A Thread for Newcomers Worried about Multiple Sclerosis (MS)

[AcroSplat]

Hi there,

I am new to this forum and came across this thread. It describes exactly how i am feeling right now. I am convinced i have ms and i am so frustrated because nobody can help me. It started with tingling all over my body and throughout a 6 month time period things have got worse. I not have tingling, itching and burning sensations, my muscles twitch regularly and last nite i had electric shocks that jolted me awake, infact whever i try to sleep my muscle jerk will wake me up. I have random pain around my body, weakness and aches. I also feel dizzy when i walk. I'm really struggling, even my family dont want to be around me anymore cos i just cry constantly. I went to a and e today hoping they'd do a neuology test but i need to be referred. Have a doc appt tues so will ask for referal for an MRI. The thing is, i got a virus 2 yrs ago that stays latent in my body and some studies suggest that it is triggered by a virus so it all makes sense. I am so scared tho. Just can't help but feel so sad. My doctor thinks its anxiety but i am not convinced it would cause all this? and axiety about what?! My only anxiety is because of my symptoms. I am so afraid right now and want to fall into one big sleep and never wake up

I am sorry to be depressing. I am hoping someone can help me....

Hi hopingitsanxiety

If your Dr said its all anxiety..... i would seriously belive him/her. Anxiety can casue these symptoms.... Especially muscle twitching and muscle jerks. These were my two major symptoms that convinced me i first has MS. Then while reading MS sites, i started getting burning skin sensations and other times it felt as if water was dripping on my skin. (These only occured because i read about them)

Basically back in April last year i woke up feeling really dizzy. I coudlnt understand what would be causing such a thing so the first thing i thought was a brain tumour and then Dr Google Suggested MS. My gp said it was a inner ear viral infection called Labyrinitis....... but the worry and this not believing them set off the twitching and muscle jerks..... which set off the weakness in my left arm, which set off more worry and then i would google and google then i had muscle pain in my left shoulder which lasted 2 months straight.


So basically, i would see your GP again on tues, If he says Anxiety then accept it. Doctors dont really explain how Anxiety causes your body to act like this, but mine did explain that your brain is connected to nerves that are connected to other parts of the body eg; skin and muscles. So when your brain gets consumed with all this worry, it sends out this overreacted impulses. (Well something like that anyway)

After you accept it... it will take a while for it all to calm down again. You would think once you stop the anxiety, the symptoms will fade.... but they dont. Well for some they do but for me it took 3 months.

So overall, yes anxiety can cause your symptoms, your symptoms will cause you to have more anxiety, and you can have these symptoms even when you think you arent anxious.

[srthomas21]

I went through some of the same things you are going through and because I was worrying about my health all the time I got depressed really fast. I was having emotional breakdowns, didn't want to do anything, couldn't go to work, couldn't live my life.

I went to two docs and both said it was anxiety mixed with depression. I accepted that and immediately started to feel better. They gave me some meds for it- celexa and klonopin which has really helped.

I too could not believe all my symptoms could come from anxiety because the drs didn't really explain it to me. The symptoms are very real, they are not in your head, they are physical but they are caused by health anxiety and or depression.

I found the medicine has helped quite a bit. If the Drs tell you its anxiety it probably is. They know what they are talking about. The hard part is accepting it so your brain and body can start to relax and recover from all the stress that has been put upon it.

My symptoms aren't gone but they are a lot better.