Neurological worries. Sad.

[Jase.]

Hi guys,

Ever since October I've been suffering with tingling which is mostly in my right leg. It's sometimes (but rarely) in my left. Once I get up and walk around the tingling stops. Recently I've also been getting tingling on my nose, ears, the back of my head, cheeks, pretty much across my face!

I suffer with tinnitus.

I seem to have developed a slight tremor in both hands but especially the right hand.

I've also been suffering with eye twitches along with random twitches in other parts of my body such as my legs.

Over the past few years I've suffered with pretty bad short term memory. I'll ask questions twice without realising I've already asked and I'll forget things very quickly.

In regards to my vision, over the past few years I can close my left eye, blink with my right and it's like I've just looked at a light and I can see the imprint.

Tests I've had:

-Full blood count which came back normal.
-Eye test back in June 2018 which was normal. Pictures of the back of my eyes were taken. I was actually told my eyesight had slightly improved (I'm very shortsighted!)

Medication I'm on:

-Duloxetine
-Lymecycline
-Omeprazole

Obviously with so many neurological worries I'm getting a bit worked up in regards to things like MS/ALS/cancer etc. The meds I'm on don't have any of the symptoms I suffer with as side effects. I'm an anxious person but I get things like the tingling when I don't even feel anxious so that's why I'm worried it could be something more sinister.

Thanks for listening to me vent. I guess I'm just looking for some reassurance.

[BlueIris]

What does your GP say?

[Jase.]

What does your GP say?

Anxiety but she always seems a bit flummoxed when I say I have the symptoms when I don't feel anxious.

[BlueIris]

Anxiety is an ongoing condition - there can often be the relevant bodily mechanisms going on beneath the surface when you feel outwardly calm.

If your GP isn't worried, then (for what it's worth) you probably shouldn't be either.

[leanderson2012]

Hi Jase,

I'm sorry you're feeling poor. I've had all of those symptoms in the past, especially the memory issues, body twitches, and numbness/tingling (I had mine in my left arm). I had these symptoms even when I'm not in a particularly anxious moment/day. This started back in 2015, and I am fine. My opinion is that anxiety is similar physically to a really intense workout. You're going to feel it for awhile after you're done. When you're in an anxious moment, you're tight and anticipating a blow, maybe having the adrenaline of flight or fight come in, and after it passes you feel the after effects of it for awhile. I think it's a totally normal physical response to it. And if something was seriously wrong with your brain, an eye scan is a great way to catch something concerning. I think you are going to be just fine.

[Jase.]

Thank you guys. Your words mean a lot x

[ankietyjoe]

Anxiety symptoms don't turn on and off like a switch when you're feeling anxious, or not. They persist for weeks, months or years, depending on how well you're dealing with anxiety as a whole.

Your original post points towards hyper vigilance, which in itself can (and does) produce the symptoms you're checking for. In essence, you experience what you think about most.

[Jase.]

Just an update - I had a GP appointment today. She said all of my symptoms sound anxiety related and she wasn't worried. She said MS normally presents with bad vision problems (eye pain, double vision, etc) and things like the tingling in my leg wouldn't just go away because I'm walking around if I had a serious neurological/nervous system problem.

[Kiko22]

Just an update - I had a GP appointment today. She said all of my symptoms sound anxiety related and she wasn't worried. She said MS normally presents with bad vision problems (eye pain, double vision, etc) and things like the tingling in my leg wouldn't just go away because I'm walking around if I had a serious neurological/nervous system problem.

HI! I had the same problems you're having and the GP told me too it was only anxiety. I learned that even a pulled muscle on your shoulder can result in those symptoms so don't be absolutely scared of it. I have 2 friends with MS and believe me when I say that even the first signs can be very invalidating. One of my friends just simply fell getting out of bed one morning and couldn't literally get up so it was pretty clear and even that was a really strange onset for this disease that typically starts with blindness in one or both eyes (that's what happened with my second friend)
What I'm saying is that your symptoms are most likely anxiety related or, as I said, it can be a simple pulled muscle. Even a little inflammation of the first bone under your skull can cause vertigos and twitching in arms and legs and it could take a lot of time to go away... In fact, I had it for years and my left hand would be numb most of the time(not saying you have it - even tho it is actually pretty common nowadays with the massive use of cellphones that keeps our heads constantly bent down... We often forget that our body is not made to do such things)
Long story short, your symptoms have a more common, less frightening explanation.
Don't be scared