to go to back to A&E after a day? I am crumbling...

[Wobblyheart]

What should have been the happiest year of my life after the arrival of my first born has so far been so sh*y!

I had a large lump and four agonising months pf investigations- thank god benign
MND worries - thank god unsubstantiated

But I kept feeling utterly awful despite numerous blood tests and investigations. Everyone around me just chalked things up to anxiety.

On Wednesday I woke up with a stitch under my left rib. Went about things as normal thinking it'll pass. Thursday it got worse. Went to A&E - they did some bloods and x Ray and said most likely muscular and sent home saying I need to follow up on any other chronic problems with the gp.

So here I am two days later and the pain is still there, and now I feel a hard lump underneath. It's elongated and hard ans kind of sausage shaped. Right under my left bottom rib. I've lost lots of weight in the last year, always exhausted beyond what you'd expect from new motherhood, my mood feels like it doesn't belong to me anymore. I am either depressed, anxious or over joyous and hyper.

But right now I am so freaking scared. Why why why there is another stupid lump?

If I went back to A&E would they scan me seeing that I am in significant amount of pain? Or do I have to wait till Monday to see.GP?

I just... can't... my baby boy is poorly with some sort of bug and I just want to lice a normal life not chasing lump after lump. Sorry I am just so emotional and feel so helpless

I agree with another poster who suggested hyperthyroidism- this could be triggering the health anxiety you have- it causes night sweats, anxiety/ irritability/ bowel changes/weight loss/fatigue and muscle aches

the sore mouth is likely the vit d deficiency

your cortisol levels being elevated could suggest an endocrine problem
which would tie in with the thyroid issue?

as for the back pain/ numbness- what type of labour did you have?

like other posters have said, best to see GP who can run the appropriate tests for these, A+E is not the right place x

Thyroid has been checked multiple times, alss has autoimmune panel, all normal. I thinoniys the night sweats that make me so worried.

wrong side

Sorry, but I completely agree with this. I could be picking up wrong, but across threads you appear to start researching symptoms and self diagnosing what you think is going on with both you and your child. This is very dangerous. I honestly think you would benefit from being reviewed for this.

GP not A and E.

I think you need to make a private appointment with a rheumatologist.

Agreed. I don't say this lightly because I know conditions can be hard to diagnose, but op you seem to be spiralling again and having seen your previous threads I think it's more mental health support you need.

I appreciate all the responses and I will take all mental health help there is (and I am taking it) but it's not a quick fix. However I would challenge anyone who had a 6cm lump and having to wait for 4 months to find out what was whilst caring for a newborn not to be worried about it.

Thanks to everyone who has helped with a practical advice. Waiting to see the gp tomorrow.

Op.I mean this kindly but you absolutely need proper help for your health anxiety . You are going to drive yourself insane if you don't and Will miss out on enjoying your lovely new born.
Absolutely get yourself checked out for peace of mind but you know deep down you'll just find something else to focus on.

Thank you - if anyone has any advice on how to overcome anxiety, I would be really appreciative. so far I have tried: private therapy, nhs cbt; medication. I engaged with mental health charities and tried very hard to put everything behind me.

if someone has been in the same boat and found the strategies to cope, I would really like to hear from them.

Thank you, all my autoimmune markers were normal but I will discuss this at a routine appointment with my gp.

Gall bladder is on the right

@EatYourVegetables well, the weight loss happened whilst I was pregnant so something else rather than ramping up anxiety was the culprit.

My GPs test for costochondritis was to press gently on the ribcage. If I wanted to hit them back they diagnosed costochondritis.
If it is that it is very painful - the stick on 16hr heat patches do work. I found hot water bottles etc too heavy and caused pain.

I lost weight during pregnancy and had not all but a few of your symptoms- and was diagnosed with seronegative Rheumatoid Arthritis. This is where there is damage to the joints/bone but all bloods are normal. I was diagnosed with a doppler scan.

Its really really difficult to carry on caring for a baby when you feel like you are falling apart; maybe it is anxiety but I would ask to see/pay to see rheumatology to be sure especially if so fsr bloods are normal.

If it turns out all is OK then look into CBT etc or even try some mindful practices now to get you through the next few days.

If your bloods were OK recently you are in no immediate danger but it would be helpful to br able to feel well and more like yourself so you can enjoy time with your baby.

It’s difficult to say OP because what you’re describing - including the weight loss and night sweats - could be down to anxiety.

You don’t say what height you are but unless you’re super tall 8 stone is a normal weight and if you managed to gain a stone back it doesn’t sound likely to be disease related weight loss.

Everything you've described is due to anxiety.
In the last year you've had tests for everything imaginable and they've all been negative.
Please don't go back to A & E.

See your GP (non urgent) and try to stop googling medical things all the time. You're just torturing yourself.

I was very ill after I had a baby and it traumatised me and led to a period of extreme health anxiety. It sounds like your lump has done something similar to you even though it was benign. Try and concentrate on keeping a healthy sleep and gentle exercise routine and go and see your GP to discuss your anxiety. It sounds like you need to speak to your partner about your anxiety too, rather than just your ailments.

These are good questions.

For me, playing piano helps or doing exercise (swimming/walking/rubbing). Or sessions with a counsellor. Or asmr videos on my phone /a headspace meditation type app if my brain is really spiralling. Or (rightly or wrongly) getting absorbed in some complex work which distracts me and also helps switch my "rational brain " on (I do this before responding to aggressive messages from my ex too)

I have awful anxiety in relation to my children's allergies in particular and learning to keep a handle on it is so important as I don't want it to affect them or limit their lives. Talking about it with DH helps me too, I think sometimes just naming it for what it is takes the power out of it.

But theres no easy solution, and sometimes to get things to a manageable level where you can even contemplate self help takes sufficient medication.

Wishing you all the best, mental health post baby can be very tough but I promise it can get easier. I had awful PND/PTSD and it was a rocky time so I really feel for you

Not under your left rib...

Ignoring the lump & pain, the rest of your symptoms could be recognised as being related to perimenopause.

But maybe not actually perimenopause but the crashing decline of oestrogen after pregnancy.

Dr Louise Newson (the menopause doctor & podcaster) did an episode once about fertility treatment. In that episode was discussion of how the gigantic fall in oestrogen after pregnancy can give menopause like symptoms and that if she had it her way she'd like to be able to prescribe a little bit of oestrogen to see if it helped women to recover from pregnancy with a a slightly more gently declining hormone level.

Certainly this resonated with me. The night sweats, exhaustion and terrible anxiety.

However I don't think you'll get anywhere asking for some oestrogen, unfortunately.

I have seen mention of combining taking a magnesium supplement with high strength vitamin D (and with hindsight my anxiety lifted in conjunction with taking these, though couldn't be sure the link is causal). This would be a simple thing to try, at least.

But if you are still in pain, do go and get that investigated and treated.

I hope you feel better soon, OP x

Hi everyone, just thought I'd come back and own up to my anxiety.

So, the pain has been there and and back for a couple of weeks but @Catmama123 was right. What I felt was my floating rib as confirmed by a GP! Apparently as well, you cannot feel it on the right side as easily as other organs cushioning it there more so here we go!

I still don't know what this pain is but leaning towards it being muscular related and still don't know what is causing my symptoms of general malaise but you all were right.

I would say that my anxiety definitely makes me spiral and go to the worst case scenario very quickly so if anyone reads this, take a breath, do seek medical advice but dont despair as I did.

AHH @Wobblyheart it takes a lot of courage and insight to own that.

I really struggle with anxiety too albeit it manifests in different ways, so I really sympathise.

Anxiety can cause awful exhaustion/malaise so it is worth focussing on tackling that (Although I wish I could advise you how as I am still trying to figure that out myself

OP, that's great insight there. This experience has been useful - it will help you manage your anxiety in the future.

The postpartum period can take us to some weird and frightening places at the best of times.

You sound really really anxious. When anxious, it is so qeasy to focus in on every lump, bump, painful twinge and catastrophise, and actually make the pain feel worse. The period after having a baby makes anxiety but especially health anxiety, way worse. I personally think it’s because you become aware of your own mortality, how absolutely crucial it is to stay healthy and alive, for the sake of your child. But investigating every lump and bump to try and find certainty that you aren’t ill is not helpful for you or your baby.