To be COMPLETELY freaked out by GP

[Caerulea]

My GP just rang two days after I had bloods done. I've never had results back this quick let alone a phone call from the GP themself.

Reasons for the test (& also FIT test - sent off Tuesday) were nightsweats, which I'd just put down to being on sertraline or being 43 & possibly peri.

He rang to say my CRP was 42 & platelets 498, everything else normal (all was normal on prev test in August) & wanted to do a wellness check to make sure I was well enough to wait for the FIT test results.

Like... WHAT? I'm fully freaking out. He said it's an inflammation marker & could signify anything but also said 'you know why we are doing the FIT test, right'? And I said to check for blood to signify cancer, & he said yes.

I've fairly major health anxiety (hence sertraline) & I'm currently sat on the sofa shaking uncontrollably knowing I've at least a week before the FIT test results come back.

Can anyone reassure me or am I right to be losing my crap over this?

It's honestly not THAT abnormal. Suggestive of inflammation somewhere in the body, but absolutely not specific to cancer. And it's reassuring that the rest of the blood count is normal.

It's good that it's being looked into. I have health anxiety too so totally understand how you are feeling.

Hey, bless you I know how awful health anxiety is. I suffer myself.

CRP is raised have you had any viruses lately? It's not the highest CRP I've seen. What reasons do you have to think you could have cancer other than night sweats?

do you have other bowel symptoms, like diarrhoea or pain? Did your blood tests show any anaemia?

Ds just had a blood test for the same reason. I don't have any medical knowledge so can't comment on the results but I can relate to the fear. Huge hugs. Hope it's not anything serious after all.

I wouldn’t worry about it. My CRP is usually high and there’s nothing wrong with me.

@Robgem81 Yes, am just getting over a cold with a really crappy cough (at that stage of hacking up green lumps). As for other reasons? Health anxiety lol, it creates everything! This year I've had a chest x-ray (clear) & gastroscopy (also clear but for some gastritis). Multiple blood tests showing constant lowish iron stores, which is why the Dr wanted the gastroscopy. Since starting the sertraline (10wks) my bowels haven't been right.

The last two years I've been at the Dr's so often with little things that could be just down to anxiety Inc joint pain. This is the first time a test has come back with something.

@suspiria777 My stomach hasn't been right since starting sertraline 10wks ago & I suffer with stomach pains a lot generally. Last year a diff Dr said I'd got silent reflux & I'm currently been investigated for a constant post nasal drip (clear allergy test). I do know that stress affects me physically, but it doesn't raise my CRP or platelets...

OP - Even if the FIT test comes back positive it still doesn't mean you have cancer, there could be a number of other medical conditions that will give a positive result. I know it's difficult when you suffer from health anxiety but you need to get into the habit of having a more balanced view. This will be hard to do at first but the more you do it the easier it will be.

It is hard but try not to worry. I had blood tests where they rang me that evening and sent me to hospital - it wasn't cancer, I got a diagnosis and I'm still here!
My dad had bloods taken and they sent an ambulance as his results were so awful, he is also fine

@Mamamia7962 Thank you. Annoying thing is that was slowly getting some control over my HA, wasn't actually worried about the nightsweats cos of the sertraline/poss peri, just got in touch with gp cos I am sick of them & it kinda went tits up from there. Wasn't expecting a FIT test cos I don't tick the boxes.

@NotMyCat That's actually so awful I almost laughed at myself! I'd have been a wreck! I'm glad you're both OK & whatever it was presumably fixable. I worry a bit more cos my mum nearly died from being misdiagnosed with T2 diabetes when she actually had adult onset T1 - I don't think that's my problem though.

The worrying is awful, it just takes over. Wishing you the best.

@Sam020 Thank you for the hugs, trying to hide all my internal panic from my 3 kids (we're playing minecraft which helps take my mind off things) so hugs are needed. Hope your DS is OK!

I’m no expert on things like this but I’ve had drs phone me for all sorts of things, which have turned out ok.

OP I had Sertraline earlier this year and had to come off it because of the terrible night sweats. It’s probably just that.

He is a good GP. He has rung to check if these blood results correspond with you feeling really ill or not. I know from my DP who had really bad blood results but felt fine, that the two do not always correspond. My DP was sent to the hospital that day, and put on a drip, but ended up fine.

Just take this as proof that you are being well cared for by your GP. Whatever the results, whether something minor or more serious, it sounds like he will look after you as well as he can.

I honestly wouldn't worry too much Ive just had a CRP and an ESR result of over 70 and they are in the process of re checking my blood.It often just means something is inflamed and it sounds to me like it might be the result of your recent cold/virus.Is there someone you can speak to about your anxiety?

Hope you are feeling calmer OP, there are a multitude of things that could cause those results. Given your HA, I think your GP would have been more sensible to wait for your other results before sharing. I hope you have some answers soon.

Bless you OP.

I've had similar - during an examination a GP told me my symptoms were likely due to a brain tumor. Failed to mention it's a benign type, or that it's easily manageable by medication or even wait to get my blood results back!

Please please try not to worry. Mine turned out to be nothing.

Hi OP
I have recently been diagnosed with an inflammatory arthritis and had a similarly raised CRP and also platelets as the inflammatory process can effect these. If you've had joint pain in the past it could be related.

I don't want to worry you with another condition, just show that these levels can be raised without it being a cancer. It could also be down to an infection as previous posters have said.

I’ve had the same! Both very high 3 times in the last decade. I freaked out.
I never knew why it had it been high but there was nothing wrong in the end.
I know how hard it is to keep calm. But really really this isn’t something to overly panic about.

I can’t be any help on the tests sorry but on the anxiety try to get prescribed some propranolol tablets (I’m fairly certain that’s what they are called) All they do is basically stop your body making adrenaline for a few hours. So I would describe it as a little reset for the nervous system letting your body get out of fight or flight mode for a bit. So where you mentioned the shaking with panic for example it would help with that and stop your body working itself up. My doctor prescribed me some when I was first going onto the sertraline and just needed to have one here and there to calm everything down and then the sertraline can do the rest. Hope your results come back negative in the end.

[quote Caerulea]@Mamamia7962 Thank you. Annoying thing is that was slowly getting some control over my HA, wasn't actually worried about the nightsweats cos of the sertraline/poss peri, just got in touch with gp cos I am sick of them & it kinda went tits up from there. Wasn't expecting a FIT test cos I don't tick the boxes.

@NotMyCat That's actually so awful I almost laughed at myself! I'd have been a wreck! I'm glad you're both OK & whatever it was presumably fixable. I worry a bit more cos my mum nearly died from being misdiagnosed with T2 diabetes when she actually had adult onset T1 - I don't think that's my problem though.[/quote]
My dad had two blood transfusions (he had been bleeding for months and decided not to tell anyone), turns out when you lose so much blood volume your blood results terrify the GP who rings an ambulance. If you want to laugh, he asked the paramedics if it couldn't wait until he finished work and they practically bundled him in

Mine was a blood disorder, not curable but managed and much better with a diagnosis

This doesn't sound very strong evidence of cancer, from what you've said.

I have had a few cancer scares over the years, and my game plan is to organise all the needful actions - the appointments, tests and so on - and then allow myself to defer worrying about the possible diagnoses until the tests come back.

The way I see it, there will be plenty of time to worry about a serious diagnosis if and when it arrives. However, there's every chance there's no need to worry about it all! so why put yourself through worrying?

I just take each day, one day at a time, do things that will put me in a good mood, and keep my fingers crossed and hope for the best.

It works for me, but I can also see it might not for everyone, so I wish you all the best with both the wait and the tests, and hope all goes well

@NotMyCat Your dad sounds like my DP!

Urgh. I'm waiting for scan results too, so I feel your anxiety OP. And not doing any of this face-to-face makes it so impersonal and scary. Probably easier for the GP now. And the fact they call you any time any place means you get worrying news when you least expect it (cue floods of tears in the middle of Sainsbury's). Everything crossed for you. X

I completley understand how scary this must feel for you but just to reassure you a little sertraline played havoc with my bowels, gave me awful palpatations and sweats too so your instinct that it is the sertraline is probably correct. The side affects never really settled for me either which was a pain so while 10 weeks should technically be long enough for them to have settled its not for everyone (benefits did outweigh the cons though).