Health Anxiety - Part 4

[polkadotpixie]

I hope no-one minds me starting a follow up thread. I know some people were waiting for me to update so I thought I would but happy to ask MNHQ to delete if one of the long term posters wanted to start it 😊

@KasparKat just attaching a pic so you don't have to google!

Thank you, yes I think what I am seeing looks a bit like that, thanks. If it is that, does that mean I've always had it? And would it cause sinus/nose pressure?

Yes you could have always had it and it may just be the symptoms getting worse as time goes on, you could have had an injury to the nose etc. The nose works on a cycle so one nostril does the breathing at a time so you could be congested more sometimes than others dependant on the affected nostril, or it could be a constant dependant on how deviated it is. Sudafed nose spray may relieve it when it's at its worst, I've heard that's the best one. As well as sinus pressure I think it can also cause headaches related to that x

Thank you everyone for reassurance, I've had a couple of paracetamols and feel a bit better. The thing is with having health anxiety you never know if your symptoms are actually something or if it is the anxiety causing it. It's the worse thing ever I wish I could overcome it but I've had it pretty much all my adult life n

@KasparKat My nose is similar, definitely not symmetrical!

Hi everyone, sorry I’ve not been on for a few days! I’ll try catch up with you all soon, been quite obsessive over my health the past couple of days so tried to refrain from reading anything that I will make a symptom for myself 😂

Got in a tiz over my collar bones again even though I know logically it’s muscle I’ve run out of health worries so I’m making them!

Just to humour me however.. (I know I shouldn’t seek reassurance) but is it normal to be able to feel things over your collar bone?

My collar bones feel quite nobbly and there is something soft (veins? tendons?) that go over them in certain places. I also have raised lymph nodes in that area but have had them for at least 15 years so am able to ignore them!

My panic this morning is this buzzing/vibrating/twitching in my abdomen all of the time. Woke up feeling like my bed is vibrating again. Convinced I have Parkinsons or some kind of muscle wasting disease.

@KasparKat

I don't know what this is but I am having the same problems. I am waking up with tremor. I would be "happy" with MS, I'm thinking brain tumor.

But as I said before, if you do suspect PoTS then I've been looking around in a forum and it does seem to be a symptom that many people have. Try drinking (a lot) more water and eat salt and see if it helps.

[quote onlyreadingneverposting8]@Nogodsnomasters you should definitely do a test. I saw a doctor on tv saying that if you have upper respiratory symptoms it's reasonable to do a test for covid.

Hugh anxiety here 😕 Looks like my period might be starting - periods are a source of HA for me. So the next week will be a great source of stress as to whether it's normal or not. 😖[/quote]
Well I finally got the nerve up to take my temperature and it was normal, still no cough so I wasn't going to bother with a test but then this morning I realised my smell was diminished, not gone altogether I could get a whiff of some things but no where near how strong they should smell, I tried coffee, vinegar, perfume and vapo rub. So I was able to book a test pretty much straight away and I did as you all advised just put it up my nose instead of doing tonsils as it was honestly all I could face anxiety wise, I actually burst out crying to my husband 5 mins before I had to leave the house for the test 🙄 feel so stupid getting upset like that over this. Anyway let's hope I get the results soon and they don't come back inconclusive!

Thanks @argueifnecessary in my rational moments I can accept that it's probably to do with Pots or some other non-serious condition. In fact I can rationally accept that it's most likely to be caused by anxiety and stress!

But then the emotional reaction kicks in and I think and behave as if I definitely have a terminal illness. Especially now I realise I have had an eye twitching for a week as well. Clearly a brain tumour or degenerative disease!

12 days until my GP appointment and test results, seems such a long time to wait.

So far this year I have, in my mind, had a lung tumour/covid damage in my lungs (tight and heavy chest, now gone), some kind of blood clot or scary lung or sinus disease (coughing up horrible reddy brown mucus, now cleared up), breast cancer (I have cystic breasts so lots of lumps), melanoma (bleeding and scabby mole that I later realised I had itched, now fine) heart failure (racing heart, which I still have but feel less panicky about and have managed to go on a few runs with DH without dying), sinus cancer or growth in my nose (sinus pressure, which was awful yesterday and seems to be gone today), brain tumour (dizziness/vertigo, still not sure what is causing it) and now Parkinsons/AML/MS/brain tumour again (twitching and vibrating abdominal muscles and twitchy eye).

It's so exhausting. CBT isn't helping at all as it seems to be focused on accepting that there is a low risk of a health issue being something serious, and much more likely to be either normal or minor. I already know that! The problem is not being able to cope or stop obsessing about the maybe 1% chance that it is something serious. CBT doesn't seem to help with that!

My therapist thinks I have PTSD as I was ill when pregnant and the doctors/midwives fobbed me off all the time saying it was just anxiety and there was nothing wrong but it turned out to be serious and my DC nearly died and has been left with a lifelong disability. Probably a 0.001% chance of it happening. But it means that a 1% chance of something dreadful happening is of no comfort to me, and I feel like I am the only one who is responsible for my health and figuring out what is wrong as the doctors got it so wrong before so I can't trust them.

The only thing that seems to help is hypnotherapy (free on YouTube) and keeping busy.

@KasparKat

I could have written your post with a few different terminal illness fears but many similar symptoms. I have a cyst between my ovary and uterus so before I knew that I was certain I had ovarian cancer.

Now I have all these neuro symptoms and tachy and tremors and shakes which really make me thing a brain tumour but was just fobbed off with anxiety at the A&E.
Although I avoid doctors like the plague I am determined to find out this time. I will have to push my GP next week to take me seriously but it all takes so long I am getting more symptoms and every single day is so up and down regarding my mood. I can be fine for hours and then I get a symptom of something and I get the lovely full works of an anxiety/panic attacks. I have terrible insomnia and adrenaline dumps in the night which take an hour to calm. The weirdest thing is, it all came on so suddenly two weeks ago, although I have experienced most of these symptoms before in my life, they seem to be now systematic and all together.

I desperately need to go on antidepressants, because I feel I need to somehow stay calm when I go for all the medical appointments but there are no psychiatrists available right now, probably because the lockdown has affected so many people in a horrible way.

My DH thinks my symptoms are anxiety, my mum thinks my symptoms are panic attacks, my brother thinks it's all in my head! Well, I mean I've had anxiety for more than 10 years and never experienced anything like that before. Or I doubt I get an anxiety attack every time I stand up?!?

So sorry everyone about waffling on. But I suspect most of you understand.

@KasparKat yes I can trace these up and over my collar bones on both sides! I know deep down it’s like you say muscle/tendon but my brains not letting me have that lately!

I get vibrations in my thighs and quite often think it’s my phone or something! not sure what causes it x

@argueifnecessary I’m the same I need to go on some sort of medication for my anxiety I think! Just don’t have the courage to go to the dr about it yet! I have also diagnosed myself with lymphoma, some sort of jaw/ear cancer, lung cancer, breast cancer, chest wall cancer, heart attack etc over the past 6 or so months! Absolutely draining x

Not sure who posted about noses but mines definitely not symmetrical!

Hi @argueifnecessary I just wanted to tell you that I have got funny symptoms at the moment too. Shakes and tremors, and some heart racing. More so at night for the racing heart.

Before I went on sertrine I was having horrific palpitations, and my heart would race at night. Combined with burning up and my breathing going so fast. It was awful.

Sorry I've been so quiet. I had a really good morning on Saturday. I felt totally separate to my anxiety, and a lot better, but still poked at the weekend. Can't leave my breasts alone!!!

@Skyliner001 exactly the same here! Had a pretty could weekend anxiety wise but the urge to check became too much and I caved x

I wrote a post yesterday but no idea where it went so apologies if I'm repeating myself...

@KasparKat yes, the bridge of nose is where I get pressure most often. I also get it along the top of my cheekbones, my TMJ and to the front of my ear, all mostly on the right hand side.

I get the vibration thing too, especially when my anxiety is bad. I'm on propranolol now and it's reduced it massively.

My covid results were negative thank god, but I still feel like hell. I'm gonna ring the GP this morning and ask to be put on something proper for my acid reflux as it's becoming more frequent and really causing me anxiety because of the nausea it brings.

Also this weekend all I can think about is my heart, it seems to be pounding but not racing, I'm checking my heart rate and it's normal but all I can feel is my chest thumping! I know it's probably anxiety. Does anyone get this?

Hi all,
Sounds like everyone had an ok weekend.

I've had the vibration thing a lot recently. For me it is more my chest but it definitely isn't my heart/palpitations, it's like a faster vibrations sensation. Very unnerving. I've also had bits of tingling on my upper arm and have occasional pins and needles in my hands and feet, so I am obviously stressing. I asked the GP to refer me to a neurologist and had a phone appointment where he suggested it was carpal tunnel related to my thyroid and asked if I had been stressed or anxious(yes!), but is going to give me a face to face appointment to do some neurological tests and maybe nerve conduction tests and an MRI if he thinks it is necessary, so just waiting for an appointment. I don't know why I do this to myself as I want the appointments and tests, but I find it incredibly stressful waiting for them and the anxiety and symptoms get worse! After the phone call with him the next day my arm started tingling and my cheek had a cold sensation over it, which I haven't had for months, which sent me spiralling, but DH said the call obviously triggered more thinking about it and symptoms.

For the boob stressers, in November I was convinced I could feel a lump in my breast, absolutely convinced and couldn't stop poking and I had awful sharp stabbing pains in my right breast. I booked a private consultation and scan and all was absolutely fine. Since the all clear I have not had a single pain at all. I am sure it was psychological. The anxiety and mind are so powerful.

Nogod - I also get pounding in my chest without a fast heart rate. I also get a weird light fluttery feeling as well sometimes!

Quite a few of us seem to have similar symptoms. I too have the pressure sometimes in my left sinus and the left side of my face/temple feel kind of weird. I know it could be to do with neck and when it's very tense the nerves don't conduct properly. But then I'm thinking I'm trying to explain stuff away and miss the underlying brain tumour.

Anecdotally, my brother told me there is a shift in the universe and that's why we're vibrating. Lol

@Nogodsnomasters

The pounding with normal heart rate or slightly elevated pulse is definitely a symptom of anxiety. A doctor last week told me this at the hospital.

I'm pretty sure that all of my physical symptoms are anxiety related or to do with POTs. I was feeling quite relaxed this morning and then took my pulse in the shower and it was racing really fast as is now usual for me but because I was relaxed I didn't notice it or panic about it. On a bad day I would have been hyperaware of it and panicking.

Thank you to everyone who said that they also get vibrations/twitches. I will bring it up at my GP appointment next week but slightly dreading the look on his face when I tell him I'm worried that I'm vibrating at night 😆

Pretty sure it is all related to adrenaline/cortisol. I have propranolol to take when my heart is racing and find that it does help a bit but not a lot. But then I'm only taking 10mg as and when needed, and think that's a very low dose?

I'm going to write down all of my symptoms and how long I've had them so I can show them to the GP next week. I always feel so rushed in appointments and end up feeling that I have forgotten to say something/the GP missed something so I'm hoping that this will help both him and me!

Just remembered that the only other time I have felt anything like this vibration was when I was pregnant, I would sometimes feel like there was a vibration inside my bump, like the baby was vibrating! Pretty sure I googled it and other people reported similar.

I had to ring my GP practice to sort out a prescription issue, the hold music triggered me so much that I could barely get my request out.

Have to speak a doctor at some point soon about my shit immune system, and chronic pain, but clearly I can barely get past the receptionist without hyperventilating.