Health anxiety #4

[Luce0331]

Don’t know if this is the right place to post but I felt a lump in my breast a few days ago and started to prod and poke it to get a good feel, today it feels much more prominent. Has anyone experienced this? Have a docs app booked

 

[VeryNiceVeryEVIL]

Pretty sure I have bowel cancer at this point and it's too late

I have been having gastrointestinal problems since July. Really bad constipation, abdominal and back pain

My bowel movements frequency has definitely changed. I went to the doctors and I had a negative FIT test in July.

Then I started with rectal bleeding and last month I had a positive FIT test.

Doctor did a rectal exam and thinks I have an anal fissure but I'm also having bright red blood on the top of my stool when I go to the toilet.

My blood tests are fine for the most part. Doctor said there's nothing majorly wrong with it.

I have a colonoscopy within two weeks because I had a positive FIT test and I'm really scared they are going to find advanced bowel cancer.

Can't live my life right now because I'm scared I won't even see Christmas at this point.

 

[ChampagneBox]

Today I was in the gym and my right ear felt like it was on fire. I looked in the mirror and it was as red as red can be. Left ear looked completely normal. It stayed red the entire time I was in the gym. By the time I got home it looked totally normal.

Has anyone ever experienced this before? If it was both ears I could understand that they were flushed or something due to exercise but just one makes no sense to me. I do suffer from thermo-urticaria (hives caused by change in temperature) but I have never had this single ear redness and burning before.

So tired of paying the doctor to get these things checked. I just wish my body could give me a break for 5 mins. Literally symptom after symptom after symptom. It feels like it never ends

could you have had air con/heating blowing on that one side?

 

[Suzesnooze]

For exactly three weeks now I haven’t felt right. Started with a really dizzy spell out of nowhere when I was walking the dog and since then my head hasnt been right. Constantly feel light headed/spaced out/heavy head. Saw nurse at docs (as doctor was off sick) and she booked me in for bloods which all came back yesterday as normal.
im panicking that I’ve had a stroke or something.
My ears feel a bit stuffy and I can’t pop them properly but they are very often like that!
Think guna ring doctor again tomorrow, sick of feeling like this, going to Prague at the end of the month but I just have a bad feeling I won’t be going! People say it will be a virus but I don’t think a virus will last this long!

Sounds like it’s an inner ear problem which can make you really dizzy. I would see your GP if you’re going to be flying soon as that might not be a good idea with an ear problem.

 

[ChampagneBox]

Ah sorry, I misread it! Yes still get it checked.
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Yes! It’s probably ulnar nerve entrapment.

Do you think it’s normal to come on and not go away even with stretching for over an hour?

 

[Barbie2020]

So I haven’t got the main symptoms like weight loss, blood in stool etc. I get heart burn a lot, some chest pain, feeling sick etc, really tired which I know can be a lot of other things and it probably is my anxiety. I’ve just got myself worked up because she only mentioned these symptoms and then said what it was so I think I’m spiralling. I keep getting a lot of these type of things on my fyp even though I try and avoid anything illness related so it just made me worry

 

[ChampagneBox]

Hello,

Was just wondering if anyone had tried acupuncture to help with their anxiety and any reviews?

Thanks

I have! i did like it for the relaxation POV and im into all that alternative therapies/medicine etc, I’ll be honest I didn’t feel it helped my anxiety, but I enjoyed the fact it helped me to relax!

 

[toffeejelly]

I am really struggling now. I’m now on to week 5 of my headaches. Over the last 5 weeks I’ve had naproxen, zomitriptan, rizatriptan and propranolol all which have done nothing. I had another appointment with the emergency gp on Monday who prescribed me co-codomal. This takes the edge off the pain but it’s still there.

My symptoms have been getting worse as pain is now really bad when I lie down, it’s waking me up during the night and come the morning my head is absolutely agony. This morning I took a funny turn. I went to the bathroom and I was so off balance I thought I was going to collapse. The whole room was spinning and I also had two experiences where my eyes went black and I couldn’t see then the vision came back. I ended up phoning 111 and they didn’t think I needed to visit A&E and she said I just need to speak to my gp again.

I have a follow up appointment tomorrow but I just feel like I’m not getting anywhere and I’m not being taken seriously. I asked to be referred to a private hospital to be investigated further and the doctor on Monday said he doesn’t think I need to see a neurologist and they just need to manage my pain. I have a constant ringing in my ear and I also have a twitchy eye. Can anyone help or give some advice? I am reaching the end of my tether! I haven’t been able to leave my bed all week!

 

[Mamacita]

Does anyone suffer from headaches and dizziness? I do have anxiety but I’m unsure if it’s something serious or if it’s an anxiety attack. I’ve been given tablets from the doctors but nothing is helping yet. I’ve also got an opticians appointment next week but I’m a bit worried

Yeah I am but the dizziness is mostly when I stand up etc which can be normal and I always had it a bit but it really increased recently and I do get headaches.

Had ECG done which was normal, extensive bloods which were all normal too, gonna go back to the doctor's soon hopefully to see if there's anything else to check. My blood pressure has been pretty low so it's probably that, just not sure why it got worse recently

 

[Honeystar]

While you wait for your appointment why don't you phone your Surgery and tell them what you have read and say it's concerning you as this isn't what she said in your presence and ask if it's a possible error?

Just to add, you may then be able to get a phone call from the nurse you saw to explain it to you. I've done similar in the past when I wanted to clarify a few things from a previous appt.

 

[JLXRD]

I feel for you! Happened to me last month (including the 4 week wait).

The wait is mental torture. Try giving the clinic a call and asking if you can go on their cancellation list!

How was the appointment? Did you have to have a mammogram and biopsy etc?

I might do that but I’ve not even got a letter or any indication of where the clinic is etc yet (only got referred yesterday). The dr said if I haven’t heard anything from them in 4 weeks call my gp again which wasn’t super reassuring that it would be quick at all.

 

[ChampagneBox]

Nooo, don't do that! I genuinely feel that for someone who has health anxiety/OCD this will not help you feel any better.

Do you have a genuine concern about something?

Well I’d just like to know what’s going on in there as I’m not getting any younger and I’ve always had like not irregular periods, but slightly different cycle lengths, and now I’ve lost my thyroid things could change hormonally, it’s just curiosity really I’ve read the info again and it does just check for hormones so I think it’s fairly low risk for anxiety inducement

 

[Former_Antelopee]

Has anyone ever experienced shortness of breath or feeling like they can't take a full breath in?

I have it every now and then I mentioned it to my doctor and she said it could be allergies. I haven't had it for a while though but it would last a few weeks then go

 

[stanleycupgal]

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.

How did you go?
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Unfortunately not able to book online I feel you on the dimpling! With the phone light they sometimes look enlarged but then other times look normal I’m constantly checking this and comparing to the other one too. I’m not sure if photos are allowed on here but I will try, this was it just now - hasn’t changed since Sunday evening with creams. Just on panic constant google mode!! Hate it

I truly believe you dont have anything at all to worry about here, however please just make an appointment and dont even worry about the receptionists. good luck!

 

[Vidyagaymes]

Are polyps cancerous now if they are cancerous or would they have been in the future and they are removed now to stop them from potentially turning into cancer in the future

I don't remember talking to the nurse yesterday but my wife said she said several times 'it's not cancer' 'You don't have a cancer'

How can she say that when my polyp hasn't been looked at yet?

I'm just terrified now that they are doing it as routine which according to my wife she said was 6-8 weeks and it's going to come back as cancer and then I'm screwed

my doctor didn’t tell me! Just that the majority aren’t cancer, but all are still removed because there is no way to tell if it is cancer/will turn into cancer without sending it to the lab.

Being realistic too, if it is cancer, they have most likely got it at an early stage so means it is easier to treat and will have a better outcome. I saw a YouTuber talk about her stage 3 colon cancer diagnosis and it was obvious straight away that it was out of the ordinary.
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They found colon polyps: Now what? - Harvard Health

Colonoscopy checks the colon for hidden signs of cancer, called polyps. Polyps are growths that could eventually develop into tumors, though relatively few do. The doctor removes polyps during a co...

www.health.harvard.edu

.

 

[stanleycupgal]

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.

If you scroll up you will see that I am in a very similar position to you with chronic headaches that pain relief just isn't helping with.
Thankfully I am in the US and they do get onto scans and stuff very quickly. I've had a CT scan on my head and that came back normal. This morning I've had an MRI and very anxiously awaiting those results too. I had a full neurological assessment which also came back fine.
I guess I'm telling you all this to say we are experiencing similar things and so far all the big scary tests have been fine.
I've seen a chiropractor which seemed to help but today it's back pretty bad. I think the stress and constant worrying is not helping at all. The twitchy eye will be stress or being so tired
Could you just turn up at your ER?

What age are you? I'm 49 and thinking hormones may be part of the problem.
please keep posting and let me know how you are doing. I totally know where you are at as in the same space right now

 

[WreckingBall]

I’m relatively slim, exercise a couple days a week but my Apple Watch has showed my VO2 Max as below average since I can remember. I’ve never worried before as it was at the top of the scale so close to average. Over the last 3 months it’s steadily decreased despite me if anything upping my exercise etc. if I read up about this it basically says I’ve got something horrific and I’m going to die early. It’s really upsetting me as I feel like the Dr will think I’m an idiot if I go and say I want health checks because of something my Apple Watch says?

 

[lorballs]

Has anyone used the period delay pill, I stopped taking it to bring my period on and I’m horrified this period is awful is this normal

 

[Suzesnooze]

I saw quite a lot of women in there around our age so it seems that GP's like to be ultra cautious! Of the ladies who I saw coming out of their ultrasounds whilst I was waiting for mine - they all came out happy

I had to go with my elderly Mum as she had breast pain (she was fine) and there were a few women in their 30’s and all happy when they left. I got talking to one of them as she sat by us and hers turned out to be a cyst.
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Thank you! I hope so so reassuring to hear from someone who has recently been through the same and it was ok so thankyou. All I could find online otherwise was the stories that didn’t turn out so well so it’s nice to see it’s not necessarily going to be bad news.

What did your GP say?

 

[princessmaire80]

Put under spoiler incase of triggering any one.

Spoiler: Health Stuff-Wheeze/Cough

I've been referred for a chest x-ray and I'm feeling incredibly anxious. Since last year I've had an intermittent wheeze in my left lung if I go to sleep on my back. If I go to sleep on my front it's fine. I'll cough, and the wheeze will clear. I noticed recently it sometimes happens if I take a deep breath in. Not everytime though. Not when I breath normally, or when I exercise. I thought it might be to do with my chronic post-nasal drip that I've been waiting for a hospital appointment for. It's been happening since last summer, maybe even a bit before that.

Anyway, I've had a cough for a week (thanks kids) and coughing up yellow mucus with specks of blood. Only a couple of times and only a very small amount but enough that I called the GP yesterday and after I described the wheeze too she put me straight in for an x-ray (ex-smoker). Also got some antibiotics to clear up a potential chest infection.

Really terrified about what it could be, the waiting on test results etc. My son had a chest x-ray before Christmas so I know no news is good news which is probably worse, and the thought of it being something like cancer is making me feel physically ill. I don't suppose anyone has had anything similar and it turned out okay?

The other thing is... My husband is usually my rock but I freaked out about one of my kids having an issue with something else over the bank holiday weekend and he says he's struggling to cope with my health anxiety. I've had CBT for generalised anxiety but the techniques do not help me with this aspect. My kids were very ill a couple of times when younger (resus/multiple hospital stays) and a lot of my anxiety now I think stems from this— everything automatically is a worst case scenario— but also I had panic attacks as a teen from my anxiety around health too so I've definitely struggled for a long while.

I don't know how to make myself less anxious and now feel like I need to bottle things up as my husband can't/doesn't want to entertain it. He tends to rationalise things for me which very much helps but there's been a lot lately and he just can't cope with it any longer Any ideas? I hate it too.

I’ve got something very similar. I also have severe and chronic post nasal drip (although my GP refuses to refer me to hospital grrrr) with regards to the blood- are you on a nasal spray for your post nasal drip? I am and that can cause nose bleeds etc that can filter down into your chest. Also if you cough too hard and too much that can cause blood too. I’ve been wheezing terribly today but because the pollen count is high and my post nasal drip is affected by that. Could that be the case with you maybe? I know how hard it can be. Fingers crossed for you x