MS? Anxiety? Both?

[teacher123]

Hi everyone. I'm looking for some insight onto some symptoms I've been experiencing. Let me start by saying that I have a history of some anxiety and it's gotten worse as I've gotten older. I'm 28 years old and this summer (July) I started having some weird body sensations. Again, I've had anxiety before and I worry a lot about being diagnosed with various illnesses. So anyway, I had a small ache that didn't in my upper right arm in early July. I figured it was due to working out but then I panicked myself after thinking it could be a stroke. The ache went away after a few days and then it started to feel weak. Like, it felt like I couldn't complete grip something but in actuality, I could. Anyway, I googled weak arm and MS came up. Ever since then, I've read way too much about the disease and I've been experiencing symptoms. Over the summer, my weak arm came and went. I also started to feel dizzy and began eating less because I also felt panicky. Throughout the summer, I had panic attacks all too often, especially at night. I couldn't sleep and I constantly worried that I had MS. Sometimes at night, my arm would fall asleep and I would wake up completely panicky but then after shaking my arm the feeling would always come back. I also had a lot of time on my hands since I was only working part time. One other thing I've noticed is that my hands shake. You can't notice them shaking but I held a paper out to see if it would move and it always shakes a bit. I don't know whether that is normal or not. Fast forward to September and I was feeling the symptoms less and less. My panic attacks also stopped. Now, this week, I've started experiencing symptoms again. This time, I felt a very small vibration under my left foot. It's very small- not like a cell phone vibrating or anything- just a small vibration. It's also not constant. It comes and goes throughout the day. My left leg has also been a bit sore. This is especially true after running or working out at the gym. Today, the arch of my foot felt kind of numb but when I touch it, it's not numb at all. My right arm has also been feeling weak again periodically. It doesn't last- just throughout the day it might feel weak and then it goes away. Today, I was in Target and I all of a sudden felt so dizzy- like I was going to pass out. Then, of course, I also started feeling panicky. I'm just sick of feeling like this. I'm constantly on edge.

Do these sound like MS symptoms? Do MS symptoms come and go throughout the day? Thank you so much for taking the time to read this and for providing any insight that you have.

[jimmylegs]

sounds to me like you may want to consider athletic nutrient depletion. the pain, shaking, and panic are all consistent with magnesium deficit. magnesium is easily lost via sweating and physical exertion/stress

if you are interested in exploring this idea, here is an august post on the athletic nutrient depletion topic:
http://www.thisisms.com/forum/undiagnos ... ml#p214058
it provides links to four other related inquiries between march and july of 2013

this one is from 2012, re issues experienced after implementing intense workout programs (insanity/P90x), but omitting the associated nutrition program: http://www.thisisms.com/forum/general-d ... ml#p195665

specifically to deal with the lowest hanging fruit (and in the worst case scenario being able to rule something out), I would suggest ordering a serum magnesium test, insisting on having your own copy of results, and then aiming for a serum level of 1.1 mmol/L or 2.7mg/dL (which yes, at some labs would be considered at or above the top of the 'normal' range). a level as low as 0.9 mmol/L should be considered borderline, but it's about the middle of the range that is currently considered 'normal' at most labs.

to act on a deficit, make your daily mag intake target at least 600mg. (the maintenance intake is 400)

considerations:
-avoid magnesium depleters (coffee, tea, alcohol)
-boost whole magnesium-dense foods such as swiss chard:
.....1c boiled drained chard w salt:
..........Magnesium 150 mg 38% DV
..........Phosphorus 57.8 mg 6% DV
-balance your P:Mg intake by reducing dietary phosphorus (eg reduce consumption of any dark coloured carbonated beverages)

if 600mg dietary mag is not achievable, other options include:
-a MAGNESIUM GLYCINATE supplement to make up the balance (readily available online if you can't find it in a local shop). the glycinate form is key. other forms are not readily absorbed. second place imho would be mag citrate.
-bathing in or preparing a topical 'oil' from, Epsom salts (magnesium sulfate) or magnesium chloride flakes.

related to bathing, this 2010 post is from a surfer who experienced lower back muscle pain exacerbated by working out, with the exception of surfing.
http://www.thisisms.com/forum/general-d ... ml#p131638
my comment: "if you're surfing in sea water, you're basically taking a magnesium bath. you might also try epsom salts, according to package directions, when not surfing."

[CaliReader]

That does not sound pleasant at all.

Whether you have ms or not, getting your anxiety under control will do a lot to improve how much you feel like you are suffering day to day. If you can connect with a pet, or a garden, friends and family, other things that make you feel better it will help. Jimmylegs is right. Improving diet and nutrition is key to long term health, especially if you have a chronic disease.

One thing to keep in mind is that the difference between symptoms you are aware of and ones doctors can see and document is very real and causes miscommunication and frustration. Your symptoms may be real, but if they are subtle, a doctor may not find them and think they are not. You need to decide whether you want to open the conversation with doctors now, or just start documenting your symptoms until something more clear cut and obvious either appears or not. MS symptoms can come and go during a day, but MS flares last more than 24 hours. It is most likely the flare symptoms that would make a doctor pay attention and do the tests that might lead to a diagnosis.

If you read the experiences of people with ms, you will learn that diagnosis can take years. The testing process itself after they strongly suspect ms takes months and does not always come back positive. Living with not knowing is hard, but doable. Good luck.

[Anonymoose]

You might want to check your iron and ferritin levels too. Thanks to jimmylegs, I did. They were low and iron supplementation is improving not only energy but hand numbness. I don't get it while sleeping anymore but if I bend my elbows and hold my iPhone to read for a while I do. I thought it was nerve compression but it's looking like it was iron deficiency. Good luck!

[NHE]

You can take a liquid iron supplement which is non-constipating. Flora offers a few varieties. One of my family members used this brand when they were anemic.
http://www.vitacost.com/productResults. ... ora%20iron

[jimmylegs]

(and just to clarify, magnesium is not the only casualty of athletic nutrient depletion.. just seemed like an obvious candidate given the listed symptoms)

[lyndacarol]

Hi everyone. I'm looking for some insight onto some symptoms I've been experiencing. Let me start by saying that I have a history of some anxiety and it's gotten worse as I've gotten older. I'm 28 years old and this summer (July) I started having some weird body sensations. Again, I've had anxiety before and I worry a lot about being diagnosed with various illnesses. So anyway, I had a small ache that didn't in my upper right arm in early July. I figured it was due to working out but then I panicked myself after thinking it could be a stroke. The ache went away after a few days and then it started to feel weak. Like, it felt like I couldn't complete grip something but in actuality, I could. Anyway, I googled weak arm and MS came up. Ever since then, I've read way too much about the disease and I've been experiencing symptoms. Over the summer, my weak arm came and went. I also started to feel dizzy and began eating less because I also felt panicky. Throughout the summer, I had panic attacks all too often, especially at night. I couldn't sleep and I constantly worried that I had MS. Sometimes at night, my arm would fall asleep and I would wake up completely panicky but then after shaking my arm the feeling would always come back. I also had a lot of time on my hands since I was only working part time. One other thing I've noticed is that my hands shake. You can't notice them shaking but I held a paper out to see if it would move and it always shakes a bit. I don't know whether that is normal or not. Fast forward to September and I was feeling the symptoms less and less. My panic attacks also stopped. Now, this week, I've started experiencing symptoms again. This time, I felt a very small vibration under my left foot. It's very small- not like a cell phone vibrating or anything- just a small vibration. It's also not constant. It comes and goes throughout the day. My left leg has also been a bit sore. This is especially true after running or working out at the gym. Today, the arch of my foot felt kind of numb but when I touch it, it's not numb at all. My right arm has also been feeling weak again periodically. It doesn't last- just throughout the day it might feel weak and then it goes away. Today, I was in Target and I all of a sudden felt so dizzy- like I was going to pass out. Then, of course, I also started feeling panicky. I'm just sick of feeling like this. I'm constantly on edge.

Do these sound like MS symptoms? Do MS symptoms come and go throughout the day? Thank you so much for taking the time to read this and for providing any insight that you have.

Welcome to ThisIsMS, teacher123.

To your question, "Do these sound like MS symptoms?", yes, but there is a broad range of MS symptoms, many of which are common to other conditions.

Anxiety seems to be a major part of your past and current history. I wonder if it could also be called "stress." À la jimmylegs, who recommends a look at magnesium, and Dr. Carolyn Dean, M.D. who says in this Mercola newsletter video that stress drains magnesium (http://articles.mercola.com/sites/artic ... =361716370), it might be worth your while to look into magnesium (I know symptoms include loss of appetite, headaches/migraines, muscle spasms/cramps – some of your symptoms may fit also) and maybe take an absorbable form of magnesium (since 80% of adults have a magnesium deficiency – you could be one of them).