Had my Neurologist appointment today!!!

[Lou 1]

Hi finally after 2 months of waiting i went to see the neurologist today.
I've been having weird 'episodes' in my sleep and also been having lots of weird symptoms.
I told him all of my symptoms, (beleive me i have a VERY long list) and discussed in more detail about my sleep.

He gave me a thorough examination, checked my reflexes, my balance looked in my eyes (did loads etc)..

Then he said, that my sleep episodes are sleep paralysis and are a normal phoneomenon (sp) and nothing that he is concerend about - i explained that i was sure it was a seizure but he said he was sure it wasnt and that based on everything i said and his experience it was sleep paralysis and is much more common in people with Anxiety & Panic...
He then said all my other symptoms that i have are due to anxiety!...

I asked him if i needed to have any further test like a brain scan or an eeg and he said he didnt think it was necessary for me to have any further tests, I think he knew how anxious i was and could tell i wasnt convinced so he said if i wanted him to he would arrange for me to have a brain scan but then he said, for anyone who has a brain scan theres always a 2-3% chance that something will be detected, he said it would be something benign, like a cyst that will have been there since birth and nothing that will cause any harm, but they have a legal obligation to tell you if anything like that is found.
He said if i had a scan and something benign was found (not that there would be but theres a 2-3% chance for anyone) then he thought that would make me even more anxious, i agreed with him as i know for a fact that it would, and so i decided not to have a scan.. (im sure if he thought i really needed one he'd say i had to have one.. right?)

I kept asking him over again if he was sure about his diagnosis, he said he was sure that my symptoms were nothing pathalogical, he said if he thought it was epilepsy or i was having seizures he'd have to tell me, he'd send me straight for further investigation and also have to tell me not to drive.
I told him i was concerend my symptoms could be MS/ALS/MND... To which he said he was also sure they it wasnt any of them.

He said if i wanted he would arrange an appointment for 6 months time for me to see another neurologist so they can review me again to put my mind at rest - to which i agreed - but now im worried about why i have to go back - i know he said to put my mind at rest but i cant help thinking something else.


Anyway. sorry for the extremely long post, i just wanted to tell u all. I Have had a lot of symptoms besides my sleep paralysis and was so sure that it wasnt anxiety.. i guess now i'll have to beleive it and try to work with my therapist to get over this...

Thanks everyone for reading. x

[Onwards & Upwards]

Hey

It sounds ike it went really well!

Sounds like he was very interested in you and your concerns and very thorough and to offer another appointment in 6 months is fabulous rather than him just sending you on your way.

[NeverRelaxed]

wht were your other symptoms? if you dont mind me asking..

[NeverRelaxed]

also, wht were your sleep disturbances like?

[Lou 1]

Hi my other symptoms are:

• Head pains & pressure in head and face
• Twitches in my head and neck (not noticble to others)
• numbness in little finger and thumbs and somtimes in hands
• thumbs twitch & twitching muscles
• shaking on the inside (feels like im shaking but its not visible to others)
• vibrations in legs and arms
• feeling lightheaded, dizzy and off balance (like im on a boat)
• weird head rush from the stomach that makes me go warm and feel like im about to float
• feeling tired
• feeling like im not real and my surroundings feel unfamiliar
• feeling like im building up to something like a seziure
• dejavu & weird thoughts or images
• My ears feel full and ring or everything sounds fuzzy
• flashes in corners of my eyes
• floaters in my eyes
• fuzzy uncomfortable feeling in my stomach like somethings going to happen
• i get a falling sensation when im falling asleep but hapend quite often when im awake
• my vision is sometimes shaky
• late / irregular periods

Sorry my list is so long!

The thing that happens to me in sleep, is sometimes when i've woken up and im going back to sleep, i can feel myself going into a really deep sleep but im aware of it, and when i try to move i cant, then i hear a buzzin in my ear and my body vibrates. Sometimes i have wierd hallucinations / lucid dreams where im sure i have gotten out of bed and fallen on the floor but i didnt, once i thought my partner was talking to me but when i woke up he said it never happened. Neurologist said it's sleep paralysis.

xx

[NeverRelaxed]

minus the periods (me being a boy and all!), i have pretty much exact same!

hmmm, last night what happened, or kept happening while I was trying to sleep was something along the lines of seeing a bunch of weird images/places/people..then dropping off to sleep while still being sort of aware of my surroundings etc..then Id feel a really intense feeling I cant really describe..Kinda like being suffocated..then tingling..then Id wake up fully and still feel the tingling for a few seconds or id wake up and frantically try to catch my breath....

But yes, I match you symptom wise...I was thinking of asking to be referred to a neuro..

[Lou 1]

My doctor wasnt going to refer me at first, but i really begged her to send me because i wanted to know what was wrong. Its still hard to beleive its anxiety, part of me thinks i should've said yes to a brain scan but then i didnt want to risk them saying they found something benign, because i know it would worry me to death!
How long have u had ur symptoms for? I find with mine that they come and go, sometimes i get them when im not feeling particularly anxious but then the symptoms make me anxious lol

[Trying]

Dear Lou,

When you said shaky eyes what did you mean ? Do you mean like sometimes randomly they just wobble for a second ? x

[Pdubya86]

Hi,

Sorry to chime in!!

Sounds like you had a good appointment!! If it was anything serious, they would have been eager to pursue it further...they know the warning signs and you obviously dont have any. I had a neuro appointment a few weeks ago because of similar complaints - buzzing, twitching, light headedness, feel detached from my body, irrational thoughts and feelings etc... a lot of what you listed. He did all the normal tests on me and said I was fine. He said he would schedule me for an MRI, which I have in a couple of weeks, more as a matter of procedure. I wasnt aware of the 2-3% thing! Ive convinced myself they are going to find something horrible! But I figured I just need to know now either way!

[smpomeroy]

those symptoms all sound very familar to me except I always think they are my heart - isnt it strange how we fixate on whatever it is out greatest health anxiety is at the time.

Im glad you good such a good response from the neurologists Lou you must be very relieved.

Suz