Yes my GP it certain that it is a conversion disorder, especially since my mum had the same disorder when she was my age. The endocrinologist also advised me to go see a psychiatrist as he feels it is also anxiety related. I guess I’m just worried that I’m the 5% of patients that have clear MRI scans…
Its very rare for that too happen and at the end of the day even if you were in the 5% they may not want to give DMDs until there was evidence of MS. They havent given me any and ive got lesions. Therefore it wouldnt make much difference love as nothing they would do. For now i think you are best to follow up with psychiatry and go through the process but keep reporting new symptoms to the gp. Im sure if you started getting any evidence of major nerve involvement they would look again. Try to enjoy your life too. When your whole world is consumed by thinking and worrying about illness you miss out on so much xx
Did you also show up as clear on your MRI scans? Sorry if I misinterpreted
No i had 4-5 lesions with positive csf and vep 15 years ago but no diagnosis and now have a few more…i just know how difficult it is when you have no explanation…all the what ifs and searching the internet for clues…it isnt easy xx
One other thing I forgot to mention: After I slept badly one night I would experience an electric shock sensation running up the left of my neck to just above my left ear when I tilted my head far forward to the right or if I pressed a specific muscle on the left side of my neck. I went to the chiropractor who insisted it was a strained neck muscle and he gave me stretches would seemed to work (the shocking sensation went away after about 4 days). I believed him but am now worried it could be Lhermitte’s sign. It doesn’t run down the spinal chord part of my neck nor does it run down my spine into any limbs so I am confused as this is usually the case for Lhermitte’s sign.
Chez
You don’t have MS, therefore you probably wouldn’t have Lhermitte’s sign. The fact that what you’ve experienced never quite matches any MS symptom that you’ve looked up is even more evidence, should you need it (you shouldn’t, you’ve had clear MRIs and been told that it can’t be) that you don’t have MS.
So as well as Lhermittes, you’ve gone into detail about how the feeling that made you worry about the ‘Hug’ didn’t actually fit the symptoms, and optic neuritis that wasn’t.
Every ‘symptom’ you’ve worried about over the last few weeks has been shown not to be related to MS. Plus you’ve had clear MRI and been told that there’s no way you have MS.
It seems clear to me that what you do have is a bad anxiety problem and this is presenting itself as vague neurological symptoms.
You really do need to get your head around the idea that you don’t have MS. It’s doing you no good whatsoever. Why not see your GP (again) and fully explain your anxiety issues. Even, print out this thread and show it to the GP. That will make clear just how very anxious you are.
I hope you can get some help with these dreadful worries. It sounds like you are living a bit of a nightmare. I in no way want to minimise your suffering. You are certainly scared silly by all these symptoms and I do sympathise.
Sue
cognitive behaviour therapy is what you need. no drugs involved. get your gp to arrange it for you. honestly chez, you have a fab life out there waiting for you. get yourself well and enjoy it.
Hi there, is it possible for Lhermitte’s sign be on the side of your neck and move up to your ear or does it always move down the spine? When I tilt my head to the right I get a weird shock like sensation that travels from half way up my neck (left side) to behind my ear.
Hi Chez
Have a look at Lhermitte's sign | MS Trust
I don’t think what you are experiencing is Lhermitte’s sign. It always moves after bending your neck towards your chest and the electric shock type feeling shoots down your spine. If you had experienced Lhermitte’s, you would realise what is different about your pain.
Do you not think that soon you might take the experts (who have all concurred that you don’t have MS) views on board?
Your extreme fear and worry are a far more serious concern than your looking up of MS symptoms, that don’t quite fit your experience. It seems to me that you should be talking seriously to your GP about your worry and asking for a referral for CBT or some other kind of therapy. Or maybe some kind of medication that will help to allay your fear.
All of us who have answered your various posts have honestly only had your interests at heart.
I believe you should get help for your anxiety and stop worrying about MS. Have you tried starting to read right from the top of this thread down to the bottom? If you do so and try really hard to be honest with yourself; keep in your mind that Carole, Alison, Littleem, Anthony and myself have all said (in different ways) the same things, then think about how you might move forward?
Sue
Hi im really confused i went for an mri and brain scan 3 weeks ago and a neurologist said he is 90% sure i got ms assince i had my little girl i been getting tingling in my back where they gave me the spinal block and the pdd tingling in my 2 fingers. The scan came back as it shows i got a bit of inflammation on my brain and spinal cord. I have been doctors today and they said that the neurologist has asked the hospital to check my scans as they were not clear and that i do not tick all the boxes of having ms its been really worrying me
hi charsam the neuro is doing the right thing by asking the hospital to check your scans. you “don’t tick all the boxes of having ms” but it sounds like they are taking it seriously and probably want to find out what IS causing your symptoms. inflammation is always mentioned re ms and probably other neuro conditions. stop worrying because whatever the end results are you can’t change anything by worrying. carole x ps, you tagged onto someone else’s thread - not a problem but you would get more replies if you started a new one. about a third of the way down the everyday living board, on the left, there is a button “new post”
I did not realise thankyou
The New Thread button exists on this board too. But Carole is absolutely right, the neurologist is doing all the right things. Better than having a diagnosis for something you don’t have!
Sue
Thank you its just strange as i never had any of these symptoms until i had that spinal block
Update: I saw the neurologist today and she wanted an MRI done on my thoracic and lumbar spine regions. Is it common to have lesions there too? From what I have read, lesions tend to accumulate on the brain and cervical spine more often.
chez
neurologists study for years and continue learning throughout their careers.
none of us on this forum even pretend to understand most of it.
your neuro has her reasons for wanting you to have this thoracic and lumbar MRI.
just go along with it and i hope the end result puts your mind at rest.
Here are my MRI results as per the radiographer:
CLINICAL HISTORY: Demyelinating disease? MRI brain and C-spine normal.
TECHNIQUE: T1/T2/ STIR sagittal thoracolumbar spine, T1 and T2 axial imaging from T8- T12 and L1-S1, T1 coronal lumbar spine, STIR coronal pelvis sequence
COMPARISON: None available.
FINDINGS: Thoracic spine:
Disc and vertebral body morphology is within normal limits.
The cord signal and morphology appears normal. I do not see evidence for focal demyelination.
The neural foramina and the spinal canal are patent.
The paraspinal soft tissues appear preserved.
Lumbar spine:
Alignment & Annotation: Normal.
Disc Morphology: Normal
L1/2: Normal.
L2/3: Normal.
L3/4: Normal.
L4/L5: Normal.
L5/S1: Normal. I suspect spina bifida occulta of L5 with asymmetry of the laminae Other: Distal cord, conus and cauda equina are unremarkable.
Pelvis: Unremarkable.
IMPRESSION: Unremarkable MRI of the thoracic and lumbar spine.
Sorry this was me who posted. I clicked anonymous by mistake
Hi Chez
Do you think that this is now more evidence that you don’t have MS? So far you’ve had MRIs of brain and entire spine. All have been clear of demyelinating lesions. Therefore you do not have MS.
This is what we’ve been saying since this thread began all those weeks ago.
I do think you are experiencing real physical symptoms, but they might be due to some other physical cause than MS, or be due to stress or anxiety. And you began the thread by saying how anxious you are.
In no way have any of us wanted to disparage your symptoms by saying they are not due to MS. But if you look back that’s pretty much what everyone of us who have answered you have been saying. We have no clue what might be causing your symptoms, but the evidence shows it’s not MS.
I am glad you’ve posted your results. I’d be happier still if you found a diagnosis for what ails you and found a treatment for it. You could then be heading into a happier, healthier future.
All the best Chez
Sue
Hi Chez,
It sounds like it’s been a tough few months for you.
I’ve read all your posts and I’m wondering if you have a sense of why you’ve become fixated on MS being the potential cause of your symptoms? I know that once you start researching something you can start to feel like you’re more in control of the situation because you feel like you know where you might be heading, so I understand that it’d be scary and cause even more anxiety to consider that your symptoms aren’t MS related at all - however, as mentioned above it really does sound like there’s no evidence at all that you have MS, so it’s really important to find out what the real cause of your symptoms is.
I would suggest that if you need to ask whether what you’re experiencing could fit with MS even after reading lots of research online then the symptoms definitely aren’t MS - I know from experience with a couple of health issues that when the symptoms fit, they really truly are bang on the money and you’ll feel a sense of connection and realisation when you read them. If you’re needing to ask for advice about it then the symptoms don’t fit this cause and you need to move on and look at other causes.
I think you’ve been offered some great advice about tackling your anxiety and bringing it under control so that you’re not worrying about your health constantly. Stress and anxiety really can affect the body in many ways, and some of the symptoms you describe actually sound more like symptoms of a panic attack. I’d really encourage you to step away from your online research and speak to medical professionals face to face about getting support with your anxiety - you said yourself in your initial post that you’re anxious, a hypochondriac, and that your mum had stress-related physical symptoms, so it sounds like you’re already aware that the anxiety is what needs to be tackled.
I’m wondering if you think there’s some sort of shame in your symptoms being caused by your mental health rather than a physical issue? Because if so, please know that there’s no shame at all; the main thing is to find out what’s at the root of everything and treat it, and it sounds like anxiety and obsessive thoughts are at the root of what you’re experiencing.
Good luck with everything and look after yourself 
Sarah
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