To make things worse, anxiety and panic can cause numbness, cold, and tingling in the face and hands! Anxiety's a perfectly normal reaction. When I was going through diagnosis, I would have anxiety attacks and my heart would race. I didn't know what was wrong with me, and every time I had a new symptom, I would worry about it.
So don't be afraid to cry - crying is good for you. Forums like this are great for me when I have a question about a symptom, or whether this is even an MS symptom.
Speaking of which, I wouldn't get too hung up about symmetrical or non-symmetrical symptoms. What they say is that neurological symptoms from MS won't be symmetrical - that you're going to have right side weakness or left side spasms, etc. If you have a spinal lesion, it'll cause symptoms on both sides, but they might be different symptoms. Like spasms in one arm, and weakness in the other. Or one arm is weak and the other arm is weaker.
I personally have lesions in my spine, which causes weakness in my left and right arm and hand, and weakness in both legs. My right side is definitely weaker than my left.
Thanks for your response Jen! Now my right side feels fairly normal (just that Novocain like feeling in my bisep area now) and my left side is feeling very much like it did a couple months ago...I can even feel it in my jaw again and down my leg. I know that most symptoms are not symetrical but can it start on one side (mild) and then show up onthe other side (more intense)? It's worse on the left now so not really symetrical...but same sort of feeling...more wide spread on my left side now...ugh!!!!!! I'm so very confused. And when I talk to people they say "are you stressed out", "is it panic"....I DON"T KNOW! Yes I am stressed...who isnt...lol. I'm really second guessing what is "real" and what is a result of some other "normal" (non MS) issue. I just want to cry:(
I would definitely call the neuro about your new symptom. Patients that are newly diagnosed or going through the process have a hard time distinguishing what's a flare from their 'new normal' - and it's because we feel like crud all the time anyway.
After three or four years, you'll find as your disease stabilizes that you're actually able to discern good days from bad, and tell when you're going into a flare. With your fatigue and your new arm symptoms, I think you're going into another flare.
My MS symptoms fluctuate throughout the day. They're okay in the morning, get worse throughout the day, and get better after 5:00 pm. At night (8:00-9:00 pm) I feel better and less fatigued.