I'm a mess...

[beth0277]

I am sort of a mess right now. I have a history of health anxiety and had to get off of my anxiety medication a few months ago due to some side effects. I know that tingling can be a symptom of anxiety. I have had this same tingling 3 times in my life. The first time was when I started to get really bad with anxiety, the second time was a few weeks after I got off of my Prozac (in September of this year) and then the last time has been in the past 2 weeks or so, when I have been super anxious. The tingling normally wakes me up every night but as soon as I move my hands, they are fine. I chalked it up to anxiety but of course my overactive brain starts thinking of all of the things that it could be. I instantly go to MS. I read a little about MS and learn that it can also cause bladder problems. I had to get off of my Prozac because it was causing me to retain urine. I have had 3 tests since getting off of the Prozac and they have all been normal, but I am still nervous that maybe it wasn't the Prozac all along and maybe I do have MS.

I saw my GP yesterday and she wasn't too concerned but said if I wanted an MRI that I could get one. I asked her what sort of "gray area" can come up in the results and she said that if you have migraines, which I do, it can look a little suspicious to where they would want to repeat it in 6 months or so. I honestly don't think I could get through that. In my head, I am hopeful this is just all anxiety. I am on a new medicine and it is taking the edge off my anxiety but I am just waiting for it to really start working. It has only been a week.

So I am faced with the question of...Do I get an MRI and run the risk that it will come back as abnormal because of the migraines and send me into a downward spiral of anxiety and depression due to the uncertainty? Or, do I realize that this is probably all just my anxiety?

[beth0277]

That is what I am worried about. That the MRI will be abnormal for some benign reason and it will send me into a depression that I won't be able to dig out of.

I am so confused and hopeless right now.

[lisabeth310]

It sounds to me like you're already heading towards a downward spiral due to your uncertainty, so why not dig a little deeper to clear your mind of the worries?  BTW, my neuro told me that few people have a perfectly clear mri, so be prepared for that.  See a good neuro that can accurately read the mri, and do further testing.  It really sounds like it's just anxiety, but you'll feel better if you hear it from an expert.  IF in the small chance something is wrong, you would want to know that, too.  Good luck, try to relax and enjoy the holidays!