Is this Anxiety or MS???

Hello--

I have been on the MS forum off and on because I have been going thru MS like symptoms...Just yesterday my doc said that they couldn't find any link to any neurological disorder and he thinks I have anxiety.  I disagree but want to know if any of you have EVER experienced neurolgical symptoms that turned out to be anxiety driven...

I need help!  I just need to know if this is even possible.  A little background...I am a 34 year old stay home mom of 2 with generally more energy than a 2 year old.  Right before xmas for no apparent reason I developed tingling in my right leg soon accompanied by vertigo....Please read on.  This is part of what I posted on the MS forum...





After 3 months of symptoms and nothing showing up on testing my neuro set me free and suggested I get a 2nd opinion!  

My symptoms started with tingly right foot and vertigo...now I have not been symptom free in 3 months and I have...tingliness in both legs, vertigo (some days worse than others), heavy legs, muscle twitches and tingles, the feeling of vibrations under my feet, tiredness, pain in my butt, the feeling that my legs are going to just "give out" etc...all sensory type stuff.

I originally went to the doc on Jan 11th and he told me I was showing sign of MS.  All blood work has been run and is clear...except Vitamin D.  I have now been on that since Jan., got off for two weeks just to have it abnormal again.  He ran a brain MRI on 2/8 on a 1.5 T machine w/out contrast...it was normal.

Then on 2/19 MRI of C-Spine w/out contrast on 1.5 T...normal

3/8 MRI of T-Spine w/out contrast on 1.5 T...normal

On 2/4 I had a VEP test...normal

4/1 EMG...normal

UGH!!!  I feel like there has to be answers out there!

So...my neuro said he thinks I have anxiety issues (he told me this before so I made a pyshc apt and my pyshc DOES NOT feel that I have anxiety issues leading to this).

Yesterday my neuro basically in a nut shell picked all the symptoms apart and said that they do not all go together.  He is treating the vertigo with PT and suggests the "neuro like" symptoms are caused from anxiety.  He said the occasional fatigue must be because of something else.

I agree that I do have SOME anxiety issues..but all isolated...like I don't like to fly...things like that.  i don't feel that I have anxiety on a daily basis.  I feel as though I always have been a tad of a nervous neelie but not anything extreme...like I said all isolated.

I will also give my neuro the fact that things got worse after being told that I may have MS.  But I don't feel that made the symptoms worse.  I do think I got scared though.  

HELP!!!  Have any of you EVER heard of anxiety created neurological symptoms AND if so how does it explain my first symptoms?  OR another theory for my primary care doc is that it is MS and too early to show on scans...

HELP!!!!  What do you all think?

Thank you so much!
Angie

[H89]

I'll start of by saying that I have PTSD, POTS, Fibromyalgia, and chronic migraines. So I've had almost all of your symptoms and know how you feel. Sounds to me like you could have fibromyalgia or some other autoimmune disease. Fibro would explain the normal blood work(except the vitamin D, which a low level of is common with fibro). Have you had your blood pressure tested? Your  vertigo could be from chronic low blood pressure. I would suggest getting a cardiologist consult as well as a rheumatological consult to rule out other problems. I'm having some bizarre neuro issues right now that my primary doctor thinks is NOT anxiety, so there's a good chance you could have something else going on.

[yaz300]

I have many neurological symptoms and it is from anxiety.

You had an MRI and it didn't show MS. So forget that.

Just to be 100% sure, besides all possible blood work, do an ECG test to check your heart.

I believe it is stress and/or anxiety.

[mammo]

I feel you can rule out MS or any other neurological issues.  But I would want to have a complete physical check-up to rule out any other causes, before assumimg it's anxiety.
Anxiety can cause some pretty severe symptoms, and with anxiety you can become "fixated" on one particular thing like MS, and start to view every little twinge you feel as a symptom of it.  Your high energy level is probably a symptom of anxiety (I have this) and you don't necessarily have to feel anxious to suffer with anxiety, it will mask itself in other ways like what you're experiencing now. Anxiety has a root cause, and this is where therapy can benefit you immensely.  Once you find out what that is, you can get it out in the open and deal with it, easing your anxiety.  You will learn relaxation
methods as well.  Sometimes medication is needed, this needs to be discussed with your psych doctor.  I would have your heart checked, and see an Endocrinologist to rule out any thyroid problems and if all of this is okay, it may be time to address the anxiety.  I can understand your frustrations with the two doctors not agreeing about it being anxiety.  If everything comes back fine, I would seek the opinion of a second psych
and go from there.  Stay with us, I'm sure there will be others who can offer advice to you as well as support.  Take care and forget about the MS.

[Robynn145]

Oh Angie, U and I need to talk. First let me tell u I was diagnosed with Panic Disorder 20 years ago. I'm 39 now, and since Feb. 2010, I have been experiancing  neurological symptoms. Legs tingling, muscle twitching, brain fog, legs feeling stiff and heavy, feelings of   weakness, tremor, fingures twitching, a numby kind of tingly feeling in the left side of my face. I had originally went to the E.R with nausea, and my legs felt weak and shakey (shaky). The ER doc wanted to send me home saying I had a stomach bug, but I said "what about my legs and arms shakeing". He then checked my reflexes and did a brief neurological exam.

At this time he appreciated ankle clonus in my left ankle and said that isnt normal. He went to call the Neurologist on call Fand came back and said, we need to give u a CT scan of ur brain before we can let u leave to make sure u dont have a brain tumor. I freaked out. CT scan was totally normal, and I said can it be MS, and he said yes, maybe. Then I really lost it!!!!

From that moment on I was in full blown panic mode, I didnt eat, I barely slept, I read way to much info on MS on the internet. (Way to Much). But I really did feal sick and was very confident that something was wrong. The following weeks have been a nightmare, Numbness, tingling, panic attacks, nausia, stiff legs, painful muscle spasms. Anxiety???

I had follow up neuro app. He did very thourough neuro exam and said he wanted a MRI of my brain, I had it done 2 weeks later. Freaked out so bad waiting for the phone call with the results, and I was totally convinced I had MS. Got the call 2 days later and NOTHING, MRI, completly clear and normal, His nurse told me that doc said he would do  MRI of my Cervical Spine, just to rule out MS completly but chances were that he wouldnt find anything there either. So I had it done and had to wait 4 days for the results from that one. That about killed me. Got the call and NOTHING, totally clear. She said doc said there was no reason to do MRI of lower spine because thats not how MS lesions work.

So according to them I do not have MS and they said that all the scans I have had plus all the blood work, they said they have ruled out most if not all of the really scary stuff. So what does that leave on the table. ANXIETY!!!

Which we know I deffinatly have that. So.. a big fat YES to ur question to can Anxiety cause neurological symptoms. Why? I dont know how exactly, but I do know that anxiety and panic run through ur nervous system, so if ur anxious or have a very worried or stressed mind then ur nervous system can become over stimulated and excited and there u go, every nerver and muscle in ur body can be affected.

I hope what I've told u about my situation will bring u some comfort and peace of mind. I usually dont post on here, but ur story and my story were to simular not to respond and offer u some insight to what might be happening with ur body, I know how scary all those sensations can feel. They are absolutly awefull.


If u need someone to talk to  directly, (because I know how terrible it feels to post ur fears on here and have to sit and wait for someone to respond).U are welcome to txt me or call me on my cell phone. [phone]. Please dont hesitate, and know I'm not some kind of weirdo. I just know how scary and how alone all of this can make a person feel. I didnt have anyone to talk to when all of this started happening to me. So call me or txt me if u need someone, And I'm up late so dont worry. I'm still having some sleeping issues because of my leg symptoms. Take Care Angie