Terrified I have MS

[Em2705]

I have been terrified for the past few years that I have MS. My fear comes in waves. I admit that I do have health anxiety, but my symptoms are real. I have seen 2 doctors and they refuse to give me an MRI. I would like one to help put my mind at ease if nothing shows up or to start treatment if something is found. Since I have been a teenager I've had intermittent bilateral tingling in parts of feet (heels, baby toes). Lately I've had occasional pulling sensation in left knee when bending neck forward and sometimes when not doing anything to provoke it.This scares me because I've read online that this is called Lhermitte’s sign and it's often associated with MS. I am 30 years old with 3 young children and I am so scared I won't be able to be here for them in 20 years. I've know 2 people with MS and one of them died and the other is in a wheelchair. A few months ago I had about 2 weeks of trembling in both hands. I can't be sure if this was anxiety or an MS symptom. Do my symptoms sound like MS and how do I go about convincing a Dr. to give me an MRI? Thank you.

[cjtmn]

I just want to thank you for your post. Like many others, I suffer from depression and mild anxiety. I find myself getting very defensive internally if it is suggested that physical symptoms are caused by my emotional health problems...because I somehow felt people were saying I was imagining things or somehow convincing myself these things were happening.

Your response is really helpful and reassuring. I knew it, but needed reminding. Thank you for this!!

Cheryl

[immisceo]

Here's the thing: symptoms produced by anxiety *are* real. If someone tells you it might be anxiety, they're not stating you don't believe what you feel or that you're not experiencing what you say you are. It's just not likely organic in origin and needs to be treated in a different way so you can get on with living your life.

It's not a dismissal, it's just acknowledging that another approach to helping needs to be taken. If health anxiety is really at the heart of the issue here, it's entirely possible that a clear MRI would provide you with no relief. Health anxiety simply moves you onto fixating on another unlikely possibility until its dealt with directly.

What you describe does not sound like MS, but we're all just patients here. You'll probably find that if you are open to treating your anxiety and that actually doesn't help your symptoms, your doctors will be more likely to refer you for further testing.