R
RunnerBean
Active member
Hi all,
I've posted here before and since my last post I have been feeling a little better I guess, at least to the point where I've been managing to not google all of my strange symptoms and, as part of that, I've been trying to stay away from forums etc.
But, I've just been through a very strange and unsettling experience, and was hoping to hear that some others may have been through something similar.
As a quick bit of background, in November 2019 I experienced a bit of dizziness and parasthesia in my left arm, then my left leg, and finally my right leg. I have become terrified that I have MS and have been to see my GP who doesn't seem overly concerned, but has still referred me to a neurologist. This being the NHS in 2020, the turnaround time for a routine neurology referral is 12 months so I'm still waiting, as patiently as I can.
However, I also suffer from anxiety which waxes and wanes in its level of intensity. I probably should make it clear that the physical symptoms I have described also seem to come and go and vary in their level of intensity. And I am aware that these symptoms can also be caused by anxiety. Indeed, my doctor is working pretty much along those lines, and I am hopeful that this is "all" it is.
Recently, I have started to get twitching muscles in my right, and to a lesser extent, my left leg. I have managed to rationalise with myself that this is also down to anxiety, perhaps due to me feeling under stress for such a prolonged period of time. I also think that the onset of these occurred shortly after I experienced what I would describe as a mild panic attack a few weeks ago.
What has really scared me however, is that just this morning, I woke from my sleep in the middle of the night to feel my left and right forearms, and my right lower leg, really tingling. I thought that I had perhaps been sleeping on them funny, and moved them around a bit, but when the sensations didn't go away, I started to panic. This obviously hasn't helped the symptoms go away, but I'm wondering if I may have had a panic attack in my sleep? I didn't feel particularly panicked when I woke until I noticed these strange symptoms, and I was dreaming, but I don't recall the dream being particularly anxious.
As of two hours after this happened, my left and right arms feel a little better, but my hands still feel kind of "half-numb" and my right leg is tingling like crazy.
I'm starting to get very tired of all of this. I am terrified that I might have MS, and as much as I try and rationalise that my symptoms are "just anxiety" or that "I could live with it", it is very genuine fear for me and has been prominent in my thoughts for almost a year now. As such, I know that I have been living in a state of chronic anxiety for that length of time. I have been patient in waiting to see the neurologist, but I think that I'm finding it harder to wait as more time passes. I have been trying CBT, breathing exercises, etc, but when the symptoms return all of that goes out of the window and I do feel myself panicking. Part of my problem is that as much as I try to use these coping strategies, I know that I will not be able to feel closure until I have seen and spoken to a neurologist.
Has anybody else here experienced such strange sensations of tingling/partial numbness in their limbs for such a prolonged period of time and subsequently found out that those symptoms were "only" due to anxiety?
Any encouraging words or kind thoughts would be appreciated.
Thank you.
I've posted here before and since my last post I have been feeling a little better I guess, at least to the point where I've been managing to not google all of my strange symptoms and, as part of that, I've been trying to stay away from forums etc.
But, I've just been through a very strange and unsettling experience, and was hoping to hear that some others may have been through something similar.
As a quick bit of background, in November 2019 I experienced a bit of dizziness and parasthesia in my left arm, then my left leg, and finally my right leg. I have become terrified that I have MS and have been to see my GP who doesn't seem overly concerned, but has still referred me to a neurologist. This being the NHS in 2020, the turnaround time for a routine neurology referral is 12 months so I'm still waiting, as patiently as I can.
However, I also suffer from anxiety which waxes and wanes in its level of intensity. I probably should make it clear that the physical symptoms I have described also seem to come and go and vary in their level of intensity. And I am aware that these symptoms can also be caused by anxiety. Indeed, my doctor is working pretty much along those lines, and I am hopeful that this is "all" it is.
Recently, I have started to get twitching muscles in my right, and to a lesser extent, my left leg. I have managed to rationalise with myself that this is also down to anxiety, perhaps due to me feeling under stress for such a prolonged period of time. I also think that the onset of these occurred shortly after I experienced what I would describe as a mild panic attack a few weeks ago.
What has really scared me however, is that just this morning, I woke from my sleep in the middle of the night to feel my left and right forearms, and my right lower leg, really tingling. I thought that I had perhaps been sleeping on them funny, and moved them around a bit, but when the sensations didn't go away, I started to panic. This obviously hasn't helped the symptoms go away, but I'm wondering if I may have had a panic attack in my sleep? I didn't feel particularly panicked when I woke until I noticed these strange symptoms, and I was dreaming, but I don't recall the dream being particularly anxious.
As of two hours after this happened, my left and right arms feel a little better, but my hands still feel kind of "half-numb" and my right leg is tingling like crazy.
I'm starting to get very tired of all of this. I am terrified that I might have MS, and as much as I try and rationalise that my symptoms are "just anxiety" or that "I could live with it", it is very genuine fear for me and has been prominent in my thoughts for almost a year now. As such, I know that I have been living in a state of chronic anxiety for that length of time. I have been patient in waiting to see the neurologist, but I think that I'm finding it harder to wait as more time passes. I have been trying CBT, breathing exercises, etc, but when the symptoms return all of that goes out of the window and I do feel myself panicking. Part of my problem is that as much as I try to use these coping strategies, I know that I will not be able to feel closure until I have seen and spoken to a neurologist.
Has anybody else here experienced such strange sensations of tingling/partial numbness in their limbs for such a prolonged period of time and subsequently found out that those symptoms were "only" due to anxiety?
Any encouraging words or kind thoughts would be appreciated.
Thank you.
