Health Anxiety & Private Scans

[Blossombo]

Hi all,

I’m a 31 year old female.
I appeared to develop health anxiety after a bizarre event in April this year where I lost my sight in one eye and couldn’t speak whilst at work, I was rushed to hospital suspected stroke etc which turned out to be nothing as in my symptoms slowly retuned over the night I was in hospital and scans were clear of any brain issues so to speak. I was discharged with no follow up (not that I needed any really?).

Since then I have be hyper sensitive about my health. Iv had a mole removed which I fixated on, GP thought it was nothing but referred due to location (on my scalp), dermatologist wasn’t sure so suggested we remove it and test it. The 3 weeks for the results was horrendous, I stopped eating (I always loose my appetite when I’m stressed but it’s usually 2 days tops!) lost about a stone, became very tearful, actual panic attacks (never had these before). Results came through, it was not cancerous but did have potential to turn nasty in the future. Right I’m happy with that it’s gone.

My appetite returned, but eating was painful so went to GP he said I’d damaged my stomach by not eating so prescribed omeprazole, which has stopped the pain so I can eat again.

In this time I fell over the dog gate and really hurt my hip, it doesn’t seem to have healed (feels bruised). - haven’t see a GP for this.

In all this I have managed to convince myself I have MANY different sinister illnesses arising from my symptoms.

Iv started CBT but tbh, it doesn’t really help at the moment.

I’m thinking of paying for a private full body scan to just make sure I’m ok inside? My therapist thinks this won’t help, but I’m struggling with the anxiety of worrying I’m about to die of some terrible illness.

Anyone who understands what I feel, what would you do??

This really sounds like me. I had an event earlier this year where I ended up in a&e with suspected heart attack (I'm only 37), turned out not to be but since then I've had panic attacks, back ache, diarrhoea, convinced myself I had a brain tumour. Lots of tests and all normal but I can't get but worry drs have missed something. My new symptom is pins and needles in arm

I wouldn't.

The issue is your anxiety and the most effective way of dealing with it is the counselling, not "listening" to your fear.
A whole body scan may find something that is a variation of normal and in your current mindset this would cause you more anxiety.

A scan will fix it for a little while. Then the thoughts will creep back.
The only way to deal with this is to focus on something else when you start fixating. Break the cycle of checking symptoms. And never, ever Google. External reassurance will never be enough. You need to do it.
Speaking from experience btw.

There is no single scan that is the ideal modality for imaging the whole body. Several types of scan also need intravenous contrast to be given which exposes you to a risk of allergic reaction (possibly to have a scan that isn’t at all helpful). Not every illness shows up on a scan so a normal scan may be falsely reassuring. Incidental findings (that are anatomic anomalies but still normal for you) may be seen on scans that cause more worry and further investigation than needed (affectionately known as incidentalomas).

@riseandshine830 errgghhh honestly I’m really struggling with this state of mind. I havnt ever had this before so I’m really struggling with it, you have my sympathy. I just wish I could go back a year and be the carefree person i was. Iv always looked after myself, don’t smoke, very active etc I’m reluctant to go on anti anxiety meds in fear the GP will literally just think every other symptom I ever have is due to anxiety. Which the rational side of my brain does know it the likely cause of this. How do you manage day to day?

@williremember this is what has stopped me so far. My mother is medical and she said the same, but think if someone tells me it’s normal (even if it’s odd) then I might be able to manage that.

@Gaaaahhhhhhhh thank you! I have stopped googling as that has scared me completely and definitely given me new ideas about what could be wrong with me.
Did you have CBT or anxiety meds? How do you cope with it?

@Greybeardy yeah this is the only thing that puts me off. Just hard not to know what’s going on if anything. I’m having therapy and I am abit if a control freak so I the thought of having something sinister and not knowing it really doesn’t sit well with me. Plus you hear so many people who go for tests/ scans for one thing that then discover they have something else. It happened to my grandmother, she went for a neck scan for her arthritis and they discovered she had thyroid cancer (that was 10 years ago and she was 70) she is fine now. But it’s strange that they didn’t affect me at all at the time but now I keep referring to that point!

OP just because you pay a private doctor doesn’t mean you can just choose to do any scan you want. That’s not how it works. There still needs to be some kind of medical indication for any test or scan, especially those which expose the patient to radiation, contrast dye, or some other risk (which many of them do.). A private doctor is still going to act in the best interests of the patient and I have to think most doctors would know that scans are not remotely what you need.

Just mentioning it so you can put the idea out of your mind and focus on managing your very real anxiety.

I have had health anxiety for a while. It did get better with CBT and I see a therapist too. I have had a few health scares/issues and my job involves working with death a lot. It's so hard but googling is absolutely one of the worst things to do. It causes so much more anxiety than is good for you! It's the first thing I am tempted to do and I always regret it. I know how hard it is fixating on things and the constant worry of dying is awful. Mine did manifest after my son was born. I have heard this can happen. I understand how you feel about being the carefree person you was before. I want that more than anything too. I have to believe that in time I will become a new and improved version of that person. Hang in there with CBT, practice some mindfulness and don't be hard on yourself. It must have been so scary going into hospital with a suspected stroke x

Going against the grain here, but I think you should have a scan or other total health check, if you want (and can afford) one. The PPs are wrong about the requirement for a medical need for this type of preventative investigation - there are plenty of private health care companies who will arrange scans or tests for you. I had a very bad attack of health anxiety after my mother died and had a full body scan which reassured me that I was boringly normal. I have also used the well woman testing procedures, which usually combine blood tests and scans to deliver a more holistic view of potential health issues. I think sometimes the more you take control of what's worrying you, the easier it becomes to manage your anxiety around it. I still get anxious periods at times, but knowing that I am doing something proactive to monitor my health helps me.

My health anxiety also manifested after my DS was born and I paid for several (specific, not whole body) private scans in that time to confirm that every little twinge I had wasn't cancer. It was very expensive and ultimately not that helpful because I was only reassured for about 2 days before wondering whether they could have made a mistake /whether something had changed.

I didn't find CBT helpful at first, but stick with it and it does get better. Agree with others that refusing to Google and trying to divert yourself when you start obsessing over your health is helpful because it helps to change the pattern of behaviour. I wouldn't say I'm cured, but I'm much better. I've since had a dodgy mole removed and been referred for a lump in my breast, both of which turned out to be fine and completely innocuous, and I coped with the waiting for tests and results quite calmly, whereas before I would have gone into meltdown.

I would speak to your GP, I was offered sertraline but never took it, I did find it helpful speaking to them, though. It also means they're aware of it when speaking to me. My GP surgery are also fantastic and the doctors have been extremely kind even when the anxiety was really bad. Mine was exacerbated by feeling like I couldn't ask them if I was worried about something because I didn't want to waste their time but they were clear that if something was concerning me I should call and almost having that "permission" made it easier for me to cope because I then wasn't stressing about feeling like I shouldn't see them again - and then invariably didn't because actually my symptoms usually went away.

Have you tried acknowledging symptoms and then deciding if they're still there in a week you'll call the GP? I used to do that then put it from my mind. Invariably after a week, the symptoms had gone because I wasn't obsessing over them.

Sounds exactly like me! I have had BC recurrence (3 years after the initial diagnosis) and ever since then I have been extremely anxious about every little twinge/ache/pain. Especially after finishing active treatment (chemo, surgery, radiation). Had an extra bone scan, all fine, but no….

At the moment I am fixating on my armpit where I had lymph nodes removed, cannot tell what’s what and have contacted my BCN to arrange for a physical examination at the breast clinic to do a physical examination.

On top of all this I had blood tests prior to my 6-monthly zoleodronic acid injection, and had a 6-monthly check up with the consultant who confirmed bloods are absolutely fine.

Cue my BCN (breast cancer nurse) yesterday, after I had told her about physical examination, hmm, your liver results are marginally elevated, let’s do another scan (after she talked to my oncologist). She did stress it’s nothing to worry about (in fact, I had similar results before, liver turned out to be fine). mean, you can imagine what the current state of my mind is at the moment. Can’t get appt. with GP practice nurse until 2 Dec., so totally contemplating going private, just so that I don’t have a serious nervous breakdown!

And physical examination yet to be confirmed (date).

I have been seeing a psychologist at Maggie’s since July but I am not sure it has helped that much.

Sympathies.

@balkanscot it sounds like you have been through a lot! I am not surprised you have health anxiety. I think you have to just take things one day at a time. It's so hard when your mind spirals out of control making up scenarios and convincing yourself that your thoughts are exactly what will happen. It's hard to bring yourself back to earth and focus on the moment.

You could book a private health assessment, I know Bupa (for example) do one, which includes 12 months health follow up. Would this help do you think or would it just feed your anxiety?

@Robgem81 it’s honestly the worst feeling. I will stick with the CBT and hope something comes from it. It has literally knocked me for 6. I just want my life back!

@Mistymountain I have considered this, but I have had 10 different blood tests already (for the stomach issue) which all came back normal along with BP etc so not sure what else they could add?

@balkanscot oh my goodness, bless your heart. I cant imagine in your situation the anxiety. I’m pleased you have support from nurses though. It’s such an awful feeling and I do feel more terrible as I haven’t been told I have any serious illness, just scared that I have!

@Puppylucky thank you for your comment, sorry to hear about your mum. I do feel (or am justifying it) as a way of just keeping on top of things. Would you have more or are you happy now with the results and have moved on from that?

I really feel for you op as I have struggled with this for years. I take venlafaxine and accept that I will forever because as soon as I try to come off it the anxiety comes back with a vengeance. This time of year is always worse. Cbt never worked for me either

@Blossombo and @Robgem81 thank you. I feel as though I will waste whatever life I have left after cancer not really living but worrying myself out of my mind. I will keep on doing Headspace courses and keep going to Maggie’s, even though all it seems I want to do is sit in a dark corner with all my worries around me, shaking with fear. Awful feeling.

@balkanscot always here for a chat if ever you need it. You are not alone so many people suffer with health anxiety. But keep going, there is a blue sky above the clouds always xxx

I completely understand in September this year I had an awful headache and then facial paralysis, tingling down one side; stroke like symptoms. I've had a ct scan , lumbar puncture and MRI ande so they've ruled out anything serious but unsure what caused the symptoms. I've become quite twitchy about any odd pains. The joys of google doesn't help. I've found being busy is the best thing thing as it distracts you from fixating on the whatifs.

Google is the devil when it comes to researching symptoms! It really intensified my health anxiety! That must have been so scary for you.

Are they absolutely sure you didn't have a small stroke? I only say this because when my dB had a stroke his symptoms were identical including the massive anxiety.

@Robgem81 honestly, I have searched ways to ban myself from google because it was consuming my life!

@Kikkomam well I think they ruled it out, I had a brain CT scan, MRI and then another MRI with contrast and they said it all came back ok. I also had a load of blood tests including one that’s checks for blood clots and all came back ok. I wasn’t anxious at the time it happened, was happy and carefree until this, then a few weeks after I just started to worry about other things I might have wrong with me. I think it’s because one of the doctors was saying to another doctor, I think she has had a stroke and the other was say we had to rule out other causes. All the nurses and doctors were so lovely and seemed really worried. I was worried I couldn’t speak or see properly but at that time I suppose I was optimist that it would be nothing. Fast forward to now, I get a slight back ache and worry myself silly for days about it!!

@womaninatightspot so sorry to hear you have had similar. One of the things that was mentioned was the fact I had had COVID and I had recently had my 2nd vaccine (about a week before) so they said there was some possibility it could be related to either of those but there isn’t any real research to back it up so couldn’t say for definite.