Getting on my own nerves

New diagnosis and before diagnosis
1

Hi all,

I am over 8 months down the first inkling something wasn’t right. I have seen the neurologist and had an MRI of the brain. I am now waiting for the results. He only ordered one of the brain as the main and only constant symptom is a twitchy eyelid. He did take notes of the fuzzy feelings I get in my arm and leg periodically. I have always been open to the idea these may be anxiety and my own mind playing tricks on me. After the initial examination and reflex test etc he concluded that MS is not impossible but hr thinks unlikely although the MRI should hopefully put my mind at rest.

The neurologist is looking for hemi facial spasm and has at this point said he thinks this is the probable diagnosis. Over the last few days I have noticed a very tiny twitch under my nose which would tie in with his diagnosis. Last night however I had a very twitchy middle finger. If I held the finger still I could feel the twitch in my lower arm instead. This wasn’t in my imagination as it was very visible. It could of course have been completely unconnected and just a twitchy finger.

This morning the twitchy finger has stopped but the achey fuzzy feeling in my leg is back. It feels like it should be really heavy but isn’t.

Of course, all of this has been on my mind a lot in the last week while waiting for results so it could all be anxiety and I do think that thinking about things enough can actually make your body feel them.

This is where I do get on my own nerves. I don’t think MS symptoms would jump about the body like this and try really hard to pull my mind away from these thoughts. I have a place in my mind that is my special place if that makes sense. I always take myself there when anxiety hits. I imagine the smell, the breeze against the trees, the sound of birds, the colour of the flowers. Thinking hard about this always clears my head of negative thoughts and I find it so relaxing.

I have never thought of myself as an anxious person but I suppose constantly thinking about symptoms, whether they are worse, have they moved is a sign of health anxiety.

Anyway, that’s just me getting things off my chest again today. I will of course come back with any results. Thank you all for taking the time to read this. x

2

Hello

You’re right that an MS symptom wouldn’t bounce around like that. Generally an MS symptom lasts for at least 24 hours. It may not necessarily be constant, but you wouldn’t expect a twitch (were it to be caused by MS) to move from one place to another.

Our brains can do strange and peculiar things to our bodies when we’re worried. I do hope you get your definitive diagnosis soon. And that it’s not MS.

Come back to us if you continue to worry, and your ‘special’ anti anxiety place doesn’t do it’s job alone.

Sue