So confused at the moment

[Tongo]

So confused ms or something or anxiety?
Hi new here, hope u can try to give me an answer

Ok 6 weeks ago i was walking home from the local hotel (band night) had a lot of beers and was staggering a bit, and was about 30 meters behind my wife and friend! Then my left leg gave out, i could not stand on it! No pain had felling but no strengh in it! My wife called an ambulance, hospital did a few basic tests and 3 hours latter i was walking out the hospital! Doctor there, said toooo many beers!

Woke up the next day and my hip was so sore. (I also brought a new bike that week and a lot kms into it cycling). My wife took me to her doctor he cheeked me over and then sent me to a private hospital where they did a complete check over (hammer, feather and pin test, strengh, walk on tiptoes and heels, heel to toe test, eyes with torch etc) and bloods etc, did MRI of my lower spine, found very low sliped disk but not bad.

Then he talked about MS in the family, i said no one has it. He said dont be worried its just a question that had to be asked! Went back to my wifes Dr, who sent me for a CT scan of the head to look for stroke or simular, came back good saying no signs or grey or white matter etc!

But since that day i cant get MS out of my head! I have read about it so much, i am beginning to get symptoms that come and go! Tingling feet, thumb, etc. Main problem is dizzy of foggy blocked head, my ears are popping non stop, also have a funny feeling on my spine below the shoulder blades!

Last 3 weeks i have been to see 3 different Doctors who say stop reading about it, nothing wrong, its not MS but Anxiety!!!! I asked for an Mri of the head but he said no need! (4 years ago i did have an ear infection (dizzy) that went on for 3 months. Saw a ETN specialist who did mri of head and neck, found nothing) its driving me Crazy!

I get cramp in my calf and i read about it, get out of bed toes are sore then i google it! My Wife is sooo over me talking about it!
Do i see another Doctor and demand an mri? My head is blocked all day, but i sleep well! Can easily go to bed straight after work tired! Even now both hands and forearms feel warm and tight, writting this post! And my calf just below the knee feels like its been pulled and tight hamstring same leg! But its the left hand side of my head not dizzy but strange all day and popping ears (both) all day. If i lay down with the radio on or read on my ipad in bed most of the head issues go away!

What do you people think?
Cheers and happy new year to all

** Moderator's note - Post broken into paragraphs for easier reading. Many people with MS have visual difficulties that prevent them from reading large blocks of print. **

[jreagan70]

came back good saying no signs or grey or white matter etc!

No, quite the opposite. You have a massive amount of white and grey matter. White and grey matter are the normal nerve cells that make up your brain and spinal cord -- about 100 billion cells worth. Without white and grey matter, you would not and could not exist.

But since that day i cant get MS out of my head! I have read about it so much, i am beginning to get symptoms that come and go!

Yes, that does appear to be your major issue -- screaming anxiety.

MS doesn't present by hitting all over the body at various times with symptoms that come and go. But that's pretty much the way people with anxiety who have convinced themselves they have MS describe their symptoms. Kind of classic for several other things -- including anxiety -- but NOT MS. All the obsessive googling and repeated doctor visits despite a normal physical exam -- and then not following the doctors' advice but compulsively talking about it -- points strongly toward anxiety.

Do i see another Doctor and demand an mri?

No, you see another doctor -- a mental health professional -- and demand therapy for anxiety. The funny thing is that people with anxiety DO have a medical problem, but they never want to treat that one because 1) they actively have to work on it and 2) they wouldn't know how to live without the anxiety so they deflect it by continuously, obsessively searching out other (usually imaginary) problems. So then you must demand commitment and dedication from yourself. Do you have any interest in doing that?

If at any time your mental health professional or other physician feels that a brain MRI is indicated, you should have one and any actual medical issues that might show up should be treated.

But in the meantime, your physical exams have apparently been normal, giving no indication for one. MRIs aren't intended as a treatment for anxiety. And no matter what they might show, MRIs tend to just give people with anxiety one more thing to obsess about. And that's not helpful when there's no actual medical indication for an MRI.

Your symptoms sound classic for anxiety and not at all classic for MS. So it makes the most sense to treat the most obvious problem first. Then you may very well be amazed at how many other problems go away.

[TaoWarrior]

I would agree with Jreagan. Sounds like you are working yourself up and making things worse. See a mental health professional. Good luck.

[Tongo]

I would agree with Jreagan. Sounds like you are working yourself up and making things worse. See a mental health professional. Good luck.

Cheers and happy new year

[Tongo]

No, quite the opposite. You have a massive amount of white and grey matter. White and grey matter are the normal nerve cells that make up your brain and spinal cord -- about 100 billion cells worth. Without white and grey matter, you would not and could not exist.



Yes, that does appear to be your major issue -- screaming anxiety.

MS doesn't present by hitting all over the body at various times with symptoms that come and go. But that's pretty much the way people with anxiety who have convinced themselves they have MS describe their symptoms. Kind of classic for several other things -- including anxiety -- but NOT MS. All the obsessive googling and repeated doctor visits despite a normal physical exam -- and then not following the doctors' advice but compulsively talking about it -- points strongly toward anxiety.



No, you see another doctor -- a mental health professional -- and demand therapy for anxiety. The funny thing is that people with anxiety DO have a medical problem, but they never want to treat that one because 1) they actively have to work on it and 2) they wouldn't know how to live without the anxiety so they deflect it by continuously, obsessively searching out other (usually imaginary) problems. So then you must demand commitment and dedication from yourself. Do you have any interest in doing that?

If at any time your mental health professional or other physician feels that a brain MRI is indicated, you should have one and any actual medical issues that might show up should be treated.

But in the meantime, your physical exams have apparently been normal, giving no indication for one. MRIs aren't intended as a treatment for anxiety. And no matter what they might show, MRIs tend to just give people with anxiety one more thing to obsess about. And that's not helpful when there's no actual medical indication for an MRI.

Your symptoms sound classic for anxiety and not at all classic for MS. So it makes the most sense to treat the most obvious problem first. Then you may very well be amazed at how many other problems go away.

Thanks for your warm comments, I have never had Anxiety before, that i know of! I do stress out a lot at this time of the year with my work. Have 5 weeks of for holidays mid January so hopefully these sensations go away in that time! Thanks once again and enjoy new years eve

[Melissa1976]

Could this be my issue too? My symptoms started with pins and needles in my left arm. My doctor said it was a pinched nerve, had a CT and it came back with nothing. I went to a physio and had inflammation in my neck. Symptoms spread to my right arm two weeks later so I returned to the doc. Was told it was nothing to worry about. I continued to worry about it, started having tingling sensations in both of my feet and face. Doctor said it was nothing. My feet have gone cold, my body doesn't seem to recognise hot or cold properly, my legs feel so heavy. My doc says there are too many symptoms all at once to be MS. I am so stressed worrying about what this is. I have had a brain and spine MRI and both were clear. I have called an ambulance this week late at night I was so scared. I feel numbness down my left leg, and at night especially, I can't sleep because of it. Anxiety or MS?

[Tia1]

Hi Melissa, It is impossible for us to know if your symptoms are from MS or anxiety. I went for years being told that my symptoms were "benign" and nothing to worry about and I was only to happy to believe it, however the symptoms kept coming back and in some cases getting worse.

I was eventually diagnosed with MS. It does take time, a lot of other test and problems have to be ruled out. Make sure that any issues that you have are documented and be patient. Any doctor that is worth anything will take his time and make sure he/she is certain before given you this diagnoses. It changes a lot of things, like your ability to be insured, etc. Take this time to get your finances in order.

Good luck to us all.

[BadAttitude]

What do I think? I think you've talked to multiple doctors, had tests done, and nothing showed MS. That's what I think. I guess if you got an MRI you'd feel better, but given the direction your post takes, you'd probably want to insist on a spinal tap. Don't do that.

(I LOVE jreagan's comment that you have a case of screaming anxiety. That is just too funny. )

You COULD just chill, concentrate on the bike and music and just take copious, detailed notes. You know, for future reference, and to give your anxiety a harmless outlet.