Hi all, I really hope you might be able to shed some light on my current worries and predicament.
Im a mid 40s male who is in general really healthy, I dont drink much and exercise a lot and upto 5 weeks ago all was well. On a Sunday morning (about the 5 weeks ago) I woke up and struggled ot get out of bed. When I did get up I felt like I was walking on a waterbed and if I looked up, it felt like I was going to top backwards and my head was going to roll off on to the floor and likewise the same if I looked down. No major dizziness when left or right. It was really frightening , so much so I has my wife take me immediately to A&E. They did some basic tests and suggested I had Labryinthitis and prescribed 5 days of tablets. To cut a long story short I was lucky enough to be able to work from home and continued to do so, albeit being very wobbly and taking things steady. I also visited my gp who also thought it was the same sort of issue. Given I have orivate health care and the type of person who needs to know everything I organised a visit to a consultant who again did some basic balance tests, looked in my ears etc and had booked me in for balance test next week. during the initial weeks the man symptoms were wobbliness, tension type feelings in forehead. So far so infection right ?
However, after about 2 weeks I felt that my legs, more specifically my thighs started to feel heavy and I could feel this in every step. This has continued with varying degrees of heavy and tired feeling, but since then I have started to experience pins and needles primarily in my hands and feet although at times in my forearms, totally spaced out feeling and the odd hot hands here and there, plus odd what feels like numb upper part of thumb or heel but when I tickle them I can feel the sensation.
Going alongside all of this, Ive really felt like I do not want to be in busy crowded spaces, as the foggy head, tight forehead etc seems really worse
This is where I have started to worry that it might be something more sinister. Like a complete Health freak I researched initially the Labrythitis to death and since coming across these symptoms have linked and convinced myself I now have MS even though I have not had a diagnosis.
I did go to my GP who did some basic foot and arm strengh tests, ticked etc and she said that was fine. I am sue to go on vacation with my wife to Vietnam next week and she has stated to go there, relax and if I come back with the same symptoms, she will book me in with a neurologist.
Honestly, I am really worried that I do not feel mentally or physically in a place to go on holiday but am really struggling with the worry of, if I do not go, its a massive set back and therefore I am admitting I must have something.Ive gone back to work recently but I feel Im operating at about 50%, have the spaced out feeling most of the time and am really really worried about my symptoms which seem to have moved on from unbalance (which is still there but not as bad) to all these other symptoms.
I have still recently tried to go back to the gym and am able to jog on a treadmill and do some light weights which I think is my way of trying to convince myself its all in my head. Also the only time I feel I can relax is when I have a bath or if I can settle myself in bed. Im desperately trying to assure myself that all these physical symptoms are manifesting themselves through anxiety and using Dr google but its proving tough. Im having a right old hard time of it !
I should also say that maybe to add to my woes, just under 2 years ago I had a bout of tinnitus in which I had an initial MRI of the lower part of the skull. No ear issue but hey would you know it, they found an incidental pineal cyst. It also mentioned finding a few small bilateral white foci or something like that which the consultant said not to wrorry as everyone has something on a scan and this is the type of thing they would see as you get older. I then had a full MRI but never got to see the results as this is when the NHS system crashed (the day I was due to see the consultant !) so just received a letter stating it was a cyst and they were happy not to see me again.
Do you think that the nuero guys at the time of reviewing the main MRI, would have brought me back if they found anything that looked like it might be MS type on the scan even though I had not presented any symptoms at that time?
I am really worried I might have something but I am also trying to be sensible. My gp initially is not concerned, Ive seen a consultant once over my balance who did some test and I had an MRI a few years ago in which they never mentioned being worried about any findings.
My tingles and aches are both pretty symetrical , heavy legs both, tingles both hands, feet, legs, and the spaced out is my whole head.
Not sure where to go from here…go on holiday and see what happens, go back to my gp before?
Sorry for waffling on but I just needed to get if off my chest and see what advice you can offer? thanks so much