Long history, here I go…
I am a very healthy 29 year old, I know so because of the last 4 times I have gone to the ER in the last 3 months and left with
perfectPerfect choice CBC,
CHEMChem-20
Chem-7's CT's and all Doc’s telling me I’m perfectly healthy. All my life I have suffered from
OCDObsessive-compulsive disorder,
atypicalAtypical pneumonia bipolarBipolar disorder
Bipolar disorder , hypochondria and GAD. However, in the last 5 months I have diagnosed myself with the following:
Lymphoma
Kidney Failure
Wilson's disease
Autoimmune hepatitis
Hemachrotosis
Liver Cirrhosis
Lupus
IC
Bladder Cancer
Ovarian Cancer
Cervical Cancer
Cardiac Sympathy
Colon Caner
Breast Cancer
Melanoma
and now MS
The reason I am so scared of MS, is that after suffering from severe anxiety after thinking I am dying for about 2 weeks (without sleeping and barely breathing), I develop tingling and weird sensations in my extremities. After the ER confirms that I don’t have the specific disease I thought I did, I'm OK, the parasthesias disappear.
However, this time after a bout of anxiety due to frequent urination, I found on line that MS could be the cause. Oh boy, I went to a Neuro, and the exam said I looked fine and my reflexes were really good just a little brisk because during the exam I suffered a panic attack. He sent me for a thyroid test and adrenaline test and straight to a psych . However, I can't eat or sleep thinking I have MS. I really do feel tiny little pricks sporadically in different parts of my body that last like a second. I decided to self medicate with paxil and to make matters worst now I have developed twitching, another MS symptoms. Then after searching in more websites, I developed kind of like a cold like tingling in my lower feet and legs and arms...OMG dysthesias. I am truly feeling these weird cold stings that last about one second in all my extremities, especially my hands and feet. My Doc in the ER said that's from hyperventilating, and that I will feel all those weird things, I wish I could believe him. I do notice that when I am thinking of something else I don't feel these annoying sensations.
I have lived with this agony my whole life. I have no weakness, numbness, pins and needles, loss of balance no other typically MS symptom. Physically I feel the strongest ever, I work out like a beast everyday, doing squads, I feel like if I have an enormous boast of energy...But God why these paresthesias. I pray I don't have MS. I work full time, take 15 credits towards my masters and have a beautiful family. Please pray for me. Can these paresthesias be caused by anxiety.
Please help
Just remember that these doctors have spent years or even decades researching and studying the human body and know what they are doing. It is understandble to get a 2nd opinion but when 4 or more doctors all tell you the same thing you kind of know its in your head.
You even admited that you feel better after going to the doctor but shortly afterwards you go right back to thinking you are sick.
Some doctors say hypochondria is a form of OCD because we constantly check our body over and over and go to doctors over and over and our anxiety is only shortly reduce from seeing a doctor.
My best advice would be to get rid of the internet or stop going to sites like emedicine (which I have spent many hours on which only made matters worse).
The fact that you know you are a hypochondriac is a good first step towards getting real help. Almost most importantly DO NOT self medicate as this will only lead to adverse side effects and make you think you have something else wrong with you.
Right here in the mental health forum another person had muscle spasms or twithcing while on Paxil.
Also if I have not already said it DO NOT self medicate or take more then the reccomended dose.
Once I thought I had HIV, mind you I have only had one partner my whole life (HS sweetheart), and I tested myself 11 times in two years. Why is my mind like this? I had a wonderful childhood, great parents, friends, why I'm I so ungrateful and unhappy? WHy does my life surround itself around diseases, ranging from my parents to my girls, husband, etc.? Why can't I be normal, gosh why these little tingles sporadically in my extremeties? Guys isn't his an MS symptoms? Then of course I found an MS website saying that their feet seem real cold sometimes, urghhhhh....
Oh God I can't breathe right now, I feel as if I can't be in a room.
I went to the pshy, I'm om 100 mg Zoloft, 3 zanax per needed a day and restoril for sleep.
I don't know what else to do
***Yes it can.
The only thing you are suffering from is an overactive imagination. You keep sensitizing your nervous sytem because of all your nervous *thinking*; you've got to change your thought life or you will continue to suffer needlessly. If you had all those cancers you'd be dead.
Sweettooth
I pray every moment that this nightmare goes away. I know my post might sound ridiculous, but my feelings are very real and my agony is constant. I hope the Zoloft starts taking effect and that the little tingles are just from hyperventalation. I think if it was MS I would have other syptoms (symptoms)?
God Bles
Please someone hHELp. I can't focus at work, i have gone from a 4.0 gpa at school to someone who doesn't even turn in her assignments.
With care, and hope for everyone,
kloedanser
Which is often the problem if doctors would sit down and explain for even 3 minutes why we feel the way we do it would be a huge comfort to most people. Also if they would go over things like an EKG or imaging results and show why we can't have what we think we do it would help our anxiety.
That is why I like when a physician's assistant or a med student examines me as they are more hands and willing to explain things to you.
Mental disease has followed me throughout my life like a vicious monster. I fight it everyday working, going to school, coming home and giving my family all the love hugs and kisses one can give. God give us all the strength to just have piece of mind, that's all we need.
Thanks to you all, I'm starting to get convinced that these sensations are all about hyperventalating, like the Er doctor explained. He said even if I don't notice it, for days I am not breathing properly, which will make all these weird sensations come on. Also, once before an agonizing month of thinikng I had lymphoma, I also had the tingles and my potasssium was really low in the ER
It could be you are clenching your fists so tightly for hours and you are having spasms because of it (this can even occur in your sleep much like grinding your teeth).
I also have mouth pain from clenching my jaw and arm pain from checking my pulse every 5 minutes, so with chest, left arm pain, and jaw pain you can see how I panic about my heart even though I am 20 years old and am otherise healthy other then anxiety.
Here is a site that has a lot of symptoms of anxiety
http://www.anxietycentre.com/anxiety-symptoms.shtml
please only go to this if you can understand that all of these symptoms are a result of anxiety and you can put it into prespective.
What I would recommend is take a couple days off and just chill...relax...read a book...do some meditation, whatever...but the main thing is too RELAX!! I can see how your so worked up right now...your not giving the body and mind time to rest.
What worries me about your post is that while anxiety can't harm you physicaly...you sound dangerously close to having an emotional breakdown...that can be alot worse in some aspects..esp. around kids. You might want to get in touch with a therapist about this as well.
Best.
I, myself have also struggled with the symptoms you've described and the thoughts that go with them. and I'm no where near as fit and busy as you.
One thing that you could do is play the what if game.
If you did have MS wouldn't you just live life as vigourously as you are or more so? Would you just take up a wheelchair and quit? NO! Not you- you have too much to do and so much to get done. Remember tomorrow will take care of itself. Today take care of you.
I was going nuts. I quit work as i thoought why to work when I have a deadly disease. I had headache and dizziness for a couple of years and diagnosed my self with brain tumor.
Getting an appointment with a neurologist and waiting for a brain scan would take some time and I'd go crazy waiting and worrying.
I went to emergency and pretended that I was really sick and that I see double and what not. My point was to get an immediate brain scan which I did and it was negative.
Then sometimes I have feeling that police is after me because long time ago I stole something not worth police investigating but I had fear and went to a PD to see if they have a warrant for my arrest.
I went to a shrink and he gave me something for paranoia which can also be used for schisophrenia and I freaked out if I am schisophrenic..
Yesterday I was sure I have MS but I dont worry as MS is usually not fatal
So after all my tests were negative I am going to get some serios psychological therapy and I sugest that to you as well.