Fearing ALS

[utrocket09]

I now have near constant pains in both legs, both hands, neck, and feet. Does this sound like ALS? Brain tumor?

No sounds like a hypochondriac with nothing to do to keep themselves busy.

[AJG]

I dont think that people who have health anxiety really feel reassured by any professional in general but at some point we really need to trust doctors and not google. There is a reason we have doctors and they went to medical school. I still feel like shit and have every symptom listed by everyone on this forum. Reality is my symptoms are 100x worse as a result of my anti depressant medication. I don't know if anyone experiencing these symptoms has been on meds is on meds or in the middle of withdrawal but believe it or not it can be cause by all this stuff in your body as well. I really believe that now given how I've been feeling on this new medication. I lay in bed and my limbs jerk, twitchy muscles amplified, headaches in the morning, by 11 am I 'm going to be filled with energy as it is a pattern, then the shakes start. I'm going today to re-evaluate these meds as I had a decrease of symptoms during my withdrawal of my first course of meds. Medication started all this fun stuff for me but being a hypochondriac I decided to believe I must be ill and not link the recent change. I'm on month 4 of this I would imagine if I actually had the 3 letter word I'd be unable to do stuff or would have some mobility issues. Anxiety is brutal and scary and it can cause so many crazy physical symptoms in your body. I did not want to believe it either, still a skeptic but it is more likely than ALS. We are here because we have anxiety. What is the likelihood of us all having similar symptoms and having ALS probably very slim. The common thing we do share as a fact is anxiety.

[Fishmanpa]

I dont think that people who have health anxiety really feel reassured by any professional in general but at some point we really need to trust doctors and not google. There is a reason we have doctors and they went to medical school. I still feel like shit and have every symptom listed by everyone on this forum. Reality is my symptoms are 100x worse as a result of my anti depressant medication. I don't know if anyone experiencing these symptoms has been on meds is on meds or in the middle of withdrawal but believe it or not it can be cause by all this stuff in your body as well. I really believe that now given how I've been feeling on this new medication. I lay in bed and my limbs jerk, twitchy muscles amplified, headaches in the morning, by 11 am I 'm going to be filled with energy as it is a pattern, then the shakes start. I'm going today to re-evaluate these meds as I had a decrease of symptoms during my withdrawal of my first course of meds. Medication started all this fun stuff for me but being a hypochondriac I decided to believe I must be ill and not link the recent change. I'm on month 4 of this I would imagine if I actually had the 3 letter word I'd be unable to do stuff or would have some mobility issues. Anxiety is brutal and scary and it can cause so many crazy physical symptoms in your body. I did not want to believe it either, still a skeptic but it is more likely than ALS. We are here because we have anxiety. What is the likelihood of us all having similar symptoms and having ALS probably very slim. The common thing we do share as a fact is anxiety.

Wise and rational words that I'm afraid will fall on irrationally deaf ears.

Positive thoughts

[AJG]

I had another doctor appointment a rheumatologist to discuss my previous rhabdomyalysis. After I told her my story she is also convinced my meds and the withdrawal is causing all these issues. SSRIs are not a class for me. She checked my reflexes again hyper but symetrical did strength tests as well. When I told her I had a worry about ALS she said you don't have it and that's before telling her I already seen a neurologist. So i think I need to get off my meds suffer for few more months or so until my central nervous system just kicks back into a semi normal state. She also told me to taper off my meds as I'm having every bad symptom listed. My rhabdo she said could of been a mild brush with seretonin syndrome.

[Fishmanpa]

As much as meds benefit many, there are some they just don't agree with. Glad they determined the cause and it sounds like you have a handle on things.

Positive thoughts

[Seymour]

I came across this quote from a member here who explains very well what I am experiencing:

"I have had weak feeling/shaky legs for nearly 2 years now when I had my baby, but the last few months it started feeling worse, then it was my arms too, then my stomach.. now it's all of them when I move, nod head up and down, my body physically shakes from the exertion. And getting up from lying/slouching position really makes me feel like my body is working so hard)
I've also got very bad anxiety feelings of nervousness currently (due to worrying about all this I think) - I have been stressing about it and also been having some other stressful thoughts in recent times.

It's been making me worry so much, it's basically my whole body -my arms if I reach for something, my body if I bend over -weak and shaky, and I am feeling super fatigued with it and exhausted. My muscles also seem to quiver inside when I'm just at rest in bed, especially in my legs! Literally been in bed loads today and hardly feeling able to do simple things."

[Scass]

So, do you think this adds to your anxiety because you are worried about your symptoms, or do you think that any of your symptoms are caused by anxiety?

[Fishmanpa]

I came across this quote from a member here who explains very well what I am experiencing:

I came across this quote from a member here that explains very well the reason you're experiencing these symptoms.

I went to the doctor about 10 days ago cause I was still mildly dizzy and I have strange sensations all over like someone flicking water on me. Happens most of the time on my leg but can also happen on arms, hands, face...

The GP did a basic neurological exam, reflexes, eye movements, walking on tip toes, all that jazz. She said everything was normal and that there was nothing indicative of MS so she didn’t want to order an MRI. She said my symptoms didn't sound like MS cause they were very mild and also MS wouldn’t present as small tingles all over that last a second but more like a whole leg tingling for hours or days.

A few days ago I went back to the same GP complaining about the same symptoms. She said I was a hypocondriac and sent me to the hospital... I ended up seeing two other doctors who did basic neuro exams and listened to my symptoms and diagnosed me with extreme health anxiety. Nobody even wants to send me for an MRI and everyone basically called me crazy. I had to see a psychiatrist in urgent care

Positive thoughts

[Seymour]

So, do you think this adds to your anxiety because you are worried about your symptoms, or do you think that any of your symptoms are caused by anxiety?

I don’t know. I think my problem is physical but that freaking out about it doesn’t help.

Is it possible to actually become sick and atrophied from lying down all day and eating very little? I mean that wouldn’t cause soreness and muscle twitches though?

[BlueIris]

Of course it is, Seymour. You're neglecting yourself horribly so of course your physical health is going to suffer.