Health anxiety, really struggling

[Dayseye88]

Hi everyone, I’ve struggled with bouts of health anxiety over the last few years, since the birth of my first daughter. I have been taking sertraline for over a year, with some initial success. Since Christmas 2022 the health anxiety has become a lot worse and I now have ongoing physical symptoms of tiredness, weakness, hives, brain fog and digestive issues. I spend my days in a vicious cycle of feeling anxious, checking symptoms and googling, resulting in higher anxiety and distress. I am so fed up of the way I am living at the moment. I am backwards and forwards to the doctor who has tested my bloods and I am waiting results from two stool samples. I have two young children and every day is a struggle. I just want to go to sleep and not wake up. I have been off work for two days this week, have been offered several sick notes but feel torn as to what to do for the best. I also had to make the impossible decision of terminating a pregnancy at 11 weeks, mainly due to my poor mental health. This was around 5 weeks ago now. :(

Hi Dayseye88, I'm in a similar boat at the moment so know how you feel. Since having my second, and with everything during covid, my health anxiety has peaked at points over the last 1 months. The only think that gives me hope is that I'm being proactive, which is sounds like you are too, and I've seen so many women go through the same and come through it. Really hope you feel a bit better soon x

Hi Isla667, thank you for responding. It is comforting to know that other people struggle with this - sometimes I feel that I am going crazy! I’m so sorry that you are also struggling - it’s so hard isn’t it? Do you get physical symptoms from your anxiety too? If you’d like to chat, I’m happy to private message. Xx

I would say what I have done is to stop googling. I'm not a doctor. Neither is google.

Somethings are just natural to feel I.e tiredness.

Health anxiety is so horrible, I've been there. I'm sorry you're going through this. I lost the first six months or so of DS2 life to it. Just awful, but there is hope.

First off, please try to stop the cycle of symptom checking and reassurance seeking. Also stop googling. You can do this, but it is hard. I found this book really helpful in very significantly improving my health anxiety.

Hello, I have just relapsed into chronic health anxiety after a tricky period. I'm now 2 weeks into taking Citalopram. Is medication something you would consider... alongside therapy?

Hi, I could have written this myself. I’m so sorry you are feeling like this I know how hard it can be! I’ve struggled with health anxiety on and off for a good few years now, but for some reason the last week or two has been terrible. Googling all day. I’m trying to get out and do things every day but I’m still so worried. Started with feeling itchy and having hives come up and then seeing on tik tok itchying is a symptom of cancer! So I’ve been so scared since then. Then I was feeling my neck in the shower last week and I can feel to very little lymph nodes either side of neck and well that just sent me in a frenzy. My lovely partner and mum reassure me every day that it’s not anything to worry about but it’s so hard not to!

Mimi85 - thanks for your message. I am taking sertraline and have been doing for over a year, with some periods of reducing/not taking it. The go recently recommended I come off it, but after going to half dose I have felt a lot worse. I will have a look into citalopram.

mammaitalian - I’m so sorry you’re struggling too. I also struggle with itchy skin and random bouts of hives. This has also worried me! For the last few days I have also been obsessing about nodes on my neck. I am waiting for a phone call from the go today as I have requested a sick note. Lots of love xxx

How are you feeling today?
I’ve spoken to gp today and she’s prescribed some antihistamines for the hives that are safe with breastfeeding and said the lymph nodes in neck are normal because I’ve had a cough and sore throat. She said 4 weeks but I’ve seen they can stay much longer than that! Can you feel your lymph nodes too? Hope you are feeling better today! Xx

Why are you coming off the sertraline? Hopefully your GP can advise if another AD might work better. Do you have a therapist? If not, can you can confide all your deepest worries to a good friend. Sometimes, that offloading can feel so beneficial..

Hi, thanks for asking - I’ve had a better day today (I haven’t cried anyway!). I managed to get out for a couple of walks and have been off Google. I’ve had hives tonight which are annoying. Yes, I can feel a couple of lymph nodes but I have also had a cough and a blocked nose. I am due to speak to the gp tomorrow. I hope you’re feeling a bit better. X

The gp wondered if my physical symptoms were being caused by the sertraline, but reducing the dose has made me feel so much worse so I am going to go back to my normal dose as it must have been doing something! Sertraline is the only AD I have tried x

Sometimes a different AD can help. CBT also really helped me. Avoid Google. Distraction and mindfulness. Exercise and spending time outside can all help.

I wish I didn’t relate to this post but I do. Thankfully after almost a decade of health anxiety I overcame it.

For me, meditating, exercise & seeing a therapist were the only things that really worked! I decided against the medication route.

I hope you feel better soon, OP. Try and stay off of social media/Google for a bit. Distract yourself. Read a book & listen to meditation/music and be kind to yourself!

x

I’m glad you’re feeling better! Yes the hives and itchy skin are the worst for me atm. I hope the gp can help you out, if you want to chat I’m here 🤗

I'm feeling the same at the moment. My health anxiety is through the roof. I don't have any tips at all, but it's encouraging to read that some people have overcome it. I had some lymph nodes up a couple of years ago and ended up seeing an ENT consultant and he was so blasé. He said that Drs are always sending people to him with lymph nodes up and that they can take weeks / months to go down and some never do. I think it's when they grow really fast that it's a worry and especially if there are no other infection symptoms. I really hope speaking to the GP helps and you start to feel a bit better soon :)

Thanks everyone for sharing your experiences and support. It’s encouraging to know I’m not alone with this and that things can get better. Xx

CBT and medication have changed my life completely. Good luck OP.