I am showing symptoms of MS!?!?

[SlimOne]

Hi there - new member to the forum. It's pretty incredible to see, after lurking for a while, how we are all the same in so many ways in this anxiety regard.

My problem?

I had a virus last week, felt like the flu but it wasn't (said the doctor). It started clearing up on Thursday and come Friday my legs were really sore when I used them (quads and calves). My arms too. Not when just resting but when I flex my quads, for example, they feel really sore. Almost like I worked out the day before. But I haven't. It's a really weird sensation.

Next up? Come Saturday I began losing sensitivity in my "male area." Almost like "it" is not there. Erectile Disfunction goes along with it. I told my fiancé about this and we were able to take care of it but it still didn't feel the same. And it hasn't returned to normal sensation since.

Long story short, I still have the muscle problems and sexual side effects too and it's been five days since they appeared.

Both classic symptoms of MS after all of the obsessing I've been doing online about this (of course). I do have daily anxiety and always fear the worst, but this is scaring me.

Do you think the virus caused this by chance and it's nothing to worry about? Of course, I also read that viruses can spin up new MS episodes for people with the disease. I've had other weird bouts with MS-type stuff in the past but chalked it up to anxiety.

Thanks!

[livelaughlove]

Don't worry... that sounds nothing like MS. In my family, my dad, his sister, and my cousin have MS so I am very familiar with the symptoms. You sound like you have a reactive arthritis which will go away on it's own. May take a few months to go away, though. It is common that after people get viral/bacterial infections, they get joint pain and muscle pain, particularly in big joints and it usually always is in the knees. What type viral infection did you have? Norovirus is going around. In regard to the numb testicular feeling, that can sometimes be from an inguinal hernia. That can affect how the testicles feel, you may also get pain going down your thighs with that. During this viral thing, were you forcefully throwing up or coughing  a lot? If you had a mild hernia to begin with, you could have affected it by coughing/vomiting/sneezing. When people have an inguinal hernia, advice would be that if you feel a cough or sneeze coming on to put your hand over it and push in so when you sneeze it doesn't pop out. You could mention this to your doctor, see what the doc says. But good thing is that all this stuff is fixable, so don't worry! If you had MS you would not be able to do the following: Stand up and close your eyes. Keep them closed. Put both your arms out and then go back and forth and touch your nose. People with MS can't do this when they first get MS. They will fall right over.

[ejmommy]

The first thing I wondered about when I read about your sore muscles would be dehydration. You said you had a virus so I assume that means vomiting and/or diarrhea. When I don't get enough fluids my muscles get real sore and achy like that, especially my legs. A few weeks ago I had a virus and was real sick for a couple of days. My legs were killing me! Just a thought on that.

As far as the other stuff, it could just be some kind of residual left from whatever you had. Particularly because you don't know what you had exactly. I would just say if any of it gets any worse, or if it doesn't go away after a week or two, to go get it checked out. It may be something that has an easy fix and you don't have to live with it. And it's always good for piece of mind as well. Feel better!

[SlimOne]

Thanks for the replies, guys. I'm not sure what kind of virus it was. Felt like the flu but it wasn't. Aches/pains, lungs "hurt", felt like overall crap, etc. I didn't really run a fever though so that was weird.

My muscles are feeling better today. However, my ED and sensitivity to touch "down there" is still way off. I've never had a feeling like this before. I'm 29 years old. I'm healthy. This is so weird.

Can enough anxiety and just obsessing over thinking I have ED or someone else wrong with me that's causing it be enough to actually not let me function sexually? It never has before...

[JP90]

Thanks for the replies, guys. I'm not sure what kind of virus it was. Felt like the flu but it wasn't. Aches/pains, lungs "hurt", felt like overall crap, etc. I didn't really run a fever though so that was weird.

My muscles are feeling better today. However, my ED and sensitivity to touch "down there" is still way off. I've never had a feeling like this before. I'm 29 years old. I'm healthy. This is so weird.

Can enough anxiety and just obsessing over thinking I have ED or someone else wrong with me that's causing it be enough to actually not let me function sexually? It never has before...

Yes it can. There have been times where I wanted it, but my body didn't feel well and led to ED, really wierd and had me alittle scared, but then about a week later all was well and I was back to it, once i quit thinking about it, it got better.