MS symptoms caused by anxiety - has anyone experienced this?

[melinderry]

I have been bugged by this problem for years butit has recently flared up. I get wierd sensations over my body - the skin feels tight - like there is a rubber band on it or something but in patches. It can be anywhere in my body but sometimes there is a lot and sometimes a little.  have had all the neurological tests and they are negative so the diagnosis is that it is caused by my worry of an illness - in the beginning MS.This does make sense because it seems to get worse when I worry and spread over my body but it never fully goes even when I go for years without worry. Now I jut have had a flare up caused by some back problem and a persistant urinary infection worries and I am going crazy that its got bad again. I also feel like my tongue has cotton wool on it. its driving me crazy. I also feel the classic symptoms - itching and crawling sensations but they dont really worry me - its the tight feeling and the tongue thing. I havent been able to find any case of someone with those symptoms and I feel like a medical wierdo - I cant tell my friends really about this. Please help - I no longer worry about having MS but now it is these symptoms that worry me ecause theyre really uncomfortable - is there a way to make them go???

[holliexox]

its all anxietyyyyy darling.
trust me. i do it to my self all the time.
just DONT think about it & dont look up stuff online
just try & relax.

good luck

[Jenny Wren]

I too get the same feelings.  Burning pains, bug crawling sensations, cold water feelings, twitches, and other weird feelings.  What tests have you had for MS?  I had brain MRI, c-spine, neuro mentioned lumbar puncture, but at the last visit feels that its anxiety.  How in the hell can these feelings be caused from anxiety.  Its awful.  Does your face ever tingle for a few seconds?  I had the brain MRI last spring, after 5 years of these weird feelings.  Sorry you feel this way, I know exactly what you are talking about!! Jen

[Ashley0524]

I have had an MS concern as well.  My eye lid muscle randomly just started to droop one day, and my entire side of my face looked like it was really starting to swell.  I went to my doctor, he sent me to the eye doctor, and they said that they thought it was MS or an inflammed muscle cause by my high stress level from anxiety.  I completely know how you feel....and even though it's easier said than done, you have to just try and tell yourself that it's just your mind doing it all.  People that suffer from Anxiety and panic disorder have the most powerful minds of all I think....think of all the things that it causes....it's crazy.

But, I hope this helped at all!  I wish I would've been on this forum when I was going through all of my crazy MS scares!!

[melinderry]

hi and thankyou so much for the replies to all. Its a frustrating and annoing problem. I am trying at the moment to pay as little attention as possible to the symptoms, reassure myself I am fine, distract myself and tell myself I could have a far worse problem. Ithink with this procedure it will evenually get better because it did before but I would like a more permanent cure. I dont know if Ihave some chemical imbalance in my brain, if it is adeep seated subconcious thing, or what. I agree fully that it is a mistake to look things up online becaues its what made my anxiety return in part. I would also reassure anyone with this type of problem that the mind can produce all sorts of symptoms  - I have had a multitude of wierd sensations that you wouldnt believe. They are annoying but at least wont kill me!!!! One thing - if your symptoms come and go randomly, or if you have crawling sensations or twitches, these arent really symtpoms of MS. Knowing this helped to reassure me a lot.This doesnt mean necessarily that there isnt another physical cause but it means that there is a strong chance at anxiety is the cause. I am trying now to work out why I have this anxiety. As I have a lot of acid related symptoms I am wondering if this could be a cause...good luck to all!!!

[396SS]

YES, I thought I had MS for sure and I'm in the medical field!.  Have the burning feet, weak calves, strange sensations, cotton mouth.  Then had MRI, nerve conduction testing, bloodwork, lumbar puncture - all fine except slight bright spot in brain, but I had bad migraines in college - so they can cause that.  So, yes, my feet are burning as we speak!  The less I pay attention, the better off I am.  My psychiatrist described that when stressed, your blood vessels constrict and cut off supply to the nerve endings - causing pain/sensations.  He put me on Cymbalta to help with burning pain, I think it's helping slightly:)

[pgnms]

I'm scared.  Over the past few weeks I've been having symptoms come and go... legs and arms feeling weak and heavy, dizziness, the skin on my face feels tight and a bit numb (usually on the right side but sometimes the left).  I am hoping that it is anxiety and not MS but I just came from my doctor who seemed quite concerned that it could be MS, which is freaking me out.  My aunt was diagnosed with MS when she was 42.  I know I'm overly anxious in general (even before all of these symptoms came up) and have been contemplating seeking professional help. I always have a nervous stomach regardless of what I'm doing.  I worry excessively over the stupidest things.  And now with these new symptoms I'm feeling even more anxious, which seems to increase the symptoms (ie I was feeling pretty good today until my doctor freaked me out, then my face numbness started) I would appreciate any comments or words of experience, and I'll keep you posted on the test results.

[BrownEyedGirl1018]

I have just spent the last 20 minutes looking up MS symptoms and let me tell you I have just scared myself silly. I can relate to a big chunk of the symptoms I just read and let me tell you, I think I have the advanced stage which is making me want to run to the hospital right now. Unfortunately for me, I do not have an appointment with the neurologist until June 10 which feels like an eternity away! I need to know now! My biggest annoyance is the tremors in the hands especially but all over really. Sometimes I feel like I can barely form the words or that I speak very slow and slur as well. Ive been getting flashes of bright lights in my  eyes and a lot of pain and blurriness in my left eye. And I feel like I my aim is off as well as my balance more often than not. A lot of these symptoms can be anxiety related but I wont know until my neuro appt. Keep your fingers crossed. And good luck to you.Let me know how things turn out for you.

[Limonada]

I totally get the same thing - feels like a vise pulling on my arms.  

[flawless52]

wow! i thought i was the only one! you all sound like you have identical cases to me! ive had anxiety and panic problems for a few years (usually at certain times of the year though), and im guess i too am get over anxious over things.. but this year has been weird.

i started getting horrrrrrible feelings of weird tingly itching deep within my arms and legs, random sensations, especially different temperatures, burning feeling on my feet.. all lasting quite a long time, and all so powerful. in addition, my head jerks, and my movements over-react, to the point where when i picked up my laptop, i hit my head with it. also, for 10 days i had a bad tension headache nonstop, with a weird altered sense of conciousness. at the point where my arms and legs were getting the sensations the most, i was feeling horribly anxious and had strong bouts of sadness.

i recently went to the doctor about this and he's sending me to the neurologist. im freaked out about ms too. im really hoping that a couple panic attacks just knocked my brain chemistry all out of whack and itll all fix itself soon. but if i can get my neuro appointment for asap, im gonna be freaking out for a while

[bonnytiz]

Hi all, I get all these symptoms as well, burning, tingling,etc., my head tingles,various places on my face,my feet tingle and burn. I have been to the drs and he has done various tests and they are all normal, I have been under alot of stress so he feels that this is the cause as I have no other symptoms. I have worried about all the usual illnessess, brain tumour, MS, etc.,there are so many other people with the same sort of symptoms so I am going to try and put it out of my mind, easier said than done!!

[GeorgeFromNJ]

Anxiety can easily mimic MS.  If you had MS, you'd be having attacks that leave you crippled.  I went to a neurologist and he checked my hands, feet, etc.  He then prescribed Lexapro and threw me out of his office (Jokingly of course).  I still get tingling sensations in my face, arm and sometimes my legs, but I know it's just the anxiety.

[cnote]

Anxiety can do so much. The cotton ball feeling in your mouth, is dry mouth caused by anxiety more than likely. I get dry mouth really really bad when I'm having an anxiety episode. I can't eat very much without gagging. It stinks.

I also get weak legs when I'm having an anxiety episode too.

It can really beat ya up.

If you had MS, you would not be able to function... and it would be getting worse.
And the Dr.'s would know for sure. And you said they tested you, and everything came out fine. =) So that should put your mind at ease.

It's more than likely anxiety... and your fear of it is causing more anxiety.

Just try to get out of that evil cycle... and it will more than likely slowly leave! =)

[pinkleeanne]

Hi, i suffer with anxiety and panick dissorder and get alot of these symptoms including tingling in my legs, feet and sometimes arms, cold sweats, flushes, dry mouth and a huge pressure feeling in my head especially when i stand or bend down, i itch alot and get where my feet wont stay still, heart palps, feeing sick and racing heart all the time, its awful and hard to not think it's something alot more serious than anxiety.
I take Larazapam and they have really helped symptons especially on real bad days i take it and it relaxes everything and they help me sleep, although i am now addicted to them, anyone relate to tis? Xxx

but guys i'm sure its all anxiety its unreal what it can do to your body. Xxx

[Akcowboy]

  Please look up on the MS health pages there are many mimics of MS and from what I have read you sound like you are obsessing on looking for why you have A/P there are so many test that need to be done just to rule out other mimics of MS and can take years to do so, but I still feel that you have just A/P from what I have read about you

  Right now I have gone through so much testing for MS, with two brain lesion's and now going in for more MRI's of the spine and brain both with and without contrast, I have problems with my eyes jumping up and down DX of ON, leg drop, falling and so on and MS is now being considered as the main problem in my life but yet still no dx of it and hopefully with this next batch of testing will tell, I have been having to take shots of B12 as it was way low And I did asked my neuro why it was low and what she thought was going on with that part. But B12 helps with the making of the cover of the nerves and without it the nerves tend to short out but that is not the only reason for low B12, but the odds of you having MS are very low.

  PPL with A/P do tend to be more sensative to how they feel and overreact looking for anything that maybe the cause of how they are feeling at the time and off too the net we go.

Cowboy

[Teevan]

I too have the same symptoms, I feel crawly and tingly sensations all around my body, as well it feels like my leg, my arm and my cheeck on the left side of my body will go numb or loose feeling, Sounds really bad. these symptoms really started happening after my Mom passed away and have been on going for about a year or so. I find they are strongest when i'm really tired or stressed out about work or somthing, but i've felt it in normal situations as well when not feeling like i was stressed out or tired. For a while I was convinced that i had MS, because when i went to check the symptoms online i felt like i could put a check mark next to several of the symptoms listed. I finally sumed up the courage to go to the doctor's and she told me that the first thing that popped into her mind when i told her my symptoms was anxiety, she tested my reflexes and took a look at my pupils and then perscribed me a medication for anxiety and ways to cope with it. Even after this trip to the doctor's, i still don't even feel convienced, i feel the same symptoms as well i always feel like i drop things all the time or get pains in my limbs and get dizzy and heavy vertigo spells and am even consiedering getting a second opinion, which drives my Girlfriend crazy because i've had a history of Anxiety and she thinks im being a hypochondriac. Do you think I can trust this first doctor's diagnosis? I also have just had a Sinus Inflammation that i got perscribed a nasal spray for, but the Doctor never told me the cause, i feel like this could be caused my a auto-immune response to MS as it attacks your own nervous system and can cause imflammation of sorts. sometimes i feel like im crazy for thinking this way, and other times i convince myself that i have a underlined disease that hasnt been diagnosed yet. Please feel free to comment, thanks.

[thygirl]

I am amazed at how many people with anxiety problems worry about MS, brain tumors, etc. I am going through this now and have done so a few times in the past.  My anxiety is generally well controlled but whenever a new symptom or medical problem comes up it comes back full force. Most recently I was diagnosed with cervical disk degeneration (I am 40) and possible herniated disk. In addition to neck/back pain I have burning feet, tingling in arms and hands, small areas of numbness. Disk problems can cause the tingling and pain but then I start getting other symptoms and doubting the diagnosis. I know disk problems are quite common but then I will spend hours on the internet researching symptoms and almost always come back to MS!!  I don't have my MRI for a few weeks and the waiting is making me really anxious.