Health anxiety

[GentlyGentlyOhDear]

Anyone else suffering at the minute?
Mine flares up regularly and I go through a cycle of what I'm worried about.
Having a bad week :(
Seems to get worse from mid cycle onwards.

I'm here. New to the thread but not new to HA unfortunately. Having a really bad time of it at the moment.
Notes on phone is full of bowel movement descriptions because of IBS which I'm convinced is bowel cancer. I can't stop crying today because of a few black pieces in my stools today making me think I have internal bleeding and I've spent the whole morning googling and obsessing and terrified.

Hi everyone! I too am having a bad HA flare up. I've always had HA but it got really bad three years ago when I had a lump in my mouth which turned out to be scar tissue, but it really triggered me and I've been in a constant panic ever since. Every now and then I get a really bad flare up but its always there under the surface.

Over the last two years I've also had rectal bleeding which they can't find a cause for; a mole which grew really big and dark and then fell off! which apparently is normal but freaked me out; and now I have another little lump in my mouth which is driving me mad and have to mention it to dentist in two days but terrified I'll have to get referred again.

I can't take the stress of it!

@janicegarvey really sorry to hear of your worries. Do you know when you will hear back from the biopsy. Just try to distract yourself as much as possible. I've had a couple of investigations including half of my thyroid removed due to potential cancer and it was such a horrible time.

My HA is also worsened by hormones. I'm upping my running and increasing my vitamins and iron just to make sure im getting all the vitamins and minerals I need to help my mood. I used to do quite a bit of yoga but this has dropped off the radar now so I need to get back into it. Hard with 3 kids and 2 jobs...!

I am doing the exact same thing at the moment!! I take iron tablets so can't tell which bit is dark because of that, logging everything in my phone, stomach all over the place. The stress of it is making it much worse, I'm sure

It's IBS symptoms but I am convinced it's bowel cancer too, I have managed to stay off Google (this time) but I already know enough to send myself off down a rabbit hole

Big hugs, you're not alone

Oh I wish I was taking iron tablets so I would at least have something to pin it on. The black pieces are a first for me today but the general bowel issues on,-going. I'm just praying there is no black in there tomorrow because I really really really don't want to ring the GP again 😔
I'm sorry you're in the same boat as me and share my misery but it is comforting to know that it's not just me doing this. Urgh I've been in such a Google hole this month.

Oh you poor poor thing. I'm keeping everything crossed for you that they're not there tomorrow.

I'm sure there's a simple explanation for it, although it's really easy to say that when it's someone else isn't it! I find I'm really calm and rational when it's someone other than me, I don't know if that's the same for everyone else

Keep us posted lovely

All fine in the bathroom this morning so far but I do go several times per day so I'll be on high alert watching like a hawk every time as my mind won't let it go and one normal stool is "not enough evidence".

Yes I'm the exact same as you, I actually have a friend who also has HA and when he tells me something I can see clearly that it's anxiety and likely innocent but he cannot and I'm sure if was me experiencing that same symptom or whatever I would not be calm and rational!

Do you want to talk about why you're logging your bowels movements and do you need any support with it?

I am so glad to have found this thread and know I'm not alone.
I wish I could find a level of mental peace
as HA consumes my thoughts.
Nothing can be just a cough, it lung cancer.
Small bleed isn't piles, it's colon cancer.

I recently convinced myself I had breast cancer and went down a google rabbit hole researching. I then spiral into imaging my children without their mother. I think
about how I won't be there for life events, and plan to ensure they have everything in place for my inevitable untimely death.

For me, it's like I need to be on high alert to catch 'it' before it becomes terminal. I think if I can control detecting an illness then it makes me feel better.

I feel rather upset writing this as it shows how HA ruins my life.

When rational thoughts come back, I know HA is stopping me from enjoying life.

This is absolutely it summed up perfectly and you're not on your own at all.
No bodily change, symptom or sensation can be just innocent to us because we're trying to catch things early to save ourselves.
I also do this where I imagine my children having to watch me sick/on a death bed and then cope with me dying. I lost my mum when I was 15 and my son has ASD and the thoughts of him living out his life without me is unbearable to me, I've spent so many wasted hours crying about this.

I'm sorry to hear you have been through similar

I had a thyroid problem too ...I had growing nodules and eventually had it removed (had to pay private.) I had to have ultrasounds every couple of years and I honestly think this is one of the things that triggered my health anxiety

Re the results they have said up to six weeks

The gynae that did the procedure apparently wasn't concerned and I've also been told that generally if anything worrying is flagged with the biopsy they contact you within 10-14 days

So I'm trying to focus on that 🙏 but I'm on day 13 and panicking every time my phone rings which is often as I have my own business 😫😫

I go away on holiday next week to the Caribbean and I should be excited but I'm not as I've got this hanging over me 🥺🥺🥺