Health anxiety #4

[Crazy87]

I’m in my 30s and I’ve had plenty of breast lumps and bumps as well as breast pain and so far they’ve always turned out to be nothing sinister. My experience at multiple breast clinics over the years has always been fantastic, you’re in very safe hands and you’ve done the right thing by going to the GP and getting the referral.

So sorry to hear. Ive had a number of breast lumps, some super painful and changing in shape etc. I was terrified, red flagged referral etc and turned out that they said I just have swollen glands in my breasts, really normal! The tissue there is very dense and complex, it's not uncommon for wee things like that to occur. X

thank you both for replying I really appreciate it x

 

[AladdinSane]

Ooooh gosh I'm starting to get really nervous for my appointment on Wednesday. I'm having to have a biopsy on a lump on my toe joint. It popped in November and has slowly come back. I've been waiting 3 weeks for the appointment and for the most part have been fine but now it's pretty close, I'm feeling really scared that it could be something horrendously bad

 

[toffeejelly]

It sounds awful. I don’t know why 111 suggested that as nearly everything with them they advise going to A&E so they must have changed their advice due to how busy A&E is nowadays.

If it’s worse when you lay down do you get neck or shoulder pain too? Also laying in bed all week won’t help. I get headaches from doing that as I have neck and shoulder problems. It’s much better if I’m sat up downstairs. Also with headaches some fresh air can help.

When you describe your funny turn it sounds like what happens to my daughter when she has a migraine. My daughter has anxiety too and she went through a stage of having a constant daily headache but now she’s a lot happier with her life and she rarely mentions a headache although she does still get a migraine which is hormonal.
Twitchy eye is from tiredness or stress. I get that when I’m over tired. I also get ringing in my ears. Actually your funny turn in the bathroom also sounds similar to what my daughter experienced before fainting.

I don’t see why your GP won’t let you go private and I didn’t know you needed a referral? Can’t you just contact a private dr yourself? Although it is pricey.

Thank you for replying. I was surprised too although I see A&E as more of a your arms falling off you need seen type thing, I’m unsure how much they’d be able do there?

Hmm no I wouldnt say I get neck or back pain. My partner thinks my pillows might be to blame but again I’m unsure?

I could go private and pay but it’s expensive. I’d need a referral to able to put it through my private health insurance.

 

[BBC1HD]

Does anyone get new freckles or moles every year?

I'm currently freaking out about a new freckle on my head. It's small, light brown and similar to others but it's new sooo...

 

[JLXRD]

Here to put your mind at ease! They are not signs for something serious being wrong...you're worried about it and your brain will automatically pick up on it and link them together! It's exactly the same as when you get a new car, all you see are the cars you've just purchased

My rational brain knows this, but each time it’s happened my irrational brain just goes into overdrive.

Very much wish I could make it shut up but thank you that helps to know I am being insane

 

[Bananabadger]

Hi all, massive sympathy and commiserations to everyone here. Health anxiety absolutely sucks. Tomorrow I have a diagnostic procedure which logically is at worst going to find a I have a completely benign and non-worrying thing that I’ve had before and which would be fine. I’m completely convinced that it’ll turn out I have cancer or some other horrible frightening thing. Or no clear answer. I suffer terribly with magical thinking and am really frightened.

 

[lorballs]

I have myself convinced I have bowel cancer… I always have the feeling that I need to poop, recently it’s been wee pebbles. The doc felt and said she thinks I have an internal hemeroid.. but how can she be sure surely I should have this confirmed that it’s not a polyp or something

 

[stanleycupgal]

Much better thank you. Still had an ache in the same place yesterday but no sharp pains. I think it might be ovulation pain but I've never felt it like that before and I'm 43.

Yes that's exactly how my ovulation pains feel! I'm 48 and some of my friends and I have been talking about how our Ov pain has increased as we get closer to menopause

 

[IllBredHen]

I have inflamed gums, especially in one specific area and it's raised and feels like it's burning on and off. I also have an intense fear of dentists and haven't been for about 7 years. I have been laying in bed crying convincing myself I have mouth cancer. Just needed to tell someone. I have had a gum infection in the past, treated by antibiotics. I got the same type and dose from Superdrug privately (sold for BV but exactly the same) and it's not gone. Although I'm only half way through the course. Not sure what to do (other than go to a dentist but it's going to take me a long time to build up the courage)

 

[AladdinSane]

Thanks everyone for the reassurance, I feel a bit silly for panicking now! Just a shock to see those words when the doctor never even mentioned them, but that makes sense if it’s the standard terms for referrals! You learn something new everyday!

Honestly I was the same last week. I have a small lump on my toe joint (which has all the symptoms of a cyst cos idiot that I am dropped a 20kg weight plate right on my toe joint )
I'd had it a while, it popped, went down and has started to fill up again so I went to the Dr thinking that she'd know exactly what it was and essentially know how to fix it.
She didn't know what it was, which I was shocked about tbh, sent a (pretty terrible) picture to the dermatology team at my GP practice and they advised an urgent referral which I was not expecting.
I got that phone call on Friday so spent the whole weekend not eating and panicking that it was cancerous. Only to realise it is completely normal when they don't know what something is and it's better to be safe than sorry.

My referral was intercepted and instead of seeing someone in person, I had some lovely photos taken of it yesterday by the hospital team and there are a number of outcomes which do not mean it is bad, regardless.

I'm still a little nervous about it but feel much better than I did Friday.

I guess they have to write down suspected cancer, even if they highly doubt it because otherwise the wait could be ridiculous.

Fingers crossed you hear about your appointment soon! Good luck

 

[ChampagneBox]

Not worried about this per say, just looking for similar experiences, does anyone else get acid reflux that is worse when due a period?

 

[Tommyb]

I have been doing so well. I'm on the evra contraception patch and had my bleed a week ago. Stopped bleeding 8 days ago . All fine.

This morning brown when I wipe, turned to red (not alot) then back to brown. Iv been using this contraception for 10 years.

2 years ago I had similar for about an hour and doctor wasn't worried. Hasn't happened since.

I'm of course freaking out! Has anyone had breakthrough bleeding after using a method long term?

 

[BBC1HD]

She said it doesn’t feel hard and it feels moveable so she suspects it isn’t anything to worry about but it’s best to get it checked.

Which is weird cos to me it does feel hard but then it’s the only one I’ve ever felt so what do I know ha

I also know you can’t really tell anything from just feeling it so I’m glad she referred me for a scan.

That what my GP said! I thought mine was hard and not moving but she said it was soft and moveable.

Where abouts is yours located? Mine was lower inner (about 4'o clock)

 

[lorballs]

Need someone to talk me round here, have a gp appointment tomorrow I have convinced myself I have bowel cancer and I actually want to cancel the appt as I don’t want to ruin Christmas with my bad news. I have been having a feeling that my bowels aren’t fully emptied and that something goes back up.. also that I need to poop more often. Also back pain however that may be unrelated

 

[mcgee]

Is it bleeding, shape changed, irregular.sodes,does one side look different to the other?

Not bleeding or itchy. It’s still round in shape as it was before, just larger. It doesn’t look particularly asymmetrical.

I’d upload a photo but don’t think that’s appropriate.

Deep breaths, I can relate so much to these crippling feelings, you really cant function and think of anything else. TommyB has asked some good questions above. Getting darker and larger is not typically the signs that a mole may be malignant. Irregular shaping, bleeding or change in its consistency or normally more of a concern. You are doing the right thing getting it checked, and you may actually just want to remove it for future protection. I am absolutely sure it will be OK, try to relax, although honestly I know you won't...because I wouldn't either.

Thank you so much I needed to hear this Health anxiety can make you feel so lonely. Everyone around me looks to me like I’m overreacting or being overdramatic. Yes I think I’m going to ask about removal.

 

[HarJR289]

Does anyone know the protocol regarding MRI results? For context i had a MRi following an abnormal ultrasound as there was 13mm tumour in my liver. I’ve got doctors appointment Friday to discuss the findings (hopefully hemangioma.) just wondering if in the worse case scenario who would trigger further testing, would it be my GP or radiographer from the imaging department? My results are probably on the NHS app but I’m doing everything I can to not look at them.

 

[VeryNiceVeryEVIL]

I had a polyp discovered when I had mine, it was benign even if they think it’s benign they still send it off for testing just to be sure! Did they say anything else? Piles etc?

Nothing. I'm just scared now that I have cancer and they are waiting 6-8 weeks.

 

[Tommyb]

I try the whole arsenal of techniques and someone is coming with me. The problem with my brain is that I think that if I relax, I’m tempting fate/jinxing myself, and that it’ll be some ghastly possibility that hasn’t even occurred to me. So I run through all the bad ideas to try and ward them off.

now it’s in a couple of hours and I feel awful.

Good luck! I hope everything went ok. I think that's the key thing with health anxiety realising your brain is lying to you. The neuro pathways have been altered in our brains and essentially rewired to not think logically. It take years and a lot of work to rewire them!

 

[ChampagneBox]

I don't think there's anything to be anxious about. Periods being shorter or longer are nothing to worry about. If it was a sign of anything it would be perimenopause but I'd say you're too young for that?

Hmm well I don’t really think my period hormones are right, sometimes I think my levels might be out of whack. apart from smear tests and a postal STD swab kit I’ve never had any sort of gynae checkup. I think I could do with a reproductive hormone blood test really... my periods do go through phases of for example, a few months ago they were like 3 days long but have gone back to 5-6 days. also sometimes my boobs hurt and sometimes they don’t hurt at all, it seems to vary every month.
Thought about paying for one of those hertility tests, but I read up on it and they reckon unless you’re trying to conceive there’s not much point, and also the results can cause ’unecessary worry‘ and Lord knows I don’t need any more than that

thanks everyone fo your advice, I think I’m struggling with SAD which I often do this time of year which is making things worse. Also, I know my period is coming soon because i get more anxious with PMS as well as sore boobs. So i Know for sure it was my period last month and not some weird spotting, because my boobs cleared up immediately.

 

[IllBredHen]

I’ve discovered a lump on my neck under my ear it’s more swollen today and sore, can’t get a doctors appt till Valentine’s Day

Could you go to a pharmacy and ask them to look at it for you?