I don't know if this will help at all, but I had very similar issues (numbness in my hands, shooting pain down both legs, numbness in my feet and just for kicks, occasionally I couln't feel anything in my torso either - this resulted in my losing a bathing suit top and not knowing it until a friend said something). I went through a battery of tests: 5 MRIs, 8 x-rays, 2 EMGs, I think they drew a gallon of blood. Finally a neurologist told me there was nothing physically causing my problems. He said some people are more sensitive than others and that I was a sensitive person. Sensitive person? I had fallen down the steps no less than 3 times because I couldn't feel the bottoms of my feet! After all of this I participated in a study for depression and anxiety. The test results were a definate positive for depression and a borderline for anxiety. When I took these results back to my nuerologist he suggested taking a 3 pronged approach. I took: Neurontin 3 times a day to keep the numbness and tingling under control Zolfoft once a day for the depression and axiety Talk therapy to help me work through it all I started this program around Thanksgiving. At first it sucked. I had side effects that made me miserable, but I made an agreement with myself to try this for 3 months before deciding if it was working. It's now April and I am off the Neurontin and my talk therapy sessions are on an as needed basis. I will remain on Zoloft for at least another 6 months before we even consider weaning me off. But it has been worth it. I feel like myself again, maybe not 100%, but sometimes I'm close. I don't know if any of this will help with your wife. You are right - a goodly portion of her symptoms are aggravated by stress. But she probably feels like something needs to give. I know that's how I felt. If I hadn't started taking the neurontin I'm not sure I could have begun the recovery process. It took the edge off of the numbness and tingling. When I wasn't on it, everything I did made it worse. Once the edge was off I was able to start thinking about other things and stop obsessing. If you can talk to a doctor about getting something to help get the parasethsia under control it will help her immensely. Good luck! (FYI - just a note neurontin is

"4th. HOw do I help her if it is truly stress? I don't understand the cycle of health worry she puts herself into because I always look for the best possible outcome when I have physical symptoms, and I understand stress can knock you out because I've personally experienced it" You have your work cut out for you. It sounds as though she might be in denial. Perhaps if you somehow reassure her that you want to help her, and not judge her. I mean you ARE her husband, and a best friend. Encourage her to open up and TALK to you. Many men want to FIX things; I understand THAT! But it's probably something you can't fix. SHE HAS TO. But letting her know that you are there for her to HELP her in any way you can, may be reassuring enough for her to admit that it is likely stress related. Point out, since she's had lots of tests, what else can it logically be? Hugs to you. You are brave by coming here....and it's obvious how much you care. She is lucky to have you! :)

To all the answers above the answer is yes. BUT, first has she been offically diagnosed with panic disorder, if so, what medications is she on, some can cause muscle fatigue, also this peaked my curiousity, are you from Kentucky? I am and can give you the names of two specialists that work with this disorder, both are located in Lexington. Trish

My wife had panic attacks that soon were followed by weakness in her legs and arms. She began looking for answers to why this might be happening and began to convince herself that she had a terrible disease of some sort because all of her symptoms fit the disease. At first she thought she has MS, then ALS. Two trips to the ER, a couple of MRIs, and a lot of bloodwork later, the doctors have advised her that she doesn't have MS and ALS, and that even though she feels weak, her body is strong based on their exam. I thought this would make her feel better, but she continues to have weakness on one side of her body. I've tried to advise her that it is stress complicated by the fact that she's concentrating on the symptoms in one side of her body because that's what she's been attuned to for months. She does not believe it, and gets angry because she feels that by telling her stress is causing it, it's "All in my head." I keep telling her that stress can wear you out, but she insists that her arms and legs are weak, any sort of physical activity makes it worse, and that there is something besides stress that is causing it. 1st, has anyone else experienced a very specific set of symptoms that a doctor can't explain beyond stress? Did you have trouble accepting it? 2nd, has anyone felt they had a certain disease and had very real symptoms of it but not been diagnosed with it? If so, how did you get over thinking you had it? 3rd, can stress and worry and the physical symptoms caused by it truly locate themselves on one side of the body or in certain body parts? Again, my wife has been examined numerous times, has had testing, and still says her leg and arm are physically weak, and are now causing her pain. Could this be stress? 4th. HOw do I help her if it is truly stress? I don't understand the cycle of health worry she puts herself into because I always look for the best possible outcome when I have physical symptoms, and I understand stress can knock you out because I've personally experienced it. I'd really like to help her, and feel like an ogre for telling her I think it's stress because I can't get inside her head and feel what she's feeling. Any help you can provide would be great.