Tingling in hands and feet - Anxiety or MS?!!

[coxygrrl]

I am a 25 year old female. Recently I have experienced tingling pins and needles feelings in my hands, feet, arms and legs. I went to my PCP and she said it was just anxiety and put me on Xanax. (I do have a history of anxiety, and I'm getting married in a week)
The Xanax does nothing for these feelings. I do not have any weakness or any other neurological symptoms that I know of. If it was truly anxiety, wouldn't the Xanax make the tingling feelings go away. I'm so afraid that this is the first symptoms of MS. I did have a CT scan about 2 years ago, and it was clear. Can CT scans show evidence of MS, or do you have to have an MRI?
Are there other conditions that would cause extremity tingling?

[CCF-Neuro-M.D.-PW]

Tingling in the extremities without other neurological symptoms or another medical problem is more likely due to a metabolic cause like hypocapnea (low carbon dioxide in the blood due to hyperventilation) or an electrolyte disturbance like low magnesium or calcium. Try breathing into a brown paper bag for a minute - this will increase the carbon dioxide concentration
THe other causes can be checked by some blood tests

Xanax is a sedative/anxiolytic that acts by increasing inhibitory neurotransmitters in the brain - so it may not necessarily affect tingling.

Other much rarer causes in clude a peripheral neuropathy, a cervical myelopathy, a paraneoplastic syndrome, or a side effect of medications - have your doctor assess the likliehood of these possibilities

MS does not present with tingling in all the extremities at once as a sole symptom. CT scans are not sensitive enough for MS.

[abbyjoc]

For some reason the last few nights my feet have been having a numb feeling to them.... would anyone have any idea what that would mean

...

[Mimabettan]

A related discussion, tingling was started.

[annecrombie]

A related discussion, numbnesstinglinghandsfeet was started.

[cmorton67]

A related discussion, tingly numbing sensation in feet legs back hands was started.

[lola252]

A related discussion, severe tingling in hands and feet was started.

[chonie]

A related discussion, tinging hands and feet was started.

[sutt]

A related discussion, What meds or vits might cause neuropathy in feet and hands? was started.

[mollymaguire]

Having numbness/tingling in amy hands and feet for over 2 months, with shooting pains in my legs, I was diagnosed with poly/neuropathy.  You might want to checkinot this.  I just started taking Neurotin...haven't been on it long enough to know results...but I sleep really well with it.  Before I was lucky to get 4 hrs. sleep in a 24 hr. time frame.  God speed.

[6million$man]

I need a little help here.  I have a history of MANY orthopedic procedures being performed on my knees and shoulders.  I have had several surgeries in the past 6 months (Sinus reconstruction..., shoulder surgery, ..., and the latest was a left total knee replacement) the knee was 7 weeks ago.  For the past 3 weeks or so I have been getting pains and tingling in the bottem of my feet, which is worse in the left foot with it spilling over into the right foot to a degree.  As of late my hands and fingers have really started to itch and tingle a bit, worse at night and morning.  My knee does get very warm to the touch at times and a HOT bath gives my knee some relief for a time.  Any ideas out there?

[numbskull]

RE: open vs closed MRI--there are open tubes and closed tubes to have your MRI imaging done. An open is more comfortable, and less confining than the closed tube, however,the open ones in general do not have the same 'tesla'--teslas are the magnetic strength that are used to do the imaging. An open MRI might have a .3 to .5 tesla, whereas a closed tube,the tesla is more concentrated and is generally 1.5 tesla--doesn't sound like a big difference or a big deal, but I just had an MS specialist say to my open mris I had done--you may have a demyelinating disease( disease that breaks down the myelin), like MS- I can't see anything like that on an open MRI!! Hope this info helps

[LukeL]

It might be Raynauds a condtion which causes numbness and tingling in the hands and sometimes feet when exposed to cold temps even just leaving your hand on the computer mouse or remote control can cause symptoms. Along with the tingling you may also have redness or whiteness in your hands and feet.  

I would discuss this with your docotor but would not really worry about it being MS or any other severe neurological disorder.

[debbied30]

My daughter suffers from neuropathy right side of upper body(hand/face/neck/shoulder)
She was diagnosed in March of 2005 with Chiari 1 malformation with Syringomylia ( thats probably spelled wrong) otherwise known as a syrinx ,
The way they found it out is she was having numbness/tingling/some pain in right arm/hand , they did an MRI and found it , from what I understand this is often misdiagnosed as MS
She just underwent Chiari Decompression surgery last week Tuesday , now we wait and see how she does.

Deb

[jusshell]

Can I ask what an open and closed MRI is?

[numbskull]

Well,I would first get married, you probably already have, so congrats!Now that your anxiety has lessened, still having tingling?You need a closed tube MRI w and w/o contrast.If you are poss.suspecting something like MS, take it from me,who has had a spinal tap and multiple MRI's unfortunately OPEN ones, which can't necessrily see alot.I am a 'possible' MS dx,and unfortunately, it does mean watching and waiting.I would start to journal your sensations, and keep writing whatever comes up for you.Then if it does persist, or you have other symptoms,write them all down, and go and make an appt. w/ a neurologist and hand them the journal, they will appreciate this, really.try and see that your dr. is well-qualified,and is connected to a good or great facility.Good luck in your marriage and health,blessings,Kate

[stygian]

Hi i live in Belize City and i went to New York to perform an M.R.I on the brain to rule out any abnormalities. I have been having these feeling that last for about 5-8 seconds. My symtoms are heavy legs if i am standing or walking and a tickling inside my body which makes me laugh at times. My M.R.I came back saying everything is fine except for a cyst in the Mesial Temporal Lobe and the doctors in Belize put me on a medication call charbamazipine.