MS or Anxiety

Question

I'm 24 years, female in good health. About a month ago I began getting some weird symptoms. First, felt very weak, lightheaded, shaky, was seeing white flashing lights. Went to the ER and was sent home, was told I had anxiety. I took a week off from work because I felt weak and I was taking meclizine which made me really droopy, I was given the medication because my GP thought I had vertigo. 3 days later, I was standing on a line and got very hot, weak, lightheaded and had visual disturbances. So I went home and got into bed. Ever since I've felt an inbalance while walking and standing, my body feels very heavy and at times I have visual disturbances. Two weeks ago I was getting leg pains, first on the right one then on both, with some burning sensations, pins and needles, electrical shocks. Got the same sensatios on my feet, hands, arms. I took vitamin b12 and it calmed down. Then I got the tingling sensatios on my neck, lips and tongue. I feel a pressure on the lower part of my head and on my neck and behind my ears, I also feel the pressure in my ears. At times, I have a weird taste in my mouth and some bothersome sensations on my tongue, it feels as if I had eating a pineapple that wasn't ripe. After taking vitamin b 12 for three weeks I start getting the electrical shock feelings again, especially on my legs, and the nerve tics. I have the same pressure on my head and neck. I also feel pressure on my chest, which sometimes squeezes and on my back, sometimes even on my breast. All the bloodwork ordered by the neuro came back normal. EEG, and EMG came back normal. I feel worse when I first get up in the morning, my body is extremely heavy and also at the end of the day. My neck is fine when I get up, it only gets painful and feels stiff 2-3 hours after being up but if I rest, it gets ok and I can move it normally. Please, any thoughts would help, thanks.

jsan · Answer

My brain MRI is clean, as for the CSpine my discs are a bit out of place so I'm going to physical therapy.

ka217 · Answer

I don't know a whole lot about white matter hyperintesities, but have been told that they can be caused by a number of things...MS, migraines, smoking, diabetes, demyelating disease...  Since there have been no changes on my MRI in 4 years, I am hoping that it is NOT MS!  I think I have anxiety because I am still in limbo.  I was able to get my neuro appt moved up to next Friday and was told that they will be doing a CSpine MRI as well as a repeat brain MRI.  

You keep me posted as to how your results come out!

jsan · Answer

I had an MRI done years ago which was normal, I'm getting one later this week, I'm hoping everything is ok and I'm hoping I can blame it all on stress/anxiety, I think waiting for results makes everything worse.  What exactly does it mean when they find white matter hyperintesities?  Also, about a month ago, I went to the ER because I wanted them to do an MRI, they did one and it came out normal, or that's what they said but things got worse ever since so I"m getting one on my brain and one on the cervical spine.  We are too young to go through this, I wish you the best of luck and keep me posted.

ka217 · Answer

Forgot to mention that I am 28 years old.

ka217 · Answer

Hi,

I don't really have any advice for you, but wanted to let you know that I have pretty much the same symptoms as you.  Weakness, lightheaded/dizzy almost constant, heavy body feeling, numbness/pain on the right side of my face, fatigue, sometimes heaviness in chest/breast area.  This is my second bout with them.  I had an MRI in 2005 and one again about a month ago.  They revealed white matter hyperintesities and now I am going to see a neuro for the first time to have some more testing done.  My GP thought I had a sinus infection, so I was very shocked when the MRI revealed something different.  

I too would welcome any thoughts!  Thanks!