Rachel W
06-10-08, 17:05
Hello Everyone,
I am driving myself crazy.
A few years ago I was in a car accident and had resulting vertigo/ dizziness and ongoing pain in my left hand. I had an MRI and it was negative and so I had inner ear testing and the results were consistent with vestibular damage. The dizziness comes and goes so I decided to get a second opinion and the otolaryngologist thought that I should get a vision field test done instead which could affect how well my body adjusts to the dizziness and how well I heal (inner ear damage does not heal but the brain learns to adjust for it and other factors can reduce its ability to do this).
The field vision test was normal but when I had the eye test I had a little visual distortion on the same side as my inner ear damage. Thinking back I think that this dates back to the accident as well as I recall when I had eye tests during regular physicals that my right eye looked fuzzy but I thought that it was just because I had just covered my eye with my hand.
The problem is, when I read about distortion in the eye I then worried about MS. So then I felt weak in my arms and legs (which would get better with exercise) and then I noticed that my fingers did not seem to be working as well as usual (and even thought back to two recent incidences where I could not find the corner of a paper towel on a roll and then trying to grab a receipt from a cashier and it taking about four tries (but I was also running really late for a doctor's appointment so was in a rush).
Since then I have been worrying about my hands, and in the last five weeks I have been feeling less able to do things. I don't have a minute where I am not thinking about it. When I grab at something it takes me twice to get it. It feels as if I am shaky as well. I have also been getting twitches, but granted they are all over and not just in my hands and legs. Now I am worried about ALS. It is strange, as before I started worrying about it I did not have any symptoms except those two that can happen to anyone I suppose (and I had been under a lot of stress!). I have also been looking at my hands and think that they look skinnier although I don't remember what they looked like before.
Is it possible for worry to bring on symptoms, shakiness, loss of coordination, weakness? I am taking two weeks holiday to rest and try to relax but I keep looking up symptoms online and seem to get more when I read about them...
I have also been waking up almost every night with both hands (especially the last three fingers) numb and tingly which goes away once I move them again.
Please help. I need some reassurance.
I have OCD also, so have a tendancy to be stressed.
Rachel
I am driving myself crazy.
A few years ago I was in a car accident and had resulting vertigo/ dizziness and ongoing pain in my left hand. I had an MRI and it was negative and so I had inner ear testing and the results were consistent with vestibular damage. The dizziness comes and goes so I decided to get a second opinion and the otolaryngologist thought that I should get a vision field test done instead which could affect how well my body adjusts to the dizziness and how well I heal (inner ear damage does not heal but the brain learns to adjust for it and other factors can reduce its ability to do this).
The field vision test was normal but when I had the eye test I had a little visual distortion on the same side as my inner ear damage. Thinking back I think that this dates back to the accident as well as I recall when I had eye tests during regular physicals that my right eye looked fuzzy but I thought that it was just because I had just covered my eye with my hand.
The problem is, when I read about distortion in the eye I then worried about MS. So then I felt weak in my arms and legs (which would get better with exercise) and then I noticed that my fingers did not seem to be working as well as usual (and even thought back to two recent incidences where I could not find the corner of a paper towel on a roll and then trying to grab a receipt from a cashier and it taking about four tries (but I was also running really late for a doctor's appointment so was in a rush).
Since then I have been worrying about my hands, and in the last five weeks I have been feeling less able to do things. I don't have a minute where I am not thinking about it. When I grab at something it takes me twice to get it. It feels as if I am shaky as well. I have also been getting twitches, but granted they are all over and not just in my hands and legs. Now I am worried about ALS. It is strange, as before I started worrying about it I did not have any symptoms except those two that can happen to anyone I suppose (and I had been under a lot of stress!). I have also been looking at my hands and think that they look skinnier although I don't remember what they looked like before.
Is it possible for worry to bring on symptoms, shakiness, loss of coordination, weakness? I am taking two weeks holiday to rest and try to relax but I keep looking up symptoms online and seem to get more when I read about them...
I have also been waking up almost every night with both hands (especially the last three fingers) numb and tingly which goes away once I move them again.
Please help. I need some reassurance.
I have OCD also, so have a tendancy to be stressed.
Rachel