Health anxiety ruining my life

[user1485461206]

Hi all
As the title suggests I have health anxiety, usually for a few days and I can pull myself out of it but this time it’s been a few weeks, started off I had a mild viral infection, it’s been doing the rounds, sinus pain, headaches but no sore throat or cold symptoms but I became obsessed with every minor symptom that I was going to get meningitis, I was in tears for a week, didn’t eat, wouldn’t sleep, barely been a wife and mother, house is a tip, I’ve spent money on online video doctors, been my GP twice and panicked myself into thinking I was having a heart attack.
This has left me very tense and my marriage in a state of disaster, my husband is so upset with me and thinks I’m rubbing off on our daughter which has upset me badly, my GP has tried to reassure me that headaches at the back of my head are from the inflamed sinuses that run along there and she said it’s common for it to take 2-3 weeks to finally feel normal, I have been having physio to relieve some tension and I have booked to see a therapist next week but the thoughts are darkening my days, I worry every night before bed that I won’t wake up and my daughter will be without me, this is making me so miserable and I Cling to her most days; we are very close anyway but this is probably too much even for her, even today on a family day out I ruined it by googling symptoms, sometimes when I wake up or during the day I feel a strange bubbling/whooshing sensation in my neck/back of my head, physio didn’t seem concerned he said the neck has gases that make noises all the time, but I panicked myself into a state whilst out today that it was a brain fluid leak and I was going to die, obviously this distressed my husband too as he couldn’t reassure me, the result was our day out ruined and me crying in bed again. I feel such a failure, I’m ruining my own life and I don’t know what to do anymore, if anyone has had/does have this can they give me any useful tips for helping push past it please

Hi sorry you're feeling like this health anxiety is awful I've suffered for years. I've been in a rabbit hole of ha for a few months seeing neurologists and have an mri scan this week. Ruined xmas feeling this way. However this last week I've got back into exercise and its lifted my mood and taken my mind off it.

Can you get some time to exercise or do something to relax? Also ban yourself from googling symptoms I'm sure you know it's the worst thing to do. Try telling yourself that all your symptoms are a normal virus and if you had something serious you couldn't lift your head from the pillow, sky high temperature sensitivity to light etc. This period of anxiety will pass x

@Lo5tcause can I ask what your anxieties are? Mine is MS and 6 or 7 years ago I did the neuro app and mri and nothing was found but I've had odd symptoms and can't let it go even tho the neuro said I wouldn't usually scan for your symptoms but I can see your anxiety is beyond through the roof!

Quite similar at the moment neuro issues but worse than ms as theres mnd in my family. So that's a death sentence. Just had an mri this week, I've been getting loads of muscle spasms for months and a whole host of other things. Its fucking exhausting always worrying about your health! Usually its cancer in anxious about as I've had it before.

It is exhausting! Did the doc straight away refer you? Or do they think it's anxiety? I know people say ms isn't a death sentence but the reason I have the anxiety is because I've watched someone slowly die of it and trust me it was absolutely awful so I'm terrified of it!

Yeah I got a referral straight away when you mention family history theres no messing around. Thankfully I was seen very quickly by a neurologist. Could be anxiety of course but could also be serious. I've got an EMG test to get too. MS is indeed a serious and very complicated illness it affects everyone differently. If you have a clear mri and a neurologist telling you its anxiety I'd take that. I've got a few weeks of worry before I get all my results. Have you tried anxiety medication? I've got a prescription for trazodone to try after my EMG. You have my sympathy as it really is an awful affliction 💐

Yeh I've had Setraline and CBT but neither have been working and the medication gave me awful side effects. I had 2 distant relatives have MS - but they seem to think that wouldn't make a difference as for me it's my dads cousins kid and the other side it's my granddads stepbrother so a bit far out. I hope your results are ok! My friend who went to a neuro app told me that he said he spends a lot of time reassuring ppl they don't have things! At least stats are reassuring for you 2 people in every 100,000 -MS is 1/600 or something I think ... that's how bad my anxiety is that I know stats!

Thanks. I'm sick of all the appointments and waiting. Just wish I could forget all this and be normal! I'm weary of trying new meds as I dont tolerate SSRIs either. Hopefully we'll both be free of this soon.

Hi op, totally been where you are right now, it's soul destroying and as you say life ruining. Avoiding Google is the best option but I know how difficult that is so a trick that I use is as soon as you lift your phone to start googling something, go straight on to YouTube instead and put on your favourite feel good song (something you don't mind listening to over n over as trust me if you're like me there is a lot of times you want to Google and end up on YouTube with this trick), if you have YouTube open on your phone you can't Google without stopping the song, and if you sing along in your head then it stops the intrusive thoughts, if one song isn't enough to snap you out of it to get up and start doing something then just keep going with more favourite upbeat songs. Avoiding Google is half the battle.

I know exactly how you feel, you're not on your own, this week I've convinced myself I have shortness of breath and that my lips are purple even though my husband is adamant they're totally normal looking. my sister died from a heart & lung condition which whilst very rare you're more likely to get it if you have a family history of it and those are some of the symptoms of that illness so boom automatically I've got a rare fatal heart condition and spent yday in work trying not to cry at the thought of going through all the suffering that my dear sister did and leaving my ds5 who has asd motherless .... It's so easy to spiral out of control even without Google but Google does make it worse.

Oh darling. I could have written your post word for word!

I too have health anxiety and it really affects my entire family. I ALSO have EXACTLY the same symptoms you have and have done now for 20 days. I have been to the doctors twice and then had a consultant appointment for something else and mentioned it and he suggested a brain MRI which I’ve had and the results came back clear with some minor sinus changes (worse symptoms are over but headache and neck ache still present) so it’s still clearing.

I know you haven’t had the MRI so in your head right now you’re thinking it’s obviously different but in all honesty I am completely sure we have the same viral infection.

With regards to the health anxiety - have you tried therapy? I am seeing a private therapist and we are working on my health anxiety because I am the same as you. On Wednesday night I didn’t sleep until 5am, sitting up crying about my babies losing me and googling brain tumours. It’s a hideous way to live and I really empathise with you. It’s so sad and stressful xxx

Eugh isn't it the worst, it's comforting to know others have had similar symptoms- I had this smelling smoke thing for a couple weeks that started mine off this time, anyone had that?

I'm really panicky today :(

Not heard of that one mumma. How are you now? I seem to go in a cycle of high anxiety for a few weeks now I'm totally depressed about it all. Feel like I wouldn't care if the mri showed anything. Being put out of my misery sounds appealing.

Just wanted to reach out hun, I too have health anxiety and honestly it’s a living hell. My biggest fear is something happening to me and not being able to see my DS grow up. I left my career as I just couldn’t do it all anymore. This has impacted us financially, it’s effected my marriage, I live in complete daily fear. It’s awful, I wouldn’t wish this on anyone. My son is an only child so I worry that I would leave him and he would have no one. My DH doesn’t have the same patience with him as I do. I almost feel as though I want to see him grow up then I’m done. Can’t handle living like this.