Just saw the neurologist...feel a bit lost

[hoov22]

hi there

After 3 months of buzzing, tingling and twitching feet I finally got into the neuro. He did all of the general tests...reflexes, balance, strength, eyes and came to the concilusion that I didn't present any other symptoms that made him believe I had anything going on and that it was either anxiety or restless legs. He was a really nice and patient guy who said he would arrange an MRI for me if I needed one but he thought it was totally unnecessary and also explained that he thought MRIs can sometimes cause more anxiety. He stated that MRIs can indicate perfectly benign and common brain legions that a radiologist's report would highlight as potential problems (MS etc...) but that are nothing to worry about..however upon knowing about the lesions, anxious people can worry and just want constant check ups. He spoke at length as to why he didn't believe my feet were anything requiring further investigation, mainly due to not having any other symptoms or muscle weakness etc...HOWEVER...he did say to come back in 3 months if the sensations hadn't subsided or at least got a bit better as we could then investigate further. I asked if restless legs would necessarily get any better and he said no....now I am a bit confused as to what is going on or what to feel. I mean...I feel no different than I did before...I kinda expected to feel relieved, but I guess having a return appointment already booked kinda leaves things in the air....although mixed in with that, I do trust his diagnosis and in fact even though he gave me the opportunity to ask for an MRI, I didn't because I trusted his diagnosis.

I recon in 3 months time when the appointment comes closer and I am still tingling, buzzing and twitching, I will start to get nervous and worry again about what is going to happen next. one thing he did say was that he has had a number of patients present with epileptic seizures and treated as such only to eventually find that these seizures were in fact stress induced!! Amazing!

Has anyone got any insights that might help me put this in the right place?

Thank you

[sixpack]

Sounds like your neuro hit the nail on the head.  He explained it all pretty well in my estimation.  And he is doing the follow-up as a matter of course.  All neuros I've seen always had me come in for follow-ups. 

Honey, you may well still be twitching and buzzing in three months contingent upon how well you've gotten the anxiety issues under control.  Remember anxiety does this to people.  And the more you give credence to the twitching etc, the longer it will hang around.  I'll tell you I rather welcome the twitch or buzz feelings     This is because it is always proof that I'm anxious---on some level--about something.

[SkittishSari]

It sounds like your neuro was great! Very thorough and very reassuring. I've had all the symptoms you've had (see my recent post). A few years ago, it was so bad that I would literally lay in bed and feel my entire body twitching/buzzing/tingling uncontrollably. I was absolutely sure there was something terribly wrong, but nope, it was just anxiety. My mom gets the same exact thing. I would skip the MRI, but that is a personal choice. If you feel like you need it, do it. But a neurologist would never let you skip it if he thought there was in any way something wrong.

BTW I for SURE have restless legs. I've had to wiggle my feet back and forth to fall asleep since I was little. When I was pregnant it was terrible! I felt like I had ants crawling all over my arms and legs all the time and like I needed to shake my limbs out constantly. I don't know if that is something you are experiencing, but I do know it's pretty uncomfortable. It also is much worse during stress.

[diana66]

I think you should relax...but I know that I get anxious when these doctors are always saying "come back in 3 months to be rechecked."  Thos of us who worry ...spend the time worrying!

I do, too, but am trying to get over that.  I have a friend whose son had a bout with Hodgkin's Disease when he was in elementary school.  She told me that she NEVER worries about the rechecks - she just lives life believing they will be and stay clear.  Now, I think I would be the opposite, a basket case....also I am superstitous so somehow I think worry keeps bad stuff away.

I think experts KNOW when something is wrong or is likely to be wrong - they would investigate further NOW if they thought it needed done.  Try to stop thinking about it and enjoy summer!  EAsier said than done!

[missworried]

 

[jack1000]

First I like your neurologist ... He's good based on the advice he gave.

He is in tune with anxiety

Second ... If you have been around this board a bit you will know that your symptoms are far more likely to be anxiety than anything else.   Let's put it this way the symptoms you describe are so commonly cited that I would put them up there with ailments like the common cold, maybe not quite, but close to it.

Third, one way to desensitize yourself is to keep reading this board, you will quickly find you are one of many like me with the same or similar story.

I have tingling and twitching almost all the time had six mris and still feel irresponsible for not asking for another ... How stupid is that?

Just like your neuro said, my last but one showed small white spot.  I spent six months assuming I had ms, even though my neuro said not even in the same universe, that's two years ago, same old symptoms, no ms.   

He wants you to follow up because it's his job to be 1000% sure, right now unfortunately you aren't going kto like this, but I am guessing he is only 999% sure that YOU DO NoT have ms, and because he is so damn good and because he cares about you so much he wants to close that gap.   In 3 months he will be 999.5% sure.    No one will ever be 1000% because there is no such test.

You on the other hand will like me and six-pack and many others will at times focus on that 0.001% chance that you do indeed have some neurological condition that is actually btw not that bad for many people, but of course you will worry that in fact you will be the odd one out and have the super bad case of it.

If this mental pain gets really bad there are two things that I have found really help.
1. Lexapro
2. This board

A  third for me, but still helpful is see a counselor.   Mine also has me pretty convinced that you can get on top of much of this with good sleep, vitamins, exercise, eating whole foods, etc.  But that's taking some discipline.

Well done and thank you for going to your near, you will be fine I can 999% assure you of that.   

[NikiLynn]

The tingling in my feet just finally went away for me.  When I forgot to obsess over them.  Thank you Lexapro!

I HIGHLY suggest you do NOT get an MRI.

When I had my first panic attack I ended up in the ER.  Thought for sure I was croaking.  I mean, seriously, what else could it be, right?  It happened a day or so after a fall and I hit my head.  So the ER doc had me do a routine CT.  BIGGEST MISTAKE EVER!  They found a pineal cyst in my brain, which I found out from doctors is quite common and something they fine routinely all the time.  I also had some calcium deposits on the backs of my eyes.  This all lead to an MRI and a eye appointment.  I found out my eyes are fine and I will 99% never have an issue.  The cyst is small and will 99% never cause me an issue.  They found a lesion in my brain too that will 99% never cause an issue.

However, now that I know about these things I seem to worry about the 1%.  One day I will be old and wonder why the heck I worried all those years over something that never caused me any problems.

So, please don't get an MRI unless they tell you that you need it.  You'll end up worrying over things that will never matter.

[jack1000]

I agree with nikki unless your doc really wants you to have it

I read 1 in 7 mris have an anomaly, just like every other person has freckles on their skin that could be cancer but most aren't.