u/Zynnam18

Hi everyone,

I was diagnosed with FND a while ago, but I'm still terrified that it could actually be ALS. My symptoms started in early November 2025, two days after a miscarriage. It began with a feeling of heaviness and weakness in my right arm. A few weeks later, I developed a strange sensation of pressure or swelling under my right armpit. Around Christmas, while I was at work, I suddenly felt like someone had switched my brain off for a second. Everything went dark briefly, but I didn't fall or lose consciousness. After that, the heaviness and swollen feeling spread to my right leg and the right side of my face. I also started getting headaches and dizziness. I googled my symptoms and became convinced it was MS. I spent most of Christmas lying in bed, crying, and reading about MS. I was absolutely terrified. My right wrist barely worked at one point and I couldn't move it through its full range of motion. There was also a day when I struggled to swallow food, almost like I had forgotten how to do it. I had nausea, no appetite, legs that felt like jelly, vision problems, double vision, and eye pain. I ended up in the hospital twice within a week. Two different doctors examined me neurologically and both said everything looked normal. In January things improved a little. I saw a private neurologist who found no abnormalities but referred me for a brain and cervical spine MRI for reassurance. The MRI came back clear. I then saw another neurologist, who also found nothing wrong on examination. I felt relieved for a short time, but then I started wondering whether the MRI had been done too early. I saw yet another neurologist, and again everything was normal. Then I started reading about ALS and completely shifted my focus from MS to that. I convinced myself that I had found muscle wasting in my calf. I spent hours comparing old photos to see if it had always looked that way. I felt like my right arm was weaker than my left. After reading about fasciculations, I started noticing them too. I get them in my leg, foot, stomach, back, under my arm, and face, mostly on the right side.

For a while now I've also had a strange feeling that my foot is hitting the ground differently when I walk. Over the last few days I've developed a sensation that my throat is swollen or numb, almost like after a dental injection, and I feel like I can't take a satisfying deep breath. Since then I've seen two more neurologists through the NHS. Both diagnosed FND. My neurological exams continue to be normal. After a lot of pushing, I was finally referred for an EMG, although the neurologist said they didn't see any clinical reason for it. I'm also waiting to start FND therapy. The problem is that I'm still scared. Even after seeing five neurologists, having normal neurological exams, and a clear MRI, I'm terrified that ALS has somehow been missed. I've been living like this for seven months now, and honestly, I'm exhausted. Right now, what scares me the most is the weird numb or swollen feeling in my throat, the sensation that I can't get a full breath, and the constant muscle twitching. These symptoms are the hardest for me to ignore and are what keep feeding my fear of ALS.

Has anyone else experienced something similar with FND or severe health anxiety?

Hi everyone,

I was diagnosed with FND a while ago, but I'm still terrified that it could actually be ALS. My symptoms started in early November 2025, two days after a miscarriage. It began with a feeling of heaviness and weakness in my right arm. A few weeks later, I developed a strange sensation of pressure or swelling under my right armpit. Around Christmas, while I was at work, I suddenly felt like someone had switched my brain off for a second. Everything went dark briefly, but I didn't fall or lose consciousness. After that, the heaviness and swollen feeling spread to my right leg and the right side of my face. I also started getting headaches and dizziness. I googled my symptoms and became convinced it was MS. I spent most of Christmas lying in bed, crying, and reading about MS. I was absolutely terrified. My right wrist barely worked at one point and I couldn't move it through its full range of motion. There was also a day when I struggled to swallow food, almost like I had forgotten how to do it. I had nausea, no appetite, legs that felt like jelly, vision problems, double vision, and eye pain. I ended up in the hospital twice within a week. Two different doctors examined me neurologically and both said everything looked normal. In January things improved a little. I saw a private neurologist who found no abnormalities but referred me for a brain and cervical spine MRI for reassurance. The MRI came back clear. I then saw another neurologist, who also found nothing wrong on examination. I felt relieved for a short time, but then I started wondering whether the MRI had been done too early. I saw yet another neurologist, and again everything was normal. Then I started reading about ALS and completely shifted my focus from MS to that. I convinced myself that I had found muscle wasting in my calf. I spent hours comparing old photos to see if it had always looked that way. I felt like my right arm was weaker than my left. After reading about fasciculations, I started noticing them too. I get them in my leg, foot, stomach, back, under my arm, and face, mostly on the right side.

For a while now I've also had a strange feeling that my foot is hitting the ground differently when I walk. Over the last few days I've developed a sensation that my throat is swollen or numb, almost like after a dental injection, and I feel like I can't take a satisfying deep breath. Since then I've seen two more neurologists through the NHS. Both diagnosed FND. My neurological exams continue to be normal. After a lot of pushing, I was finally referred for an EMG, although the neurologist said they didn't see any clinical reason for it. I'm also waiting to start FND therapy. The problem is that I'm still scared. Even after seeing five neurologists, having normal neurological exams, and a clear MRI, I'm terrified that ALS has somehow been missed. I've been living like this for seven months now, and honestly, I'm exhausted.

Has anyone else experienced something similar with FND or severe health anxiety?