is this MS?

[Asianrick41]

Hi guys im 41 yo asian since oct i have this neuro prob started with dizzy spells and tingling /numbness in left arm and left leg   went to pcp brain mri was done with&without contrast  and its negative  i have a neuro consult last dec. he seems not 2 concern about my sx  he thinks anxiety related  he suggest psych consult  w/c i did last jan 05   psych doc think i have GAD (generalized anxiety disorder)   start me on lexapro  but didnt help my sx  makes me insomiac so i stop taking it  i read alot from here and seems all sx are MS i think i have it, lately  im having some legs stiffness and cramping  pain to calf ,burning pain after lots of walking  lots of bld works was done  b12,aic  etc its normal  my pcp will see me again in march he said if im still having same sx he will order spine mri im so anxious now cant sleep  for past 3 days i only sleep for 4 hrs  i keep reading  here and researching here my friend told me to stop doing it makes sx worse   is this anxiety related ? Im now convince i have MS !

[addicted2harleys]

Very well said, Sarah!  You always say exactly what I want to say but I am never able to put it in words like you.  :)

So Rick....what she said.  Lol. :)

[addicted2harleys]

I am sorry that things seem to be going a bit rough for you right now, Rick.  I can completely understand how alone you feel and your desire to go home.  While I am not a foreigner, I was 3000 miles away from home.  

Like I said, remember to breathe.  Keep your Feb. appointment, which is almost here!  If he prescribes you a new drug, give it a chance to work.  And call him beforehand, if you decide to stop taking it.  

I think if you get your anxiety under control, everything will be a bit better to deal with.  And, every bit counts!  :)

Try doing some activities to keep your mind off of your troubles.  What are some thinks you enjoy doing?  

Addi

[Sparkysarah]

Hi and welcome to the forum. It sounds as if you are going through a really tough time at the moment and this is not helped by the uncertainty of what is going on for you. I would encourae you to focus on what you do know than what you do not know and at the moment the investigations are inconclusive and are not leading in any direction.

So no-one has yet indicated what they think may be the matter, your brain MRI has not shown anything and your blood work has not either (although more tests may be required). But what this has done has heightened your anxiety as you are convincing yourself there is something seriously wrong. You are obviously experiencing some neurological sx and you have not mentioned if your doctor has offered any medication to help alleviate this and to help you sleep. I think that if this was sorted out you may feel calmer as being sleep deprived can make everything seem so much worse.

You have your appointment in March set up and it this is not so long to wait, but in the meantime you have to try and refocus on your life and get on with things. I think that Addi has given your some helpful advice and I would also suggest that you try and get out, walk, have some fresh air, flll your lungs with oxygen and if you enjoy exercise then do whatever is your thing. Exercising is a really good way of releasing your good endorphins which make you feel better (and this can help depression and low mood). I noticed that your mood is "Horrible" and so I am guessing you are feeling in low spirits most of the time. I am wondering if it may be helpful discussing this with your doctor?

I would suggest that perhaps it may not be helpful to read up too much on the internet at present as if may just fuel your anxiety, and there are many mimic conditions for MS. I hope that you get your spine MRI in March and that this will provide some answers for you.

With best wishes

Sarah

[Asianrick41]

Thanks for ur advise  i stop taking meds myself  i have appoinment with him feb 9th im just  so confused and ansxious now esp im bymyself and a foreigner i want to go home to my family .

[addicted2harleys]

Hi, Rick-

Welcome to the forum.  :)  the one big thing I saw in your post is that you quit taking the drug prescribed for GAD.  Did you decide on your own to quit taking it or was it advised by your doctor?  Also, how long did you take it for?  From what I understand and I am by no means a doctor, is that it takes several weeks for these type of drugs to start working for you.  

There are also a whole lotta different drugs out there for anxiety.  Maybe the drug you were given just wasn't the right one for you...or maybe you just needed a different dose.  

MS, unfortunately, is a few hard disease to diagnose.  And it is usually diagnosed by ruling out the many, many mimics of the disease.  

I would suggest that you follow up with your psych doc and get your meds all worked out first and try some relaxation exercises.  March really is right around the corner.  And if you have your anxiety under control (or at lease on the road to) whatever tests your doc decided to run on you will be easier to deal with.

Remember to breathe, hun...
Addi