Anxiety symptoms mimicking MS symptoms

[xrachykinsx]

Hello, pretty sure this isn't a new topic and imagine its a common one but really just need to get it out. I suffered a bad bout of depression/anxiety last October and it had taken me a hell of a long time to get to where I am now. I'm not on medication anymore and mentally, I'm pretty good! I'm back at work and things are going back to normal.

Months leading up to my breakdown I started to get a numb/heavy arm, I would get quite wound up by it because it was weird and I'd never had it before. I got a bit over worried about it which may have made it worse...then in the full swing of my breakdown I started getting tingly hands/ arms etc. I mentioned it to the doc and he was happy to just conclude it was anxiety. I may add months before my breakdown, I had floaters appear in my eyes (little specks of something) when I look at bright, plain or white backgrounds...I went to the opticians for it and they confirmed my sight was perfect and I did have a few floaters which are harmless.

In the last month, I've started having various aches and pains similar to growing pains or sciatica. I have tingling in my feet again too. I was wondering if I should go to the doctors again. If they were able to definitely rule out and serious problems I would be happy to accept that they really are just symptoms of anxiety- it may even elimate the anxiety and symptoms altogether. I've never been a health worrier before but googling my symptoms which I know is bad when I was in the middle of my breakdown has got just niggling worry stuck in my head everytine my leg aches or my foot tingles. My aunt on my dads side has MS and that makes me more concerned. I'm worried my doc will just fob me off again though which doesn't really ease my mind.

[xrachykinsx]

Anyone? Surely I'm not the only one!

[Serenity1990]

MS is caused by an abnormal immune response to the myelin that protects nerve cells in the brain and spinal cord. An "attack" of MS causes one or more "lesions" in the brain or spinal cord, and as such the sensory or motor functions of whatever part of the body that particular bit of brain or spinal cord control stop working properly. Thus symptoms that come and go, change presentation or move around the body simply can't be caused by MS: the damage is localised and takes weeks or months to repair (or in the rarer case of PPMS they never repair).

Aches/pains all over are not a symptom of MS. Floaters aren't caused by MS. The vision issue caused by MS is called optic neuritis, which causes severe eye pain that doesn't go away for weeks or months, and partial or total loss of vision in the affected eye. You wouldn't miss it. Floaters, meanwhile, are a very common feature of stress/anxiety.

The thing to remember is that anxiety and MS affect the same part of the body: the CNS. They have pretty much the same list of potential symptoms, which is why anxiety sufferers often google their symptoms and get themselves into a panic. The way doctors can tell the difference is the pattern of the presentation of symptoms. It's recognising these patterns that doctors go to medical school for a decade for, which isn't replaceable by Google.

If you're in any doubt as to the extent to which emotions can produce neurological symptoms, have a look at www.neurosymptoms.org.

[wcb123]

MS is caused by an abnormal immune response to the myelin that protects nerve cells in the brain and spinal cord. An "attack" of MS causes one or more "lesions" in the brain or spinal cord, and as such the sensory or motor functions of whatever part of the body that particular bit of brain or spinal cord control stop working properly. Thus symptoms that come and go, change presentation or move around the body simply can't be caused by MS: the damage is localised and takes weeks or months to repair (or in the rarer case of PPMS they never repair).

Aches/pains all over are not a symptom of MS. Floaters aren't caused by MS. The vision issue caused by MS is called optic neuritis, which causes severe eye pain that doesn't go away for weeks or months, and partial or total loss of vision in the affected eye. You wouldn't miss it. Floaters, meanwhile, are a very common feature of stress/anxiety.

The thing to remember is that anxiety and MS affect the same part of the body: the CNS. They have pretty much the same list of potential symptoms, which is why anxiety sufferers often google their symptoms and get themselves into a panic. The way doctors can tell the difference is the pattern of the presentation of symptoms. It's recognising these patterns that doctors go to medical school for a decade for, which isn't replaceable by Google.

If you're in any doubt as to the extent to which emotions can produce neurological symptoms, have a look at www.neurosymptoms.org.

Just wanted to say that was an amazing response. Im in Uk too and wish Doctors would be that clear with you at appointments. I just started thinking the 'What if its MS' and your reply has single handedly alleviated it. Thanks/