Hi Everyone This is my first post and not sure how to begin as my mind is in turmoil with worry. At the beginning of this month or thereabouts I started noticing a strange sensation in my fingertips, as though something was crawling under the skin, over the coming days they would then tingle and at different times I would feel some slight pain around both my thumbs and twinges in my fingers too. These tingles are still with me and have spread to my feet. I often wake up and my arms feel heavy and weak. Woke up one morning and my right ankle felt numb with a random patch on my cheek. Another day it was my left wrist and arm that went numb. Thankfully both times the numbness went away as the day wore on. Head is often groggy and fuzzy. In the last week, I’ve noticed a sudden hypersensitivity to noise. Now suffering from insomnia. Now feeling little muscle twitches around various parts of body. I seem to be feeling worse with every new day. So many worries. Panic has set in. I know it’s early days but I’ve convinced myself that I have PPMS. Awaiting neurologist appt. Thanks for listening. XX
Hi Andie Get an appt made to see your doc for the symptoms. Don’t google your symptoms, a little knowledge is dangerous. Explain to your doc wat the score is, they will be able to help you. Take care Mike
Hi Mike, Thanks for your response. Sorry I wasn’t clear in my first message. I’ve seen my doctor (who seemed clueless as to what could be wrong) and he’s referred me to a neurologist. Just waiting now.
Hi Andie Sorry,thought I missed sommat, not as quick now. You could try your doc and see if he/she can hurry the consultant long, but keep following up. Mike
I will, thanks Mike.
Andie, I am sorry you have found yourself here, but people on this site are incredibly supportive and knowledgeable. I am undiagnosed too so far; seeing neuro next Tuesday for the first time. I also have randow numb patches - my thumbs are numb, my little fingers too, right side of my face is numb from under my eye to halfway down my neck, and at times my feet go numb. Worrying isnt it. I can only advise you to take each day as it comes, write things down (dont know about you, but my memory is shocking!) and maybe keep a diary of how you feel each day.
Good luck Andie x
You sound like you have a proactive GP at least. Some people on here have virtually had to beg for an appointment. Did your GP do blood tests to rule out other things? Your right the symptoms are scary, I feel the same. I hope you get an appointment soon Xx
Hi Andie and welcome.
Many of the symptoms you decsribe fit MS but could also be caused numerous other things so try not to panic and don’t google.
In preperation for your neuro appointment try and make a concise record of your symptoms gh etc. Be quiet concise as rermember they do have limited time so eg:
in my case oct 15 2011- onset of parasthesia on L side of face progressing to L leg and right hand and foot. Bowel and bladder problems…
The GP’s done the right thing referring you.
Your neuro when he sees you will do some tests of reflexes, check the function of your cranial nerves, check sensitivity etc. In the first instance he may send you off for some routine bloods if you haven’t already had this done (vit B/D/ thyroid/liver etc). As well as an MRI depending on what he’s seen on examination.
The diagnosis process is one of elimination so sometimes it does take time to get to the bottom of whats causing your symptoms. My ‘official’ epsiode was oct 15th 2011 though looking back there were other things before this. I still as yet don’t have a diagnosis.
Try not to stress - easy it is though to say. Sometimes worrying can exacerbate symptoms.
Good luck Andie. Hope you feel better soon.
Reemz
X
Hi Andie, I’m going to be completely frank with you. ALL of the symptoms you describe can be caused by anxiety and panic, yes, even the numbness. Have you spoken to your doctor about anxiety? Have you heard about health anxiety?
I have PPMS and have had it for about 8 years. Your symptoms do not sound like the first symptoms of PPMS. If a neurologist thinks that you might have MS there is actually no reason why it would be PPMS.
When you say ‘panic has set in’ that is exactly what has happened. It sounds to me like you are having severe panic attacks. I used to get them about 35 years ago. My hands and feet would be numb and I had tingles everywhere. I could not swallow. I felt like my breathing was about to stop. I thought my heart was about to stop. I was hypersensitive to noise and light. I had insomnia. I had pain and my body felt heavy and ‘unnatural’. I felt out of my mind with panic.
None of these symptoms were MS. Luckily I had those symptoms before the internet existed or I’m sure I would have spent hours and hours on the internet and come up with a diagnosis of some terrible condition.
Fortunately I went into therapy and overcame my panic and anxiety. When, many years later, I did start to get MS symptoms, they felt very different than what I had experienced with anxiety.
Did you speak to your GP about anxiety? I think you should.
Take care and really hope things improve for you soon,
Pat x
Hi Andie, and welcome to the site
I agree with Pat. In fact, I’m going to go one step further - if you take them as a whole, your symptoms do not sound like RRMS either. The reason I say this is that MS symptoms stem from lesions which are in fixed positions and can only affect the part of the nervous system that they are involved in controlling. Because of that, MS symptoms do not move around the body (e.g. arms one day, legs the next; right side one day, left side the next).
What I suspect might have happened is that your tingling fingertips are real (and possibly your feet), but the rest has been brought on by anxiety plus being hypersensitive to any unusual feeling and then assigning it far more significance than you normally would.
Even if some (or all) of your symptoms are not due to anxiety, there could be a load of quite simple reasons for them (including easily treated vitamin deficiencies, e.g. B12). Moreover, even if it is a demyelinating attack, there is a very good chance that it will be the only one you ever have (most people do NOT develop MS after this kind of first attack).
So, deep breaths and take it one day at a time. You aren’t going to do yourself any favours by panicking after all!
Karen x
I don’t know how to multiquote but thank you EVERYBODY for taking the time to reply
pm64, you’re right, from my short time on here people are wonderfully supportive of each other. You’re right about keeping a log of symptoms each day. I have been doing that and will continue to do so. I really do hope you’re feeling better very soon.
nikkinakkinoo, my doctor has been pretty clueless on quite a few things I’ve been to see him about which in his case is a good thing because when he hasn’t known he has always referred me to a specialist rather than fob me off with different medications. Blood tests have just been done so just awaiting results. Maybe he isn’t that bad after all!
Gokr, thanks for filling me in on what will happen at the neurologist appointment. You’re right, worrying can make symptoms worse but as you say it is easier said than done. I sincerely hope you get a dx soon.
PatB & rizzo, wow, I do believe I have and maybe still am suffering from anxiety and I do intend to see my doctor about it. Been thinking about it for a while now as I do think the longer it goes on untreated then it may lead to more serious things, if it hasn’t already. Karen, that is very interesting to know about the path ms takes, you have lifted my spirits somewhat. I really do hope and pray that whatever it is I have can be treated.
Thank you all so very, very much for your words of comfort. I shall update you with my results.
Andie XXX