Numb Toe and Health Anxiety

[Ariel2is.a.great.u]

Hi everyone,I am a 24 year old female. Last summer I woke up one morning and my second toe on my right foot was numb (I could feel it if I touched it with my hand but when I walked I couldn't feel it touching the floor). I have some health anxiety issues and I ended up going to the ER because I was so freaked out about it after looking online and reading about all the worst case scenarios. I also started to feel as if my legs were weak. When I went to the hospital, the doctors went between being dismissive, confused, intrigued, etc. by my symptoms. (It didn't help me feel any less anxious that the patient next to me did have MS and her symptoms had caused her to break her leg). The doctors did weakness tests, vision, etc. and nothing was wrong. Finally they did an MRI w/o contrast on my brain, which came back clean. They let me go and told me to follow up with my PCP. After a few days, my toe was back to normal.Over the next few weeks, I felt better at times and at at times the weakness in my legs (perceived) was extremely bothersome and I got so scared I could barely function. It doesn't help that I am a teacher and have the summers off, so I had nothing to do but freak out about whether or not I had MS. I went on a trip abroad with friends and when I was there, I started having perceived weakness in my arms and I started to twitch EVERYWHERE. I would also wake up in the middle of the night and my arms or legs would be completely numb as if they had fallen asleep, but I had not been sleeping in a strange position. I was so stressed out that I had to come home early from the trip and went to see specialists about what was happening to me. I had an EMG on my legs and feet which came back normal. I went to a neurologist and had two more MRIs of the brain stem and cervical spine (Both without contrast), both of which were clean. He reassured me constantly that I did not have MS, and told me that what I had was probably BFS, but I still was worried, especially since all MRIs were done without contrast.Then, the summer was over and I went back to work. I started to feel normal again with only a few twitches here and there and very rarely would I notice any "weakness".Now, a year later, I am starting to have the same symptoms. As I type this, I am twitching all over and my legs (especially) and arms are starting to feel the weakness they did last summer. The symptoms of weakness are worse when I am walking around. When I am lying down or sitting down, the weakness in my legs is barely perceptible. Part of the reason I am freaking out is because I know that people who have MS experience worsening symptoms in the summer.Does this sound like it could possibly be MS, or is it definitely BFS? I thought that BFS always presented with twitching first, then other symptoms but for me it was the other way around. Does BFS have worsening symptoms in the summer with hot weather? How worried should I be that my MRIs were done without contrast?Thank you so much for any help or support, I am having serious anxiety over this!!!

 

[Gracer]

Hi Ariel,let me tell that should your doctors were conserned about MS, they would definitely prescribe you gadolinium scan. The fact they prescribed you several contrast free MRT, on my point of view, means only that they did not see any physcal signs of MS so just would like to see if you do not have any other issues missed like... I do not know for sure, but maybe like micro strokes, etc. Like that.I was used to know one young (23yo) lady, and she got and MS bout after significant stress (her mom died suddenly)- so she suddenly can not walk at all (just felt down and could not rise), her face was numb, she lost her voice etc. She was diagnosed with MS in two weeks, put on interferon and, however, we discontinued our communication since, I had seen on our common friends' log just very recent photos of her (last week or so) - she is walking, teaching singing (she is a singer) and looks perfect.Same story was with a boy, a son of one lady I know from LJ blosg - he quite sudenly lost his vision, he was so weak that he was sleeping like a log for DAYS in a row, that was two years ago... few weeks ago he graduated with a honor mark from his Unviersity, vision was restored (he is an artist and need it as much as the singer needed her voice) - same story, strong bout, quick diagnosis, treatment, recovery.So I mean MS is also strong gripping disease, it does not take a year to be diagnosed with MS ))) The only issue why men usually take about a year someimes is because they try to neglect even such evident bad sign as the loss of vision ((Our toes could be numb due to very innocent things - for example, our 2nd and 3d-4h toes are subject of so called Morton's neurinoma, which is typical ladies' disease caused by shoes we have to wear or rather by compression we suffer in those shoes. Last year after 6 hours of walikng in Prague in clumsy shoes I had my 3d and 2nd fingers numb for about a 3 month... and plus pain on my foot (((( Then it slowly recovered.Some of your symptoms in summer mught be caused by hot weather and dehydration, especially cramps. I am an old cramper (even before BFS) and usually have to drink more that in winter to reduce cramps. MS people really feel worse in very hot weather, but this is not like twithches increase - they usually have flareup of their neuritises etc., but BFS sufferes also might feel worse in summer just because of disturbing conditions - less night time (yes yes, less darkness- less sleep), hot and moisty weather, smog etc. However we also typically have flareups in winter, especially those who are hypermoble, we have specific wintertime muscle weakness caused by cold me too!So do not worry too much. Your seem to be very anxious person, so some issue with the toe resulted in BFS which then was developing completely as BFS should develop. you have several clean MRI and clean EMG. Twitches and perceived weakness are typical picture of BFS. Cramps are typical too, and the whole picture seems like BFS flared up after stressful issue. best wishes,regardsYulia

 

[Pepita879]

I can relate to Ariel's concerns. I notice an increase in various physical oddities during the summer. Mostly tingling/electric sensations in extremities, primarily in my feet, shins and knees, but sometimes arms, too. Occasional numb-feeling toes, too. Also bothersome to me is the fact that sometimes the tingling in my legs/toes can be altered by neck position (sort of a Lhermitte's sign thing, but without any accompanying sensation in the spine). I've had two clean brain and cervical MRI's (with contrast), but of course that doesn't stop me from worrying.I've also experienced numbness in my pinky/ring fingers and hand while sleeping, from time to time, for no apparent reason. So Ariel, while I can't directly answer any of your questions, I can at least let you know that you are not alone in some of your concerns. If it helps, I've been experiening the above -- plus fasciculations, and plenty of other stuff -- for over 3 years now, and while I still worry a lot, a neurologist has never yet told me that I have anything wrong with me worse than anxiety. (Knock on wood.)

 

[mommyLDN]

Hi Ariel..Please let me reassure you that you do not have MS...Your symptoms you described and their timing are no where near like someone just starting with MS would experience..A numb toe..then weak less (felt weak, not clinically weak) then your arms feeling weak..then waking up with numb limbs all over...None of this is how MS would present at all..Too much going on all over..you would have to have MS for years before you had all that going on at once...Plus with the amount of symptoms that you were experiencing..there would have been some lesions showing up somewhere on your MRI and dont doubt the MRI just because they didnt use contrast..They only use contrast to make the active lesions show up (active as in the lesions that were causing your symptoms would have lit up on the MRI if they used contrast) but all lesions would have shown..the active ones just dont glow without contrast...hope that makes sense.When people first present with a MS attack..they present with things such as blindness, a truly numb limb (meaning u feel nothing) and paralysis on one side of the body or in one limb....ect...Your symptoms are very BFS in fashion and I myself and another member here Chrissi..both started out very similar to you..We had trouble walking due to the weak, shaky feeling legs..my arms felt so weak they felt as if they would fall off my body..and waking up with limbs asleep and numb feeling is an oh so common feature of BFS...Just type in numb arm or arms were asleep and you will be reading for a while.. posts that were made by the majority of us who were once worried about that very same thing..You sound like a BFSer to me for sure and I hope you can find some relief from the anxiety with the comments you receive here..Lots of knowledge on this board...Please take care and post about any other concerns you may have.Robynn )

 

[cpenkoa]

Firstly, listen to mommyLDN she is the queen of knowledge when it comes to ms ) she helped me through many ms scares as did many others.. i suggest you also message suziQ as she also had a lot of info to point out how in fact i did and do not have MSJust a couple things i'll say, you're 24, very rare for MS to present itself at this age3? clean MRIsyou've had symptoms for a year now, and no real weakness or symptoms docs can direct to MSI would always get numb arms when i wake, i mean like literally so numb they flop about when i stand up lol, i still do now and thenPerceived weakness means nothing!!!!and all the symptoms you mentioned have been experienced by others here