish I did get something like that and not just these weird neurological symptoms. I get lots of muscle twitching allover though.
You're right about the "im ok" mask. I do that too...
Yeah they both had the primary progressive type. I've looked for treatments etc and all they say is there is very little for that type doesn't respond well.
I keep feeling stupid as I think why I am having a complete breakdown at the thought of having it and those who have been unfortunate enough to have had it seem to be coping.
I've wondered about going on an MS forum and seeing if someone with it will actually talk to me but i'm worried it will make me worse? I already woke up with tingly hands, nerve pain and neck pain today. I feel so convinced there is something wrong :-(
Do you work? I haven't been in some weeks now and i need to get back. I simply cannot afford to stay off much longer but I dread work. I don't feel like I can concentrate on it and I am worried about having a meltdown at work or suddenly worsening symptoms or something.
itwillbefine
02-12-15, 10:39
Oh my, you're not stupid, try not to think that. No one here thinks it, and people close to you cannot feel what you feel. Nerve pain - whatever the cause - is known to cause stress and anxiety.
Have you been diagnosed with anxiety and had treatment? I guess that would be the number one thing to do. No, don't go to an MS forum right away. If you do, it should be part of a recovery plan with your therapist. What you know frightens you, and what you don't know frightens you even more, and in your state of mind it's a delicate balance. Somewhere in the recovery process, I would assume it could be useful to get clear information on prevalence, genetic risk, treatment - in order for you to look at it realistically. Not from any internet site (please!), but from a professional.
You know, Airlines provide training for people with fear of flying, and pilots take the fearful passengers through all the functions of the plane to make them understand why the likelihood of a crash is less than than dying from a bee sting. Therapists add with cognitive training. That's what I picture could be useful with your MS fear.
Yeah, I work. For me, it's better than staying at home. Last time, my symptoms were bad, I stayed home though, because driving and typing made my arms worse. Instead I took hourlong walks. I have talked to a few colleagues who are really understanding, and it helped me tremendously to let someone know that I'm not feeling well. They also know why my energy and Work results are not 100% (rather 30%), so I don't feel guilty.
After a good period of a week or so, I feel the nerve symptoms are picking up again, so this I'm preparing myself for another round.
Btw, this article (Itoldyouiwasill gave the link) is a good one. It says that 1/4 of patients in their neurology Clinic have nerve symptoms that are not related to any disease, rather stressrelated:
http://www.sth.nhs.uk/neurosciences/neurology/neurology-psychotherapy-service/functional-neurological-disorders
You know the chances of you being fine are so much higher than of you having MS.
I too know someone with ALS. They are indeed coping, and I hear from wise people that we humans have so many more resources than we thought we would in times of crisis.
Been here, worried, worried some more, still worried.
I've had some very minor (I have to admit, they are minor) tingles, no pain, some aches, but I've had minor dizziness on and off for 2-3 years.
Seen ENT, seen GP a LOT, had an MRI (ENT looking for any issues in the inner ear - had no concerns) MRI came back clear.
Two weeks later, still worried.
Why? Because I googled MRI scans, when I was off meds, after my MRI clear result!
I went into a 12 hour meltdown. Spoke to GP, stated yet again, I have very high anxiety and that they thought the scan would make me happier. It hasn't...much.
Anyway, now my Health Anxiety has calmed a little, but it's moving to other anxieties, about being anxious, about happiness, etc.
I've had this severe anxiety for 4-5 months. I've asked countless people over the years 'do I have a tumour/MS/something sinister', they all said no.
GP is surprised I am thinking I have something serious, and I can see why. I am pretty much physically well, apart from the odd ache, colds staying longer than usual as I'm run down, and extremely minor tingling which I think I'm partly imagining and goes as soon as I don't think about it. No weakness, no pain, no proper numbness unless I physically sleep on my hands (which I tend to do and have done for life).
If I do get that pins and needles feelings, its always when I'm sat odd or don't move for a while, like most people. Anxiety MAKES us assess every moment of our life, including minor symptoms. It then exacerbates the feelings, massively.
I don't know if I'm actually ill or not, because I'm still fighting anxiety, BUT, I feel better knowing I've been checked and I've DOUBLE checked with all the relevant professionals.
DO NOT GOOGLE OR GO ON MS/CANCER FORUMS. This will make you panic, make the symptoms worse, make you cry, etc.
I've also sat there and thought my life was over and my partner will leave me. I've even thought it was over when I started to realise the majority of my overall problems in life is anxiety....because I worried anxiety was going to make me crazy/very depressed and on my own.
From what I've been told/read, MS is very tough when it does hit. VERY tough. As in, people have serious eyesight problems/black spots etc, cannot physically move limbs (not just gone numb from usual pins and needles we all get) for a long period of time, cannot pick things up properly, have serious dizziness, etc.
None of my problems are serious, I just make them feel serious. My dizziness was attributed to Menieries Disease, but now they think the first ENT specialist was incorrect, as my hearing is great (luckily) and has been all thr way through dizziness.
The new ENT specialist thinks I have vestibular migraines....but without pain, hitting the balance part of the brain, then silently going away. Then the brain takes weeks or even months getting the balance back in check.
Guess what it does? Comes back again. This has happened to me around 9-10 times in 2-3 years. At the moment, it has gone.
Vestibular migraines cause anxiety as the patient tends to worry about the dizziness. Who wouldn't right?
From what you've said, and I'm not GP or specialist, but I think anxiety and health anxiety is making you worse than you actually are.
Please see a GP for reassurance :)
Good luck. I fight anxiety every day and at the moment it is based on psoriasis! Plus the fact I'm not happy because I'm still anxious.
PS - My GP said NEVER google. I've said it above. Seriously, don't do it. Just trust those dealing with you. I have banned myself from googling unless its to HELP with anxiety like 'how to cure it' etc.
Hey there,
A lot of what you said resonates with me. I'm sure there are people out there with the same symptoms as me who haven't even been to the Drs yet but to me it build up into some kind of urgent need - sometimes when I go i am convinced they will have to admitt me straight away.
Today my cramps and pains in my legs are bad and the dizzyness is back again. Especially in my left calf so then that starts me worrying about a blood clot.
I've booked an appointment for two weeks time and i am going to try in those couple of weeks a few self help things:
1) no googling symptoms - this is so hard for me but I need to kick the habit so I have two things i can do if I absolutely MUST - I can google symptoms followed by the word "anxiety" or I can ask my husband to google for me.
2) I'll be carrying on with normal life as much as humanly possible including any chores or jobs and days out etc. I will try not to binge-eat (I do when i am very depressed with my HA) and just eat normally.
3) I am going to continue taking vitamins, doing daily stretches and taking daily walks even when I am in pain i will just go slower. I will also carry on doing my meditations and having epsom salt baths once a week.
4) I will be reading my self help books and completing the exercises and really trying to help myself approach my health anxiety thoughts in a different way.
What sorts of things do other people do? I feel like i have to have a plan of how i am going to approach things and i have to write it down because my mind is so full of other thoughts and feels heavy with worry.
Hi Cora,
Like you I have a long-standing problem in my left calf. it was this that first got me fearing MS.
This started off like a numbness so it felt like my trousers were rubbing against it all the time. The feeling spread and I wouldn't really know how to describe it now.
Anyway, as I got more worried I experienced more and more symptoms. I'm in a much better place than I was even a few weeks ago and hope the improvement continues. As my mental state has improved, so have the symptoms. I still have the weird feeling in the leg and have feared everything from a blood clot to cancer but all I can say is that everything else has got better so I hope this will too.
All the best.
I still have the weird feeling in the leg and have feared everything from a blood clot to cancer
Thanks so much for the encouragement. Still obsessing over my symptoms. Right now it is a pain in my left arm but it jumps around making me sound crazy when I try to describe where the pain is because its everywhere.
Sometimes i think it must have spread for me to have pain in all these places and that makes me panic like crazy.
Does anyone get a feeling like their arms are really heavy / legs/ arms have a tight band around them? It feels like an effort to type.
Smithsfan can i ask what do you feel has enabled you to get back on the right track with your symptoms?
Thanks so much for the encouragement. Still obsessing over my symptoms. Right now it is a pain in my left arm but it jumps around making me sound crazy when I try to describe where the pain is because its everywhere.
Sometimes i think it must have spread for me to have pain in all these places and that makes me panic like crazy.
Does anyone get a feeling like their arms are really heavy / legs/ arms have a tight band around them? It feels like an effort to type.
Smithsfan can i ask what do you feel has enabled you to get back on the right track with your symptoms?
Here's what I wrote on another thread:
"I was in a cycle of stress, anxiety, physical and mental symptoms, insomnia, and low mood. Since then I've (hopefully) broken the cycle with some time off work, counselling and a prescription of Prozac.
I'm back at work and feeling much better than I have for months. I'm sleeping well and have taken steps to simplify my life and de-stress as a result.
And guess what? My symptoms have all but disappeared.
I know this is early days and I still have to challenge my "but what if it is?" thoughts regularly but I'm feeling much more able to take on my HA now and, with a bit of perspective, can say that stress and anxiety can most definitely cause the physical symptoms you have described."
The tight-band analogy described as well as anything the feeling I get in my lower left leg. In all likelihood it is caused by some compression or other problem with the nerve supply but an MRI ruled out a problem with my lower spine and it doesn't follow the classic sciatica pattern. Set against that, the problem is much worse when my leg is in certain positions or after exertion so that again suggests some sort of nerve problem.
I badly need to de-stress too. I feel like there is so much I could achieve that I haven't and I am constantly planning I sometimes forget to just relax and enjoy life and the little things. I'm trying to start looking after myself a bit more and accepting that I just need to give myself a break right now but there is this persistent voice saying I am wasting what precious time I have "chilling out"!
So i'm at the doctors tomorrow, i'm kind of proud of myself for forcing myself to wait three weeks but it also scares me that the symptoms haven't gone away - in fact my tingling sensations and weird internal vibrating in my leg is worse.
I'm worried about coming across as a complete idiot and them not taking me seriously if i list too many of my symptoms but then I am left with picking out the ones that worry me most and they ALL worry me.
I've been looking at my previous posts on this board and what strikes me is that since my last posts I've been getting more headache type symptoms as well.
Dreading work tomorrow as well feeling really down and worried about the pains. I guess what i really want them to do is refer me to a neurologist who i can talk to properly about these MS type symptoms but I know it's going to be a battle. I just feel like I am losing my mind over it all.
itwillbefine
20-12-15, 17:53
Wish you the best, Cora. Please, update us tomorrow. Good to hear you're back at work, even though it's tough for you.
Just starting to feel a bit more sane after my drs visit yesterday which, i've got to be honest, frightened the life out of me and i've been in a state of almost constant panic since last night.
He started to say virus and has prescribed me some more pills for dizziness he wants me to try and then go back in two weeks. He mentioned chronic fatigue but said he didn't think it was that. My hubby asked him directly about MS in the end as he knows thats what i am dreading it being. Then he said the words I dreaded "I had written down MS on my differential diagnosis" and i just thought OMG he thinks its that he thinks it is MS if HE thinks its MS then there really is a chance it could be.
I have to go back in two weeks, then he is going to look at bloods and maybe a referral to a nuerologist. I know I wanted to be checked out and I already knew my symptoms matched some MS symtoms but this seemed to confirm my worries are valid.
I should mention he said the risk is low and it is "bottom of the list". However, this gave me little reassurance and last night I had the worst night panicking. I really am worried I'm having a nervous breakdown.
Somehow struggled into work thinking if i can just make it to the xmas break I can try and pull myself together but I'm so bad and the symptoms are definitely not going. Today I was panicking trying to look at things and see if i could remember were they blurry before or not.
Please I need some help how can I get through this :-(
itwillbefine
22-12-15, 21:33
Cora, so glad to hear from you, but sad to see you're feeling like this.
I hope one of the more experienced HA sufferers will reply here, because I don't know how to advice. I feel your anxiety, I would be in the same condition as you are.
How to come back to your wits when your anxiety is raging? I'd like someone to help us with a few tricks. It's so difficult.
Your doctor does not seem to be too worried about you. I know you're thinking that simply the fact that MS is on his list, makes it all unbearable. But he did say BOTTOM, not top. There are countless possible explanations on his list, and MS is in the bottom. You're diagnosed with anxiety, right? I bet anxiety has a WAY higher score on his list.
From what I know and read about HA, you are presenting a typical HA behavioural sign by finding it difficult to cope with doctors' "come back in a few weeks, then we'll do some tests". They say that because in their experience many symptoms change over the course of weeks. Their job is to RULE OUT diseases, and MS is so far down on his list that he is not even ready to start ruling it out. He thinks MS is very unlikely, and even though it's in your family, the risk is low.
I'm rambling on trying to tell you what I would have tried to tell myself. I hope others will help me out here.
I'm not absolutely sure about the menaing of differential diagnosis, but is it adviceable for doctor with an anxiety patient to tell what's on his list of diffential diagnosis. I mean, this causes so much worry, and yet he says "give it a few weeks' time"
YareYareDaze
08-04-16, 20:00
Thank you for this thread. What you said pretty much describes what I've been going through. Last month, I got tingling in my right leg and numbness in my right cheek. I had trouble swallowing, too. Now, 35 days later, I have numbness/weakness in my right leg, my right arm, and my right cheek, as well as worsening vision and a feeling of pain/heaviness in the back of my head. I believe I can still swallow okay at this time. But yeah. I'm scared that this could be MS, a blood clot, or even an oncoming stroke. But if I'm still able to walk, my face isn't drooping, I can still raise both my arms, and my speech is still okay, then it is likely not a stroke. The symptoms fade, but then they come back within a few minutes or so. This is causing me to eat less and only be able to drink fluids. My parents won't take me to a doctor unless it is an absolute emergency. However, I have a ophthalmologist's appointment next Monday to get this eye issue looked at. Putting my glasses on appears to help, but I was told when I first got the glasses that they could make my eyes weaker. I honestly don't know what this is, and I'm convinced that this could actually be Health Anxiety. I just don't know it. Are there any actual stroke survivors or HA sufferers that can tell me what is going on?
gianfranco
14-06-16, 21:43
Thanks man you helped me a lot, well it all started 20 days ago y had some headaches and some dizzyness (maybe because i was stressed about the university or something else) so i went to the hospital because i feared a brain tumor and they had a look at my head and obviously i was ok nothing in there, but i wasnt completely sure so i went to a neurologist who did some test ( like if i could walk fine move my arms in a normal way,the movement ot the eyes, etc the usual stuff) and everithing was ok, the only problem was the dizzyness that didnt get away, and my upper right eyelid that always moved like crazy, so the neurologist in the end told me, you should do more sport you are stressed.
so i went home happy and that night i could sleep well, until the next morning when i put in google dyzzines and then i find this MS bullshit, so i started to feel the symptons , i became even more anxious and started to feel even worse than before i went to the oftalmologist to check my optic nerve and it was ok so for a while the MS was out of my head , then, one day i went to DR GOOLE AGAIN because i was unsure about the MS and started to read about ALS , well now i feel terrible i started to think that i have ALS and i still think that i have it (maybe a little less now after i read this thread) i feel my right arm weaker than the other, my left calf twitches and i have muscle cramps , i feel clumpsy and less cordinated with my hands and im in fear all the time, i tried to go to my doctor but she says i dont have anything that my exams are ok (she even had a laugh) , that im being hipocondriac and gave me an appointment with a psichiatrist for the next month , i wasnt satisfied so i went to other doctors , and the resut was always the same , dude you are anxious you need to see a psichiatrist, i even went to the first aid (like 3 times) like at the 3 am only to get diazepam in my veins a giant middle finger at my face and another neurologist who tells me im being anxious and i need psichiatric help, well nowadays i still feel some symptoms like my weak right arm but now im starting to think that everything is in my head and that im going to be ok , anyways i want to thank you for this thread it helped me a lot and i wish everyone with this shitty anxiety induced simptoms to be ok soon, we can be ok and happy if we want thanks everyone, sorry if my english is not perfect but im chilean and i live in italy, havent spoken in english in a long time, well goodnight to all! :bighug1:
This thread did so much to assure me.. thanks!
Yes, the mind goes into overdrive thinking the worst possible outcome you listed in the first post. I have really annoying tingling sensations on my body now, which could technically be caused by many things not MS - low blood sugar, B12 deficiency, toxins, poor circulation etc.
Lets all stop Googling! It will drive us nuts! Ad all these doctor visits just to reassure ourselves cost a lot..
Calmer2016
21-06-16, 16:07
For me it started with eyelid twitching. Instead of letting it go like the rest of the world does, I worried about it and googled. Then twitches all over my body. We're talking forehead for a couple of days, right baby finger, muscles I didn't know existed. Everyone had a turn. Maybe an hour, maybe 2 days. Except eyelids which went from one eye to the other, days and days. After 3-4 weeks these twitches subsided and on came the odd pins/needle zap. Usually in feet/hands but also arms, legs, head. My HA levels rose significantly, I discovered MS online and of course ALS. I always knew on some level this was anxiety as I have suffered on and off from HA all my life and right now, about to move country with my family so thought the timing was funny.
Doesn't matter, when you are in the panic/health worry zone you're in it and rationality flew out the window. Zaps calmed down and on came dizziness/vertigo attacks, usually panic driven. May only last 5 seconds, a couple longer. I have had panic attacks before and was not sure if it was that. MS faded and back came brain tumor fear. Zaps faded but panic/vertigo there so went to a top neurologist who said it was anxiety, I could have an MRI if I wanted. Felt a bit better, after that. Then dizziness went but zaps returned, this time with circulation concerns. I had moved to being worried about the heart. Ridiculous in my moments in of clarity but terrified when possessed. Had blood test, all normal. Final thing today was looking at thyroid hormones which was normal. I was relaxed about that anyway, who cares about non-serious thyroid issues, loads of people have it. But seriously, especially if you are female with anxiety and nervousness, check this as high thyroid hormones can enhance enxiety
Finally I have come through this. I do mindfulness meditation everyday and had a moment recently when I confronted my anxiety about emigrating. Instead of seeing it as displacement and a negative and scary move, over and over, yesterday I repeated what a positive wonderful move it will be, for me and my family. Over and over and over.
Today first day in weeks, no zaps. I have full rationality and clarity that everything is anxiety based. I am not saying I am 'cured' - I will always be sensitive and possible prone to over-reacting still to the smallest 'sensation'.
Although these symptoms are scary and so real, I was always aware that they are vague. At the end of the day, I never passed out, lost balance with the dizziness, seen my fingers turn blue. The zaps were not constant and the twitching stopped.
Of course always seek medical re-assurance but in the meantime, for me, this time, it was about really thinking what was I worried about and for the first time applying positive thinking and affirmations to that. It may be more powerful to attack the 'other general or specific worry' than the HA itself.
I'm so worried re Ms. I get burnings tingly legs. Pins and needles in most places. My big toes feel kind of jittery and on edge if that makes sense like I can't bare them touching anything.
I have as patch on my back that is tingly on and off but now more frequent as well as a patch on the side of my calf. I feel this internal vibration especially when waking up. I have had dizziness on and off for couple of years. I get strange skin sensations all over my body mainly hands,feet, legs and arms. From burning to pins and needles to pain. Sometimes I feel like my limbs Arent going to work properly (they do tho). I wake up with numb fingers a lot. I get pins and needles in my feet snd legs most days. I get twi fhs in my muscles. My speech is bad getting words mixed up etc. I'm a wreck. Gp knows about my HA but said at this time he doesnt think its ms. This freaks me out "at this time". He said we will see if symptoms change at all. He's going to try me on escitrilopam which I'm apprehensive about taking. I have m.e/fibro so that complicates things as some of these symptoms could be down to that. Please help Im Desperate x
Love this!!! Came across this website today (doctor recommended ages ago) after being on the internet searching for 'early signs of MS' which i have been reading near enough every day actually convincing myself I have it. This has been very helpful !
Hey, can I have my thread back please!!
Regards
pan
Pan, That post on the "AZ" forum helped me so much three years ago when I was going through a MS scare... Now I'm back with another scare and I immediately remembered you when I read this!
Thanks for the insightful posts. I actually printed out a few from you and sixpack and read them often. :)
itoldyouiwasill
16-12-16, 23:27
Pan, That post on the "AZ" forum helped me so much three years ago when I was going through a MS scare... Now I'm back with another scare and I immediately remembered you when I read this!
Thanks for the insightful posts. I actually printed out a few from you and sixpack and read them often. :)
No worries.
It's really weird to look back and see how something I wrote so long ago is still of use to people. I'm glad to have helped.
Yep, sixpack was/is great. :)
Marion Ghad
01-02-17, 11:20
Thanks so much Dooges - I'm 70 year-old newby recovering from severe anxiety/depr.
My current physical symptom has been weird weakness in back of thighs!
This post has really helped me.
"Accepting & letting time pass" excellent advice - & realising how physical body responds to an anxious mind.
Thanks again.
I was "Breathless" over on AZ. I've always loved this thread and going through a rough patch of physical symptoms after being largely free of anxiety for a year. Glad this thread is still around.
ElectricAlice
16-02-17, 16:40
I've been gettingetting weird symptoms; tingling/buzzing down left side of my body, tiredness, loss of sensation in left hand, weird tingling paper stuck to foot feeling in left foot. Weird numb tingling in left side of face. Burning skin feeling in back. Brain fog. Depersonalisation. Had these on and off for almost 5 years. Had an mri of my brain and saway a neurologist, too many Dr's to count. But I'm still terrified and don't understand how it's just anxiety. I feel anxious and depressed because of the symptoms not the other way around :( Just sick of it all.
I made this account and joined this site for this exact reason. This post almost exactly describes my experience with anxiety. I first came down with migraines & flu like symptoms for no reason horrible bone & joint pain, heartburn, pain in spine, chest pain, awful pain in hands like arthritis. I went to a rheumatologist was told after one round of tests I could have lupus, but lupus test came back negative then the full on body jerks started followed by muscle twitches, extreme weakness in thighs when I woke up in the mornings it would feel like I had run a marathon. I went to see a neurologist had an MRI of my brain done &I it came back normal, but then I came down with additional pains and new symptoms so then I had an EEG. When the EEG came back normal but I still kept having these physical symptoms plus new ones I had an MRI done on my spine. My neurologist has reassured me I am fine. He even appealed to my logical well educated side, "you are 26 you are extremely unlikely to have a neurological disease statistically." He did however come to the conclusion I'm a young busy Mom so busy in fact I haven't realized how stressed I am. This all started a year ago for me. I have done really well recently I went a few months without thinking about my physical symptoms and MS and yes I greatly improved. However, a few days ago I came down with one of my strangest symptoms again extremely bad tongue pain. It sounds ridiculous, but it was one of the most bothersome painful physical symptoms I had and that was followed by the arthritis feeling in my hands. My twitching never completely subsided once it appeared, but it does become less frequent and my recent physical flare up has come with so much twitching. I get twitching everywhere abs, face, butt, legs, feet etc. etc. I feel myself fearing MS again because the symptoms are just so close to MS, but I'm trying to reassure myself I've had normal blood work,brain MRI, Spine MRI, EEG, & neurological exams. The irrational side of me says no something is really wrong I must have had the MRI's too early before signs of whatever neurological problem I have were visible. I might even consider going in for more testing, but I'm not sure that there are anymore test to give. I'm sure any anomaly would have shown up on previous test at this point. My neurologist had to go to school for years to do what he does he must know more about neurological conditions than google and I. I'm trying to ground myself again so as not to fall into the anxiety rabbit hole again. One thing that helped me the first time I dealt with these symptoms was a comment that anxiety symptoms come and go MS and ALS symptoms do not. Meaning if you have numbness in your leg and it's because of a neurological disease it isn't going to reverse itself your leg will remain numb. If your leg is numb for 2 days and feels normal again...anxiety. I wish this twitching would stop playing games with my head though as I lie down typing this leg muscles are going crazy. Anyone else share these feelings and experiences? Also, it is believed by some of my doctors my original health issues were due to my birth control at the time which made me feel unwell and triggered this whole mess...who knows at this point.
In case it is helpful here is a full list of the physical symptoms I have had.. migraines, Twitching, cramping, jerking, dizziness, confusion, all over aches, sore legs, one leg going completely numb like it no longer existed, chest pain, horrible inexplicable pain in tongue, arthritis feeling in hand & feet, my left eye sometimes acts as if it's shorting out it's very odd it's like I can see neon in the peripheral part of my vision it usually last a few minutes & goes away neurologist said this was related to ocular head aches, trouble focusing vision (I have poor eye sight and see an ophthalmologist once a year he thoroughly checked my eyes and saw no changes or cause for concern. I also got sick frequently last year I had a stomach virus twice, the flu twice, and even shingles (the worst) all attributed to anxiety.
isthisforreal
26-03-17, 21:37
Wow, I can't believe I just read that. I actually cried......I have been scared shitless for almost two months that I had some sort of Nuro disorder like M.S. Thanks so much for writing this post.....it literally is like you were inside my thoughts.
I don't know if this help anyone but recently i was having a massive long-term panic with loads of physical symptoms - impaired vision, numbness, tingling and u know everything else that comes with it. I was sure it must be or a brain tumour or MS. After waking up one night and not being able to feel my entire body including my spine I went to an E&R where the doctor told me there is no way it could be MS or a neurological condition. - apparently according to him as long as I can normally move all the parts of the body even if they are numb it cannot be a neurological condition. He said the worst case scenario (if it wasnt just anxiety) would be that I clicked a nerve or blocked a blood vessel in my spine so my body would lack experiencing sensations, which is not dangerous and can be easily fixed. Not sure if that is 100% true or whether it was something he told me to reassure me, but it definitely helped me since I saw some logic in that and ever since I stopped experiencing what I thought were MS symptoms.
walkerbull
07-05-17, 07:28
I made this account and joined this site for this exact reason. This post almost exactly describes my experience with anxiety. I first came down with migraines & flu like symptoms for no reason horrible bone & joint pain, heartburn, pain in spine, chest pain, awful pain in hands like arthritis. I went to a rheumatologist was told after one round of tests I could have lupus, but lupus test came back negative then the full on body jerks started followed by muscle twitches, extreme weakness in thighs when I woke up in the mornings it would feel like I had run a marathon. I went to see a neurologist had an MRI of my brain done &I it came back normal, but then I came down with additional pains and new symptoms so then I had an EEG. When the EEG came back normal but I still kept having these physical symptoms plus new ones I had an MRI done on my spine. My neurologist has reassured me I am fine. He even appealed to my logical well educated side, "you are 26 you are extremely unlikely to have a neurological disease statistically." He did however come to the conclusion I'm a young busy Mom so busy in fact I haven't realized how stressed I am. This all started a year ago for me. I have done really well recently I went a few months without thinking about my physical symptoms and MS and yes I greatly improved. However, a few days ago I came down with one of my strangest symptoms again extremely bad tongue pain. It sounds ridiculous, but it was one of the most bothersome painful physical symptoms I had and that was followed by the arthritis feeling in my hands. My twitching never completely subsided once it appeared, but it does become less frequent and my recent physical flare up has come with so much twitching. I get twitching everywhere abs, face, butt, legs, feet etc. etc. I feel myself fearing MS again because the symptoms are just so close to MS, but I'm trying to reassure myself I've had normal blood work,brain MRI, Spine MRI, EEG, & neurological exams. The irrational side of me says no something is really wrong I must have had the MRI's too early before signs of whatever neurological problem I have were visible. I might even consider going in for more testing, but I'm not sure that there are anymore test to give. I'm sure any anomaly would have shown up on previous test at this point. My neurologist had to go to school for years to do what he does he must know more about neurological conditions than google and I. I'm trying to ground myself again so as not to fall into the anxiety rabbit hole again. One thing that helped me the first time I dealt with these symptoms was a comment that anxiety symptoms come and go MS and ALS symptoms do not. Meaning if you have numbness in your leg and it's because of a neurological disease it isn't going to reverse itself your leg will remain numb. If your leg is numb for 2 days and feels normal again...anxiety. I wish this twitching would stop playing games with my head though as I lie down typing this leg muscles are going crazy. Anyone else share these feelings and experiences? Also, it is believed by some of my doctors my original health issues were due to my birth control at the time which made me feel unwell and triggered this whole mess...who knows at this point.
In case it is helpful here is a full list of the physical symptoms I have had.. migraines, Twitching, cramping, jerking, dizziness, confusion, all over aches, sore legs, one leg going completely numb like it no longer existed, chest pain, horrible inexplicable pain in tongue, arthritis feeling in hand & feet, my left eye sometimes acts as if it's shorting out it's very odd it's like I can see neon in the peripheral part of my vision it usually last a few minutes & goes away neurologist said this was related to ocular head aches, trouble focusing vision (I have poor eye sight and see an ophthalmologist once a year he thoroughly checked my eyes and saw no changes or cause for concern. I also got sick frequently last year I had a stomach virus twice, the flu twice, and even shingles (the worst) all attributed to anxiety.
Did you get twitches that spread?. I am 16 and got twitching in my left cheek that spread down to my chin, lip, legs, arms, back, stomach, and numbness in my left hand supplemented by a buzzing feeling that comes and goes in my foot.
I am constantly checking my muscle strength.
I went to my doctor who didn't take my twitches seriously and we talked for 45 minutes about anxiety. He thought tests were unnecessary. I am frustrated because he suggested it was somatization, but it feels so real!, thus am beginning to question his conclusion.
Two days after the visit I am still getting them.
nataliec414
08-05-17, 01:42
Hello! This is my first post. Coming across this thread has been so helpful. For the last two weeks I had been having some very alarming symptoms- I had has a burning sensation in the arms, pins and needles in the fingers and toes, sore eyes, arm weakness , and tingling in the fingers. I am going in for the first round of testing (MRI, bloodwork, eye doctor, etc.) in the following weeks. It has been extremely dehabilitating because I am a student in college during finals. I can't sleep, eat or function. I notice my symptoms aren't as bad when I'm distracted; I had some days where I wouldn't have symptoms for hours, or a day, and then they would pick up again. I had a similar experience in January, where I suffered from extreme globus (lump in throat sensation) that only went away with extreme distraction. Will post updates from test results in the coming weeks. If anyone ever wants to talk about this more, please message me. I find so much comfort in talking to other people who understand the pain of this.
Best,
Nat
DanielOlsen
21-05-17, 02:12
Hey guys!
Here is my story. some years ago i started getting twitching in my whole body. It was focused mostly on my left leg. I was sure i had ALS. It got so bad that i couldnt walk on my left leg. Found a forum that described Benign fasciculation syndrome. I saw that it matched very much to my symptoms. I felt that after a while i got kind of better. I still have twitches and some cramps from it but it doesnt bother me. Of course i had insane panic attacks. But i realized that anxiety is what made it worse. But I was sure it was not ALS after a while when i got back strength in the gym.
Now, years later I have the symptoms that you guys describe. More MS like symptoms. I dont get twitching like last time. That's why I freak out now. Of course i have panic attacks again. Happy to have found this thread. The symptoms kind of comes and goes but some symptoms stick to the hands/middle fingers. It's numbness, tingling, stiffness and joint pain sensation. I kind of relax and then all of a sudden i get some kind of lightning sensation over the hand/middle finger. The other day it was little fingers, globbing throat and shortness of breath. Lower back tingling. So frigging scary. Of course I google and convince myself i got MS. And even if it is ms i have to try to relax cause it makes it worse either way. 1 sec i think its anxiety other sec i think..... yea you guys know.... This forum calmed me a bit..
Edit:
today its visual. First time this have happened to me. Of course i freak out. And some neck sensations. Both my middle fingers feels like their not part of my body, but they are responding. I wrote that the first time it happened(other symptoms but mostly twitching) it was during the summer and it came after a sleep deprived period. The same happened now, but of course i think it's coincidence. And it probably is. Just life's way to **** with me. doctors appointment is 2 weeks from now.. Waiting for that i have a new exciting rare condition that is 1 in a billion. Any relax methods anyone can share?
Hi all,
This tread is super helpful. Right now my legs, arms, and head feel super heavy. But after reading this thread, I can see me working about my health and going to my PCP over and over again might no be helping my mental state (didn't start with these symptoms). But again, this thread was super helpful.
Has anyone experienced very painful burning/aches/electric pins and needless and nerve pains?I've been having all of this the past couple of days and it fits perfectly in my very well established pattern of new HA symptoms emerging, but what freaks me out is how painful the symptoms are it makes them almost impossible to ignore which makes me paranoid it can't just be anxiety, because while i've had annoying/uncomfortable anxiety symptoms before they have never actually caused me that much physical pain
When my anxiety first started, I had this pretty badly. Almost like bugs crawling on me. But I got through it.
DanielOlsen
27-05-17, 17:30
Has anyone experienced very painful burning/aches/electric pins and needless and nerve pains?I've been having all of this the past couple of days and it fits perfectly in my very well established pattern of new HA symptoms emerging, but what freaks me out is how painful the symptoms are it makes them almost impossible to ignore which makes me paranoid it can't just be anxiety, because while i've had annoying/uncomfortable anxiety symptoms before they have never actually caused me that much physical pain
Yes indeed. aches, joint pain and burning. My muscle in my right hand is aching so much that it has lost some flexibility. I told my doctor that I have had the whole side of my face lost its feeling. That went away tho. I've had blurry vision and this numbness over my hands. He said he was pretty sure it was not MS. I told him specifically that I had crazy anxiety over my symptoms and I told him that I've read(here) that anxiety can cause many of these things and he said yes it can cause some of these things.
MobileChicane
30-05-17, 16:48
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. :weep:
I explained it a little bit in the thread I made...
http://www.nomorepanic.co.uk/showthread.php?t=188339
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.
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.
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.
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
02-07-17, 20:05
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?
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
04-07-17, 21:02
It's been like this since Friday so for 5 days
carteresque
05-07-17, 10:09
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 :wacko: )
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.
Hi all, I'm new to the forums but have been reading these for about 6 months now, and this post in particular has really (really) helped me a lot of times. But, I like most, only find temporary relief and then come back to this again to check if my latest symptoms are on here!
I've been doctors (loads) and in the early stages had a brain MRI. Of course though I ask the questions of "did I have the scan too early", and "maybe the brain scan missed the MS because all my legions are in my spine"... went to a neurologist a few months ago and they were happy that nothing seriously wrong...
Probably worth noting that all mys symptoms started when I found out I was going to be a dad too...
So yeah, I manage to accept its anxiety and plod along, but then other stuff happens...
Thing I'm really struggling with at the moment, which isn't listed here, is problem with my vision. I've noticed for the past few months that I have visual snow (mostly only noticeable when looking at the sky) and also I really struggle to look at white surfaces - it just kind of blurs and looks weird. I have been to the opticians and they said all is fine - no problems.
Also my uncomfortable legs is worse than ever, I just tingle and feel uncomfortable in my thighs pretty much ALL the time now. There's no escape. Though it is much worse when I have been sitting down all day (I work in an office...)
So, the main Q's are, does anyone else have constant visual problems and constant leg problems and still be ok with it being anxiety???
Thank you so much for any replies, and as a bonus I will recommend that everyone reads the book "the art of happiness" by the Dalai Lama. It's sop positive and has an amazing outlook on life. i.e. being happy despite physical illnesses etc...
Final update on my front.
Symptoms started and manifested in this order.
1. Tingling in left arm/hand (May 2017)
2. Tingling in left foot (Early June 2017)
3. Burning and prickling in both (June 2017)
4. Random spells of Light Headedness (Early July 2017)
5. Ulnar Nerve - pinky and ring finger - tingling/burning (left and right hands) (August 2017)
6. Muscle aches in left leg - calf, ankle, thigh (August 2017)
7. Increased floaters in eyes
8. Right Eye Aches
9. Strange pressure sensations in left temple
I had ALL of this, off and on, for months on end with no relief. I tried every vitamin in the book (including b12, D, Magnesium, etc) with no relief.
Absolutely 100% CONVINCED I had MS. Nothing else made sense, I obsessed over these feelings daily as I just could not ignore the sensations and physical symptoms I was experiencing.
Finally get in for an MRI (with/without contrast) in mid September. Also had an EMG done. Both came back 100% normal with two seperate neurologists assuring me I was a-ok.
I'm posting this in the hopes that someone out there, who may be having similar sensations, can understand and find some reassurance that these things and symptoms don't automatically point to MS. That being said, go to your doctor and be sure. This is literally the weirdest anxiety loop i've ever experienced.
Symptoms > Automatically assume MS > Heightened anxiety > More symptoms > google/post here for reassurance > Some relief > Constant worry about symptoms showing back up > they show back up > repeat.
Literally that's the loop. You gotta break that chain. Best way to do it is not to assume you automatically know and go to a Dr.
Good luck guys!
I'm going through exactly this at the moment. Whole list of symptoms, including the frequent urination referred to by mobile chicane. Have seen a neuro twice, who's done a thorough exam and said that he can't find anything to suggest a neuro disease. At the second visit he offered an MRI "for reassurance" if I wanted it, but he's not concerned.
And yet I'm still worried . .which of course kicks off the symptoms in and of itself. Both ironic and annoying!
Ive been having symptoms for over 10 years. Started at 19 with tingly feet and then legs aching like crazy. Then it sorta disappeared but on and off comes back for no reason. But recently my left eye has a floater that is so inescapably annoying and suddenly I've got a twitch on my lip that seems to have decreased my feeling in that area of my face. Been like that for 5 days so far. Ive assumed anxiety because any numbness ive had had always disappeared after a few days and would come back randomly but never constant so that pointed more to anxiety than MS. I have never been to a DR about my symptoms because ive been too scared. If this reduced feeling in my face continues i will go to a DR but for now whats anyones opinion on what ive described?
A side note my symptoms increased during moving house and having a family member diagnosed with terminal cancer which has really stressed me. Also my mother has MS, very minor, unsure exactly what type but has no mobility issues, you can imagine my mum having it definitely made me think that I have it. I appreciate your responce guys, thanks
Keep reading this as im going through hell at the minute none stop body jerks,vibrations,shakes literally at the end of my tether with it all,praying its stress and anxiety
https://youtu.be/dUsVivNgmpc
This is me to an absolute t,this is a must watch,i have exactly the same as this lad except i havnt had the tests yet
DanielOlsen
07-01-18, 03:13
I just gotta make this reply:
I just finished watching a video that I have been too scared to watch for years. It's this guy with ALS diagnosis on youtube. It is so tough to watch. I promised myself a year ago I would watch it if I was ok and make a reply here and at the bfs forum. This forum have helped me a lot. Now I see I am ok an. It's just anxiety. let me list my symptoms:
Crazy vision problems and disorientation
Breathing, swallowing and numbness in shoulders
Numbness in hands and twitching in legs
Finger and face paralyzation. (could not chew or move half of my face for 15 min)
Lower back tingling (spine area)
I probably forgot some. But you can imagine or already know about the crazy panic attacks you get when these symptoms arrive. This of course makes it worse. So yeah. You can have eeeevery symptom in the book. Now I have calmed down and nothing... It is cleeearly anxiety. I would neeever think I had anxiety. But I have it so bad so I get these crazy symptoms. If you find that you are ok too. use it to see how lucky you are that you are ok. thanks guys for your stories. they helped a lot.
Wackyal123
24-04-18, 15:02
Jeez this is a good (albeit scary) post!
So, for years and years, I've had that low level "hum" feeling through my body. Aches and pains for the last 4 years or so. I've had a ton of tests for things.
The last month, I've had trembling in my hands and noticed my legs feel a bit floppy now and then, as well as feeling like I have weak arms. I'm obviously concerned about MS/Parkinsons/ALS. Perhaps it is one of those. I am seeing a doctor next week, BUT, I have also had very little sleep, stress at work, and I have a 21 month old who not only stresses me out, but runs me ragged. In the last 8 months, despite having 2 weeks at christmas and a week off at easter, I've not been able to relax. My exercise has fizzled out since early december too. I feel exhausted. Both physically and from the anxiety.
I hope you are right. I hope I'm not unlucky. We'll see. Thanks for the post though.
I know this thread is old... but Like everyone on this thread I'm also convinced I have a serious MND like MS going on since I've had unrelenting persistent paresthesia for some time all over the body.. both hands, both feet.. there's very little let up (only in severity but never completely gone) I've had two rounds of MRI of full brain, spine-- nothing found and neurologist told me its not MS but anxiety. But since then I've tried CBT, and no relief. My mind won't believe its anxiety since its not intermittent. The only thing that makes me believe it may be anxiety related is that it started with a minor tingle in my right foot.. then I made the mistake of googling... and literally the same night my entire body started experiencing tingling. (Don't know though if that was just anxiety setting off a real neurological disease).
No matter how hard I try to relax the sx don't go away. I'm at my wits end. Wondering if anyone has had success with having the symptoms disappear using anti-anxiety meds because now I'm reluctantly willing to try meds. Anyone here recover from their MS like symptoms?
No matter how hard I try to relax the sx don't go away. I'm at my wits end. Wondering if anyone has had success with having the symptoms disappear using anti-anxiety meds because now I'm reluctantly willing to try meds. Anyone here recover from their MS like symptoms?
I'm right there with ya buddy. I still get tingling and parasthesias in my hands and feet. Unlike yours, mine are coming and going and I've actually had a pretty good week.
My neuro prescribed me Nortriptyline. Look into it, It's helped me a bit I believe. I'm on a very low dose of 10mg because antidepressants kinda scare me but anyway, since I've started taking it I've noticed my symptoms seem less severe (especially the tingling).
It's prescribed for nerve pain + anxiety so it's kind of a double wammy. Good luck!
unsure_about_this
06-05-18, 18:18
I worried I have MS with the pains I am having, I do suffer from NF myself which something completly different, things may mirror symptoms. I have brain scans due to my having NF and also a spinal mri because the doctor wanted to nosey around a curve back. I had mri scan abdominal and other scans in the past because I thought i had bowel cancer 5 years ago.
---------- Post added at 18:18 ---------- Previous post was at 18:17 ----------
because tablets don't work to clear the pain. sometimes it may be my diet or lack of vit d, but that is maybe the case, but you got to rule out cancer, ms etc
Does anyone know anyone on here/ stories who had ms like symptoms diagnosed with anxiety- and had them actually disappear/ “cured”/ healed—I’m having a hard time wrapping my mind that all my symptoms (paresthesia, urinary issues) are caused by anxiety. My neuro chalked it up to anxiety but sometimes I feel that’s a wastebasket diagnosis when they don’t feel like investigating further. I mean I deal anxious but not abnormally so until all the symptoms started. Now I’m living in constant fear. Is there anyway we can no for sure our symptoms are really caused by anxiety?
HI, does anybody have unequal pupils? (sometimes)
I notice it only sometimes in the morning...and then maybe sometimes in the evening, especially after the hot bath. I notice it from The beginning of February...eye doctor and neuro both OK. i think it could be from the anxiety which started 1 year ago..
HI, does anybody have unequal pupils? (sometimes)
I notice it only sometimes in the morning...and then maybe sometimes in the evening, especially after the hot bath. I notice it from The beginning of February...eye doctor and neuro both OK. i think it could be from the anxiety which started 1 year ago..
YES!
I get this shit all the time since I started having my issues about a year ago as well. I only ever notice it in my bathroom and usually after I get out of the tub.
How strange. At first I was really concerned about it but then I noticed my girlfriend gets this a lot too and that kinda calmed me down. Also had clear neuro diagnosis like you...
I think we're all just going crazy. :roflmao:
This post has calmed me down so much during my times of peril. My problems started about 10 days ago, when I realised I had a pain in my upper left abdomen. I googled it, and convinced myself I have pancreatitis. After days of stressing out, I got a lump in my throat, started getting random muscle twitches and cramps around my body, felt a tightness in the back of my head and neck, felt tight in my calves and arms, had a stomach ache, felt brief numbness in my legs and arms, felt invisible tremors when going to bed and started seeing black eye floaters. Obviously, during the middle of all these episodes i convinced myself I have MS. After some tests with my GP, he says there is no way I have MS, and that it is near unheard of in my ethnic origin.
I was relatively okay after my GP visit, but I realised that after a hot shower my calves get really tense and tight. Now I am worried that I do have it, because of that 'hot bath test' for MS. My friend told me the tightness is just because I have been tense for days, and whilst the hot shower relaxes your muscles, it gets very tight after you finish the shower.
Can anyone confirm this? Because I am freaking out!
Hi all
I hope you are doing well
I really need some advise tonight I’m new to the MS worries but certainly not new to anxiety
For the past month I have been living in a terrible fear that I have MS
I have had internal tremors that just won’t let up !! Apart from 2 tremor free days last weekend
Back in October I went to hospital with numbness in feet and hands and now it’s back also have tingling over my back and shoulders I’m convinced this is a sign
My muscles ache and I am exhausted
I’m so sick of feeling like this the anxiety is so debiliting
:weep:
Thanks for any input
Hi There
Ive been going through this for about a month now, it started off i got a numbness down my left arm and of course i went to google and ALS came into mind because its a very big fear of mine, Within a week symptoms of tingling all over my body like EVERYWHERE along with numbness, left arm feels like its not there, I feel like i am shaking inside, sometimes it feels like Im floating when im walking like the sensation is gone in my legs, ive a constant lump in my throat and it feels like when i grab it it clicks, under my tongue feels like its swollen all the time and is kinda painful, im getting pains everywhere especially in my thumbs, hands, wrists and feels like my bones are creaking. Ive been to the doctor 3 times all being cleared of stuff like ALS, MS, Vitamin defiecency and arthtitus. Like even when I was scrolling through here my thumb was going crazy on the mouse.I keep lifting things, clenching my fists really hard, jumping up and down really high, all just to see if I have strenght still, Im 23 and I just want to know is all this normal like can everything litterally just come upon me within a few days. I see that things wrote on this is a bit old so hopefully There is somebody that can help me ive never felt anxious really about anything and never seen myself ever being like this Ive stopped playing sport as like I actually cant see myself being able to so I really need to beat this quickly. Thanks :)
Does anybody know if it's a common presentation for MS to have weakness in the legs and arms, plus dizziness and tingling sensations that come up randomly and last a few seconds? I always thought MS symptoms were dependent on lesions and would affect a certain area in a more serious way and not various areas in milder ways?
LukeJordanQuigley
01-07-19, 00:41
Hi everyone new to this sort of thing,
I’m a chronic worrier and have always thought I’ve had some sort of life threatening or altering disease. The scariest is I’ve been experiencing this weird sensation in my chest, and my both arms and legs. With my chest it feels as though there is pressure running from my sternum up to below my chin that flares up at times. Has anyone experienced this? It’s not painful just more uncomfortable and annoying...My arms and legs (both) have also felt heavy, almost as if they’re floating. This is constant and hasn’t subsided once in the past two weeks. It’s taken over my life because I have completely convinced myself I have MS. I’ve recently gotten a full bout of blood work - awaiting results. I’m going to see the GP tomorrow and point out my fear of MS. Just wondering have people have the symptoms I’ve outlined...
I experience the heavy legs and arms and I also think I have MS.
But to be honest your symptoms don’t really sound like MS. Do you have tingling, numbness, loss of balance or blurry/double vision?
LukeJordanQuigley
01-07-19, 21:35
No, i've never had vision issues, however my balance feels odd when i'm walking as if i'm swaying at times but i never actually am, and i've never fallen or tripped due to it. thats what makes me think i'm just worrying myself crazy. I've got a numb spot in my hand (due to surgery), and i've never had that sensation anywhere else in my body so i presume i havent experienced numbness...the sensations i feel are so difficult to describe, my arm almost feels as though it is constantly dead or uncomfortable - if that makes any sense. I also constantly feel ungrounded, almost floaty, not so much dizzy but as if my body is floating.
itcantbeanxiety
31-07-19, 02:05
Hi all,
New to this site and it was definitely helpful to read that I'm not the only one that manifests symptoms. For a year now I have noticed that my hands shake pretty consistently. Nothing to impair my normal daily activities but just a very fine tremor. Never noticed this prior to developing HA so am just wondering if anyone else gets this, as its one of the things I googled before I realized that googling is never a great idea, and it led me to MS/ALS. Could also be a side effect of the anxiety, as my doctor said that when we are anxious all the time, adrenaline just seeps into our system and can cause lots of symptoms that we don't normally get when we're not anxious all the time.
I'm so glad I found this thread I haven't used this site for about 7 years now when I thought my IBS was bowel cancer. 2 and a half years ago I thought I had blood cancer. Now in the last 2 weeks I convinced myself I have ALS. It started with a sore neck in the morning, worked out the night before and have poor posture at work with desk job so it makes sense that this is the cause but the numbing feeling in my arms got me scared. Again I googled symptoms because recently a professional footballer has been diagnosed with MND. I had a lot of the symptoms. Muscle twitching, cramps, weak arms, tiredness. Then I became especially conscious of my throat and assumed something was wrong. I went to the doctor yesterday and she did a physical examination: checking sensations, muscle wastage, reflexes etc and said she had no issues and did not think I needed referring. As the original poster said I was so relieved. Then BAM today right shoulder is sore again, weak right hand. I felt like I pulled a muscle in my face and then this started twitching. 1 month ago I wouldn't have cared about any of this but now I'm in this anxiety zone every feeling and twinge is heightened to a ridiculous level. I'm 31 and no this disease is rare and even rarer for someone my age but even though there are logical explanations for all of my ailments, which are heightened further by the anxiety, the 'what if' factor is so hard to drown out. I feel really good for reading this post and I'm glad I'm not alone, it has offered me some comfort.
Hi everyone,
So been a long time health anxiety sufferer. I do plan on going for CBT, however the wait list in my area is quite long. But I feel like it’s a step in the right direction.
Ive been recently worried about MS. Well it started out as an ALS fear, then quickly moved to MS. My right arm for some time (9 months) has felt tired and gets fatigued quite easily when I an doing something with it. Recently I have been feeling dull aches in my right leg as well when climbing stairs or doing whatever. I can physically climb the stairs, but after I am done it feels like I just worked out my muscles a lot and my right thigh aches. Due to this I have been strength testing it a lot by climbing stairs, standing on one leg, etc.
I saw my doctor about 6 weeks ago. She really focused on my arm issue and kind of pushed aside the leg one. We did a full physical, strength, neuro, reflexes test and blood work. Everything is good in my arms and legs. I told her I was super afraid it could be something neurological and feared MS. She responded “I don’t think so” and “MS usually does not present itself that way”.
I felt really relieved on the drive home. I do trust her but am still getting some occasional fears that she misdiagnosed me. She said my nerves and muscles are all responding well, if this is the case should i stop worrying about MS?
30 yr old male btw. I know the answer is yes, but I need some convincing. I am just super worried that it is only affecting one side of my body (my right arm and leg). My left arm and leg are perfectly fine. I have no tingling, numbness, vision issues, etc. Can anyone offer some advice please!
Hi everyone,
So been a long time health anxiety sufferer. I do plan on going for CBT, however the wait list in my area is quite long. But I feel like it’s a step in the right direction.
Ive been recently worried about MS. Well it started out as an ALS fear, then quickly moved to MS. My right arm for some time (9 months) has felt tired and gets fatigued quite easily when I an doing something with it. Recently I have been feeling dull aches in my right leg as well when climbing stairs or doing whatever. I can physically climb the stairs, but after I am done it feels like I just worked out my muscles a lot and my right thigh aches. Due to this I have been strength testing it a lot by climbing stairs, standing on one leg, etc.
I saw my doctor about 6 weeks ago. She really focused on my arm issue and kind of pushed aside the leg one. We did a full physical, strength, neuro, reflexes test and blood work. Everything is good in my arms and legs. I told her I was super afraid it could be something neurological and feared MS. She responded “I don’t think so” and “MS usually does not present itself that way”.
I felt really relieved on the drive home. I do trust her but am still getting some occasional fears that she misdiagnosed me. She said my nerves and muscles are all responding well, if this is the case should i stop worrying about MS?
30 yr old male btw. I know the answer is yes, but I need some convincing. I am just super worried that it is only affecting one side of my body (my right arm and leg). My left arm and leg are perfectly fine. I have no tingling, numbness, vision issues, etc. Can anyone offer some advice please!
Wingo I can't offer any advice but I can say that I am in a very similar situation. Testing my limbs for strength etc and whilst in a state of anxiety your muscles are extremely tense which in turn creates further aches on said muscles, I know because it's happening to me as well. I too went to the doctor fearing a neurological disorder and she similarly tested my strength, reflexes etc and advised she believed I was fine. We have to trust the doctor's advice; they are professionally trained and know what they are doing. Think of it this way: the all clear from your doctor is the best news you could have got, had your doctor had to refer you for any reason your anxiety would be a million times worse than it is now. You received good news - be thankful.
What a good post!!
I'm certainly in a black hole at the moment!! I would appreciate any feedback cos I am in a terrible place right now!!
I do have MS (remitting relapsing) diagnosed last year in August. It didn't really worry me at all and have carried on. But more recently, over the last 5 weeks have had some very odd symptoms which are worrying!! Muscle twitching in eyes that went away and now muscle twitching over my body and thinking the worst now about Mnd!! Now have a bad back and swollen ankle and I'm freaking out and can't stop crying!! Any help please
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