MRI & MS

[veebee]

Hello, had an MRI scan yesterday of my brain – have been worried about MS. Have seen various GPs, neurologist, they say no to MS but I insisted on MRI.

Have been feeling ok about things recently (have to wait 1-2 weeks for my results) but have read a post (on another anxiety forum) of someone who was in same situation as me and has just been told they have mild MS! I am so terrified now about my results coming back, this person’s problem started with numb feet (I had numb hands for four days), I don’t know what other symptoms this person has had but I am just so scared now…my feet feel really tingly and I feel really panicked. It just seems like this illness is really difficult to diagnose and that a lot of the time the doctor’s get it wrong or dismiss it when someone is showing signs of it. I am so scared right now.

[Trixie]

I am sure it will be OK. I am waiting for the results of my MRI also so fingers crossed.

[AcroSplat]

shhhhh veebee.... you will be fine.

Delete those sites, and never look at them again. I wish i never went googling in the first place. Its made matters worse and I feel like ive wasted the past 7 weeks with all of this worry, anxiety and its stupid symptoms. I think it has to come to a point where you say no more and tell it all to piss off.

On a funnier note I was watching Neighbours tonight.... and Susan has MS and was in the hospital again ..... I had to turn the channel over as i knew would get anxiety from Susan lol...... I should of turned it off in the first place as it was Neighbours....

[veebee]

Thanks guys for posting – trying to be calm but it is so hard! Have not got numb and tingly left hand – do you think that’s a good thing???? If I’m stressing bad and I get this does it make everything that’s happened more likely to be anxiety???

Fingers crossed for us Trixie!!!

[Trixie]

Thanks guys for posting – trying to be calm but it is so hard! Have not got numb and tingly left hand – do you think that’s a good thing???? If I’m stressing bad and I get this does it make everything that’s happened more likely to be anxiety???

Fingers crossed for us Trixie!!!

Thanks, the lady who did my MRI didn't give any indication to whether my brain tumour had grown or not.

I am not sure if I will get a letter from my neurosurgeon or wait until my GP lets me know. I am sure they will get 'round to telling me sometime or other.

And fingers crossed for you also although I am sure everything will be OK for you.

[AcroSplat]

I reckon anxiety can cause any symptom if you are worried about your health.

I started getting splashing cold water sensations on my skin after i read somthing similar on a MS site. My dr said that the twitches, jerking, skin sensations were all related ... i forget the word he used. But he said something how your skin is connected to your nevers which are connected to your brain, so its only natural for you to feel these symptoms when during anxiety and if you keep thinking about it.

The Dr i saw yesterday said to me that if you really wanted to you could slow your heart rate down if you thought about it.

My twitches and the jerking have just about gone. I reckon by accepting that its anxiety and then relaxing and getting back to normal is the only way to rid yourself of it.... and that goes for any anxiety related symptom.

[Claesand]

Case studies and examples are like examples of lottery winners - it feels just like you could be the one.

You always read about the vague and hard-to-diagnose cases of serious diseases, but most of the cases present with classical symptoms. Also, a neurological exam is pretty good at picking up what is serious and what is not.

There are telltale signs of what is what and even if the GP can get it wrong, the neurologist usually has seen lots of MS over many, many years. I was diagnosed with piriformis (pinched nerve in the buttocks which gave a numb foot) by a neurologist and he told me that he had seen a lot of MS and this wasn't any. One thing he said is that it's very uncommon that there are no symptoms that the patient doesn't know about - subtle things with the eyes and stuff like that. So if the neurological exam by a neurologist didn't sound any alarm bells, then there shouldn't be anything to worry about!

I've had tingling, weakness, numbness and stuff in both hands and feet. In me a lot of it seems to come both directly from anxiety and secondary through increased tonus via pinching/irritation of peripheral nerves.

[BLADERUNNER]

I had ultrasound scans to try and determine cause of facial/neck pain, dizziness, tingly lips/fingers/toes, headaches and more - I was convinced I had something horrendous - all came back as fine.

Not convinced, I subsequently had an MRI and was convinced the operator was looking at me afterwards with a "you poor sod" expression - all came back fine - mostly relief but also a bit frustrating to be no further forward with a diagnosis.

As I keep being told - be positive, relax, try not to worry about it - 99% of the time there's nothing to worry about - the other 1% of the time there's still usually nothing to worry about!

Best wishes....

[JennyW]

There are telltale signs of what is what and even if the GP can get it wrong, the neurologist usually has seen lots of MS over many, many years. I was diagnosed with piriformis (pinched nerve in the buttocks which gave a numb foot) by a neurologist and he told me that he had seen a lot of MS and this wasn't any. One thing he said is that it's very uncommon that there are no symptoms that the patient doesn't know about - subtle things with the eyes and stuff like that. So if the neurological exam by a neurologist didn't sound any alarm bells, then there shouldn't be anything to worry about!

I completely agree with this. The initial exam carried out by the neurologist in his office usually gives him all the info he needs to know. They really do know what they are looking for. They only refer us for the MRI for our peace of mind.

I was convinced I had the beginnings of MS 18 months ago and absolutely scared the life out of myself by looking on the internet and linked every symptom to something that I had, tingling here and there, a bit of numbness. My god I thought my time was up

the operator was looking at me afterwards with a "you poor sod" expression

this is what I told myself too


Please, please try and not to google, it really is harmful to your health. You'll be fine x

[veebee]

Thanks everyone for your support - my neuro has actually told me outright that he doesn't think I have a progressive disease....my appointment with him was back in April and of course, after initial elation of him telling me this, I got back into my old ways and starting having symptoms again (and ones I hadn't even had before...I even wonder if the first signs of MS would be so varied...who knows).

I have just been so worried and uptight...over the past few weeks my eyes have been really bugging me (at the time of my exam I mentioned my eyes felt tender and irritated, he checked them and presumably thought they looked ok)...I've even seen the letter he sent back to my GP which basically said no progressive illness. BUT I am still scared about what the MRI results have to say. And even scarier...will I even believe it if (please God) they come back ok.....has anyone else experienced this?