Buzzing, tingling, fear of MS

[mags78]

Hi everyone, im a terrible health anxiety and GAD sufferer. I felt a bit run down recently and a bit depressed. I started thinking a lot about death, worried about diseases, catastrophizing etc. Grenfell Tower fire, Charlie Gards case and terrorist attacks contributed to it as well. I was in a sad and moderately anxious state for about a month. Then i got conjunctivitis and eye allergy. My eyes hurt a bit afterwards so i imagined it was first symptom of MS. Then due to being exhausted i contracted conjunctivitis and was put on antibiotics. Day after starting then and a sleepless night i woke up feeling tingling in my feet. That was it i thought!!! Definitely MS! I freaked out so bad that i ended up twice in A&E and about 4 appointments with different GP's who blamed anxiety for all the symptoms. They would test my reflexes, eyes, all bloods etc. There is nothing wrong. But never sent me to neurologist or for MRI. My symptoms got better once i calmed down a bit but im still convinced im seriously ill, something neurological etc. I dont get numbness, just pins and needles, buzzing in feet, hands. And occassional pain behind my eye. Eyes were thoroughly checked too. Nothing wrong. Would MS/optic neuritis show during extensive eye test? So so worried But im thinking 5 doctors said they were not concerned so i should believe them i guess. Anyway, just wanted to share my feelings and introduce myself to this forum. Im 39 and suffered from all sorts of anxiety since i was 15, on and off. With every attack (sometimes years apart) i get different symptoms and worry more. I have been on fluoxetine for 6 years now. It doesnt seem to work anymore. Im not really clinically depressed. I just worry A LOT! Thank you and sorry for this long post.

[Ihateanixety1]

Hiya I just want to say you are not alone! I have been having tummy pains and pelvic pains CONSTANT for over 2 months... had scans, bloods, seen 5 doctors and no one seems worried they put it down to anxiety, anyway now I'm feeling like a mild nerve pain in my arms (more my left) I get pins and needles, I also googled MS very stupidily. I don't really know what else to say other than I'm going through this too but I'm sure we are ok and it's bloody anxiety ruling our lives!!!!!

[Icanbeathis2016]

Dont apologize. You are not alone. I am going through a really rough patch as well with me constantly thinking i have some illness or brain issue. And yes i constantly think of death and its debilitating. Even as we speak im having symptoms and some of tgwm seem different which makes me afraid because its new. Ive been to the er several times. I worry worry worry so much too. Especially since i have kids. And now my newest worry is that because scientific studies say that stress and worry can actually kill you, now im worried even more that im actually worrying myself to death literally. And its like i fear death but im worried im gonna kill myself if i dont stop this. But i dont lnow how to turn my worrying off. I am constantly worried. So believe me you are not alone. Im sorry you are having these moments. I wish us the best through this.

[Jeff1943]

Mags78, as an outsider I think the most important words in your posting are "5 doctors said they were not concerned and I should believe them I guess." The reason they didn't send you to see a neurologist or for an MSI scan is because it was obvious to them that you don't have MS. You have had a lot of medical attention from people who went to medical school for 5 years whereas your experience consists of searches on Google. Of the two, who would you gamble your life savings on if you had to? Exactly. The time has now come to accept that all your problems with the exception of the conjunctivitis are caused by anxiety.

As I often suggest: you can't recover from an illness you don't have no matter how hard you try. Instead why not concentrate on the illness you do have - Anxiety Disorder. This occurs when our nervous system becomes over sensitised by constant stress, worry, over work and fear. In this state your nerves play tricks on you, imitating genuine organic illness so you think you have every medical condition under the Sun.

You say you've had anxiety disorder for 25 years so maybe it's time to address the issue and look to a full recovery that will make a big difference to the rest of your life. And you can recover believe me - no matter how long and how much you have suffered. Recovery involves desensitising your nervous system and you do that by stopping the fear on which jangled nerves thrive. Remove the fear and eventually your nerves recoverand you will regain your quiet mind and cease to worry yourself half to death about illnesses you don't have and world events you have no control over.

Easier said than done, I know, but remedy lies in accepting for the time being all the bad feelings and strange thoughts. That's right, ACCEPTING the symptoms of anxiety calmly and without fear. After all, you know they are just blips and glitches produced by an over sensitive nervous system, they are NOT real illnesses. Whilst you're accepting the symptoms you stop fearing them. You can't accept and fear symptoms at the same time.

There is a book about the Acceptance Method for recovery written before you were born by a doctor called Claire Weekes and it has helped untold tens of thousands of people to recover: it's calles 'Self help with your nerves' in the U.K. and 'Hope and help with your nerves' in the U.S., same book, different title. It's available from Amazon and you me care to read some of the several hundred reader reviews by people who regained their lives as a result of reading it. I commend this book to you.

[mags78]

Thank you all so much for your support. I really need it now. I will definitely buy and read the recommended book! I have better and worse days, sometimes my outlook for the future changes in a matter of hours- one moment i think i can overcome it! Even if it is MS! But the other part of me is still subconsciously worried "what if". What if all doctors are wrong etc. Personally i think i will not get a relief unless i get a brain MRI. Even if it confirms brain tumour ir whatever. And the hypochondriac in me tells me to avoid finding out the truth no matter what! Strange ist'it!? So i will live in limbo until i find courage to face the tests. The problem is no doctor thinks MRI is necessary so i am considering doing it using private clinic. But i keep thinking: what does a GP know! I need to see a neurologist! I hate my hypochondria! It ruined most of my life! When my daughter was born 4 years ago i freaked out about every rash, fever, vaccine, anaphylactic shock and allergies, choking etc, while my friends just enjoyed their babies and motherhood! I wish i was born mentally healthy! I hate it so much!! I am starting a one to one CBT sessions in 2 weeks. Hope they will help a bit. X

[Hidden]

Can so relate to what you said here ... good luck and your gong to be ok ..

[mags78]

Ok, so this is the second time in the last 3 weeks when i feel my skin burning, it started last night before bed and got better now but it's the strangest feeling that causes fear! 😳 Its like waves of cold or hot or sunburn feeling travelling through my body, every few seconds in a different spot. It kept me awake! It gets worse when im close to panic so im trying to remain cool but t is sooooo scary! Tingling/buzzing gone for now and yesterday i had a symptom free day and thought it was all behind me! Obviously not 😩 First time it happened i went to A&E. They said it sounds like neuralgia and can be a stress response. But WHY after a fairly anxiety free day!??? I of course googled it and 80% gave anxiety as the cause but also fibromyalgia, neuropathy, Lyme disease etc. I would love to see a neurologist! I feel like theres sth wrong with my nerves and the longer i wait the worse it will get. Im thinking permanent nerve damage, paralysis etc. Has anyone experienced this sort of burning? I dont think its fibro, im not terribly fatigued, no brain fog, no joiny pain. Just nerves firing up. Im sure my GP will send me away with 'i wouldnt worry too much'. Help!!! 😭