Multiple Sclerosis Forum - Anxiety symptoms worse : MS or mental ?

Conditions and Diseases > Multiple Sclerosis Forum > Anxiety symptoms worse : MS or mental ?

Learn how doctors clinically diagnose one of twelve kinds of anxiety disorders...and which doctors you should see for an anxiety diagnosis....

Q: Anxiety symptoms worse : MS or mental ?

asked by: DoctorQuestion on May 19th, 2007

10 years ago I had some strange symptoms.My left hand kept getting transient weakness which would come and go. I later develped a sensation of tight skin in my left leg and face. my neurological tests were all normal and I received the diagnosis of anxiety..I accepted this as I did have stress and was worried.Forgot about MS and got over anxiety and led normal life.The symtoms improved but didnt go 100%.Now 10 years later the following has occured:skin tightness progressing to other parts of the body.a wierd pressure feeling in patches of my chest/stomch which seems to be worsening.not painful but irritating. my earlobe feels permanently squeezed and more facial tighness.electric shock sensations I have previously had 3 day period of vertigo. Neurological exam still normal and doctors say stress related. Have anxiety but not before symptoms worsened.should I ask for more tests - if so what. Can it really be due to something mental or what else could it be?Symtpoms always present.

Replies(1)

Dr. Nikola Gjuzelov , MD

replied on May 29th, 2007

Multiple Sclerosis Answer A2798

Given the description of the symptoms (skin tightness, weird irritating pressure in chest and stomach, earlobe feels permanently squeezed, facial tightness, electric shock sensations, vertigo…) it is hard to understand the real problem without a neurological examination. A neurological examination will exclude any organic disorder of the central or peripheral nervous systems. In your case, a neurological examination showed no organic substrate that could have caused those symptoms. You can request additional diagnostic procedures such as an electro-myo-graphy (EMG) to check nerve conductivity and a CT-scan of the head to check for some brain lesions.... although the physical neurological examination doesn’t require them. If the EMG and CT-scan show no pathologic lesions, then the remaining possible cause of the symptoms could be anxiety and depression and you may ask for help from a mental health doctor.

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