Worried sick

[OneBrightLilacViewer]

Hi all

I will start that I am absolutely riddled with health anxiety. Have been for quite a number of years. I am waiting on chest X-ray results for collarbone shoulder and arm pain. Which seems to be getting worse the more I worry. I got the X-ray 8 days ago and still no results. I am worried sick. Do you think if something was seen I would have been called by now?

Yes you’d have been contacted. Phone and ask for your results. Many soft tissue related injuries can only be seen on an MRI for example if it’s tendon related it could easily affect these areas just from one tendon, that may be your next step. Interestingly the meds they had me on when I tore a shoulder tendon (which caused pain across the shoulders, front of my chest and arm) were a mix of pain killers (nerve and muscular) and anxiety meds to help me rest properly as they said that tension can make the pain worse. Maybe that is why your anxiety is making things seem worse? You could ask your GP for some anxiety meds whilst you’re waiting for the results?

Thanks so much for your response. It’s really helped. It’s lonely feeling this scared of scan results. I’ve been here many times waiting for different results over the years and I’m trying to have rational thoughts but sometimes it’s hard. I emailed the GP yesterday and they got back to me saying they hadn’t received the report back yet. I am just hoping that no news is good news! Yes I think anxiety meds are needed as this seems to be a pattern for me now. Every couple of months I seem to be suffering with a new set of symptoms that scare me into thinking the worst! I don’t like wasting the time of doctors and getting scan after scan but it’s the only thing that seems to give me any relief is by getting the all clear. I have spoken to two different councillors about this before but I didn’t get any relief from this horrendous health anxiety. The symptoms are always so real that I always think this time I’m definitely sick.

Turns out no news was good news. Results came back normal! I felt immediate relief. However I had tonsillitis two weeks ago which was treated with antibiotics and it seems to have come back again today. I’m exhausted. And my throat is in so much pain. I’m thinking this might be a reaction to all the mental stress I put myself through waiting on the scan results