health anxiety

[hopeliss]

has anybody ever found a cure for health anxiety. it has plagued my life for 7 years and don't see an end to it. awful day today.
ps never been on mumsnet before. sorry if this is the wrong place to raise this.

Hello everyone.

I got the all clear from the Breast clinic last week. Big relief. I'm waiting on an appointment with General Surgery as the GP thinks the lump in my abdomen is a hernia. She also thinks my gallbladder is playing up but thankfully Liver Function bloods came back normal.

Got the GP tomorrow for a funny looking mole/wart/tag thing on my tummy I've had for a while, I'm not concerned about it though, just want to know what it is. And after Michelle from The Apprentice having BCC thought it best to get it checked.

Hi Ladies

I am wondering if I can join you please?

I've suffered with health anxiety for just over 3 years now, mainly about my own health. Although the year before I developed it about my health I was obsessed with DD's.

I am currently terrified I have mouth cancer after finding a little hole like thing at the top of my gum, just before Xmas. Ive seen 3 dentists all who have told me it is not ca. The last one I saw said he thinks the tooth above it had died and there is some sort of chronic abscess. I've to see another dentist Thursday as I need aedation for dental work!! I've poked and dug my nails into that much that the hole has got a bigger!!

I'm 33, married with two kids. 4 and 9 months. I am obsessed with cancer. Lumps, bumps and asymmetry on my body (so I obsessively check and feel both sides and when one side feels different to the other I freak)!

In past 3 years I've had numerous scans, X-rays, physical exams and mountains of blood tests. In the past 6 months I've seen various specialists all of which have tried to reassure me I don't have cancer.

As well as the mouth thing I'm obsessed that I hae swollen lymph nodes (again doctors saying I do not ) and I also sweat through the night which terrifies me

anyway sorry for war and peace!! I am so glad to find others going through this although I am not glad that you are having to live with this torture and fear xx

of course you can join us!

Sorry to hear you are going through this too.

One of the silliest things about all this is that I never learn. I've worried countless times about countless different ailments, all of which have come to nothing, but it doesn't stop me going into panic overdrive the next time.

My book arrived today and I am really looking forward to getting into it.

Hi Le1890. Night sweats are very common in anxiety sufferers, all that adrenaline ;) If it was cancer, they would have fund it by now. You sound perfectly healthy to me. As I sad further up, repeat after me, we do not have cancer we have health anxiety!

also, if it helps, I had terrible night sweats a few months after giving birth, think it was hormones all readjusting or something, and I know quite a few friends who've had the same.

Oh yes me too, i had forgotten about the hormonal sweaty nights!! I still get like that coming up to a period.

I get horrendous sweats with my anxiety (had a classic attack this morning when I went from fine to dripping in about 30 seconds - I didn't even notice I was anxious until afterwards).

I was at the doctor this morning for headaches - I think I've been pretty calm about them - I'm going to try amitriptyline to try and reduce the frequency ... she says they are classic tension headaches.

Am very anxious about ds2 today - I wish I understood why it suddenly gets bad again. His paed appointment is in three weeks ... not doubt they will think I'm crazy too. I really didn't want to be on my own but no-one around to talk to :(

I have found a local psychologist who does lots of anxiety/OCD stuff - trying to pluck up the courage to contact her.

I can relate to so many of these posts. After a while of thinking I was getting somewhere I'm back to square one again.

i'm flitting between a sinus infection which WILL develop into meningitis, a brain aneurysm and either kidney infection leading to blood poisoning, bladder or kidney cancer, all depending on which symptoms are worst at the time.

Why do I think this? I have random eyebrow and head pains and my wee was dark this morning:(

I Was automatically given anti-bs when I went to the doctors they did nothing now obviously its a super infection lol. Currently taking amitriptyline for nerve pain.

God I wish I could stop worrying, just for one day!

how is everyone feeling?

I'm sort of hoping that the fact that none of us have posted in a panic means that we're having a calm period, and we're managing a bit better.

Hope so anyway.

Ive been 'coping' I.e keeping a lid on it on the outside but nagged by fears on the inside.

I'm at the gp just now. I've not been in 3 weeks which is good for me!!!!

Anyway my neck is still sore on the right side and I can feel lumps. I'm fed up with gp and ENT telling me there are Jo swollen glands. I am hoping they are my swollen glands and part of the muscle but I don't think so. I'm just so scared and fed up thinking something is going missed. I do know though that thinking things are being missed is part of ha.

I hope everyone is doing ok!!xx

Sorry 'Jo' swollen glands is meant to say 'no' lol

I'm not feeling too bad at the moment, although my dh fell out of bed at 1:30 this morning and I thought he was dead. He just slipped!! Managed to see the funny side this morning, having spent the rest of the night planning his funeral and wondering how I would break the news to the kids!!!!!

I am feeling really good at the moment, I have had a week without any panics, which is a long time for me! Keeping an eye on thread though.
I haven't had a drink in January, and am wondering if this might be the reason for my calm...I acknowledge that I sometimes dive into the wine to try and forget my fears, and though it works temporarily, it always comes back with a vengeance. I know alcohol is a depressant, and am seriously thinking about not drinking for February and beyond to see if it is having a positive effect on my anxiety....

So glad I found. This I have major HA but mine is about finding cancer. And I refuse to go to the doca. I panik at even the thought of phoning up!! I found a swollen gland in neck why I had the flu. It was small but hard and very mobile. So reading into it it was either LYMPHOMA!! OR a reactive node. Automatically I think lymphoma. But its been 7 months and the lump hasnt changed if anyhing its shrunk!!! Thats good right

Oh gosh my daughters friends mum has just died of cancer and now my anxiety has come rushing back to me . Feeling very anxious now :((

Meganlillimai, if your lump has shrunk,it is not cancer. I have a lump in my thigh and went to the gp with it (I was thinking thyroid, lymph noid cancer) he said as we get older we get lumps and it was nothing sinister. Six years later, I can still feel it if I grope around for it, but I know it can't be cancer, and yours sounds like a similar thing. Totally get it though. The worry, worry, worry cycle!

Milkmachinemadness, sorry to hear that, I know that when something happens to someone close to you it does bring all your fears rushing in (if it can happen to them, it can happen to me syndrome) it is awful, and things do happen, you just need to get a little perspective if you can. It helps to post on here, what exactly are you worrying about?

Well I have a fear of cancer :-/ since breastfeeding my little one abd my boobs being so lumpy (had them scanned twice ) all was fine , I'm terrified that when I stop breastfeeding there will be a lump and a bad one , dd is 18 months and ppl keep saying I need to wean but I'm to scared to incase something sinister pops up , I've also had dear of bowel cancer and lymphoma , all these have happened to ppl close to me. It's health anxiety . It gets worse when I've been stressed, been drinking or very tired.

So good yo see im not the only one. Mine went big and shrunk but its still there buts been 7 month n hasnt grown so suppose thata good

Milkmachine, I was the exact same as you. I was convinced I would find a lump in my breast. Convinced. I am still afraid taking a shower in case I find one, but I am so much better then I was. I took the step and went onto meds, I should have done it years ago. It has given my children back their Mother and given me the chance to live again.

I'm glad you are doing well , I hope one day I can get back to myself , but I think it's miles away yet

Hope you don't mind if I jump in with my 3 cents.
I was surfing the web for "health anxiety" and found this site.
I am 41, the mom of a two year old, a 22 year old, and a 24 year old. All sons. I also have a 3 year old granddaughter.
I have suffered from anxiety disorder for years, and it mostly manifests as worry about my health, and that of my toddler.
My older sons have problems; one is in drug rehab and the other is schizophrenic and in state prison. This makes me terribly sad... at one time, I was almost suicidal over it, but I've managed to let go to some extent, and now most of my energies are fixed on my little one.
Unfortunately, my anxiety demons continue to plague me, to the extent that I am constantly convinced that he or I (or both) have some serious illness, even though it always turns out not to be so.
I do not like living this way. I want to be happy with my baby, and I am not, because I am constantly convinced we're dying of one thing or another.
I do not know the answer, but it really did me good to read about some other moms going through the same thing. It is so hard, and it hurts so much. It takes the joy out of living.
Thank you for sharing your stories. I do not feel so alone now.

I should also mention, my husband and I are about to try and conceive again. When I am pregnant is the only time my anxiety abates, hence I am convinced that hormones play a role.