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Mental Health > Anxiety and Stress Forum > An Explanation of the Differences Between Multiple Sclerosis
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Q: An Explanation of the Differences Between Multiple Sclerosis
asked by: DoctorQuestion on January 21st, 2006
Are there any real differances in anxiety disorders and multiple sclerosis? I started to have lots of physical problems that all came out of no where a year ago. I have had almost every test known to man , with no diagnoses made. They said it must be anxiety, I have yet to see a neuro, but I did have an mri on my brain would it be normal for them to see or look for those leisons? I have read up on ms and see a lot of comparisons with both diseases, my symptoms seem to favor both diseases.Also would like xanax help ms symptoms at all? I have tried it and it did help mine.Thanks


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Dr. Nikola Gjuzelov , MD
replied on January 31st, 2006
Anxiety & Stress Answer A242
Anxiety disorder(s) and multiple sclerosis (MS) are two completely different diseases.
Multiple sclerosis is a neurological autoimmune disease wherein the immune system attacks the myelin coverings of the nerve tracts in the brain (white substance). Lesions in the white substance can develop at any location, so the symptoms MS differ according to the localization of the lesion. Lesions can be repaired but not completely; other lesions develop in time. That’s why some symptoms are relieved for a while but then other, new symptoms appear. Paralyses, loss of balance, disordered movements, loss of senses, dementia etc. are all symptoms of MS. Multiple sclerosis is chronically progressive disease with a bad prognosis. An MRI can detect the brain lesions in MS.
Anxiety disorders (neuroses) are psychiatric diseases. There are many types of neuroses: anxiety/panic, phobic disorders, depressive, somatoform disorders (hypochondria), conversive disorders (hysteria)… Typically, somatoform disorders (hypochondria) can imitate any other organic disease. Patients feel the symptoms of diseases; but they are not real; the diseases only exist in the minds of the patients.
Because your MRI is OK, it seems likely that you are suffering from somatoform disorder (hypochondria). Doctors typically prescribe Xanax (alprazolam), to treat neurotic disorders (like hypochondria) not MS.



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