Worries about MS again [Archive]

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ElectricAlice

14-03-17, 18:18

I've been getting tingling and loss of sensation in my left hand and mild tingling in my legs for the past few weeks. It also sometimes appears on the left side of my face, across my back [with num-ish patches under my shoulder blades].

It tends to move around my body.

Can tensing muscles cause this??

The tingling is never like full on pins and needles - its more like VERY mild buzzing/prickly. sensations

Sometimes my left hand feels so strange, like its lost dexterity and I can't feel it properly.

And recently the tingling in my legs is REALLY concerning me.

I've had these symptoms on and off since September 2011.

They come and then go after about 2 months, but I never know if its me just worrying about them less and they go - or the 'MS' going away.

I had an MRI of my brain a few months after the symptoms started, and it was clear. But I've read that MRI's don't always show MS at the first sign of symptoms. I've seen a nuerologist and SOOO many DR's who all say they would be highly surprised if it wasn't just anxiety. I've also had a nerve conduction test which came back as normal.

But I honestly just can't get the MS thing out of my head. The fact that my symptoms come and go, like MS does. And also my symptoms went away the whole time I was pregnant, like MS does.

My hands also feel super cold and weird too. And I have an almost constant tingling in my left foot.

I just spend ALL my time worrying about having something awful and not being able to look after my son. I try my best to deal with my anxiety and I've done well at not googling the past couple weeks which has helped. But I've done enough googling in the last 5 years to have a LOT of information readily available to freak out my brain.

Oh and I also feel tired and spacey a lot of the time.

Sorry for my waffling, but if anyone could tell me if they get similar things? What they feel like? If they've also had the 'all clear' and what helped them get rid of them?

I just want my life back.

Fishmanpa

14-03-17, 19:38

From October of 2012:

Just to let everyone know that my neurologist appointment went fairly well.

I definitely don't have MS!

Symptoms are from migraine she assures me.Oh and since I got told it's not MS my symptoms seem lessened already!

And from June of 2015:

I've seen GPs - all say it's anxiety.
I've seen nuerologists - say it's a form of anxiety or my nervous system is mimicking the migraine.
I've had a brain MRI that came back ok.
Seen opticians who say my eyes are fine.

You've been on the MS train for a while. I believe it's time to get off at the next station ;)

Positive thoughts

ElectricAlice

14-03-17, 20:17

Gary A

14-03-17, 20:27

I'd like to and sometimes I feel fab for months, but then all my symptoms and anxiety come back again and sometimes it just comes out of nowhere too.

All I want is for my mind to accept its anxiety, but unfortunately I am not having much luck.

I just don't understand why I get these symptoms. They seem so atypical of anxiety.

If medical experts have told you that your symptoms point to anxiety, what is it that makes you think they're atypical of anxiety?

Clearly your symptoms aren't atypical of anxiety if a whole host of medical professionals seem to think they point to anxiety.

The information you've received online is utterly worthless compared to the information you've received in the real world.

ElectricAlice

14-03-17, 20:34

I think it's because I often have worries of not being taken seriously, like as soon as I mention I have anxiety, everything is put down to that.

The last Dr I spoke to is actually however, sending me back to neurology regarding the numb patches on my back. Waiting time is 40 weeks.

I guess I just don't understand how the symptoms can be present all day, even when I'm just sitting watching a movie and feeling super relaxed - they don't go away.

Typical anxiety symptoms would surely go away when no anxiety is present?

If I had a logical explanation for the tingling I would accept it more.

Can tensing muscles all day without realising it lead to tingling, for example?

Fishmanpa

14-03-17, 20:37

Typical anxiety symptoms would surely go away when no anxiety is present?

Anxiety is like a campfire. When you're in the midst of a spiral the fire is burning bright and hot. When the flames die down, there's still a bed of red hot coals burning away just waiting for some more fuel. You may not feel anxious but your body is still on high alert and has a bed of hot anxiety coals inside just waiting to flare up. Just like a campfire, the hot coals of anxiety take a long time to finally go out.

Positive thoughts

Gary A

14-03-17, 20:49

You've went from saying that you spend "ALL my time worrying" to saying that you do actually sit at times "super relaxed."

It seems that you're changing your story to come out with a catastrophic answer.

LeiaL

14-03-17, 21:16

If it helps, I've had all these symptoms from pure health anxiety before - facial numbness, tingly hands and feet and legs, cold hands and fingers, etc. I'm currently going through a lymph node fear phase and worrying I won't make it to my wedding, etc, so I completely understand - but I really think you're most likely fine! :)

domril26

14-03-17, 22:04

These all sound like anxiety symptoms! Stay strong, you can beat it!

Elen

15-03-17, 07:46

Hi

This is just a courtesy reply to let you know that your thread was merged with another of your threads

It is nothing personal it is just to make it easier for people to follow your story and to give you advice as a whole.

Elen

ElectricAlice

16-03-17, 16:52

Thanks everyone for replying - I really do appreciate it. It helps to read these back when I'm suffering my worst.

I really do want to be anxiety free and I wish I didn't have this anxiety about MS. I feel like it dominates my life. My mum died suddenly in 2010 and since then my anxiety has just been out of control most of the time.

I was doing pretty well today [even after waking up in the middle of the night and my whole left hand was numb with severe pins and needles, but I know this was from sleeping with it under my head whilst breastfeeding].

But I was just doing the dishes in the kitchen and suddenly I get this prickly burning hot tingling across the middle of my back. And I am starting to panic again. Has anyone had this before?

I keep thinking to myself that no MRI has been done of my spine and that concerns me.

I do tense my back a bit so this may be why...

I also keep getting these sensations like a droplet of water has landed on my skin. Like I've been in the rain but I'm inside...

Argh.

ElectricAlice

16-03-17, 18:24

I'm freaking out again about MS :[

Elen

16-03-17, 19:06

ElectricAlice

16-03-17, 21:21

Okay - sorry

---------- Post added at 21:21 ---------- Previous post was at 20:02 ----------

Anyone...? Freaking out :(

Gary A

16-03-17, 22:31

Okay - sorry

---------- Post added at 21:21 ---------- Previous post was at 20:02 ----------

Anyone...? Freaking out :(

You're not going to be told anything that hasn't been said to you before. Your symptoms can be easily explained by anxiety and a whole host of qualified medical professionals say the same thing.

Fishmanpa

16-03-17, 23:27

THIS (http://www.nomorepanic.co.uk/showthread.php?t=42556) might be worth reading over and over :)

Positive thoughts

Kb97

17-03-17, 00:28

Hey Alice,
I don't have much to say but my mum has MS and she is honestly the strongest woman I have ever met. Know that if it ever does happen that it's not the end of the world, my mum has lived with it for 10 years so far and is still walking. She's had two relapses, she gets up everyday gets my siblings to school and looks after everything. She is my super mum.

Shellyhay

17-03-17, 10:14

ElectricAlice

17-03-17, 10:48

Electricalice
I am feeling all of the same only I have these feeling in random parts of my body. I had them for months last year after accepting it was anxitey causing them they disappeared. Last month for some reason they all came back DR google diognosed MS!! Convincing myself again this is what I have has only added fuel to the fire I'm sure of it...

That's exactly what happens to me, it's really difficult. I wish I could just forget all the crap I've read online about MS too. How long have you had yours for? What kind of symptoms do you experience?

---------- Post added at 10:47 ---------- Previous post was at 10:45 ----------

You're not going to be told anything that hasn't been said to you before. Your symptoms can be easily explained by anxiety and a whole host of qualified medical professionals say the same thing.

I understand what you're saying, but saying that I won't be told anything new doesn't really help. I'm posting on an anxiety forum in order to receive some help for my anxiety. I know reassurance doesn't really help, so I'm hoping to hear of someone who's experienced my symptoms and how they got through it and how they managed to accept them and therefore became no longer symptomatic.

---------- Post added at 10:48 ---------- Previous post was at 10:47 ----------

Hey Alice,
I don't have much to say but my mum has MS and she is honestly the strongest woman I have ever met. Know that if it ever does happen that it's not the end of the world, my mum has lived with it for 10 years so far and is still walking. She's had two relapses, she gets up everyday gets my siblings to school and looks after everything. She is my super mum.

Thankyou for sharing your story - your mum sounds an inspiration and wonderful. :hugs:

Gary A

17-03-17, 11:16

I understand what you're saying, but saying that I won't be told anything new doesn't really help. I'm posting on an anxiety forum in order to receive some help for my anxiety. I know reassurance doesn't really help, so I'm hoping to hear of someone who's experienced my symptoms and how they got through it and how they managed to accept them and therefore became no longer symptomatic.[COLOR="blue"]

That's certainly the right attitude, I guess.

One thing I would advise on is to try and not pay so much attention to these "symptoms" that you're feeling. The problem with anxiety is that it forces you to be hyper aware of everything.

Anxiety will create physical symptoms, which are of course made worse by you being completely focused on every sensation within your body.

Tingling, random numbness, short lived aches and pains, these types of things are all in a day's work for the human body. Think of the vast array of muscles, nerves, bones and connective tissue in the your body. All of these things are constantly working and evolving, if you sit and focus in on one particular type of ache or sensation, you will notice that sensation.

Add to that the physical manifestations of anxiety, and you can quite easily see how a perfectly healthy person can think there's something seriously wrong with them.

Shellyhay

17-03-17, 11:41

That's exactly what happens to me, it's really difficult. I wish I could just forget all the crap I've read online about MS too. How long have you had yours for? What kind of symptoms do you experience?

---------- Post added at 10:47 ---------- Previous post was at 10:45 ----------

I understand what you're saying, but saying that I won't be told anything new doesn't really help. I'm posting on an anxiety forum in order to receive some help for my anxiety. I know reassurance doesn't really help, so I'm hoping to hear of someone who's experienced my symptoms and how they got through it and how they managed to accept them and therefore became no longer symptomatic.

---------- Post added at 10:48 ---------- Previous post was at 10:47 ----------

Thankyou for sharing your story - your mum sounds an inspiration and wonderful. :hugs:
Last year they lasts about 4 months or so. At the moment I have cold patches pinprick sensations tingling feeling all over ive had them about a month. Even when I'm not thinking about them they pop up out of no where. All my family and friends tell me it's anxitey and to except it. That's what we need to do . It's hard I know when you don't feel anxious yet you still have the symptoms you suddenly think something must be wrong ... that's starts the fuel to the fire again !!! Hope that makes sense. Let's both be positive Alice xx

ElectricAlice

17-03-17, 20:54

Yes positivity sounds like a great idea. Let's both focus on beating our anxiety and I'm sure we will feel better in time. I've read so many other people having the same symptoms as us! It's funny how the brain only remembers the bad isn't it?