Please help....convinced it is MS

[kgirl]

I don't know what to do! I was sooo relieved to find this board and now after reading - I am even more scared! I always find negatives and dismiss positives. I have had episodes of tingling, twitching, aching - really bad at times. Went on Zoloft and was better- now off again and I have been dizzy for 7 weeks now! I am convinced it is MS - feel off balance(never actually fallen over) and floaty at times, fuzzy in head - it does not go away! Others on the site have had MRI's and all kinds of test - I have been sooo tempted so many times to just do this (even though no Dr. that I see will make recommendation for me) - they are sure it is anxiety - they say that all of these things are classic symptoms of anxiety! Of course, now I am developing new symptoms - had frequent urination a couple of weeks ago - now having some twitching and tingling again. I keep telling myself that if I had MS I would be getting worse - the symptoms I have are annoying and VERY worrisome to me - but I am still functional - I tell myself that MS symptoms stop you in your tracks and keep you from doing what you need/want to do. BUT....then the worry kicks in again! One person responded that they have had the constant dizziness for 15 years - that scared me to death b/c I can't live like this! It is the worst feeling and it is keeping me from enjoying my life!! My counselor and psychiatrist told me that if I had all the neuro tests it would do no good. They say that it might help for a short while and then I would be right back to worrying - thinking that it just did not catch it the first time! I am off the Zoloft right now b/c we want another baby - I feel like I am a good mother and person when I am on it - but I don't know if I can do this for 9 months (or longer since I am not pregnant yet) and now i am REALLY worried that I will start on meds and they will not make symptoms go away like they have in the past. It used to be enough for the Dr. to tell me that it was just anxiety - but that is not enough anymore! PLEASE -anyone who can say something to calm me down - I feel like a crazy person. I am at work right now and should be working - but can't - I can't do anything anymore - help!!! Is there any escape from this???? My family has more then lost all patience with me - who can blame them - then my husband go so frustrated with me 2 days ago that he said "fine, just go have an MRI if that will convince you" That scared me half to death b/c he has ALWAYS told me that that would be a waste fo time and money and I know that he was saying that out of frustration, but in my mind I was thinking - "oh no, he must think it is more then anxiety" HELP!!

[miika]

Hey calm down! You wont have your dizziness for 15 years! Your symptoms are classic anxiety, dont worry.

My dizziness could be actually inner ear problem(no, you dont have it), and it gets worse when I feel anxious.

[kgirl]

Thank you! You are sweet! I know that I probably won "nuttiest person on the site" with my latest post! Sorry if I made you feel as if you made things worse by your response - it was not just that!!!  Trust me - It does not take much to get me going these days!!!!I find the negative in everything!!!!!! Thanks for your words of encouragement - I am going to write in my journal!! Something my counselor recommended!! I saw that you had posted a worry about your side hurting - well, if it makes you feel any better - I was having pain in my side just last night!!! My psychiatrist told me that ANYTHING that you feel in your body can be caused by anxiety!! He told me a story of a lady that said she could not move - anxiety had actually caused her to be paralyzed - no physical reason for it! My mom also had colonoscopy about 2 years ago and this year was having stomach problems - Dr. felt more then confident that it was nothing but anxiety b/c her scope was so clear 2 years ago!

[miika]

This Damn anxiety sucks!

[kgirl]

AMEN!!! My thing is - why if we KNOW that it is anxiety can we not stop worrying about the diseases. I find that I am actually JEALOUS of people that have panic attacks - I think - "well, it would suck during it, but then it would be over until the next one." This OCD/anxiety we have that manifest itself physically is the worst b/c it never lets up!! Constant- mine has gotten worse with age. What are you taking for anxiety?????? My Dr. told me that health anxiety is more like OCD b/c the person obsesses over the symptoms!!! That is why they put me on Zoloft - have you tried something for OCD!! I got my life back on the stuff when I took it last winter and into the summer! My sister tells me that I am being selfish to the child I have now by stopping the meds in order to get pregnant. She thinks that I need to be happy with the child I have and not try for anymore and stay on meds. I just can't live with that though - I mean, I don't want to let this THING stop me from living the life I want to live - not that it isn't right now!!!!

[miika]

I`m taking zoloft too. My problems started years ago with panic attacks, and it sucks too, but This health anxiety is something I would not want to happen even to my worst enemy. This is too much. Always have to have some major symptom, that wont go away....well, until the next one appears. It makes me nearly puke, if I think these few years back! OMG! Now I have this right upper stomach sensation, and I think it`s cancer. Before this I had constant twitching/cramping all over for 4 months. and before that constant pins and needles all over for 4months etcetcetc. I`ve had brain MRI , endoscopy, upper stomach ultrasound, 100 blood tests, and everything is always fine. But you know, symptoms are still there, and you cant stop worrying until they dissapear.

[kgirl]

That is what scares the heck out of me - that the zoloft will not work! I just keep telling myself - anytime I decide I can't take it anymore I will just start meds again!! Even though I worry like crazy that they will not make the symptoms stop (despite the fact that it has worked in the past) Do you take it religiously??? Have they tried something different with you!  Maybe it is the wrong med for you! There are so many to choose from!!! I have been to my general Dr., but have never been sent to a specialist - my Dr. says it will not help b/c he knows that my problem is anxiety and that even if they told me nothing was wrong with me I would not believe it. I guess just like what you are going through! I don't know how you survive the tests - the thought of having the test and then having to wait the days for results is enough to drive me over the edge. I just went to deliver some papers to someone and I was standing there talking to them and the whole time I felt like I was swaying!! That is the way it makes me feel! Like I am off-balance and going to fall over ( you would think that the fact that I never have would be comforting, but no!!)
Are you in therapy????
I am - but it obviously does not seem to be doing the trick!!!!
So, when you have another symptom pop up, the other seems to disappear???? Not me - if another pops up - it is just in addition to what I already have!!!! When the dizziness first started I went to the Urgent Care center b/c we were going our of town and I could not get in with my Dr. quickly enough - that was a mistake b/c he did not know my history. I told him that my ears felt a little full and I had had some very slight discomfort in them - he said there was a small amount of fluid in them and that they might be causing the dizziness!! (Even though I think I knew all along it was my anxiety causing it) - he gave me Antivert for the vertigo and told me that would help. When it did not - I went NUTS!! Became more convinced then ever that it was MS since the vertigo meds did not help I just knew it was something in my brain (did think brain cancer for a while) but then back to my old standby!!! Do you ever feel better after getting good tests results??? Even for a little while??

[miika]

If zoloft works for you, then take it! And yes I`m in therapy.

No, If/when new symptom pops up, it does not take another away.(for example, I`m still twitching). I just change my worry to new symptom, and I may notice some day "hey, I dont have this or that symptom anymore". Like I`m twitching still a lot, but I`m not afraid of having ALS anymore, I`m sure it`s anxiety. But I`m worried about stomach cancer now. This is my pattern....

Good test results helps a lot! If I go to see doctor (like week ago) It may help me feel better for a long time.....relief lasts usually about 30 minutes.

[kgirl]

That is what I am afraid of - that the relief from the Dr. will work for a while and then just wear off. My husband REFUSES to let me keep going back to the Dr. He knows it is a waste of time and money! I WOULD LOVE to be taking Zoloft again - but the whole baby thing is keeping me from doing so. Get this - I had some frequent urination last week - kind of like I would go to the bathroom and still feel the need to go. That is another classic sign of anxiety - but, of course, also a sign of MS!! (Isn't everything a sign of MS??)
Anyways - that went away after a couple of days and then today in reading on this site I saw another lady that was worried about MS and she said that her Dr. had her tested for that b/c of the same frequent urination thing I just described above (all her tests came back fine) - well, get this - now, I just went to the restroom and SHOCKER - I feel like I still need to go!!!!! This is a nightmare!

[miika]

"My husband REFUSES to let me keep going back to the Dr. He knows it is a waste of time and money!"

 same thing here. My girlfriend, parents etc are telling me not to go see doctor anymore, and they wont pay my doctor bills anymore. lol.

"Isn't everything a sign of MS??"

YES! everything. and same goes with cancers. Havent heard that frequent urination would be MS symptom thought

I know it`s soooo hard to accept that it`s just anxiety! But that is what it is. I think one thing is a good sign if you`re really sick....When your husband tells you to go to doctor!