Has anyone ever lost the ability to walk through anxiety?

[Gareth]

Hi all,

Before my question, here’s a summary about me for some context…

My "anxiety" symptoms are all physical / neurological, and have been since my nightmare started about 14 months ago. They have got steadily and gradually worse ever since then, with no remissions.

I did go through a period of relationship stress just before my symptoms kicked in. And I was working very hard at my job. I did have what I recognise as "anxiety" at that time. But that resolved a long time ago and I have never felt well since, and have just been getting worse.

I have constant "neurological" type sensations and problems. I walk very unsteadily, my feet clatter onto the floor really hard and I pull to the left while walking. My right leg feels heavy and unresponsive and seems to turn inwards slightly. It takes massive concentration to walk in a straight line and not stumble too much.

I feel very weak in my legs, I get up slowly from a seated position and it takes me a little while to steady myself before moving. My hands and arms are very weak, to the point where I find it difficult to hold a book up when in bed. I have constant aches and pains in my hands, arms and shoulders and neck.

Recently the little finger on my left hand has gone numb and unresponsive, this has been happening for just over a week now. It feels like it is so weak it is virtually useless. The dexterity I used to have in my hands is gone, they feel like useless plates of meat.

I have eye symptoms – blinking eyelids, pain and strange sensations when moving eyes, double vision when turning my eyes rapidly to look at something, blurry vision in one eye when working at a computer.

I am constantly foggy in my head, confused, unable to concentrate. I have very tight facial and scalp muscles and often am having to scrunch my face up to release some of the tension. I have constant sensations which move around my body; a numbness on the side of my face for a few hours will turn into dizziness for a while, will turn into twitches in my calf muscles, and on and on and on and on.

I have had a huge amount of muscle tension in the past across my body but don’t really feel that that is so much of a problem anymore, I do stretches to combat that now and am generally much more relaxed in myself than I have been for a very long time. Being relaxed however, has not produced a remission in symptoms, they continue to get worse, which again makes me question the “anxiety” tag.

So, with all these symptoms, of course you all know already what I am worried about. The progression of my illness and the fact that it is seemingly now unrelated to any anxiety of the past, makes me believe that I have some form of disorder of the central nervous system or spine, such as MS or Ataxia or ALS or something along those lines. I am actually not THAT terrified of MS. It’s not the worst thing that can happen to a person, and there are treatments to help manage symptoms. I just want to know what is wrong with me.

My GP has finally agreed to a neurologist appt, but tells me to expect a wait of "several months". What on earth am I meant to do in the meantime? I feel fairly calm about the whole thing now, I have worried for so long about my health that I don’t really care anymore what is wrong with me, I just want answers. Even if this is MS there will surely be some things I can do to help myself feel a little better and at least I can reach out to a community of other sufferers to get their ideas on how they help themselves. I just want answers.

So onto the question / the reaching out for help bit…

Really I am looking to talk to anyone whose anxiety physical symptoms ever got so bad that they lost the ability to function / to walk / to move / whatever. I feel this is happening to me in my body - I find walking incredibly difficult now and am going to look to buy a cane this weekend to see if it will give me some stability. Has anyone ever experienced, or heard of anyone who experienced, symptoms like these that eventually made the person actually physically disabled or prevented them from moving? I’ve heard of people getting bed-bound by anxiety, as they convince themselves they are so ill that their body actually can’t move.

Anyway, I’d love some ideas / thoughts from you guys. I have hoped for a long time that this is “anxiety” related but its gone on too long, and is too far away from any genuine anxiety in my life now that I think I need to face up to a different diagnosis.

Thanks and hope you’re all having as OK day as possible today,

Gareth

[joannap]

hi - i cannot believe that after all these symptoms you have not been referred immediately?! i know what its like personally to question whether its anxiety or physical - i had an over active thyroid for ages before it was diagnosed because i kept putting my symptoms down to anxiety.

i do know that anxiety can literally paralyse people - a friend of mine lost the use of her legs for 6 weeks - a stress response to her mother dying. i also have a friend who was struck down by a virus - they thought he had ms/parkinsons but it was unexplained inflammation of the spinal cord.

eye symptoms/aches/pains/muscle tension can all be anxiety related as can giddiness or shaky legs but i am surprised your walking/leg symptoms have not concerned the doctor? as these do not really fit an anxiety pattern. my friend started walking strangely - she turned her leg inwards and could not put weight on it and she has been diagnosed with parkinsons but like you say - i am sure you just want answers now.

it either is a case of your body going haywire because of stress or it could be something like ms/parkinsons or perhaps something like chronic fatigue but i think if i were you i would be seeking a second opinion asap so you can get to the bottom of it x

[suzy-sue]

These symptoms seem severe .Making you wait to see someone that long is terrible .Im not saying I think you have anything to be over worried about .But a blood test would rule out /Diagnose certain conditions .I would definately book an apointment to see another Dr and ask for a blood test ...Best wishes Sue x

[Anxious_gal]

well it's good to rule out other causes besides anxiety.
what have you been tested for so far?

maybe try visiting another doctor for a second opinion n maybe he could bump you up the list so you could see the specialist doctor faster.

[Gareth]

Thanks everyone for replies.

It's been pretty clear to me for a little while that I have MS, but because I've had a history of anxiety I've tried to convince myself otherwise. It feels like just a matter of time now to wait for the diagnosis. Of course MS itself causes anxiety and depression as well.

I had a blood test about 6 months ago which was all clear, but my GP has ordered another one, so we'll see what comes up there.

And in terms of the walking, she made me walk down a short corridor when I saw her, about 8 steps, and watched me from behind. She said that my walking seemed fine to her. But she has no idea how much effort I am putting into walking - massive effort to stay upright and in a straight line. She did some basic neuro tests on me and said she noticed a "distinct weakness in the hands" but still isn't sending me for an urgent neuro appt. I don't even know if such a thing as an urgent neuro appt exists. But basically if you are not in immediate danger of death, the system isn't really set up to help you. Quality of life doesn't come into the equation.

I have the blood test next week so will see what that says but it seems I need to prepare myself for a life of very poor health and increasing disability.

Gareth

[joannap]

hi gareth

i don't think you should diagnose yourself with ms lol! it could be some kind of virus or chronic fatigue - i wonder if ms has been one of your fears in the past and your body is now mimicking it? i can understand your concerns and yes - it may be something neurological but on the otherhand it may not. and yes - there are such things as urgent neuro appointments - if they thought you had something terrible - they would get you in for tests within days.

[Anxious_gal]

I haven't look at the symptoms of MS...... because I know I would end up being convinced I have it!

Have you always had the weakness in your hands?
My hands are a lot more shaky and have a slight tremor in them since the anxiety got bad.

Does the blood test check for MS??

[Inspires]

Hi Gareth

I read your post with interest.

Since I was discharged from psych hospital (I was a patient for 8months) early this year, I've experienced problems with walking.

I had been prescribed Lorazepam by a psychiatrist, which I took for over 25years, with no problems. I had a very active, and fulfilling life, and I loved my role as wife and mum. I held down a very exacting job, and apart from a few ups and downs, I was very happy.

But all that changed on my last hospital admission, when my mental health team, in their wisdom suddenly stopped my medication of Lorazepam, and I had to go 'cold turkey' and realise un-describable side effects. At one point I was sent over to our general hospital, as I was so ill.

Anyway, I was diagnosed with Bipolar, GAD, SAD, and depression. For these, I was (and still am) taking Depakote; Pregabalin; Sertraline; Propranolol; Zopiclone.

I first noticed that my walk was a bit 'peculiar' when I was in hospital, and I even asked the hospital staff if they'd noticed anything different. I felt as if my left leg was dragging behind me, and that I was struggling to walk more than a few steps without feeling dizzy.

Although my GP and psychiatrist say that my problems are to do with anxiety, I am still concerned that when I was taken off my benzo's so suddenly, it has left me with neurological damage.

I would dearly love to take my dog for a long walk, like I used to do...but I'm certain that one day soon my dream will come true...

Crikey, that was a sermon, wasn't it?

Take care honey, Im wishing you well...

Sue x

[Going home]

Hi Gareth,

Anxiety can cause loss of feeling in limbs...my son developed a limp because of deep seated anxiety when he was in his teens. However, what you describe could also be an underlying neurological problem so its good that you've been referred to a specialist. But when people think about this kind of condition they automatically think of MS, simply because its a high profile neurological condition, but its really only one of numerous conditions under the same umbrella, but happens to be one of the most debilitating.

My brother suffers with a neurological condition called Isaac's syndrome...medically known as neuromyotonia. Its not life-threatening but it affects his legs mostly and started around 5 years ago with the foot dragging thing and not being able to control which direction his legs wanted to go in. It is controlable when diagnosed...which took a while. If you'd like more info please feel free to PM me.

Best wishes Anna xxx

[Christina M]

Hi Gareth,

Did you ever find out more from the doctors? My dad developed very similar symptoms - he started off with a panic attack that happened whilst driving, then happened once more - we assumed he was going to have a stroke! - A lack of coordination in his left leg, pins and needles in his toes, gait changes, difficulty to move his left arm, and his walking is getting worse. He doesn't have a tumour, didn't have a stroke, but some neurologists diagnosed him with some terrible condition (corticobasal degeneration) based on what he says his symptoms are.

I have started to look online for similar cases to see if anxiety can actually cause such extreme walking patterns. He developed a fear of walking and falling that now I am not sure anymore what is neurological (if anything) or what is fear / phobia etc.

In order to put your mind at rest I would have MRI scans, CT scan, spect scan, and As many blood tests as possible.

If anyone has experience with such extreme walking changes due to anxiety / fear of walking / fear of falling please do let me know. My dad was always very cautious, vigilant, controlling, had an incredibly stressful life and before all these started he nearly had a nervous breakdown due to some problems we had with some builders whilst renovating the house.

Thank you.

C