About two weeks ago, I was working on my schoolwork on the computer and realized that I felt a little lightheaded. I got up from my chair and felt a little more lightheaded. I immediately became worried and cancelled my workout for that morning (I thought that maybe I had had a TIA). I looked up dizziness on the internet and read about strokes, TIAs, and...MS. Over the last two weeks, I've developed just about every MS symptom there is, some have stayed with me, others have gone away. I've experienced:

tingling in feet, legs, hands, and face
a feeling of weakness in my legs and arms
muscle twitches all over my body
seeing floaters
a feeling of being off balance
perceived hand/forearm weakness and pain
finger twitching, eye twitching
sometimes I feel like my vision is blurry but when I rub my eyes, it goes away
fatigue
lower back pain
leg stiffness/leg pains
pain in my ribcage/chest pain
somtimes I feel as if the tips of my toes have gone numb, but when I touch them, the sensation is normal
lack of coordination (I feel like my movements aren't as precise as they were before)
a feeling of tightness in my face, intermittent pain in my face
itchiness all over
overreaction to the cold

I just don't know what to make of all this. I've seen three GPs and they've all said stress. I went to the ER and the doctor said my neurological exam was perfect. And yet I really don't feel that all this is being caused by stress...I mean, the most stressful thing in my life right now is the thought that I have MS.

Has anybody here experienced similar symptoms/onset? Thanks.

Well ifyou have neurological tests done and they came back ok then I would think it was stress. You did the right thing by getting the Dr to check into it. Alot of those symptoms people have actually regularly, sometimes we notice them more (or I do) when I stop to think about it.

Thanks for responding. I didn't get an MRI done, they just asked me to do a few dozen things (walk on your toes, walk on your heels, balance on one leg, look here, look there, etc). I have an appointment with a neurologist in a few months.

It could be from stress, read up about the fight or flight response on the net, stress causes it
learn new ways of relaxing, do gentle exercise and take long walks

i was Dx with MS in Oct. of 05 i had some of those symptoms you noted over the years before my Dx but never all at once they would come and go.. so i never payed much attention to them.. i just figured it was all from my anxiety disorder so i didnt bother going to the Dr.. they finally caught it after i had a loss of vision in my eye and then got sent in for a MRI..

MS isnt the end of the world if you have it.. i have been to local support groups and met people that have had it for 30+ years and if i wasnt at a MS meeting i never would have known they had it.. its not like you go from being 100% healthy to a wheel chair overnight.. is it possible? sure... but its pretty rare.. the problem with the info you get on MS in those little handouts or even on the net sometimes can be very missleading..

i guess what i am trying to say is dont get to stressed over it if you can.. and stop symptom searching on the net.. that is always a big mistake for those of us that suffer with anxiety because we then tend to think we have everything under the sun and then some.. its good you have an apt. with a neuro.. but do not tell them you suffer with anxiety when you see him/her just let them run their tests and then let them tell you what they think it is.. so may Drs anymore want to blame everything on anxiety once they know you suffer with it..

I have to tell you that you are describing the exact symptoms that I am having as I write. I have been looking up Parkinsons disease all day because I have a low level tremor in my whole body as well. When I hold my hands out they shake and I feel like I am shaking inside. I had an MRI and did not have MS. I know it is hard to believe that we can have these symptoms and it is due to anxiety, not somethiing worse! I am honestly having a hard time believing it. I am considering medication because I have been feeling this way. I have been waking up with the sensation that my legs and arms are numb and heavy and a little painful. I am going to make an appointment with a neuro just to see if this could be something. I wonder if a person could have a pinched nerve in their back that could affect the arms and legs. Parrotsmuggle, I cannot believe how similar our symptoms are. Do you feel them all the time? Like just walking around you feel like your limbs are heavy and something is pushing you down slightly?

When it comes to the muscle weakness, I think a neurologist would describe it as perceived weakness. I'm still able to lift weights, do work around the house, etc. But my legs, arms, and hands FEEL weak.

Emma, so you're pretty much dealing with the same thing right now. Did the symptoms come on in the same way for you? i.e. did you get a weird symptom, read about it online, come across the symptoms of MS, and then experience the whole range of MS symptoms. Just writing that sentence out, I'm saying to myself "it's obvious that you don't have MS. You're just a basketcase." It's just very difficult for me to believe that nothing is going on.
Right now I'm sitting at the computer, my lower back hurts and my forearms feel tired from typing... it's really hard to believe that this is all in my head.

The fact of the matter is that hypochondriacs get sick and die, just like everybody else. I'm just as likely to get MS as someone who is not worried about getting MS or any other disease. And the fact that MS attacks are often preceded my periods of high stress certainly doesn't help either!

Anyways, I'm come to realize that even if this is MS, I'll have to deal with it. {REMOVED} Just reading about all the new treatments helps calm the anxiety.

I've been reading about a product called Tovaxin.

My symptoms have come on gradually and are intermittent. They are almost always around but not as pronounced as other times. I did just as you did: I went on line and looked up MS and was essentially convinced I had it and was having many of the symptoms. I had an MRI and it was ruled out. However, I am still continuing with the symptoms as you have stated and also the shakiness. ISn't it hard to believe that anxiety is causing these things to happen? I wake up with the muscle tension and numbness sensations in my bed! I open my eyes to this first thing. It is exhausting.
It all may be some pinched nerves. I have the forearm aching and it is more pronounce on my right than left in upper and lower body. I also have another weird symptom and that is that my uvula, that thing that hangs down in the back of your throat is slightly leaning towards the left. I was told that it could be an indicator of neuological issues. Who knows! Iam thinking I will get an appt with a neuro. Just wondering, and please don't answer if you are not comfortable, are you taking any medication for anxiety? Iam wondering if I commit myself to taking a med if these symptoms will fo away. Thanks Parrot!

I'm taking 1/2 tab (10 mg) of Paxil a day and have been for 4 years. Frankly, I'm concerned about the long term effects of SSRI use, so I use as little as possible; just enough to "take the edge off." I'm also on Ativan, the first GP I saw about my problems said I was a nervous wreck and prescribed a month's supply. I find that it definitely relaxes me and removes many of the symptoms, which tends to make me think that I don't have MS. On the other hand, drugs like Ativan and Valium are exactly what docs prescribe to MS sufferers to help reduce muscle cramping, twitches, and pain....so I really don't know what to think anymore!

It's fine to mention a product by name, but don't post the website address as that violates the board rules.

Also if you type a word and it ends up like this ************ that means the word has been banned from use on this website.

Thanks for the info. Im wondering if anyone has ever had anxiety symptoms that went away once they went on meds. I sounds like yours are relieved a bit. Can you get a MRI to rule out MS so that you can ease your worries?

I'm in Canada, and in our wonderful healthcare system you have to wait months and months to get anything done. My GP just gave me a referral to a neurologist, and my appointment is in 7 months! I told the secretary that in seven months' time, I would not need to see a neurologist because by that time I will most definitely know if this is something serious or not! (I didn't actually get angry with her, I know it's not her fault. Navigating the Canadian health care system is just very exasperating and takes its toll after awhile). So tomorrow morning I'm going to get myself a referral from my GP for an MRI and I'm going to go to Buffalo MRI/CT and pay out of pocket for the tests. I'll know what's up by the end of the week (instead of in 8-9 months' time if I were to do everything here).

Good luck to you. You will have peace of mind one way or the other. It helped me to get the results. I think it is great that you are being so proactive. I'll be thinking of you and hope that you post the results sometime so I know how you are! I am sending positive energy your way!!

Thanks a lot for the support. I just have one more question for you...is lower back pain one of your symptoms? I just got back from a short walk, and my back was aching, the right leg felt somewhat stiff as well. If this lower back pain isn't a real symptom then I must really be going crazy. When I bend over, I can feel the tension in my back, kinda like the feeling you get when you stretch out a very tight muscle, a good sort of pain. I guess I'll know soon enough.

I definately have lower back pain and it is very similar to what you described. I am trying to do strengthing exercises to make my back stronger, which actually aggravates it more sometimes. Anyways, yes, I do have lower back pain. Ifeel my a lot when I try to have really good posture because my posture is poor and I think that has something to do with the back pain. Let the board know once you get your results of the MRI. I'm hoping for the best!

Well, I had a brain/c-spine MRI w/contrast done yesterday. The technician who took the scans could see how nervous I was so he broke the rules and told me that from what he could see everything looked fine. While I was still in the MRI machine, he sent the images over to a neurologist at the hospital affiliated with the MRI centre, and the neurologist said that everything looked great. So I guess it's time to stop worrying about MS. I still don't have the official report back from the radiologist, but I think it's safe to assume that a neurologist would not say that everything was fine unless he was damn sure that there wasn't a problem. I was quite relieved yesterday and for a few hours, my symptoms seemed to dissipate. Unfortunately, my symptoms creeped up earlier today...I guess it will take awhile for my body to get out of MS-mode.

I am sooo happy for you that you got the results and that it is not MS. That should be a big relief. I hate the fact that no matter what good results I get, I still have the symptoms. In some ways though, it is affirming that it is anxiety which is not life threatening... debilitating at times, but not ms. It is hard to stop a pattern of worrying, so be good to yourself and give yourself a break if you keep having symptoms. You have friends here who understand you!

hey there, glad you have a clean bill of health.

from reading your list of symptoms i can safely say i've had almost all of them- the cause being anxiety, and that they're all very common feelings for that and stress. anxiety especially can make a person feel seriously weird, and worrying only amplifies it. i reiterate what one other person recommended- look up the fight or flight response. it's an impressive and amazing defense mechanism of the body, but unfortunately it can cause you to feel just about any weird symptom on the face of the earth. also, lots of people suffer "limited panic attacks" where they might not have a huge array of symptoms, but do suffer some- which could explain the various aches and weirdness you've been experiencing.

just keep reminding yourself that your health is fine, and what you're feeling is completely common and normal for any stress or anxiety related feelings. good luck! :wave: