anxiety and ms

[pitlover91]

Why is it that anxiety makes ms symptoms appear worse ? Same thing with high stress levels it really sucks and hard to cope it. Like when I'm in a high tense situation where anxiety can reach high levels I sometimes get double vision, blurred vision, lose my balance, or my spasm get a little crazy. Same thing with stress like example looking over financial issues like bills plus medical bills and it raises my stress level I get an exaggeration of my symptoms. Do you guys get like this too? I was never like this before my whole ms and it symptoms ordeal began. Currently I take baclofen 10mg for my spams which helps and I take Valium from my dizziness which has helped me more than any other pill have taken for dizziness but on the bottle it says its for anxiety. But now that I think about it doesn't help at all with the anxiety and stress levels. What do you guys do in unavoidable situations which can cause high anxiety levels or stress to help relax you or relieve the stress/anxiety?

[Mamabug]

Pseudo-exacerbations are very real.

They exhibit real symptoms, but, the exacerbation (flare) is not real.

If you experience a stressor (anxiety, a physical stressor such as heat or illness, or even a "good" stress such as anticipating a happy upcoming event), those stressors can trigger a flare.

The better alternative is that they trigger only a pseudo-flare.

It can be very difficult to determine the difference. Your best course is either to:

• remove the stressor, if possible, and see if the symptom goes away
• or, wait out the 24-48 hours and then you can tell if the flare is real if the symptoms remain.

It is also a useful strategy to learn to manage your stress. Learn what to say no to and what to delegate to others. It is OK to hire a tax accountant to do taxes. Or, to ask your spouse to take care of paying bills together. If finances are not your thing, find someone to help you. Maybe you could exchange something you enjoy doing (baking some goodies for a friend) to have them come over once a month and help you to pay bills. Could be some girl time too. Get out the tea, eat cookies together, and send two dozen home with her. (Or, buy some from the local bakery if you do not like to bake.)

Just learn to take care of yourself. It is simply a health strategy. Like taking your medicine. I no longer feel guilty.

Hope this explanation is helpful.

~ Faith

[Dale76]

Why is it that anxiety makes ms symptoms appear worse ? Same thing with high stress levels it really sucks and hard to cope it. Like when I'm in a high tense situation where anxiety can reach high levels I sometimes get double vision, blurred vision, lose my balance, or my spasm get a little crazy. Same thing with stress like example looking over financial issues like bills plus medical bills and it raises my stress level I get an exaggeration of my symptoms. Do you guys get like this too? I was never like this before my whole ms and it symptoms ordeal began. Currently I take baclofen 10mg for my spams which helps and I take Valium from my dizziness which has helped me more than any other pill have taken for dizziness but on the bottle it says its for anxiety. But now that I think about it doesn't help at all with the anxiety and stress levels. What do you guys do in unavoidable situations which can cause high anxiety levels or stress to help relax you or relieve the stress/anxiety?

I get this more and more myself. I can't say I have found a great way to deal with it. I basically avoid stressful situations when possible, unfortunately many situations that in the past I did not consider stressful now are. I believe it is a fear of cog fog/forgetfulness or just not being able to completely hide my symptoms now but even a trip to the corner store I now find extremely stressful.

I recently got lost well driving the family on a short vacation, this stressed me to the point my whole body started shaking and I couldn't continue driving, I had to pull over and take a break.

When I do get in these situations and my symptoms are flaring up bad I try to mentally slap myself just like if I was having a nightmare and reminding myself it is not real, just something my mind is creating. I find that helps some.

[dyin_myelin]

I get it, any sort of stress or anxiety is toxic to me. All the nerve damage down my leg ignites and my brain shuts down.

[pitlover91]

Well I'm at least I'm not the only one that feels worse when this happens. Just really irritating and sometimes overwhelming. Even when I take a medication that is used for anxiety which is pretty ironic.

[Jazz-TX]

Stress is killing my health

I so can relate. I'm still struggling with my divorce, forced out of my job, custody issues with my children. The stress of all of this affecting me so bad and to add the heat here in Texas. It continues to be a roller coaster with my MS symptoms. I'm even ready to throw in the towel. Friends and family do not understand how this affects me. I'm sick of the physical pain, burning in my spine, headaches, nerve pain and to go along with the emotional pain. Its only a certain amount that a human being can take. I really don't feel human anymore.

[marti]

I truly believe that any illness like MS carries anxiety as a symptom. How can you deal with MS or any other disease like this one and NOT be anxious?

I have found anxiety (panic attacks) to be the hardest symptom or reaction to the disease, to deal with. I think I could handle pain easier than this daily panicky feeling I get. I just don't know how to overcome it. And I refuse to see a psychiatrist. They're crazier than we are!

[Diamond57]

Stress

I sure have noticed after my titration with the Rebif is giving me stress because I'm getting sick on it. I feel it in my hands, legs and my lips are quivering. Anyone have that? Tonight I'm changing shot night up. I'm inviting a neighbor to help me peel apples and peaches to make apple and peach sauce. I try not to take much anxiety medications but the last two days I broke down.

I wish everyone the best. I'm a pretty positive person but the last couple days I've been a bit depressed. Could be the meds to.

Take Care of yourselves.
Susie Q

[Thinkimjob]

What you are describing is all too real. There are so many things that I can't avoid, like showers or getting a few groceries, that used to cause stress, and now cause flat-out anxiety.

I was invited to a picnic at a park months ago, before I got my wheelie walker. I saw where I would have to walk (rough, sloping ground, to me, anyway) and the 'facilities' 200metres away.

I knew I could do it, but I was so anxious about how I was going to manage, and so sad about how life used to be so simple.

It was all I could do not to break down and cry. And it wasn't their fault, they thought it was a pretty good spot, flat, car park right there.

[Ri88]

Anxiety makes my tremors worse. It makes me to feel self conscious. I try to relax more but anxiety doesn't allow that

[Mamabug]

... I basically avoid stressful situations when possible, unfortunately many situations that in the past I did not consider stressful now are....

Dale said what I was trying to say better than I did. I'm not great at managing stress, but, I've become pretty good at preventing it.

One way that I've done that is that I've learned how to say no and not feel guilty. I very willingly say yes to things that are helpful to others that I enjoy doing

• volunteering in the social services and early childhood fields,
• playing piano at church and in a nursing homes,
• etc

But, I say no to things that stress me:

1. volunteering on the kitchen committee at church
2. cooking, even at home.
   • My kids are now grown. My husband and I go out to eat. Not usually fast food, but, local diners, etc. We use coupons and discount cards, we usually take half our meal home. It often doesn't cost a whole lot more than paying for groceries.
   
   
3. I don't clean. I've found a wonderful housekeeper who comes twice a month and is more than reasonably priced. I usually do a fairly good job at keeping clutter picked up between visits.
4. etc

We all have different things that stress us, and different things that relax us. Figure out what those things are for you and avoid the stressors and embrace the relaxers.

~ Faith

[KatieAgain]

I will ditto Dale and Mamabug. I avoid all stressful situations or toxic people. If I do find myself in a bad situation, I politely excuse myself.

[MSW1963]

I can literelly feel the sensation of a chemical change throughout my body that I experience as an exacerbation of my MS sx's accompanied by anxiety. For a time I thought my anxiety might be diabetes or a blood glucose problem.

I've never asked my MS doc about that possibility, but MS doc did screen for diabetes during regular blood work, and it was ruled out.

I suspect with high lesion load, otherwise normal chemical changes in the brain wreak havoc on MS. Like so many other mysteries associated with MS, there are no studies to evaluate the effects of normal brain chemistry on a brain with MS lesions, or at least none that I'm aware of.

[poppydarling]

... cause high anxiety levels or stress to help relax you or relieve the stress/anxiety?

I used to work myself up in a tizzy over things, probably made worse by brain changes/MS moodiness/generalized anxiety over everything going on at once, especially sudden symptoms.

At my counselor's suggestion, I started using mindfulness techniques (and meditation) to reduce stress or handle the fallout from a stressful situation. It has been tremendously effective for me--don't know where I'd be without it, actually. In the loony bin, probably

[pitlover91]

I used to work myself up in a tizzy over things, probably made worse by brain changes/MS moodiness/generalized anxiety over everything going on at once, especially sudden symptoms.

At my counselor's suggestion, I started using mindfulness techniques (and meditation) to reduce stress or handle the fallout from a stressful situation. It has been tremendously effective for me--don't know where I'd be without it, actually. In the loony bin, probably

Hi poppy darling, what exactly are mindfulness techniques? Like distraction sort of? Yes sometimes I have to excuse myself from a situation and people look at me like I'm crazy or something. 😳