Doctors wont listen, symptoms keep coming, am i going mad??! :'-(

[Inactive_User]

Im hoping someone can help me and tell me what to do.

Im female, 24 and fed up of not knowing what is going on with my body.

I cant tell you how long ago my symptoms started because my memory is awful! I can remember before xmas last year (not the one just gone, the one before that) that i started with acid reflux, it was so bad that at night i was scared of sleeping because i would wake up not breathing or as soon as i started to relax it felt that my breathing got shallower and anxiety came on in full force, never experienced anything like it before, then everything seemed to calm down for a while.

I have been to my doctors and said that i think i may have fibromyalgia and explained some of my symptoms and she literally laughed at me, since then i have been trying to convince myself that its all in my head and there is nothing wrong or the doctor would have been more concerned but its not all in my head and im just getting more things going wrong with me!

I have read that fibromyalgia and MS are so similar.

my symptoms now include;

acid reflux

tinnitus that is just getting worse

constant pain in jaw (which i have read could be tmj)

stabbing pains in head (not every day)

buzzing in one part of my foot mainly at night (like a phone on vibrate)

neck pain i always have but last couple of weeks has been restricting my head movements

nausea pretty much every day on and off

dents have appeared on fingernails

my balance is rubbish, i always think i am walking in the right direction but completely misjudge it

concentration (i have come to tears many times at work, when i am trying to have a conversation with someone or help a customer then mid sentence i dont have a clue what i am saying )

Hands and wrists pain, feels like there so tense and painful that i have to sit on them (seems to help lol) i havent had this symptom for a few weeks but i know it will be back, it never stays away for long.

My most recent symptoms (last few weeks) are;

Flashing in my eyes, i had about a full week of these flashes in my eyes, like when you are in a car and the sun is out and you drive past buildings or trees and it dips in and out and makes you flinch.

collarbone pain in a couple of spots along my collarbone feel sore and bruised for a while then go and keeps repeating.

Hidradenitis suppurativa (diagnosed a week ago)

and last but not least i found out today that my mum has MS.

I have done some research on MS and Fibromyalgia and i just want to know the answer or want a doctor to take me seriously and at least try to diagnose me.

I am at breaking point, my family has broke up because of my anxiety and being constantly ill, i am just scared that i am going insane and making all of these symptoms up but i know what i feel because i feel it every day and dont tell anyone because people are fed up of hearing about there being something wrong with me all the time.

I handed in my notice at work a few days ago because im fed up of looking stupid infront of people and feel frightened to talk to new people or managers incase i forget what i am saying, the anxiety is too much to handle i cant physically do anything.

How do i make the doctor listen??!! I just want to know!

[Anitra]

Hi Fiorellicassie,

I hope you don’t mind me saying, but it does sound like anxiety is a big issue for you at the moment.

I’m not saying that can necessarily explain ALL your symptoms, but it can make you quite physically ill. Losing your family and now your job to anxiety are very serious, so I think whether or not there’s anything else going on, you do need to admit the anxiety has got out of control, and seek help for that first. Even if, for the sake of argument, you did have MS, or another serious illness, you would still need to find ways of managing your stress and anxiety about it, as that can only make things worse.

So I suggest you try to be as frank with your doctor as you’ve been with us, and explain that anxiety is ruining your life. If you can get that under control, it may be that some of your symptoms ease. But if they still don’t, you will at least be in a better position to look at the situation, and talk to your doctor calmly about what you would like to happen.

One think that jumped out at me was you saying about dents in your fingernails. I can reassure you straight away that MS does NOT cause that, however, it can be indicative of other health issues. So assuming they’re significant, and not something you’d need a microscope to see, it may be worth drawing them to the attention of your doctor. I still think you need help with the anxiety, though.

How did you find out your mum has MS? Do you mean she’s literally just been diagnosed, or has she had it for years, but not told you? Strictly speaking, MS is not hereditary, but does sometimes affect more than one member of a family. Probably because genetically similar people share more of the same risk factors.

Do go back to the doctor, but a tip is to avoid Googling, and saying: “Doctor, I think I’ve got this!” Doctors can get a bit impatient with patients who seem to be trying to tell them their job. The relationship can work better if you stick to the facts of what’s been happening to you, but leave out what you think it might be.

Do go back and try again, but if you honestly feel there’s too much bad history between you and the present doctor, consider switching doctors, so you can start with a clean slate. A different doctor doesn’t guarantee a different take on it, though.

Tina