MRI today.. NERVOUS :(

[AnxietyLauren]

Morning everybody,

Not been on this site for long but it's really helping me

I have my MRI scan today at 1.30 to check for MS/Neurological problems, my main concern is MS.

I'd just like to ask a question too please..

Does anybody have symptoms like this and can they be related to anything else other than MS?
One foot feels cold but not cold to touch,
Leg feels numb below the knee but it's not numb when I touch it
No pain apart from the odd twinge in my knee

I also have other symptoms of MS but these are the main ones at the moment lol.

Thanks guys! xx

[Biscuitmuncher]

I am sure the scan will be ok, just try and relax and keep still and soon be over

I have loads of neurological symptoms too, and I have a diagnosis of fibromyalgia but my GP said we may need to rule out MS, I have never had any kind of scan though. Did your GP order the MRI? No-one has ever mentioned having a scan to me and I have had neurological symptoms for years now and they are getting worse.

I am due back at docs this week so will see what happens.

Good luck

[AnxietyLauren]

I am sure the scan will be ok, just try and relax and keep still and soon be over

I have loads of neurological symptoms too, and I have a diagnosis of fibromyalgia but my GP said we may need to rule out MS, I have never had any kind of scan though. Did your GP order the MRI? No-one has ever mentioned having a scan to me and I have had neurological symptoms for years now and they are getting worse.

I am due back at docs this week so will see what happens.

Good luck

Thanks for getting back to me!

My Dr Referred me to Neurologist who then ordered the scan for me. I don't think GPs can refer for MRI scan you need to go to a consultant first - I think anyway! I think he referred me as I was in so much of a state worried about MS rather than him actually thinking I had MS!

I am hoping and praying that all my symptoms are from anxiety but will wait and see.. I get the results next Tuesday! I am not patient so waiting until then will be very hard lol.

x

[Lee2475]

If you haven't had an mri scan before just one peace of advice, wear the blindfold. If you suffer from anxiety like I do and I can see you do its easier I found.
You get to listen to the radio too. I've had 2 now.

You may however be fine but I'm a nervous wreck.

[Gary A]

To be honest your symptoms don't sound nuerological. Cold hands and feet would suggest a circulatory problem rather than anything nuerological. Also, numbness below the knee seems, to me at least, to be something that could be explained by nerve compression. You may be sleeping or sitting in a certain position for too long at a time without realising it. It may even be that these symptoms are psychological in nature. Are they only there because you fixate on them?

Here's something to try. Focus all of your attention on gulping hard. Do it five times. By the 4th time notice how hard it is to gulp compared to the first time. This is a perfect example of health anxiety in action. Everything is more pronounced when we focus all of our attention on it. Your nuerologist will of course tell you better than me, but I'd put a lot of money on your symptoms being psychological rather than physical.

[AnxietyLauren]

If you haven't had an mri scan before just one peace of advice, wear the blindfold. If you suffer from anxiety like I do and I can see you do its easier I found.
You get to listen to the radio too. I've had 2 now.

You may however be fine but I'm a nervous wreck.

Thank you - I didn't know I could wear a blindfold so I will definitely be doing that. Also I was told I can take a CD so I have one with me today at work lol hope I don't forget it!!

To be honest your symptoms don't sound nuerological. Cold hands and feet would suggest a circulatory problem rather than anything nuerological. Also, numbness below the knee seems, to me at least, to be something that could be explained by nerve compression. You may be sleeping or sitting in a certain position for too long at a time without realising it. It may even be that these symptoms are psychological in nature. Are they only there because you fixate on them?

Here's something to try. Focus all of your attention on gulping hard. Do it five times. By the 4th time notice how hard it is to gulp compared to the first time. This is a perfect example of health anxiety in action. Everything is more pronounced when we focus all of our attention on it. Your nuerologist will of course tell you better than me, but I'd put a lot of money on your symptoms being psychological rather than physical.

Thank you - my feet aren't actually cold to touch though, would this still be circulation problems? I don't think the numbness below the knee appears because I focus on it - sometimes I am totally fine then all of a sudden I feel it out of nowhere.. which maybe says something to do with nerves rather than neurological?

I sit at a desk all day at work so could maybe have something to do with that.

Thanks for the reply - I hope everything is physchological although my head is sore from worrying today which obviously means the MRI is going to pick up a brain tumour lol.

Thanks again.. will update on results next week! xx

[Gary A]

Coldness is not a nuerological symptom. Numbness, tingling and weakness are. When I say numbness I mean literally can't feel an area or at the very least have a very poor sensory perception of it. When you touch your feet can you feel your hand touching it easily? Coldness in the extremities are, in my view, pretty normal. I always have cold hands and feet, they're the areas that get the poorest blood supply because of their positions in relation to the heart. I truly believe this is not nuerological in nature.

As for the numb leg, any MS or tumour located in a sensory area of the brain would mean the sensation would be constant and above all, progressive. MS causes parts of the brain to lose function, tumours cause symptoms by pressing on a particular area. If it's an on-off symptom, this would suggest psychological or nerve irritation rather than MS.

What other nuero symptoms do you have? Have you been told they're nuerological or are you just assuming so?

[AnxietyLauren]

Coldness is not a nuerological symptom. Numbness, tingling and weakness are. When I say numbness I mean literally can't feel an area or at the very least have a very poor sensory perception of it. When you touch your feet can you feel your hand touching it easily? Coldness in the extremities are, in my view, pretty normal. I always have cold hands and feet, they're the areas that get the poorest blood supply because of their positions in relation to the heart. I truly believe this is not nuerological in nature.

As for the numb leg, any MS or tumour located in a sensory area of the brain would mean the sensation would be constant and above all, progressive. MS causes parts of the brain to lose function, tumours cause symptoms by pressing on a particular area. If it's an on-off symptom, this would suggest psychological or nerve irritation rather than MS.

What other nuero symptoms do you have? Have you been told they're nuerological or are you just assuming so?

Thanks so much - you are making me feel so much better!! Yeah when I feel a leg that is "numb" when I touch it I can feel me touching it but it still feels slightly different from my other leg if that makes sense. Although it is possible I am imagining this lol.

I have had a case of Optic Neuritis which caused this whole MS Anxiety situation. I have tingling all over, my arm went totally numb but only for an hour. I have dizziness all the time (one time proper spinning, vertigo its called I think?), I also get electric shocks shooting all over my body.

I am leaving work now and heading for the MRI.. shaking like a leaf!!

[Gary A]

Good luck.

Personally I think your previous exposure to nuero symptoms have increased your awareness. It's quite a simple concept. If you're thinking of buying a particular model of car, you'll notice that all of a sudden you see that model everywhere. It hasn't increased, it's just that your brain has fixated on it and you notice it more. This is the same. Your previous episode has fixated your mind on what may be nuero symptoms and now you're associating absolutely anything with exactly that. I'm 99% sure you do not have MS or anything serious, in fact, I'm almost certain your issues are anxiety related due to hyper awareness. I think both your GP and your nuerologist are ordering these tests to reassure you, not reassure themselves.

[AnxietyLauren]

Good luck.

Personally I think your previous exposure to nuero symptoms have increased your awareness. It's quite a simple concept. If you're thinking of buying a particular model of car, you'll notice that all of a sudden you see that model everywhere. It hasn't increased, it's just that your brain has fixated on it and you notice it more. This is the same. Your previous episode has fixated your mind on what may be nuero symptoms and now you're associating absolutely anything with exactly that. I'm 99% sure you do not have MS or anything serious, in fact, I'm almost certain your issues are anxiety related due to hyper awareness. I think both your GP and your nuerologist are ordering these tests to reassure you, not reassure themselves.

Yep your probably right! When I was in the scanner yesterday my whole body was twitching, electric shocks going through my body, waves of tingles.. made me realise my anxiety DOES cause a lot of problems lol.

You have made me so much better and really put my mind at ease - your statements are so calming lol.

Thanks again! x