All sorts of weird symptoms. Feeling panicky.

[MollyCoddle]

I've worked myself into a state about various niggles and twinges and I am now too scared to go to the blimming doctor. I am practically having a panic attack about it right now - fast heart, sweaty palms etc.

I've been getting this weird rib pain for about a year. It started out as a tickly sensation under my right nork in the last few months of being pg, and I put it down to some sort of nerve thing cos of the stretching. But now it's more painful. It's spread round to my back and my ribs sometimes feel tender when I press them. I think it's because I tend to lie in odd positions when DS is in bed with us, but I'm freaking that it's Something Worse.

I am now also getting a pain behind my eyes. It's like when you've eaten too much icecream. There is also an area on my forehead (above my eyebrow)which triggers the eye pain if I press on it. I've had it for about two weeks. I mentioned it to DH and he said he's had something similar a few months ago. He thinks it's either a virus or wisdom tooth related.

I also have a mole which I'm convinced has grown. It was always quite big (over 3mm), but I think it's a bit bigger now. It doesn't look weird in any other way though. It's on my back in a tricky to see area, so I'm not sure of I'm imagining that it's grown. Are there any benign reasons for a mole to grow?

I am totally preoccupied by my weirdy pains etc. Can't stop thinking dreadful thoughts.

I know I should just go to the doctor....but the thought is literally making me hyperventilate.

ok if your ds is sleeping with you are you really getting enough sleep?

cos you sound - in panic terms, not in symptoms - exactly like I was until dd2 was about 18 months and finally sleeping through in her own room

go to your gp, and if you are really having trouble with health anxiety, you can get cognitive behaviour therapy for it (I am having that)

but a lot, god a hell of a lot, of pain, oddness, panic, headache, achiness, god knows what else, can be put down to long term sleep deprivation. Even if you are only getting an hour less than you need per night, it adds up over time and sends you loopy

MollyCoddle - you poor thing. The thing is though, you can actually make symptoms worse just by thinking about them and panicking. I have done it myself. I identify with the hyperventilating thing - on one occasion I even made myself sick.

I had CBT for health anxiety - it really helped me

Sleep is definitely an issue at the moment. DS is teething and has been waking up several times in the night for the last week or so. And even before that he was frequently waking once during the night and coming into the bed with us.

And once he is in bed with us, although he usually falls asleep quite quickly, I do tend to sleep in odd positions.

My Mum, sister and brother have all had anxiety issues, so I suppose I might have a tendency towards it too.

It sounds familiar - my mum gets it too, and other members of my family. I hope you can try to get it under control. I would go to the GP and I would not really be able to explain my symptoms...it is a hard cycle to break.

the first thing my cbt counsellor said was 'go and get some sleep'

before he actually got into any of my anxiety issues he sent me off and told me to go to bed at 9-9.30pm every night for a fortnight (and I wasn't even having broken nights at the time!)

it was amazing how much more perspective I suddenly had on my madness

just try to be kind to yourself for a while - get one of those cheesy relaxation tapes, get your dh/dp to run the dishwasher/ tidy up/ whatever you do before you finally go to bed, and just spend a fortnight trying to get yourself a lot more sleep

then you can go to your gp and you'll have less chance of sounding like a complete loon

Mollycoddle, are you me?

Honestly, you really could be. I'm absolutely paranoid about all the things you've spoken about. So, heres some perspective from a fellow coddler.

Your head pain - tension headaches, especially cos of the pressing thing.

The mole, it doesnt sound like a problem to me, im the same, i check mine obsessively. But, i think you are looking for itchiness, scabs etc, obviously if it grown to the extent that it looks like an alien is trying to fight its way out, get it checked.

The rib pains? are they severe? The only reason i ask is for two reasons. Firstly, ive had gallstones, fecking painful, but they can be completely silent only throwing up really weird symptoms. One of the symptoms of gallstones is pain under the right rib, spreading to the back - im not suggesting this is the case but if it is, its easy to sort out. Do you suffer from a lot of indegestion?

My doctor said to me once, one day when i told her i was about to die from a fairly inoccuous symptom!! "We ALL have aches and pains throughout the day, sometimes something brings it to our attention and we attach to much significance to it and it plays on our mind, otherwise we dont even remember it" Just a thought.

I just had a mole removed from my back, GP said they often grow during pregnancy.

Thank you all for your lovely posts. You've really helped.

Lucyellensmum - that's interesting about the gallstones. I had a scan about 2 years ago due to upper right abdominal pain (I was diagnosed years ago with mild Crohn's disease) and they did specifically mention that they were looking for gallstones. Apparently Crohn's makes me more susceptible to them. I haven;t noticed any indigestion recently....but no doubt will now! Gah!

And lol at your mole description!

Thanks again all. I'm off to bed now