I’m terrified that I have MS

[that guy]

Hello Everyone

i have health anxiety and I’m currently going through my worst attack right now. It all started about a month ago, when my muscles started twitching and pain that felt like someone was poking me with a needle. My arms and legs were also feeling like they were tired. These symptoms would come and go, and wouldn’t last too long. After a blood test about 2 weeks ago, I was diagnosed with Glandular fever, which made me feel better that it wasn’t serious, and the symptoms died down.

However on Wednesday the symptoms came back, and now I’m also light headed, with some headaches and even my eyes have been hurting, along with itching all over my body, these symptoms are usually worse in the morning. my brain has gone from Calm, to full on anxiety mode. And of course I looked on google to try and get some reassurance, and it told me that I had MS. I’ve seen how MS can affect people, and I’m terrified now.

I don’t know if it’s worth going back to my doctor as I think she may say it’s just the glandular fever, but honestly I don’t know what to do, my Parents are dismissive, I don’t see my psychologist for another month and a half and I gotta go to work today. I feel like I’m stuck between a rock and a hard place.

sorry for the rant, but thanks for reading aswell

[that guy]

Hey Samfromwa, did you ever see your results?

I just got the results of my blood test, AUTOIMMUNE IS NEGATIVE, which means it's very likely not MS and rules out a lot of other serious possibilities. Glandular fever is also gone BUT my doctor says I'm in the post viral stage, and that can last for months. I am also having a vitamin d deficiency, so she has gotten me on supplements for that.

[Samfromwa]

Blood test only rules out inflammation caused by autoimmunes like rheumatoid athiritis but I heard some people get ms through the blood, I don't know if blood tests pick up on that. I had a mri head to toe. No lesions. It wasn't with contrast though, he didn't feel the need. Nothing came up, he says I don't have ms but I still worry about it. He thinks it's from stress and anxiety. But I get the itch and the sensations, no numbness or optic neuritis. You can also get a lumbar to check spinal fluid for ms. Sometimes ms doesn't even come up on mris or anything for years. Your symptoms are more in line with neurological anxiety. I mean I have no choice but to beleive I don't have it and monitor it for the next few years. Im happy the results were clean though but the symptoms are still happening, 50% less though which is something to be hopeful about.

[Johnny_]

Hi That guy,

I read your story and I can relate to you as I am going through the same thing right now. When this happened google told me it was ms too which freaked me out and triggered off my anxiety. I didn’t know what to do and saw the doctor.

My story- I had glandular fever about 12weeks ago( didn’t know at the time) but thought it was just a throat infection, recovered in two weeks then about 6 weeks ago was hit really hard with fatigue etc

I was bed bound for 5 days, barely enough energy to do the basics at home. I was fatigued, had muscle aches, weak legs, tingling forearms and forehead, loss of appetite, chest pain and slight dizziness.

I went to the doctor and after an ecg/X-ray/blood test was told everything was normal but I recently had glandular fever and my liver results were a little high which is normal for glandular. I also suffer mild anxiety.

Doctor said its the post viral affects of glandular fever and it will take 2-3months to get back to normal, possibly longer.

ill admit...the first two weeks were the worst and all the symptoms reduced significantly by the third week but the fatigue is holding on which is what I was told but again was told to take it slow however a couple of days ago, I relapsed and I’m almost back at square one.

Like you I think it’s ms but I am yet to investigate as I remain hopeful it’s just glandular fever which fingers crossed I recover from with rest.

i can only suggest to be patient as all the people I’ve spoken too say glandular took 2-3 easy before getting back to normal and fatigue a couple of months after that

stay positive and I look forward to seeing how you go.

[Samfromwa]

Glandular fever must take a toll on the body that the shock from it causes physical anxiety. I get physical anxiety and Ive had another sensory issue 5 years ago. It was globus hysteria(one name for it) I was fasting, not sleeping well, stressed and I'd always had anxiety without addressing it. It was a sensation of hair in my mouth, tounge and throat, can be like a intrusion type of feeling in the throat for others but it's a pyhschological sensation either way. Took meds to calm me down, took few months and it's never occurred 5 years later. Now I'm getting ms type sensations in my hands feet for 2 months. Seen a neuro, mri brain and spine, clinical test also, he pricks the nerves around body, eye test, movement. They say it's not ms, so now I've been prescribed a type of low dose medication to calm down my anxiety from my gp for the first time and resting, it's a lot better. Can be random but it's 100% physical eg if I don't eat enough during the day it gets worse. I believe physical anxiety is the culprit for sensory issues. Can happen to anyone and I personally know similar cases with healthy non anxiety sufferers who devolop sensory issues for a few months due to a traumatic experience. I have tried a few anxiety meds that my gp prescribed over 5 years, they never work for me. I'm a physical anxiety sufferer, it's from a genetic disorder of the bodies connective tissue, called edhlers danlos syndrome. That's why most type of anxiety meds don't work for me because it's not so much pyhscogical. I get anxiety all day everyday but I can function because I think it's adrenaline induced because it's physical. In conclusion when the body is run down or gets a shock from the immune system, stress, poor diet, fatigue or more commonly in combination can cause sensory issues. I was convinced of ms. If anyone reads this, the neuro consult is always the right choice. Do not self diagnose, do not Google. Do not Fb group every ms group. Its a never ending anxiety roller-coaster. You need assurance, go get it. Ask to see a specialist and get a 2nd opinion if needed.

[Johnny_]

Hi Samfromwa,

thankyou for sharing your story with me, it’s greatly appreciated.

your story gives me hope that’s its not ms and it could be something else that I may be able to treat and live a normal life.

it really does make sense what you said about how the body reacts when it’s fatigued. when this first happened 6 weeks ago my emotions were all over the place and the physical symptoms of anxiety were crazy which settled after a week or so.

thankyou again for replying:)

[Nyny94]

Hello,
I'm new to this as well while I may not know the affects or symptoms of glandular fever or MS I do know what it's like to have health anxiety. I have a few people in my family that passed from cancer and I became preoccupied with the idea that I was dying possibly, it took me sometime to realize that Google was not my friend and while it was scary getting tests I too came up healthy. Sometimes anxiety can also cause a range of strange and scary symptoms, it helps to rule out any symptoms your mind might be creating with your Dr. I find it eases my stress to ask myself it maybe it's my mind first causing my body to react. I'm not sure if that helps but I find for me , majority of the time my mind has alot to do with strange symptoms I get from time to time

[calmseeker]

Hi Everyone,

A fellow health anxiety sufferer here also. Suffering with GAD, Depression and PMDD for well over a decade. This year my anxiety went in a different direction, in the health anxiety direction and its not nice. This was triggered by a pituitary tumour finding in March (apparently common and small and not causing any symptoms, but it still scary to know its there). That triggered my brain into anxiety overdrive. Then the 'googling' began. Every sensation and physical symptom I had I started to research. Its just too easy this day and age to do so with so much info at our fingertips. So in my mind my forgetfulness and cloudiness = early onset dementia. My tingling and numbness = MS. My stiff muscles and soreness + MND. My constant ocular migraine = pending stroke, the lists goes on, sigh. I feel I am in constant battle with health anxiety.

So a couple of helpful tips I have picked up along the way which others may find useful too. Believe that all these symptoms are indeed anxiety and anxiety can be treated and managed. Secondly, Dr. Google usually gives worst case scenarios. I tell myself to believe these tips and sometimes it helps and sometimes it doesn't. Any other coping skills for severe health anxiety would be very much appreciated.

At this point I cant seem to go back to my GP for help, I feel a bit stuck. I fear of any further testing after the tumour finding. I get into a terrible anxious state for the few days I wait for test results, the "what if" scenario plays over and over in my head. Sort of counter productive as it would be nice to know that all the horrible symptoms I have are down to something simple like a magnesium deficiency or high estrogen or something, but the stress of going to the GP is too much and I cant bring myself to make the appointment.

Sending calm vibes and understanding to all others suffering with health anxiety.

CS

[that guy]

Wow, this post really blew up since I last came on here.

Hi Johnny, thank you for your reply, its nice to hear from someone who also have the same illness as me. I’ve had a theory that Glandular fever tends to put a lot of strain on the body internally. It still puzzles me how I caught it, but while I was suffering from it, I was also struck with a bout a gastro, and that puts even more strain on the body, I lost 5kgs from it, gained a few back though. But have not felt the same since, and it’s been 5 weeks.

ive sorta dies down from the MS fears a bit in the past month, mainly because I don’t have the most serious symptoms (optic neuritis, tingling, numbness etc) but I’ve had mostly strange sensations like pain that feels like I’m being poked by a needle, burning or a cold burn feeling in my legs, headaches, fatigue and the muscle twitches, oh god they are the most common for me! (Although apparently the twitches are not that common with ms)

It turns out my sister also suffered from Glandular fever which later turned into Chronic fatigue, so post viral fatigue seems to be normal. While the fatigue seems to be constant, all my other symptoms seem to come and go now. In fact the fatigue has been more in the past couple of days, ever since my chest started feeling tight. Of course it’s worrying me, but I’m hoping with just a few days of rest it will help

[Johnny_]

Hi that guy,

Its great to hear from you and that you have been improving, it’s great news! Sounds like as the symptoms relax that your fear of ms reduces too, I’ll admit, I’m the same.

I too thought the same thing that it’s nice to speak to someone going through the same thing. Our stories are similar with what we are both going through.

I have that theory too. Like you I’ve heard glandular hits the body physically really hard which can trigger other emotions such as anxiety. When this happens you get the symptoms of anxiety too while your body is in that state but normally fades away once the body starts to heal. I guess our emotions are enhanced due to the body being fatigued.

My anxiety normally is not bad at all but during the early stages of this just went through the roof as well as my emotions for no reason and again through this relapse but has come down im the last day and should get a little better each day from now.

i guess a tip I can pass on, get heaps of rest and only use about 70% of your energy. I think maybe I pushed too much to get back to normal which is why I replaced.

I think your twitches etc will settle soon, that could be just anxiety symptoms like me and can be medicated if need be until your energy starts to return, this what my dr told me. Currently I’m not taking anything.

It good that you can talk to your sister as she went through it so her story will give you confidence as you recover. Is she better now? it’s rare but some people end up with chronic fatigue syndrome, normally if your energy slowly improves, generally it means you will get to normal but still it takes time as like you said, post viral fatigue has an unknown time period of 3 - unknown months, most are 3-6 atleast from a couple friends I know who have had it.

They got it when they were 18 so recovered in 3-4 months, I’m double that so it could be longer depending on your age and health.

keep going forward, your doing fantastic and know beyond blue is here anytime 🙂

[that guy]

Hey Johnny thanks for replying

i just turned 27, and I was shocked when I had the diagnosis of the fever, what was really odd, is that I didn’t have most of the symptoms, it all started from a viral infection.

so I’ve been doing better these past few days, the fatigue has really died down a bit, still slightly tired, but I can get through the day easily now, I even decided to go out for a jog today, which is something I haven’t been able to do for months now. My dad suspects that the lack of exercising is contributing to the fatigue and symptoms.

the muscles twitches have also died down a bit, it only seems to happen when I’m in a certain position, or if my elbow is on a certain location now, it only seems to be my upper legs now that twitch.

the burning feeling in my muscles is also still these, however it has also decreased a bit

im kinda glad that the symptoms are getting better, but I’m also worried that they could also return, especially since I’ve gotten more hours with my job starting next year.

one thing that has helped me after all this is keeping a journal and record everything, symptoms, how your feeling, all your worries etc, its good to just get it out of you, and if you’ve got no one to talk to, you can just write down your feelings etc, plus it’s also keeping a record of symptoms for when you go to the doctor.

hopefully your doing better Johnny and anyone else who reads this.