Told today that my symptoms are in my head...

[Marian326]

Could my symptoms be psychosomatic?
January 2002 I had the worst headache of my life, four days later I was experiencing left-sided numbness in my arm and face.
Within two weeks I was using a wheelchair because I could hardly walk. I was tested for everything with no diagnosis. I quit my job and spent a year and a half on the couch.
October of 2003 I got another bad headache that lasted a month. During this month my symptoms started to dissipate.
Over the next few years I got better, having minor flare ups that lasted a few days. I learned to pace myself.
Last spring I had a flare up that lasted 8 weeks and I never got back to 100%.
I am in the middle of a flare now, I asked for and got a permanent disability card for my car, I'm unable to exercise, typing is difficult because my left hand is numb and weak.
Last June I went to Mayo Clinic and the Neurologist said it might be migrates strokes but that I should see a psychologist.
Is it really possible that my mind/emotional state could be causing my symptoms?
Symptoms are left-sided numbness, weakness, fatigue, unbalance, blurred vision in my left eye, burning sensation in my arm and face, I drag my left foot, tremors and spasms...
Thank you.

[babybear2200]

Hi and welcome!

I am new here too with a new dx of CNS Demylienation (I can't remember how to spell that right now, sorry) and just had a cervical spine and brain MRI this morning and a boatload of blood tests Thursday for "? MS".

My questions are the same as PeninaD and Jenna;  Supermum makes excellent points as well. I have been through the ringer when it comes to Dr's. and unfortunately, a lot will gravitate toward Mental Health issues when they can't figure out what is wrong (just my opinion / experience). Conversion Disorders are pretty rare but they do happen although, like Supermum points out, they don't present in the way you are explaining.  

I was very offended to say the least on the multiple occasions I was told I must be crazy (that isn't what they said exactly but thats what I heard). As soon as some Dr's heard I had been abused as a child they didn't even bother to look further. Frustrating! I finally went through an evaluation (admittedly out of spite) and was cleared. The dr actually asked if I would ever consider speaking to help others overcome in the way that I had. My advise to you is to go through the process if thats what they keep going back to so you can either eliminate the excuse to not look further or IF there really is a M/H issue you can begin treatment.

I wish you the best of luck and can truly sympathize with you on what you are going through.  Please keep us posted.

[PeninaD]

When my daughter was in hospital after her diagnosis, a psychiatrist showed up in her room, and explained that as MS is a disease that effects the brain, as well as being such a profound thing to have dealt with before diagnosis, and now getting a life altering diagnosis, they like all their patients to touch base with mental health professionals.  In her case, it was a good thing, because the psychiatrist had been part of the MS team under a grant for a few years, and knew a lot regarding many aspects of living with MS. In fact one medication modification that she made, from some SSRI (for depression/OCD) to an SNRI, Cymbalta, made quite a bit of positive difference in working also on the uncomfortable skin sensations the MS had been causing.
At least once a week during her hospitalizations, other social workers or psychologists checked up on Julia, and every checkup, one of them pops in for a few minutes, to make sure Julia has no issues cropping up.

MS can cause depression, pseudobulbar issues. Having a psych workup dies not mean they think you are loony, it really should be a part of treating a whole person, not just a disease.

[supermum_ms]

Hi and welcome to our little MS community,

You ask....."Is it really possible that my mind/emotional state could be causing my symptoms?" and the simple answer is that yes a persons psychological health can mimic physical symptoms (sx's), cause generalised fatigue, functional weakness, sensory sx's and muscle facilitations etc, so yes it is 'possible' with some mental health condition eg health anxiety, conversion disorder etc

BUT psychological conditions are known to cause bilateral sx's or sx's that appear all over the body randomly, moving or spreading sensory or muscle spasms/twitches and generally the feeling of fatigue or muscle weakness without the actually muscle strength being diminished.  Symptoms present or worsen with fear, anxiety or stress, reading about a sx's of a condition they worry or believe them selves to have, can cause them to experience those sx's etc etc etc.

To me the big red flag for your situation being possibly a mental health issue, would simply be mental health conditions don't usually cause unilateral sx's! Unfortunately, it is very very common for people who actually do have an undiagnosed chronic medical condition eg MS, Lupus, arthritis, pre-diabetes, thyroid issues etc etc to have their mental health questioned prior to getting their correct dx's, many of our diagnosed community members have had the experience.

I will always advice people to get their hands on copies of every test result they have had eg brain and spinal MRI's, LP, visual field tests, nerve testing, blood tests etc etc and any records of dx'd conditions and when mental health has been put on their list of possible causes, to seriously consider getting their mental health assessed too. If the idea it's M/H is wrong, just like any testing that produces positive or negative results, if there isn't a M/H issue it should help get that 'idea' removed from their list of possible causes!

Cheers..........JJ

[Jennagreen]

Did they do a bunch of tests on you? MRI? Spinal tap? Everything negative? I have the same question as Penina above. It seems bizarre to me that you could have such profoundly disabling symptoms and they would suggest it is all in your head.  I've had numb feet for 4 months and I've already been seen by five doctors, a physical therapist, had 2 MRI's, a spinal tap, had a billion blood tests, an evoked potentials test and pending a couple outstanding tests, a diagnosis. Not once did anyone ever suggest "it was all in my head".  

[PeninaD]

Why did this doctor refer you to a psychologist?
Was it that he/she thinks it is "all in your head", OR is it possible that because you have a chronic condition, the feeling is that your psychological well-being is also an integral part of treatment?