Is this anxiety or MS? Convincing myself of the worse but doctor disagrees.

[jbrokeri1982]

Here's the story:  2 weekends ago I had a cramp in my left arm, felt like my muscle just knotted up.  My arm felt somewhat sore and tired for 2 days, but no weakness or loss of use.  Last week while typing at my desk at work (stressful job which I hate) I felt a burning sensation in my left shoulderblade, which ended up radiating down my arm.  That night I went for a run and did not notice the feeling again.  The next day I felt fine in the morning but began to have the same feeling in both arms halfway though the morning.  I made the mistake of googling my symptoms and am now terrified I have MS.  The feeling spread to my legs slightly over the weekend, but were significantly more noticable when I was having a panic attack about them (crying, hyperventilating, etc.).  Went to doctor who performed basic neuro. exams, reported that it was likely a muscle or pinched nerve in my neck, and ordered lots of bloodwork and an EMG on both arms.  All bloodwork and EMG were normal.  I am in a complete state of panic about this, imagining that this is the beginning of the end of my life.  I have struggled with panic, especially regarding health issues, for several years.  I have been under constant stress for about 10 months, and have had consistent insomnia since August (starting back to work after summer).  I have no other symptoms aside from burning feeling except shaky hands and hands feeling somewhat tired.  I expressed concerns to my doctor and asked about possibility that I could have MS.  Her reply:  "It takes a long time to diagnose it, so no, you do not have MS today."  She has refused a referral to a neurologist or for an MRI.  Given my history of stress and inability to manage anxiety, could this all be related?  A friend told me it is unlikely that MS would present bilaterally in all limbs, but with my doctor being completely unhelpful, I don't know where else to turn.  Also, the symptoms are most noticeable when I am anxious about them, and not noticeable at all at other times.  I feel consistently keyed up since this happened, and can't believe I went from feeling almost completely healthy one day to being a complete wreck the next.  I have convinced myself several times per year for at least 6 years that I have a deadly illness (usually leukemia or lymphoma, most recently sinus cancer), but I am scared this is really it.

Thanks in advance!

[juliemaria]

i have had your symtoms and more for many years but now they are more savere my doctor first told me i have fibromyalgia then he told me i have muscularskelitor and now he tells me i have ME but gives me antidepresnents i have had a few blood tests which come back ok and he will not send me for MRI for the constant pain i have in my left ribs and left sholder blade and left arm i am getting more symptoms as time goes by but i dont think i have these things wrong with me that he has said there is no test for ME that seems to be a waitting game teast but you are having tests and scans so i would not worry yet you sound like a fit person so you could have over done it on one of your work outs i hope your pains leave you soon good luck

[mamaof6]

Hi. I have also "had" MS in the past, along with a ton of other diseases, ailments, etc..  I, too, googles symptoms and I was SOOO comvinced I had everything at one time or another. I remember the MS scare. I had tingling in my arms, tongue, limbs would feel heavy, etc..  I even posted on the MS board on WebMD. THEY even said my sx sounded like MS. Now granted, I had no insurance so I never went to the doctor, but after my anxiety simmered down for a bit, the sx went away. THEN when it flared back up, it was stroke, heart attacks, brain tumors, etc. I do notice once the anxiety goes away so do all my sx. Alot of them wouldnt get until after i googled a certain disease, then BAM! I had all the sx. My anxiety will come and go. Ive suffered with it for close to 17 years. Right now, I am 39 and pregnant with my 7th child and since Ive hit the 2nd trim. it has been horrible. My anxiety is back full force :(   Also, I have the left arm worries. Every once in a while my left arm will feel "weird". thats the only way i can describe it. And on my back left shoulder itll feel tingly sometimes. I no longer think I have MS, but heart troubles (again lol) so now i focus on my pulse, checkin my fingernails to make sure they are not purple, etc. Its crazy, I know. Just the nature of the beast. I am sorry you are going through this. I wanted to let you know you are not alone. I have worried on adn off since I was around 23ish, just KNOWING I was dying, and Im still here. I even wrote my kids letters telling them how much I loved them, cuz i was "dying". Thank goodness I never gave them to them :0  Well, good luck hon and I hope you feel better soon!