Any doctors about? Am so anxious about symptoms...

[MarriedtotheMod]

...I'm on the verge of going to A&E because I'm having severe anxiety but I don't want to add to their work load when they are so over stretched. I've had slight back ache on my left said for a few weeks but yesterday I woke up with lower back ache from my coccyx up to my mid back. A quick Google has left me seriously worried I may have cancer. I was told I had ibs a couple of years ago and also have internal hsemorhoids but am so worried with this new back ache that it's all been misdiagnosed. I do suffer from anxiety which is why I don't want to rush in somewhere and exasperated them, but if anyone could help me I'd be very grateful as I'm utterly bloody terrified. I'm trying to tell myself it's muscular, or to do with my posture but I'm failing to convince myself.

Poor you. I would wait until tomorrow and then get an urgent appointment with your GP. What you describe is not an A&E case…..

If your primary problem is slight back ache, do not go to a&e, however if your anxiety symptoms are causing you sever problems then maybe a&e is the answer.

If you really think you have cancer A & E is not the place for you, contact your dr on Monday morning.

DO NOT USE DR GOOGLE

What I would do is make an appointment with an osteopath, they would be able to tell you if there is something soft tissue or mechanical going on. If there is the tension from your anxiety will be making it worse.

You could also make an appointment with your GP to discuss your concerns and ask for a referral and also to discuss trying to deal with your anxiety either through medication and/or counselling?

It sounds like sciatica, take some pain killers (ibuprofen if you can take it) and see if it helps. See gp tomorrow and don't Google illnesses, every single ailment comes up as cancer.

Google diagnosis usually lead to cancer especially if you are an anxious person. So you can ditch the google and be cured of cancer :)

See your GP on Monday. A&E is not the place to deal with anxiety IBS or internal haemorrhoids.

Thank you. Am kicking myself for googling, but an trying to console myself with the thought that quite a few people with ibs report back ache with it. I think I'll wait till tomorrow to see GP but am so incredibly scared. Can't stop shaking and heart rate is through the roof.

You sound really upset, but it's a huge leap to imagine cancer at this stage. I regularly have tension and pain in my coccyx and back, and it's because I am hyper mobile and my sacro ileac joints become jammed up, putting my hips out of alignment. I really recommend a physio or osteo for the back pain and a visit to the GP to discuss the anxiety - a combined approach should help. No need for A&E :)

If you can take ibuprofen, as suggested by Blizzard - I would. If its a back problem (as opposed to anything more serious), then a dose of that may help you. Take it every 4 hours or whatever it says on the packet, and see how you go.

Then see your GP tomorrow.

Go out for a walk Married - or something - turn OFF the computer and do something else. Even if it is cancer - really it's a teeny weeny tiny risk - you can't do anything about it today. You have anxiety (probably) NOT cancer, the computer isn't helping you luv.

Thanks all of you for the speedy replies (and the hug!) Really appreciated. My DH will be really unimpressed when he wakes up to find I've been up googling since 5am! Really hoping for sciatica then...

We're a "medical" family in that dh is a GP with loads of A&E/OOH experience (in fact, he's there right now!).

Unless you think you need an urgent admission, wait and see GP on Monday. They can refer much more appropriately (including having local knowledge of which is the best nearby hospital to use! I was taken badly ill 2 years ago, dh took me to the 3rd closest hospital - as it was the best!)

In the meantime? Hot water bottle? Heatpack? If you think it sibs type symptoms I'd not take much, but if it's muscular, ibuprofen might help?

Hope all ends up ok after your appointment.

(And yes - a huge NO to Dr Google. He is NOT your friend!)

(I think what also hasn't helped is investigating my family history and discovering two of my great grandmothers died relatively young of bowel/stomach cancer! )

Please try not to worry. When I had a stomach problem I tried Goolgling the symptoms in lots of different ways...all led to cancer. When I went to the GP he diagnosed a stomach acid problems.

Delete the Google search from your mind and see your GP. I hope all goes well.

Do you have a hot water bottle? Lie down with some heat on it. I am a slave to my rubbish back. So many people have back problems. But it's also the case that worry makes pain more acute. Try to calm yourself down - can you distract yourself with a film / book / bank statement?

With ibs you may have a tendency to have weak core muscles therefore you will have back pain. And internal grapes definitely give you back ache. Stay away from onions or chillies...I get horrendous back pain after eating those and have to take codeine to ease it.
Do you have meds for your anxiety? Maybe the appointment should be a double one so that you can address that too?

I have some beta blockers knocking about, might take one with some ibuprofen and see how it goes. Long walk with the dog and a hot bath as well I think.

I've taken ads twice in my life but both times the first couple of weeks sent my anxiety through the roof and have me panic attacks. The thought of having to go through it again makes me (predictably!) anxious.

i totally sympathise with how you feel , i suffer with health anx and am on another thread on here ...
everyone has given you good advice,
hope you get an appt with your GP tomz and your mind put at rest .

i suffer IBS and when bad do get back pain to at times .nice soak in hot bath and onesie on and some chocolate see if that helps :-)