MS worries

[benjamin222]

I'll just launch right into it...

Symptoms I'm having consistent with MS symptoms:

Constantly tired and weak, quite severely, regardless of amount of sleep. Getting out of bed is very difficult, just feel like I'm dragging myself through everything I do. Simply walking or even something like turning my head or even moving my eyes around feels more like a difficult chore. Just don't feel like I have the energy to do it.

Numbness and tingling in both arms and hands, extending to each of my fingers, mostly in the 4th and pinky fingers of my right hand. Arms feel heavy and weak, can barely move them.

Blurry vision, constantly

Unable to hold onto thoughts, constantly confused about where I am or what I'm doing.

Hands are in a lot of pain, feels like carpal-tunnel.

Muscles twitching.

Numbness and tingling in my lips, feels like I'm wearing chap-stick when I'm not

I know these can also be anxiety symptoms, but more and more I just know the diagnosis of MS or perhaps even something more severe is inevitably in my future. If anyone can offers supportive words it would be more than appreciated!

[JonoClouds]

Ben

If these symptoms have appeared very suddenly then it could be depression with anxiety rather than MS. Please consult your doctor, I think the symptoms merit a visit and he will be able to make a proper assessment. I think you'll be in a much better position afterwards. It's so easy to fear a diagnosis, but it is important to get checked out and you may well not have MS anyway.

All the best

Jono

[jade1978]

The fact that you have such widespread symptoms says to me its anxiety. Speak to your doc for reassurance.

[RLR]

It's important for you to acknowledge that clinical diagnosis, particularly where neurodegenerative diseases are concerned, is quite complex and under no circumstances can accuracy of such a task be accomplished by attempting to draw subjective comparisons between the symptoms you feel and some list of clinical findings consistent with Multiple Sclerosis. I can tell you that with a great deal of confidence and certainty because I'm a retired neurologist and was in practice for more than 40 years.

The case with absolutely all neurological disease is the specific company that certain symptoms keep, or in other words the specific presentation of very specific symptoms known in clinical medicine to be distinguished from other conditions. You make no mention of a single one of these specific caveats which would suggest the possibility of MS.

Self-diagnosis can be the devil's own quill in persons with health anxiety, for the more apprehensive they become that their summations are accurate the more anxiety is produced, followed by an increase in somatoform or physical symptoms which only serves to reinforce their notions. It is a cycle that can be very difficult to break and it's critical for you to realize that the reason for such resistance has to do with the development of a specific type of fear that suggests a threat to survival.

This type of perception causes the brain to respond in a very particular manner that is genetically pre-wired in the brain to identify and overcome the threat such that feelings of safety are re-established. Again, this is an innate survival response induced by the brain and it's the very process which causes persons to feel compelled to confirm their suspicions and because it feels natural, the individual is often convinced by the "gut" feeling that their suspicions are accurate. In actuality, the exact opposite is most often the case and efforts to self-diagnose are far from the requisite accuracy.

Indeed, anxiety can induce physical sequelae very similar to some neurological diseases and the reason for this is quite simply that both anxiety and true neuropathology invoke changes upon the one and only existing nervous system. Thus, the layperson looks directly past this obvious fact and instead is driven to make associations which by their interpretations, seem completely rational and substantiated.

I see nothing of your symptoms that would suggest the presence of an autoimmune-related process such as Multiple Sclerosis. Again, simply pause to remember that if clinical diagnosis were actually as simplistic as making associations from an internet source then a great deal of physicians, myself included, would feel quite disenchanted and spiteful indeed that we were made to sacrifice more than a decade of our lives necessary to perform accurate clinical diagnosis.

You're going to be fine. You need to challenge your irrational ruminations with the logic that fear of a disease has no capacity to actually cause it to manifest, despite your best efforts.

Best regards,

Rutheford Rane, MD (ret.)

[benjamin222]

Thank you so much everyone for the good responses. For some reason today, I started focusing on my heart again, which took a lot of the symptoms of MS away. Although there is still a part of me worried about MS, it's certainly seems less plausible now.
You're right, I have been extremely depressed lately and since the depression kicked in, A LOT more symptoms have been creeping up as well. I have been quite agoraphobic and almost bed ridden and it's been awful. I'm constantly in poor posture with pain in my neck and back making me think a pinched nerve could also be the cause of my problems.

Rutheford Rane - Thank you so much for your reply! It was honestly a bit moving to hear such an educated and understanding response over the internet. I'm so happy you're here on these forums! It's very clear that you've been practicing neurology for a very long time and again, I'm so happy you were able to respond to my post!

[matrix123]

It's important for you to acknowledge that clinical diagnosis, particularly where neurodegenerative diseases are concerned, is quite complex and under no circumstances can accuracy of such a task be accomplished by attempting to draw subjective comparisons between the symptoms you feel and some list of clinical findings consistent with Multiple Sclerosis. I can tell you that with a great deal of confidence and certainty because I'm a retired neurologist and was in practice for more than 40 years.

The case with absolutely all neurological disease is the specific company that certain symptoms keep, or in other words the specific presentation of very specific symptoms known in clinical medicine to be distinguished from other conditions. You make no mention of a single one of these specific caveats which would suggest the possibility of MS.

Self-diagnosis can be the devil's own quill in persons with health anxiety, for the more apprehensive they become that their summations are accurate the more anxiety is produced, followed by an increase in somatoform or physical symptoms which only serves to reinforce their notions. It is a cycle that can be very difficult to break and it's critical for you to realize that the reason for such resistance has to do with the development of a specific type of fear that suggests a threat to survival.

This type of perception causes the brain to respond in a very particular manner that is genetically pre-wired in the brain to identify and overcome the threat such that feelings of safety are re-established. Again, this is an innate survival response induced by the brain and it's the very process which causes persons to feel compelled to confirm their suspicions and because it feels natural, the individual is often convinced by the "gut" feeling that their suspicions are accurate. In actuality, the exact opposite is most often the case and efforts to self-diagnose are far from the requisite accuracy.

Indeed, anxiety can induce physical sequelae very similar to some neurological diseases and the reason for this is quite simply that both anxiety and true neuropathology invoke changes upon the one and only existing nervous system. Thus, the layperson looks directly past this obvious fact and instead is driven to make associations which by their interpretations, seem completely rational and substantiated.

I see nothing of your symptoms that would suggest the presence of an autoimmune-related process such as Multiple Sclerosis. Again, simply pause to remember that if clinical diagnosis were actually as simplistic as making associations from an internet source then a great deal of physicians, myself included, would feel quite disenchanted and spiteful indeed that we were made to sacrifice more than a decade of our lives necessary to perform accurate clinical diagnosis.

You're going to be fine. You need to challenge your irrational ruminations with the logic that fear of a disease has no capacity to actually cause it to manifest, despite your best efforts.

Best regards,

Rutheford Rane, MD (ret.)

This is a great response as many others by RLR. I'm fearing MS also, mainly because of a weak/numb feeling in my left leg which never goes away since more than 3 months (it waxes and wanes, but never disappears). I have planned a visit to the neuro, but keep postponing it fearing the worst :(

I just wanted to ask if it's possible for anxiety symptoms to persist for months? Right now the leg feels worse because I'm lowering the Xanax dosage, so I'm sure part of it is anxiety...but it seems that there's something else behind it also

[Melisssa]

My fears are also ms related. Sudden onset of parathesia, starts with pins and needles in my hand, going up either left or right side. Into my face.. My face feels slightly numb especially around my eye. Then burning prickly skin usually on backs of arms and neck for up to three days later. This was originally diagnosed as a side affect to high dose of nexium (80mg) Drs reduced nexium to 20mg (trying to wean to 10mg) it has lessened the frequency of parathesia but it still happens. I'm not sure how to trust Drs anymore. It's very hard. The same hospital that put me on the high dose diagnosed this as a side affect. I was at the time 45kg. I'm scared, no one has any real clue. Today I'm insisting on a MRI. It's put my anxiety through the roof. That is if it's not anxiety, like has been suggested. Please help anyone!!

[nutteetart]

Having suffered with chronic anxiety conditions over the past 12 years, I have recently flared up with new symptoms. This is stress brought on by many infuences in my current life but culminating in an impending CT scan which terrifies me. This has been the result of strange, apparently sinus-type symptoms such as acid reflux or PND, facial fullness, dry eye and a newly acquired grimace or squint. (the doc informs could be a tic. Another new one to add to my collection!).

Since then an old friend has been diagnosed with MS. Having found out her inital symptoms (I wont divulge these in case you image them),I have now had the same symptoms! Couple this with the eye problems I am experiencing, I am now in a viscious cycle of symptom-google a diagnosis-must be MS).
Since reading the post from RLR 2007, I am now totally reassured that my symptoms are, in fact made up from a greater need in my body to make me prepare for a stressful situatioin. In fact any situation including MS. If my friend had a pimple on her bum, I would probably create a symptom to enable myself to prepare for this, hopefully remedy; thus creating safety! (I think that's it).
Thank you RLR. Your eloquent vocabulary (once fully decifered) has hit the spot!
I hope this message finds you well and I truly hope you participate on this forum rather than need its reassuring words.
With great respect
Fay