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Original poster

health anxiety

999 replies

hopeliss · 14/10/2013 11:18

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.

OP posts:
lozza1974 · 31/08/2014 15:28

Howaboutno Sorry, what's RL? Ah, real life? Yes, a few people know. But no one really understands, and I know they're getting a bit fed up of hearing it. I'm a single mum, which doesn't help. I've got no one to talk to at home. The evenings can be very lonely sometimes. I know the kids will cope if anything were to happen to me, but imagining how utterly broken they'll be just tears me up. They're so protective over me.

How are you doing today?

HowAboutNo · 31/08/2014 17:51

I can sympathise with the lack of understanding and people getting sick of hearing it! It's almost as if people think you can just snap out of it. The evenings alone sound hard, too much time to think about everything. You deserve to feel so much better than this. Are you doing any counselling/taking any meds? I'm on citalopram (not sure if that's spelt right) and my god yesterday was bad. Today is okay, but I'm still obsessively checking myself over and over again.

lozza1974 · 31/08/2014 18:41

I'm not taking any prescription meds, but started talking Kalms yesterday. I start a 5 week course on Tuesday, which I'm guessing will be CBT. I'm also registered with a psychologist and am working my way through a self help book. I'm not sure how keen I am to take meds, but who knows - this thing isn't getting any easier to deal with! I'm sorry you had such a bad day yesterday. Checking is such a horrible habit, isn't it? I spend hours of my day checking. My rational side is constantly reminding me that, even if I do only have months or years to live, do I really want to be spending that time prodding all these lumps and bumps that I find?! Do I really want to be so miserable and low all the time?! But it's amazing how quickly the rational thoughts are squashed by the irrational ones. I hope you have a good day tomorrow x

HowAboutNo · 31/08/2014 19:30

Wow you sound far more proactive than I have been! That's really good. CBT is supposed to be fantastic for health anxiety, I really need to sort out some sessions. To be honest, I dithered over going down the medication route but things have gotten so bad that I feel like I need something and fast. Regarding the checking, I can't wait until I don't feel the need to do it anymore. It drives me insane. Here's to a better day tomorrow for us both, and ball if she's still about x

ballofworry · 31/08/2014 19:47

Im still here ...this all sounds so familiar , i feel all of what you have said , i feel as though i have a good and bad devil on each shoulder , bad one telling me im going to get C and the doctors are all wrong and laughing at me , the other side reassuring me i fine and calming me down etc , i just one day want the good devil to come along and punch the bad devils lights out haha .....once and for all !!! Angry
im considering meds , got a CBT book im working through , and i really try to keep myself busy , out of the house , and away from Dr Google he is NOT our friend ..

Hope you all feel a bit calmer tomorrow , keep posting and we can support one another to x

HowAboutNo · 31/08/2014 20:16

ball you sound lovely. I really hope the good devil wins everyday soon, for all of us!

You are right Google is damn evil. So is my phone, it's the worst thing ever because it's just always with me, so that when I get a pain or whatever I can just Google away... Must get better at staying away from Google.

ballofworry · 31/08/2014 21:16

thanks , howabout Smile i to wish that would happen to the bad devil !!

we are all victims of DR Google , you could maybe delete your safari app on your phone that may help , hard i know as you may need it for other stuff but would be an idea .
i have a good game on my phone called Blocks , you have to slide /work out how to get the blocks free and slide them across , getting harder each level its really addictive and i do it often when waiting for doctors / dentist any appointments or when im feeling super stressed really keeps your mind off negative thinking , worth a try maybe x

fackinell · 31/08/2014 22:04

I'm glad I found this thread. I've suffered from anxiety in a variety of forms since I was 7. Panic attacks, insomnia, I was even treated for epilepsy for years, my attacks were so bad they actually thought they were petit mal seizures.

I've had 5 bereavements in two years, 3 pregnancy losses, my Dad (although we were estranged, it still upset me) and my beautiful, beloved cat. I've suffered a couple of asthma attacks recently that were part panic. I can now several times a day convince myself that I can't breathe. It's so distressing. I'm feeling it right now!! Sad

Going to Dr tomorrow but last time he said I'd coped before and can again. I'm finding more and more that I'm using wine to block the anxiety. I don't want to do this and haven't today which is why I feel so awful.

Haggisfish · 31/08/2014 22:19

That's a pretty shit response from your gp tbh. Can you see a different one? I'm still fretting about my weird leg. Totally getting the sarcoma fear-had it myself recently but my lump was just an oddity-nothing sinister. Also totally get the well if I was really ill would I want to spend my time fretting thing, too!! Ironically, I think if ever I was I'll I would deal with it quite stoically and rationally. I really try and avoid dr google now as I realise it does nothing whatsoever to erasure me. I have learnt to control my panic so I don't get full on panic attacks anymore, but I am still very anxious internally. Hope everyone has a better night-I'm a teacher so am back at school next week and am very apprehensive about that, too!!

fackinell · 31/08/2014 23:02

I will try and see the female Dr, Haggis. She is very much in demand so may just have to see whoever is available. The carbamazepine that I was on for the wrongly diagnosed seizures worked like a charm and very quickly. That would be my ideal. The issue with the asthma was reflux, I was in out of hrs twice because I couldn't stop coughing at night and had breathing issues. I was made to feel like a complete time waster which made me so much more anxious as I felt I couldn't go back.

I'm exhausted from feeling stressed and anxious all the time. My OCD is bad too but luckily I have a very supportive partner to reassure me.

Sorry that you're struggling too but it's great that your actual attacks have stopped. I find it so debilitating. I get anxious if I'm too far from home or being too far from a hospital. A good friend has lost her mum to cancer and is terminally ill herself. It breaks my heart that she has real issues to contend with and I'm making mine up in my head and feeding this anxiety. I have meds for my reflux and antibiotics fir the helicobacter bug I have but my anxiety won't let me take the meds in case I have an allergic reaction. I took a couple this am and convinced myself that I was having a reaction.Sad

fackinell · 01/09/2014 00:53

You know, I can't decide if reading this thread is good for me. All
It's done so far is to give me more ideas to be anxious about!! Grin

Haggisfish · 01/09/2014 07:09

Ha ha ha, yes I know what you mean! I know I'm feeling less anxious and getting over a bout of ha when I don't felt the need to read or contribute to threads like this! I'm much better at avoiding threads and topics that I think will make me worse-the 'Have you ever told a gp you think they're wrong' thread for example-haven't even looked at it!!

fackinell · 01/09/2014 07:51

The hospital Dr I saw said it was just an anxiety attack. I agreed that it was partly but I knew I had a physical cause too as I had pain, burning, wheezing and coughing when I lay down. I told him he could accuse me of Münchausen syndrome for all I cared but I knew there was something wrong. In the end, I diagnosed myself with reflux after two Drs and three nurses missed it.

Stephray1985 · 01/09/2014 10:35

Hi so glad I've found this my health anxiety is taking over i am addicted to google not a good idea my thing at the moment is moles I've actually picked 3 of crazy I no one is so sore now I actually don't think it looked bad now thinking about it any advice please help x

Haggisfish · 01/09/2014 11:18

Go to see your gp about moles and anxiety.

Stephray1985 · 01/09/2014 12:00

Do you not think they will just think I'm being daft I really want to but I don't no if I can bring my self to do it x

ballofworry · 01/09/2014 12:19

hi everyone , welcome Steph, did you say you'v picked your moles ? or they are sore by them self ?

I have many moles , all shapes and sizes and colours , so am on constant mole watch ... i go every 6 months to get checked at a skin clinic (for my own peace of mind ) due this month yikes ...x

Stephray1985 · 01/09/2014 13:05

No I picked them have no idea why they didn't hurt bleed itch before ive been before cause I have a flat misshaped different coloured one on my chest witch he said was fine I want to go to the doctors but while they are scabs gross I no I don't want to go cause I worry they think I'm crazy few years ago I went through a stage of going all the time swollen glands found lump in leg was a horrible time I can't talk to my other half cause he goes mad with me x

ballofworry · 01/09/2014 13:29

They wont think that steph , you have health anxiety you are not crazy , any good doctor will try and help you , some doctors i know are more understanding than others i must say, hopefully your one is good , but if not go to another one till you find one that really understands, iv been through the whole practice at my surgery lol , i have 2 i see , i refuse to see some of the others as they just don't get me or the whole HA i feel .

x

lozza1974 · 01/09/2014 13:41

Hey - how is everyone doing today? I've had a really rough few days, but am a little calmer today. Saw the doctor this morning who is not worried about the lump in my back - just fatty tissue. Am I reassured? Errr, I have HA. Of course I'm not reassured. But I'm trying my best to keep in mind what she said, and keep the doubts at bay. I've also been prescribed Sertraline - 50mg a day for the next 4 weeks. I'm scared to take them as I've heard the early side effects aren't pleasant (increased anxiety, eg). Has anyone else had any experience of this tablet?

Stephray1985 · 01/09/2014 13:42

I've just moved so hopefully I'll find a good one there thank you for speaking with me actually feel sense of relief just from hearing reading other people like me it's such a hard thing to deal with I was fine before I had my kids x

ballofworry · 01/09/2014 13:54

your welcome , your not alone , im trying to hold it together myself today , i think i bit my cheek the other day now noticed a small bump inside can feel with my tounge im 95% sure thats what it is but theres still that 5% bad devil i spoke about yesterday playing games with my head ... Angry
will just have to keep a eye on it ..hope will go , have felt similar before when iv bitten my cheek so trying to take comfort in that ...but its hard as you all know ...

cant get out today either as both DC home its raining and im surrounded by boxes packing as we move in less than 2 weeks !!
x

Stephray1985 · 01/09/2014 13:57

I have those to there always there my brothers wife is a dental nurse I asked her when I noticed them and she said its total normal x

ballofworry · 01/09/2014 14:19

awe thank you , yes im sure thats what it is as iv done many times before ..but you know what its like that element of devil doubt creeps in ..... nice to post on here so we are all not alone ..x

fackinell · 01/09/2014 17:58

Lozza, why are they giving you something that increases anxiety? Surely that's not to treat it.

I see GP on Friday, unfortunately the female Dr I spoke to wanted to book me in with my usual one. I have antiBs, and two stomach settling pills for my reflux which will improve my asthma as a result. Better today as no alcohol yesterday (that always triggers my anxiety and I was a bit drunk on Saturday.) I'm usually fine if I stick to just a couple of drinks max. May have to make sure I do that from
now on.