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I think I have relapse-remit MS but my doctor keeps blaming it on anxiety. What should I do?

Posted , 5 users are following.

cate89188
cate89188

Two years ago, I had a strange episode where the left side of my body felt heavier than the right, leading to me losing my balance and feeling nauseous, and I had the sensation of electrical shocks running up my spine and neck and spasms in my arms, hands, neck, and the left side of my face. In addition, I became irritable and confused, my speech was silted and I started misspelling common words. It took me six months to get an appointment for an MRI and by that time the symptoms had resolved. The MRI showed nothing abnormal and my family doctor blamed the whole episode on anxiety. Two weeks ago, I started having difficulty swallowing and the previous symptoms are back - again on the left side of my body. This time, I've also lost weight, the left side of my body feels significantly weaker, I have periods of blurred vision in my left eye, and I'm having bowel and bladder problems but my doctor still blames it on generalized anxiety, won't send me for another MRI, and has referred me to a psychiatrist - even though my GAD has been under control for years. I would seek a second opinion but none of the other family doctors in my small city are accepting patients and transportation between the cities in my region is an issue (public transportation here is scarce and expensive).

?Has anyone here had a similar symptom pattern? Should I just go to ER? My MD thinks it's all in my head and I'm at my wits' end.

?(note: my bloodwork has been normal and I have no fever or physical lumps/rashes during the episodes)  

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0 likes, 5 replies

5 Replies

  • jaime57007
    jaime57007 cate89188

    Posted

    Can you get a lumbar tap? Sometimes MRI can come back normal but I heard lumbar taps can come back with MS bands. See if you can get a referral to see a neurologist. Also see if you can get into a eye doctor.
  • fester
    fester cate89188

    Posted

    You need to see a neurologist can you manage a private appointment with one or insist your GP gets one for you there are some very specific MRI,s and other tests to be done there are other things it could be to

    Take care

  • JohnSP12
    JohnSP12 cate89188

    Posted

    Please read this discussion here.

    https://patient.info/forums/discuss/multiple-sclerosis-symptoms-but-brain-mri-is-almost-normal-594459

    I have gone through this situation once in my life, so I know what it will be like. About 10 months ago, I've posted this, but my doctor kept on telling me there's nothing to worry about and gave me tablets for anxiety. This January, I was diagnosed with Relapsing-Remitting MS. If you think the doctor isn't good enough, find another one. Never give up. smile

  • Tee19
    Tee19 cate89188

    Posted

    I have MS. You need a new doctor. The one you are seeing now is a complete idiot you should at the very least be referred for an MRI and definitely be under the care of a neurologist I believe you have more than anxiety going on and if you do have anxiety it could be a result of all the medical issues you are currently having please let us know how you’re doing
  • Tammy_Jean
    Tammy_Jean cate89188

    Posted

    Hi Cate,

    I'm so sorry you are going through this. I am in almost the same situation as you, except my symptoms started 9 years ago. I have somehow suffered my way through until now. But I had gone to seek help too many times to count and everyone kept telling me everything is normal and they don't know what is wrong. I would go a few months trying to live normally, have another "flare-up" and then out of desperation I'd seek out help again. It was/is a vicious cycle! The past 3 years have been especially bad and this past October (2017) I became almost completely incapacitated after getting a flu shot that brought on the worst flare-up yet, lasting 3 months! And I have been having constant flare-ups since. It was during that time that I decided to try to get help once again as I felt so bad that I could barely function and was becoming severely hopeless with very little quality of life. I am single and live alone in a new town far away from my family/friends (not by choice), so that doesn't make any of this any easier on me. Anyway, because of all of these health issues that I have been dealing with for the past decade, I sought out counseling, so when I went to get help back in Oct., the doctor (who was a new doctor as mine moved away) looked in my file and saw I was in counseling for depression and attributed it all to that. And mind you, I looked like death and barely got myself to my appointment. I also had a list of about 15 symptoms and when he saw the list he said he would only go over 3 symptoms, that I would have to come back another time to deal with a few each time. Are you kidding me??? That said, it took me 2 months to finally get in to see another doctor, while I suffered that whole time. After seeing 6 different family doctors over the past decade I finally found a doctor who believes something is wrong with me and started running tests that none of the other doctors ever ran and low and behold I had an antibody test come back way high. She has since referred me to several specialists to rule things out, so I am still waiting for a diagnosis. The first doc I saw was an endocrinologist, who said it wasn't my thyroid, but that from what I was describing he said I should be screened for MS. That was in January (2018). He sent me for an MRI which came back ok, however, it was not a 3T and they only did my brain, not my cervical or thoracic, which I think is a must. But anyway, after the MRI turned out normal the attention was then focused on seeing a rheumatologist. I think my doctor thinks it is Sarcoid (which my Mother had that IF they Dx'd her right) or Lupus. Well, I saw the rheumatologist a week ago and she listened to my history and symptoms and asked what the other doctors have said over the years and said it sounds like my Fibromyalgia (which I had been Dx'd with about the time the symptoms started), but after I reviewed my records after she recorded notes from my visit, she wrote that the major issue is depression/anxiety. SMH!  I keep telling the docs it is the illness that is making me depressed!  I never was in counseling before all of this and dealing with it all alone, I just felt I needed someone to vent to. Who wouldn't? It's so frustrating because I know this is more than Fibro. I honestly barely make it through the flare-ups they are that bad..to the point I really don't care to live like that. I see my family doc in 2 days and I am asking for a referral to see a neurologist to check me for MS again. An endocrinologist doesn't have that expertise and so although he ordered an MRI for me, that was the extent of his screening for MS. This can be so overwhelming at times as I am sure you know. Well, now that I rambled on forever, I just wanted to let you know that there are other people going through the same thing and you are not alone and to KEEP FIGHTING for a proper diagnosis. YOU know your body better than anyone!!  Feel better and I hope you find the answers you are looking for, and SOON!

    ~ Tammy Jean wink

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