Can anxiety/stress cause numb/tingling in body

[anonxc]

Saturday I noticed my arm was numb, which was weird and so I called docs as it didn't go on Monday, they said most likely a pulled muscle/nerve and to wait a week to see if it goes, I've now noticed both my legs are tingling/numb and my right arm is a bit aswell, hands also have pins and needles.
I've just gone through a break up and I'm wondering if this could be stress/heartbreak? I'm worried about the symptoms but they did start out of nowhere and the day after my now ex partner left me.
It just seems very coincidental...dr google is scaring me though! I'm wondering if anyone else has experienced this and it's been ok?

I am not being rude but you are clealy worried and have another thread and you have been given a lot of advice, perhaps waiting for another 4 days because thats what a doctor said may not be helpful, you can call 111 at any time if you are concerned.

The doctor said to wait based on it being one arm that was affected. That's no longer the case so you need to be reassessed.

Have you been regularly drinking a lot? I had issues with my hands and feet tingling all the time after I got in the habit of drinking a bottle of wine every night.

Just to update OP, my symptoms didn’t come on go, they were static. Hoping it’s just a trapped nerve for you, if the numbness starts and stops.

OP it could be anything. I suffer with anxiety and I used to (20 odd years ago) experience pins and needles in my face and arms.

However I had a new bout of it 4 years ago (feet, legs, arms and hands) and was diagnosed with MS - which is sometimes brought on by stress.

We don't know the answer, you don't know the answer. Go back to your GP.

Ps: MS isn't a death sentence

I understand, I just suffer with anxiety and wanted reassurance I guess. I'm on phone to 111 now

The cause of MS, has not been identified, thought to be a combination of genetic and environmental factors, but stress can make MS symptoms worse and could cause a flare. I agree MS can be managed with treatments. It’s not the bleak dx it was many years ago.

Just an update, doc thinks right leg cramping sounds a bit like sciatica and numbness in arm could still be a pinched nerve, doesn't think a&e is warranted and to wait until Monday to speak to gp if causing further distress.

That sounds positive OP. Try not to worry and catch up with GP Monday.

That's good that doc didn't think it was anything serious @anonxc
Annoying and inconvenient but not too serious.

With health anxiety often people tend to not be reassured by a medical opinion. Their mind won't let them believe what they've been told.
I hope you're feeling more reassured today

That was over the phone with a doc who did say to follow up with gp which I have done as the cramping is super painful! Thanks for all your advice! I'm such a worry wart at times but it does hurt so I have a follow up booked :)

Hi hope you get some answers just to say I had very similar symptoms and like others it turned out to be MS. Not to say that’s what you have, I did a lot of googling at the time and convinced myself I had a brain tumour so it was a relief to find out MS! Low vitamin D can cause similar symptoms and can take a while for levels to come up even if you have been in the sun so definitely worth getting your levels checked.

Also want to add my MS is well managed through medication and you wouldn’t know I had it to look at me. Much better outcomes these days thanks to some great treatment options.

That's kind of what I'm worried about tbh. I did have similar symptoms a few years ago and vit D was low but didn't have any cramping with it.
Doc hasn't yet got back to me but I do want my vit D checked again so will probably mention that

My rekative has tingling in her feet and lower legs and in her hands,and lower arms. She describes her legs as like being in barbed wire wellies. Over time it's progressed up her legs but can be variable. Sometimes it's lower, sometimes as high as her knees. She describes it like a buzzing rather than pins and needles. She also has numbness on the top of her head. So it effects all her extremities.
She has poor balance has fallen over several times. She can't shower anymore because when she closes her eyes, she keels to one side.

A couple of years before it started, she'd seen a cheap health insurance offer. So lucky. Because she got tested for everything immediately. They thought it was going to be MS. Very typical symptoms. But no. It was anxiety. And tbf she is a very anxious person. Worries about everything.

She's suffered from cramp for years. She's had low vit d levels and has shots to increase it and it on a high vit d protocol with tons of supplements.

But, sadly, no matter what,she takes, nothing has really helped. One one hand she's grateful to know its not a serious disease but on yhe other, she's stuck with this that definitely affects her day to day living that no one seems particularly interested in sorting. And now it's affecting her concentration and memory.

Sorry, @anonxc, just to add. Her private doctor brought in the head of the neurology unit which is one of the top in the country and he read through her notes, etc, just to check that he agreed. He said that he would have diagnosed it as anxiety just from her original notes. So it must be a not uncommon presentation. But she's glad they did all the tests because,at least it put her mind at rest.

Oh, one last thing. She knows from the scans that she doesn't have any physical illness but she still didn't fully believe them over it all being diwn to anxiety. Because, well, because she has anxiety!

Hi everyone, just wanted to update you, I've had dizziness for a year now that was actually being dealt with cardio as a potential blood pressure issue (TTT pending) however because I now had the numbness and tingling they did a neuro exam at the doctors this morning which I unfortunately failed, specifically the one where I had to stand still with my eyes closed, I couldn't do it. So I have now been referred to neuro, feeling very anxious now.

Sorry to hear that 💐. What does this indicate?

I'm not sure, I asked them what does this mean and they said this is either your brain or your ears but wanted to reassure me that my obs were ok and my eyes were also ok, I said that I have had an ear MRI for my dizziness when it all started back last year and they said neuro will look into it further but they told me to not worry about it as they are not overly concerned, they haven't put it through as urgent as the dizziness has been going on for so long but now because the cramping is there they are worried it could all be connected and because I failed the standing still with eyes closed. They've also done bloods to check my Vit D and thyroid.

My relative who I spoke about above, can't do the touch her nose test; can't take a shower as if she closes her eyes she tilts to one side and falls over - she can only have baths now; she couldn't do the walk a straight line test (the drunk test). She used to often trip when walking or running, although that seems to have lessened since her diagnosis.
She had private insurance - tested for everything and full body scans. Overviewed by top neurologist. Nothing. Diagnosed anxiety.

Fingers crossed for you OP. Good luck.

Hi @anonxc did they say what the plan is now? Have they referred you for MRI? Sounds like you are having a crap time at the moment, I think the unknown is the worst. When they get to the bottom of it you’ll be able to deal with whatever the cause is.

Easier said that done but try not to Google. Even if it turns out be something more serious you only tend to read about worst case scenarios on the internet when many people manage really well or have better outcomes. For example, right now no one would ever guess I have MS. Yes I have to make sure I look after myself - eat well, sleep well and exercise (and take medication).

Have they given you another appointment?

Thank you, the unknown is definitely the worst. They didn't say much at all to me tbh! They said referral for neuro has gone through and they will look into it further. I never even thought that the dizziness could be connected until the doctor asked if I'm still experiencing the dizziness which I am. I asked what this could be and they said they didn't know but neuro would be able to do more testing and see, in a way I'm glad I've been referred so i can get to the bottom of it all and hopefully get it sorted. They did say there is a long waiting list and I should expect to be waiting for a few months.

Hope all goes well with your referral.

anxiety and stress can do bizarre things to your body. If I’m stressed I get a numb face and my lips are tingly, I also get a numb sensation in my arm.

Like you I ended up at the doctors, was dubious when he said it sounded like stress but I’ve kept a note of it and it does appear when I’m highly stressed, I have found breathing/meditation apps to help calm me down and it does help

Thank you, I genuinely do hope this all turns out to be anxiety, not great but at least I know it's nothing ontoward! I've never failed a neuro exam before, I had one back when my dizziness started but this one I failed which has took me back a bit! I just hope whatever it is, it's going to be nothing sinister