Lymphoma? Health anxiety? A friendly chat please.

[anxiousnelly]

I'm convinced I have lymphoma.

I have a sore on my hand and it's not going away - a few other symptoms have convinced me that it's to do with lymphoma. Apparently it's a key sign and after Googling an image of it I can see it looks exactly the same.

I've been to the GP and he's said I can have blood tests, although for someone without health anxiety said he probably wouldn't have. I'm getting my test tomorrow but until it comes back I'm going to be a wreck.

I've had a bit of a pain down my right arm, a slightly swollen armpit, one night of night sweats and a very (very) slight nose bleed.

Other than that - and being T1 diabetic - I'm generally well. Not any more tired than other mums with a three and one-year-old and working very long hours.

I'm just not coping and could just do with a couple of people to talk to who understand either lymphoma or health anxiety.

Hi. Just wanted to say that you should stay away from google (easy to say!). Sounds like health anxiety to me (not a medic though). My Dad had Lymphoma and he was nothing like you describe. Night sweats, but completely soaked every night, several times a night and completely exhausted. Glad you are going to get checked out, but I'm sure all will be fine. Take care

Thank you. Is you dad okay now? I hope so. x

I have health anxiety and when I had a similar scare (it was nothing!!) I couldn't cope with the wait for results and saw my GP who have me v v low dose of diazepam which was amazing for my mental health in the week waiting for results. I also got referred for CBT as I'm determined to beat this anxiety.

www.ntw.nhs.uk/pic/selfhelp/
The above address is a link to some very useful reading. There are PDFs for both health and general anxiety and are very good and will back up any CBT or give you a head start while the appointment comes through.

Thank you both. This is total bullshit. Have been here before so many times but, of course, this time it 'it'.

Anxiousnelly, I am also going through Health Anxiety! Actually, mine is pretty severe. Right now I think I've got Bowel Cancer! Last week I had breast cancer. A few months ago I also thought I had Lymphoma.
It's a never ending cycle of illnesses and a constant need to visit 'Dr Google'.
But the truth is, there is nothing wrong with you and me. It's all in our heads and our minds are pretty powerful tools. The constant worry is giving us all these symptoms, the sweating, muscle tension, headaches and soooooo many more!
I truly wish we could snap out of it but it's so much easier said than done! I've also got Iatrophobia, so it's a lot more stressful.

I've tried to limit my googling now so feel better for it.

I truly think you're fine. You would really know if it was something serious.

Antidepressants have cured me of my health anxiety. I feel like a different person. And now I feel better I realise I was actually depressed for many years.

health anxiety sufferer hear to ...Demaz you sound just like me ...

Right then. Results are back and bloods are normal.

However...I've Googled amd this can be the case in early stages of lymphoma.

I now have an aching in my neck and where lymph noes generally are.

So. Should I leave this alone, ignore the discomfort and chalk it up to psychosomatic symptoms?

Or keep going back and back to the docs.

I just don't know what to do.

DeMaz It's so awful isn't it? How did the doctor thing start then do you think> And your HA in general?

InSpace Tell us your story.

Nelly

1. I have never heard of lymphoma presenting with a sore in the hand
2. Lymphoma doesn't cause 'aches' where the lymph nodes sit but causes them to swell (often significantly)

If your GP couldn't feel any swollen glands then it is highly unlikely you have lymphoma.

Hope you feel better soon.

I was very similar to you- always convinced I was in the early stages of cancer/ heart disease/ ms, terrified about my children, always unhappy. This has gone on for years and years. I became so unhappy with it all and didn't want to live like that any more. Dr agreed I suffer from an anxiety disorder and prescribed Prozac which has worked really well for me. No one should have to live like that.

And for what it's worth OP, I'm pretty sure you don't have lymphoma

I could have written your post. I had a lump in my neck a couple of months ago which turned out to be a swollen gland due to my ear piercing being infected.

Ever since then I'm checking my neck constantly, and have aches and pains all over my neck. I also worry about night sweats (once, on the hottest night of the year when my long hair was down and got all sweaty)

I know it's stupid, the doctor has reassured me, but my dad died from lymphoma years ago, and his symptoms were a really really swollen neck, weight loss and extreme night sweats. Not really the same at all, he didn't have any pain or anything, it was my mum who noticed his neck before he did.

Just wanted to hand hold and let you know you are not alone, I can't stop these feelings of fear, even though I'm on fluoxetine. I'm due to start CBT at the end of the month so hoping that helps

Minion what dose of prozac/ fluoxetine are you on? 20mg didn't help me at all, so dr doubled it to 40mg which worked like magic. You can go up to 60 if necessary.

minion it's bizarre isn't it? In one way I think the aches have to be 'something'. Surely actual aches can't be psychosomatic...can they?!

I think we make things ache by constantly checking them/ turning our heads a funny way to check our neck/pulse/whatever

Aches can be psychosomatic. In depression they are known as somatic symptoms and are fairly common. Please remember that if you rub your neck for instance it will likely make it hurt worse! And also neck muscles are one of the worst things for getting tense and hurting like hell if you are anxious about something! That usually then leads to headaches and lack of sleep which can trigger all sorts of other funnies.

I could write the book on neck tension headaches...

Aches can be psychosomatic. In depression they are known as somatic symptoms and are fairly common. Please remember that if you rub your neck for instance it will likely make it hurt worse! And also neck muscles are one of the worst things for getting tense and hurting like hell if you are anxious about something! That usually then leads to headaches and lack of sleep which can trigger all sorts of other funnies.

I could write the book on neck tension headaches...

Oops. Bloody tablet! Sorry about the duplicate...

The doctor thinks this is still PND, albeit a more 'mainstream' form. Can anyone shed light on how anxiety ties in with depression because I've never really been able to understand this? I know they are both mental health issues but why the same thing when they feel so different?

I'm no expert, but I know anxiety DOES go hand in hand with depression. Dunno why

I have anxiety and I can absolutely say with certainty that I can invent aches by simply focussing on one area of my body and believing it hurts

I'm on 40mg of fluoxetine. It was working fine, until that bloody neck lump and ever since My anxiety has been at peak level. If it doesn't improve soon I might see about increasing my dosage.

Not helping the fact I feel totally exhausted and light headed today, I always jump to the worst possible case scenario

Minion I'd definitely try to increase or switch