Health anxiety

[Mvshrln]

Hi all,

I've seen a couple of health anxiety threads on here but they're all quite old/inactive and wondered if there were any more recent ones, or if anyone fancied discussing it via this new thread? It's helpful when someone else knows how you feel.

I really struggle with HA, the thoughts bounce around my head until I fixate on one and worry about it relentlessly. I can see why the anxiety has appeared (friends parent passed away, the covid-19 situation has terrified me, I'm getting older/have life events happening like buying a house, and I also work within the hospice sector). It's helpful to know why but it doesn't help with how to deal with it! I'm currently taking venlafaxine and CBT counselling via videocall but the worry takes up huge chunks of my day.

Nightmare! How is everyone else?

@MrsWhites hi, that definitely sounds like shingles, I’ve had them before and it was awful, so painful and itchy! Hope you’re feeling better soon.
I’m doing ok, had a bit of a wobble yesterday over something ridiculous but managed to calm down a bit today. Just put the tree up and cleaned the house so been busy today which has helped. How are you feeling today? x

@Lib3rtine glad you’ve managed to feel calmer today. I’ve been doing a bit of gardening and putting up the Christmas lights outside so the same as you, trying to keep busy.

I’ve heard shingles can be extremely painful so I think I’ve got off lightly, it’s just a random zapping type pain every so often and some itching at the moment so not a constant pain thankfully!

Not long to go now until your scan, hopefully you’ll feel more relaxed afterwards and be able to enjoy the final weeks of your pregnancy x

Hello @MrsWhites and @lib3rtine,

Ahhh shingles can be painful hope you’re resting up you must be relieved though to know what it is you’re dealing with.

@lib3rtine, good luck for Tues! I’m sore everything will be just fine then you can enjoy the rest of this time before it’s all systems go! Good to hear you managed to calm yourself down! Being busy helps so much doesn’t it.

We have put our tree up and went to my mums and did theirs too. Today’s been a slower day so I felt a little wobble coming on so got my keys and drive to asda! Had a little wander around and picked up a few bits.

Sitting still isn’t good!

Glad to hear you’re both well :) xx

Hi @Goolies glad you are having a better Sunday than last week. I’m looking forward to putting my tree up this week, although as soon as I have to deal with the lights I’ll likely regret it!

Speaking of wobbles I was just chatting to a neighbour/friend and mentioned my shingles to her, she’s put the fear of god into me now by asking what could have made me run down enough to let shingles take hold. Hence me googling and now am getting all worked up about HIV! I’m probably being silly as I’ve been with my husband for 10 years but we all know what it’s like when that seed of anxiety starts to grow! 😢

Hi all. Having a so so weekend still super worried about my back pain and tiredness, can’t shake the doom feeling that it’s something awful. Everything I read about gradual onset back pain is bad. Have started to order a few xmas presents to try and take mind off it all.

@Lib3rtine hope the scan goes well on Tuesday am sure all will be okay. I remember pregnancy being such a horrible anxious time for me, especially first time.

@MrsWhites does sound very like shingles. I had it not long after dd was born and was awful, completely wiped me out. My weird rash was on my leg. Hope it clears up fast for you.

That’s really strange (and good) about the ADHD meds @Sandyplankton what are you taking if you don’t mind me asking?

Thanks @MrsWhites, gosh it’s a Week since that shower!

Bless you I know how hard it is when you feel that wobble and the thoughts start creeping back in, you really don’t have anything to worry about though. We all get run down, sometimes I zero energy left by the end of the day and I think for anxiety sufferers it takes a huge toll on our bodies leaving us open to viruses. X

@Lolly12 It’s hard isn’t it when there’s this niggling thought that keeps making an appearance every now and then.

You know I’m going to tell you I honestly don’t think for a second you have anything at all to worry about, but I totally understand that these thoughts can come creeping back in despite the reassurances. I battle with this daily.

Hope you have managed to enjoy your evening somewhat x

@MrsWhites
What makes you run-down is stress! I find that is the worse thing about health anxiety. We are so stressed that we do actually get problems that are brought on by stress.
You don't have HIV.

I have a general question about antidepressants. How did they affect your weight? I know it's minor but I am already a little but overweight, gained a few pounds in the last couple of months because of the worry about the pressure in my pelvis/tummy. I just ate and ate and ate to try and take my mind off it. So I'm thinking once I'm less anxious I will eat less?!? Or is a further weight gain inevitable?

@MrsWhites gosh, I remember the zapping pain, it was awful! I can 1000% guarantee that you haven’t got HIV! Being stressed and anxious can make you run down so don’t worry at all.
I know, I’m excited to see baby again and hoping all ok so I can relax x

@Goolies hi, hope you’re ok after you’re wobble, I know exactly what you mean, I felt one coming on on Friday and I was quite proud of how I managed to pull myself out of it. Felt like a mini achievement over this awful thing we battle with! x

@Lolly12 thank you! I’ll let you all know how I get on. Hope you’re feeling ok, I really don’t think you have anything to worry about, back pain is really common and can be down to lots of innocent things. Ive been there a million times though, I get something in my head and can’t shake it. I hope Christmas shopping has relaxed you a bit. x

Ooh, I'm annoyed at your neighbour on your behalf, @MrsWhites - for putting worries into your head like that! Don't know if you find stats reassuring at all (I do!), but 1 in 5 people get shingles at some point in their lives and only 1 in 700 or so people have HIV in this country, so virtually everyone who gets shingles (you included!) is run down for other reasons.

Hello, may I join you?
I've been looking for a thread like this for a few weeks, and here you are.
I am that person who never went to the doctor for anything, sailed through pregnancy and everything and suddenly a black cloud has descended and I spend more time googling aches and pains than anything else.
Mine is stomach-y. I went to the GP about a month ago with what I thought was maybe UTI . She said poss gallstones so am currently trying to pluck up courage to go for scan. I think it may be a grumbling appendix as the pain when it comes is more of a niggle and near by belly button and above my hip bone. Obviously Google tells me if it's not my appendix then I am doomed!
I went for a private gynae scan (convinced it was ovaries- they are both fine and so is my uterus)
It's all so odd. I never ever used to be like this.

Thank you everyone! So kind of you all to take time out of your weekend to reassure me, I can’t tell you how much this thread has helped me recently x

@PowerslidePanda those stats do help to put it into perspective so thank you!

@TheSilentStars welcome! Those pains don’t sound very nice, very easy for me to say but I would definitely try and pluck up the courage to go for the scan if you can. Just in case it is anything to do with your appendix! My mum has had gallstones though and the pain sounds similar to what she described!

Hi all. Has anyone had any bleeding after sex that turned out to be nothing? I'm bleeding this morn after sex last night - nothing straight after but this am I am ☹️I'm freaking out and struggling to stay calm. I had a clear smear ( no hpv) a couple off months ago but have had abnormal cells in the past but I'm too scared to google . Should I contact doctors?

@chorusline79 hi, hope you’re ok. Was it a lot of blood or just a tiny bit? Also are you near your period? I would think if you had a clear smear then everything will be fine as it would have picked anything untoward up. Best thing to do is not google and just ring Doctors’s to see what they think x

Hi @Lib3rtine thanks for replying. it wasn't loads but a little clot when I went for a wee and then was wiping blood away. I feel embarrassed to keep contacting docs, and I feel like now they know I have HA they are getting fed up with me! Just trying to stay calm as could be something minor I guess.., I have a Mirena coil and I don't have periods so v unusual for me to see blood down there

Hope you and everyone else ok and had a good weekend?

@chorusline79 I know what you mean, I spoke to a doctor this morning and I could tell with what I was asking her she thought I was crazy! At the end of the day it’s their job so they have to be professional.
I think things like this do happen now and again so I would just wait and obviously if it happens again or you get bleeding for no reason then ring doctors. I know when I was on copper coil I got occasional mid cycle bleeding x

Thanks @Lib3rtine I'm glad it's not just me - I wonder if I'm being paranoid about the way they speak to me but I could tell last time the docs patience was wearing thin! Thanks for the advice and reassurance i feeling so lonely but this is a safe space and so good to feel understood x

@chorusline79 I would think it’s probably linked to your coil rather than anything worrying if you’ve not long had a clear smear test. Was it red blood or darker? It could also be a bit of cervical erosion which are totally normal or a bit personal, could you have got a little scratch up there maybe? Definitely try not to jump to conclusions if it’s only happened that once (I’m such a hypocrite for saying that because I’d be panicking too but it’s honestly probably nothing to worry about) x

@MrsWhites it was red blood, is that any better? I did have a bit of pain during sex too. I think I'll try to wait and if it happens again I'll contact docs. Thankyou x

I'm so fed up as I was doing well and this feels like a set back. Have just done a CBT module and feeling a bit calmer, as it was outlining physical symptoms of anxiety and seeing it all written down is reassuring. I'm also thinking of seeing a therapist/counsellor privately maybe? Has anyone done this?

Just found this thread. I have health anxiety too. Mainly around cancer and stomach problems. I have emetophobia too, so anything to do with my stomach sets me off. At the moment my main worries are rare pink discharge/ light bleeding post menopause, they wanted me to go for a hysteroscopy a couple of years ago, but I'm also terrified of the pain, of passing out (and therefore being sick), of general anaesthetic (and being sick afterwards plus stays in hospital make me constipated and I often get constipated and recently had to use enemas to clear a blockage (sorry for tmi, it just all terrifies me). Also have a small sore area on my chest that I'm terrified is skin cancer. I struggle with phone calls and it's impossible to see a gp face to face at the, so I'm just sitting here obsessing about it all.

@NowImmeagain welcome to the thread and sorry to hear about your struggles.

Can you do an email consult with doc if you find phone calls hard. I hate the phone calls too but if you can do an e consult with your GP you might find that easier?

Have you ever got any help or support for your health anxiety?

Thanks @chorusline79. My gp surgery doesn't offer e consults as far as I'm aware. I did send in a long email with some of my problems and I've a phone call booked for Wednesday, but I always find I can't talk about most of it.

I'm having talking therapy now, but mainly addressing other things up to now. I had cbt last year, but it was just about getting out every day to tackle general anxiety. No one seems to understand and just say I need to talk to my gp.

@chorusline79 red blood is fresh blood, darker is usually older blood so red blood is more likely from a cervical erosion, a small tear or possibly even your coil has moved and snagged a little maybe. I would think it’s most likely your coil, especially if you got a little pain. Hopefully it won’t happen again.

@NowImmeagain hi, welcome to the thread! I’m sorry you are struggling at the moment. Did you know that constipation can cause spotting, I wonder if your symptoms are linked. I hope you find the courage to speak to your doctor on wednesday, if it helps you could start by explaining you get nervous during phone calls. I’m the same, I hate having to speak to people I don’t know well on the phone!

@MrsWhites I didn't know that. I've been constipated most of my adult life. I try hard to deal with it, I drink lots of decaf tea, but don't like water (the smell! ), but don't eat white bread, try to eat veg and fruit as much as possible.

@MrsWhites Thankyou - that makes sense. Hopefully it's a one off and will settle down soon.

@NowImmeagain good luck with your call and hope it goes well for you. Good advice from Mrs Whites and hopefully if they know you're nervous they will try to put you at ease.