How long do MRI results stay "valid"

[Edmonton28]

I've been freaking out this week because on Saturday (after a night of not sleeping due to anxiety) all day my anxiety was terrible, I went into the ER AGAIN thinking it was my heart and they "ruled it out". I was still sitting at home just having racing thoughts about it and then suddenly the whole left side of my face went numb. I jumped up and it seemed to go away almost right away but it had residual tingling for like an hour or so. I finally caved and took some clonazepam so that I could just sleep and forget it all.

Starting the next day (Sunday), I started getting small tingling in my face and nose, on both sides. Almost like someone was running a hair over my face. Also I've been getting pain in my gums since then that kinda spreads to my lips. The other worrisome symptom that has me thinking the worst again is I've had a nosebleed in my right nostril for like 5 days. Only bleeds sometimes when I blow it, not like dripping out, but it's just there. All of this combined with a headache almost every time i stand up or move in a certain way (headache is alway in the same spot on the top left of my brain it feels like) has me thinking that there is a bleed in my brain!

I woke up in the middle of the night and my whole left arm was numb, I don't think I was sleeping on it either and my heart was completely pounding/racing, I was terrified. This is like the third time now in a week I have woken up in the night with racing heart and chest pain, sometimes arm pain and I have gone to the ER twice they did chest X-rays ECG and blood work and say its nothing.. Even today when I Was just sitting around, I suddenly felt like my left arm wasn't attached anymore and tried typing something on the computer and for a few seconds I couldn't make it type properly. I'm so panicked about a stroke or TIA but I know if I go to the ER they will probably just do a CT of my head.

I had a CT done months ago and with so many X-rays (and I'm doing a barium swallow next week) I'm really concerned about the radiation. I really wish that the default test was an MRI. I had an MRI done about two months ago that was normal, so my family doctor thinks its not worrisome these symptoms as I'm not 'at risk' for stroke and she said that generally the condition of the vessels in your brain doesn't change quickly and I wouldnt have a forming aneurism or bleed or clot "all of the sudden" i just don't know if i believe that..

I am currently taking 0.5-1mg of clonazepam daily to try and manage this and I started back on pantaloc 4 days ago to help with my GERD which has gotten horrible. Even when Im on the clonazepam though I get the tingling in my face and nose and pain in the lips so I just don't see how it could be anxiety causing that! I feel like I should basically live at the ER, but at the same time that I'm almost 'unwelcome' there because I've gone in so much :(

[Fishmanpa]

You've had more scans and tests than I did and I had cancer! Hell, I can only wish I was told everything was normal. What will it take to convince you it's anxiety?

Hope you feel better!

Positive thoughts

[kahi35]

hi sorry your feeling this way. ive been through all of these symptoms and worries you are going trough and it might be hard to believe but anxiety can casue u to have any symptom you are thinking about especially us folk with health anxiety. we are so in tuned to your body every little pain and twitch we feel, the worse symptoms are the racing heart and chest pains. best test is if you could do a stress test to reassure you your heat is fine. feel better.

[Edmonton28]

Thanks for the replies guys. T that is a good question, I'm not sure when I will be able to tell myself that all of this is just anxiety.. It's really hard to do when new (and scary) symptoms are coming up that I haven't experienced before.

For example just now when I went outside and just took out the trash and recycling, my nose started bleeding even more and I got a worse headache. Those combined with tingling in my face seem pretty serious (to me). And stuff like the bleeding, which can't be caused by anxiety, makes me reconsider and link all the other symptoms.

I really wish that at some point someone would point to something concrete. I feel like with a tangible reason it would take some weight off of my shoulders.
I want to believe it is anxiety, I really do! It's just hard to get there.

[Althea]

For some of us, nosebleeds are just part of winter--dry air, irritation from nose-blowing, etc. I'm guessing from your name that you've got enough winter to do it! Those nosebleeds are not serious at all.

And if you've been prone to nosebleeds in the right nostril, stop blowing it for a while--give it a rest. What's probably happening is that it starts healing and then the pressure of blowing kicks the bleeding up again. Try a little nasal saline to keep it moister during the dry season but otherwise give it some peace for a while. I know that's hard to say even if you don't have HA, but I think it'll help.

Good luck to you!