Can depression cause MS symptoms when someone isn’t depressed?
For over a month, I’ve had numbness in my right upper arm, brain fog, morning dizziness, and horrible exhaustion. I saw a neurologist and had a normal MRI. She thinks my symptoms stem from depression. I have depression, but haven’t been depressed lately. I’ve been dragging myself out a few hours a day to volunteer for a nonprofit. I would be there longer if I had more energy. I hang out with my friends as much as possible. I want to write and exercise, but I’m just so tired. Usually, when I’m depressed, I withdraw and don’t want to do anything. Currently, I want to do lots of things, but my body wears out after a few hours even with plenty of caffeine. This feels like something else, but I’m not a doctor.
I'm also being told I'm depressed when I don't feel depressed. I have mixed feelings on that matter, but I do know from an insane amount of research that you don't necessarily need to have activity to experience symptoms. From what I can tell even the best neurologists only really confirm symptoms based on clear physical evidence, and until that's presented it's a best-guess situation.
Is your neurologist a specialist or general practice? I switched to a specialist for some of the more frustrating dismissals of my generalist, and have much better support now.
It might be worth checking in with a counselor, at least to talk about these experiences - it can be maddening in of itself to feel physical symptoms and have them attributed to something else.
Hi
, thanks so much for your question. I hear you, and I understand how debilitating that must feel. I commend you for prioritizing your health and seeking out this information for yourself by seeing your neurologist and reaching out online. Exhaustion can be a common symptom of depression, but it could be lot of other things as well so it's difficult to say. Some community members find it helpful to get a second opinion from another doctor if that's an option for you. How have you been feeling this past week?
Best, Shelby, MultipleSclerosis.net Team Member
