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Original poster

Health Anxiety

215 replies

fruitysmoothie · 16/09/2016 00:17

Just a safe haven for all health anxiety sufferers that may be lurking on the mental health forum to share stories and help one another through the many ups and downs.

As a former and recovered health anxiety sufferer I know all to well the worry, upset and symptoms that arise from this illness and will try and help where I can Flowers

OP posts:
Haggisfish · 14/01/2017 14:55

Ethel, please consider medication. When I got that bad, it was the only thing that helped. I only post on mn now and make it clear I don't want horror stories-I just don't read anything else online now as it all just feeds it. Try and get outside for a bit. That helps me feel more grounded.

Ethellsmum · 14/01/2017 15:13

Thank you haggisfish. I need to get meds I think. The Dr prescribed me some the last time I was this bad - 2 years ago - but the side effects scared me to death and I never took them. I do have some propranolol but I don't find it much use.

Anyway, I got myself in such a state that I rang 111 expecting that to help. No, they wanted to see me ASAP so that increased my anxiety. Nurse doesn't think it's anything to worry about but wants me to go for a blood test just to check.

I'm going to try and have a nice relaxing evening, The Voice and takeaway.

OneOfTheGrundys · 14/01/2017 17:37

I fought HA my whole life I realise now. Then at nearly 40 I started citalopram and it's really worked for me. Life changing. I'm never coming off it now.

Ethellsmum · 14/01/2017 17:48

Did you have many side effects?

OneOfTheGrundys · 14/01/2017 17:56

I'm not going to lie-day 2-5 were really hard work. It made my anxiety worse. Then for a few days I felt a bit spacey. Then it was like the playing field just levelled. I still felt a bit of worry but it was manageable. It gave me the head space to really use the cbt/mindfulness I'd learned.

Not everyone has the rocky start though. And it's not a magic pill, it's just the bad days aren't so extreme.

Haggisfish · 15/01/2017 00:48

I had very few, both with duloxetine and fluoxetine. I had clenchy jaw and was knackered but insomnia at night. Had bit of a sore head too, but none of the horrendous side effects. The hardest bit is taking that first pill.

MsMoonKat · 15/01/2017 22:52

Hi to all the new folks on the thread. I hope you've had a better day today. My no. 1 piece of advice is to ban googling! I always think it will reassure me but it turns out to be fuel for the fire.

whowantsadog · 15/01/2017 22:59

Hello - bloody hell, it isn't just me! I know literally no one in real life who thinks like this, so this is reassuring to read. I need to go for CBT, I probably need meds but citalopram has always come with hideous side effects for me. Sad

Off to read the full thread...

Ethellsmum · 15/01/2017 23:38

Evening all. Slightly better day. I've managed to book a Dr's appointment for Tuesday (I love the online booking!).

sniffle12 · 15/01/2017 23:53

What a great thread, I have also come through health anxiety if that reassures anybody that it can be done. I still google constantly but I see it more as simply being curious about my body and why it does the things it does, rather than spending days freaking out sure that every little thing was cancer as I used to.

Example: on holiday recently I got a dull lower abdominal pain which didn't disappear for a week. Didn't want to go through palaver of seeking medical help abroad so just reassured myself if it didn't get worse it was nothing urgent and went to GP when I got home. GP reassured me it was probably a strain or digestive and I accepted her view.

A few years ago that would literally have ruined the holiday; I wouldn't have slept for worrying, and there's no way I would have accepted the GP's view either.

Not sure what changed; I have never had medication but I have had a lot of CBT around control and specifically in relation to health anxiety, accepting that I don't have any control. I can eat healthily and take care of myself but otherwise what will be will be.

AndInOtherNews · 16/01/2017 16:58

Thanks for posting Sniffle, it's reassuring to know there can be light at the end of the tunnel.

Ozzy13 · 04/02/2017 11:18

Morning! Fellow basket case here! Looks like nobody has posted in a couple of weeks but I just wanted to join in if that's ok. Really helps knowing other people are feeling the same and have diagnosed themselves with the same million fatal diseases - although obviously I wish none of us had this stupid effing problem.
Today I'm still suffering bad anxiety brought on by drinking far too much a couple of nights ago - so I'm also pissed off with myself. Every hangover symptom is obviously a symptom of something the doctors have missed and i'll be dead or locked up by the end of the day Hmm
Hope you're all having a better day!

charliebear78 · 04/02/2017 21:00

Hello,fellow nutcase here!
It all started just before Xmas for me, when I started with stomach pains,burning feeling and constant burping..(I googled after about a week of feeling this way,stomach cancer kept coming up and I was literally convinced I had this) Spent my weeks back and forth to the Doctors,crying all the time,not eating(which caused weight loss and fueled the fire of me having Cancer)
Anyway I got bloods taken and sent for a endoscopy-both came back normal
Then my pain seemed to move around to my back and I remembered reading this, along with stomach pain and burping was a sign of Pancreatic Cancer-so I was then convinced it was actually this I must have-sent for a ultrasound-normal!
Still sure the scan missed something and in a daily state of panic.
Fast forward to now!!!
Most of the pain has eased-still slight stomach problems
Been constipated on and off recently so now I KNOW its Colon Cancer-and this MUST be what I have had all along?
It sounds crazy reading this back..but as you all know the mind is so powerful and when the symptoms keep happening...
I am waiting for a CT Scan and the results of a stool sample to check for inflammation-I am still so very worried and scared.
However I know I need to stop this somehow and hope if the results are both normal then I can at least start to do this.
Hand holding for you all..its shit
I am quite a rational person and I dont know how I got this bad so quickly?!!!

lovechocolate123 · 05/02/2017 11:58

Charliebear- you sound exactly like me ago. I went from stomach, colon, pancreatic, ovarian cancer ... I had a course of CBT which helped. The symptoms you describe could be anxiety. I know how you feel and it is awful. Here if you want to chat xx

mummyofone16 · 06/02/2017 07:57

Hi everyone I'm so glad I found this it makes me feel normal! I started my own thread before I saw this one. I am the same as a lot of u in that I have convinced myself of various cancers. My anxiety only started about 4weeks ago with a redness on my breast. Of course I googled and u can imagine the answers I got. Been to breast clinic and all is fine and redness has gone but it's snowballed into having lymphoma, bone cancer, thinking I have a tumour on my shoulder, and I feel pressure at the base of my skull at times so now thinking brain tumour! I also thought I was having a heart attack 2weeks ago as I had chest pains and breathlessness. After visiting gp she done ecg, and full bloods and all was ok. She explained about anxiety causing all these symptoms. I've been referred for cbt so waiting on letter now. I have a 6month old son and keep thinking what if I die and leave him. My fiancé isn't much help he thinks I can just shake it off. We are getting married in October but I can't think that far ahead or plan anything as I'm convinced I've something wrong with me!!! Xx

JurysOutt · 06/02/2017 09:55

NC.

Hope you don't mind me posting. I don't have HC myself but ds12 does. It started when he was 10 and developed severe nausea a side effect. A medication he was using for another condition. Since then it's been a roller coaster from fear about health to come icing and back to general health. He has good days and bad days. I notice it seems more pronounced at bed time, or when everything is 'quiete'.

I was reading the thread and wondered why everyone wasn't on medication if there is medication for it? Why isn't everyone using using beta blockers? I ask because I don't know wether this might be an option for him when he is much older. We've tried CBT as well but I'm not sure how much he gained from it.

JurysOutt · 06/02/2017 09:55

HA I meant not HC.

JurysOutt · 06/02/2017 09:59

Sorry about the typos. I meant 'far about health to fear about vomiting' not sure how it changed to icing.Confused

JurysOutt · 06/02/2017 13:02

Bump.

charliebear78 · 06/02/2017 14:45

Thank you LOVECHOC, Its so scary feeling like this and its always in the bck of my mind that I could indeed have Cancer and what do I do about it?
Think rationally and ignore my worries or keep going the Docs and asking for a colonoscopy(which I dont really want)and feeling like a crazy woman?

JURY I would not want to take anything, I think I am(or at least was) a strong person and so would hope I could get better myself and train my mind to stop this loop its got itself on right now.

JurysOutt · 06/02/2017 15:45

Charlie - Thanks for your rep,y, I thought I had killed the thread!
I didn't know you could train your mind to break the loop, that's very interesting.

Discotastic · 07/02/2017 13:50

Hi, think I'm majorly struggling with HA for the last few months which only seems to be getting worse. I desperately want to be able to sleep again at night for more than an hour at a time; I want to stop feeling that I'm about to be diagnosed/ die of something terrible and leave my 4 year old DS without a mother. I had previously taken the AD venlafaxine for around 15 yrs but stopped in the November. Since then anxiety has been present. The HA started with pain in my left breast which I was referred to the consultant for and after an ultrasound found nothing. But with the pain persisting it hasn't helped to ease my fears. I have an apt with GP this week as I just can't function anymore.

Discotastic · 07/02/2017 13:52

Sorry to be such a misery.

Pannalash · 07/02/2017 15:06

Oh Discotastic I really feel for you and everyone else on here. I am also going through a terrible bout of HA which just completely sucks the joy out of life. Like you I just want the fear and anxiety to stop. I envy my friends who seem to be able to enjoy a 'normal' life without this relentless anxiety and wish I could be like them. Really feel about as low as I have ever been at the moment. I have suffered from OCD and anxiety since being a young child and this has evolved into severe HA. You are not a
misery, and if it is any small comfort, you are not alone. Take Care.

anxious2017 · 07/02/2017 15:13

I have health anxiety. It's really severe. Been off work for a couple of months now due to constant panic attacks. I can't leave the house in case I die. I have a complete phobia of Drs and hospitals so can't go there. Sometimes I'm too scared to leave my bed in case standing up makes me collapse.