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Hello All, I'm new here from Ontario, Canada. I am 46 years old, male and single. I'm a long time health anxiety sufferer. I'm here to help and get some support when necessary. I've had long bouts of fears of MS, Lung and Esophageal Cancers and lately ALS (the mother of all diseases for HA sufferers). I was on anziety zone but it seemed to shut down. I'm happy I found a similar space to share experiences. Thanks

Hello, I suffer from health anxiety and panic disorder. I have read posts on this site as a non-member. Felt it was time to join. Thank you for all the support.

Hello again, I got my Bloods back and everything is normal except for my white blood cells which are 0.9 under but the Nurse said not to worry about that at all as it just means infection which is probably from the virus I had. And it's not a dramatic drop or raise. So that's that. At the minute I've got back ache, stomach cramps (on and off and nothing to do with Cycle) and neck ache. The worst bit is my middle to lower back. Just aches. I'm worried because I don't know what it is. Women will understand that you get Stomach Cramps and Back Pain with periods but I finished Six days ago so that doesn't explain it. At one point I worried I had endometriosis but the doctor didn't think so. I just don't know why it's all aching. Not sure what I'm asking for here. Just curious and worried. Thanks in advance, Olivia.

Hello! I'm a 25 (almost 26) year old graduate student studying mental health counseling, currently in my second semester. I also have spent most of my life dealing with GAD, as well as Health Anxiety for the past six years or so. I started my grad program in September (after moving across the country for it) and have noticed an increase in my health anxiety for sure, probably as a response to all of the stress I'm facing with school, and moving, and being away from my family. I try to find ways to distract myself from worrying about perceived symptoms, by talking with friends (either about what I'm anxious about or something separate), going for walks, or playing music. But in the recent months, it has still be very distracting and at times very distressing. I can worry about a lot of different things about my body (sometimes heart problems, blood clots, cancer, etc) but in the recent months it has mostly been around my reproductive health and urinary health. Hoping to connect with others on the ways they live with GAD, Health Anxiety, or both, and to share the ways we all work towards having a better relationship with our anxiety. I'm also currently working on a paper for a class defending the presence of Health Anxiety Disorder in the DSM-5, and am hoping to hear from other people about their stories to include (with their consent of course) about what their experiences have been with Health Anxiety, what it was like to receive a diagnosis of it, etc, etc. Thank you! Happy to be a part of this.

View r/HealthAnxiety in the app because you deserve the best. CONTINUE or go to the mobile site r/HealthAnxiety Anxiety about having a brain tumor u/griffame For about a week between feb 22 and march 2 I was experiencing what I think were mostly intermittent tension headaches that responded to medicine when I took it (although I didn't always take it because the pain wasn't that bad - mostly just annoying). Sometimes I had random pains in my head that were not tension. The ones I remember he most were just dull aches over either side of my eye, kind of off to the side though, and they never occurred at the same time on both sides. It was either one side or the other. I also would very infrequently get sharp shooting pains in front of my right ear but they never lasted long. I also one day experienced a really sharp and kind of shocking pain that started behind my ear and shot down to my shoulder. It didn't make me cry out or anything but it just kind of shocked me for a second and then sent me into full blown panic attack. I have been experiencing some difficulties with reading and finding my words. The reading is more alarming than the speaking, as I think I just focus on how often I get caught on my words too much, but sometimes it takes me a couple times to read things to really get them, and I keep doing that thing where you think it says one thing and then it says another, but I just feel like I am doing it constantly? I don't know. I worry occasionally about my memory too, but nothing too alarming has happened. For example, this morning I was reading an article and I couldn't remember if the woman's name was Erin or Emma even though I'd skimmed past it 2 or 3 times. I also have issues with what I think is brain fog Ive had a lot of neck pain lately. It's been over two weeks, but is definitely like a stiff/sore neck kind of pain rather than a more concerning pain. I think it is consistent poor posture during the day and a lack of support when sleeping, but here I am catastrophizing again. I just recently had a basic (not very in depth) neurological exam after complaining about my headaches - she checked sight, balance and coordination, muscle movement, reflexes, and everything was normal. She did not seem to concerned about my headaches and said they were most consistent with tension headaches. Just encouraged me to take medicine if I felt like i needed it instead of waiting for them to get worse. The neck pain and the headaches were pretty simultaneously, and I spent a better part of the 72 hours before the headaches started sitting in bed with my back propped up against pillows, head craned and looking at my laptop. Do you think I maybe hurt my neck while sitting like that, and that could've caused the headaches? I have been almost completely headache free for about a week ago but the neck pain is still there.

Hello, about a month ago I decided to look up what causes muscle twitches because for years I will get them in my arms, legs, just about everywhere but never that noticeable. It scared me so much that I would wake up drenched in sweat in the middle of the night or not be able to sleep. Of course I started twitching everywhere often at the same time and every small movement was a reminder of how potentiall ill I could be. I even went to the emergency room one night with heart palpatations and high blood pressure but nothing was found and they've just suggested stress. Followed up with primary care doctor who also suggested stress and a neuro who said the diseases I most feared did not present they way I was describing my symptoms. Fast forward a month the twitching is 90% better, the jerks before falling asleep have gone away, and I was able to sleep without the help of a sleep aid. However over the last 2 days I've noticed that my index fingers on both hands are trembling. You really have to look but if I hold a glass of water you can see the water buzz. Is it possible these are the last physical remnants of my anxiety/stress. I dont even notice the trembling as I type or do things only when I hold out my hand outstretched and look. It's been a very difficult month with every thought about suffering and my family coming into my head. Just as I thought it was over this finger thing pops up. Any advice or help would be appreciated.

Hello, I recently changed jobs, felt lost in my new job, someone in my new job tried to get me in trouble by lying about me, dad had a heart scare on Christmas, have been second guessing myself about everything, worried about family, mom has MS and depression. A lot has been on my mind lately. I have always twitched either in my legs or arms especially in my biceps. One night I'm laying in bed and decide to google muscle twitching. Well, what comes up ALS. Most of the posts I've read say that weakness preceeds twitching in ALS patients(which I haven't experienced at all) but sure enough I work myself up to this state of what if and does this mean etc. I keep googling and often read the same posts that convince me my demise is iminent or that I'm just being silly. I even try rephrasing symptoms in different ways and keep getting the same results. Most point to me just being silly and guess what? That night as I'm reading I start twitching more in my legs, arm, face, lips, neck, chest, buttocks everywhere. This was about 3 weeks ago and there are nights where I can't sleep. I keep telling myself this isn't logical but I can't turn off my mind.I've become hypersensitive and everytime I feel anything resembling a twitch a wave of despair comes over me. Any advice? I keep telling myself that I'm not the age, no other symptoms have manifested, I've always twitched, ALS is rare etc but what if keeps coming into my mind. Now, I feel hypersensitive to everything.

I WILL NO LONGER GOOGLE MEDICAL CONDITIONS, NEVER, EVER AGAIN. So here's my long story.....I've always been prone to health anxiety but pretty much had it under control while on various SSRI's. Earlier this year I thought that I could manage without the meds, so I weaned off cymbalta. After a few months I realized that I was utterly miserable again so after consulting my doctor we gave Wellbutrin a try.... Big mistake! It did nothing but exacerbate my anxiety level. While peaking at the heightened anxiety I was scrolling on my Facebook page and sure enough, there it was, an article on the dreaded skin c****r! A young woman who had several skin c****rs in her face removed and I thought, oh boy, I've got some spots like that on my face! So I google skin c****rs and see pictures of people with basal cell c****r whose faces are literally half taken off. Now mind you, I am very careful about getting to a dermatologist at least every few years for a skin exam, and I had just been to one a little over a year ago with the "all clear". I thought he mentioned something about the small raised flesh colored spots on my forehead but didn't make too much of it. So after googling, I figure it could be the benign, common "sebaceous hyperplasia" which is enlargement of oil glands, or in my mind, it's more likely skin c****r. So my stomach jumps into my mouth and the terror starts.....I immediately make an appointment with a different dermatologist for two and a half weeks out...ugh. So in the meantime I do more googling and find articles on sebaceous carcinoma and think omg maybe that's what I have. I saw a picture of a sebaceous tumor in an eyelid and realize I've got a small whitish bump inside my lower eyelid...so I make an appointment with the eye doctor. Thankfully I get to see the eye doctor quickly, and he reassures me that I do not have sebaceous gland c****r. Throughout all of this I have barely eaten, slept, and my home and work life are suffering. So a few weeks ago (I feel like I've been living a nightmare for the past six weeks) I go to my PCP in the midst of a panic attack and told her that I had to get off the Wellbutrin....we decide to try Prozac and Xanax for short term use. Well, the Prozac has done a number on me, making my anxiety increase tenfold (I do realize that start up anxiety is common with SSRI's but this was unbearable)... So....back to the PCP and now I've switched to Lexapro for the last week (I had luck on it several years ago, but I'm still in the midst of the start up anxiety). in the course of this I went to the new dermatologist for a skin c****r screening and she gives me the all clear, and confirms the spots on my face are sebaceous hyperplasia which can be removed for cosmetic reasons (I've since gone back to have them zapped off for peace of mind). And here's a clincher.....when I was at the dermatologist I pointed out a spot on my calf where I had (probably stupidly) removed a mole fifteen months ago by using apple cider vinegar...essentially you apply the vinegar on the spot, it scabbed and fell off, all that's left is a light pinkish scar. Granted, I had had the mole checked by a few doctors, including the dermatologist I visited right before I did it, and he told me it was normal. When the latest dermatologist looked at the spot which is now a scar, she said it was fine. I had been terrified in the height of my latest health anxiety and again, I did some googling and saw some references that you could cause c****rous changes by doing what I did....OMG!!!! After my dermatologist appointment I felt relieved....everything was okay....until I get back to work and while sitting at my desk I start getting pains in that same leg, which I've now had for the last three weeks. My rational mind is telling me it's sciatica, as it radiates down the back of the leg and I've had it years ago in the other leg. My irrational mind tells me it's skin c****r spreading in the leg from my applee cider removal. When I made a second visit to the dermatologist to have my forehead things zapped, I tell her about my concern and she assures me that it was a benign growth I removed on my leg and I couldn't have caused c****r into the cells or bloodstream. My PCP also told me that. That would have reassured any rational person, but I decided that I wanted further confirmation that I created no damage, so now I have literally paid money to visit several online doctors (dermatologists and even an oncologist) to send them pictures of my scar and ask whether there is any possibility that I could have introduced c****r into my body that just cannot be seen on the surface. Essentially, they all confirmed that the application of apple cider vinegar to remove what was a benign lesion (if it was c****rous or dangerous the vinegar wouldn't have removed it) could not create c****rous changes or metastasis into the body (even if it had been c****rous). Can you believe I did this with five doctors online??? I figured I guess there's no price tag for peace of mind. Although, one of the doctors did say that it would be a rare phenomenon for that to happen but it is possible....ugh...did not sleep last night after hearing that. Thankfully, I did my FINAL consult tonight with a wonderful dermatologist out of New York who put my mind at ease. i guess I need to attribute this exacerbated health anxiety to my medication mash-ups and I hope and pray that I reach stability once the Lexapro kicks in at full effect (I do not like having to take Xanax daily as I have been, I do not want to become dependent). By way of background, I've dealt with fibromyalgia and chronic fatigue since my twenties (I'm 49 now) and have had mishaps throughout the years being told that I have probable multiple sclerosis, primary pulmonary hypertension with a two year span (that was ten years ago). For some reason, I do not remember falling into this degree of anxiety back with those episodes......I was stable on an SSRI at those times. Thanks everyone for listening to my long and crazy hypochondriacal story....I'm sure that some, if not many, of you can relate.

Hello everyone.....I hope everyone is doing as well as we all can be today ? I'm not sure whether I'm actually "allowed" to endorse books here, but I wanted to share a wonderful book and resource that I've been reading in an effort to understand and cope with my health anxiety. The book's title is "Worried Sick? The Exaggerated Fear of Physical Illness" by Frederic Neumann, MD. So far it's a wonderful read and resource, authored by a doctor who has experienced health anxiety himself.

I thought I had left it in my past after suffering debilitating month long anxiety attacks about having ALS, HIV, some sort of bird flu and a few others. And at the moment I feel utterly convinced I have a brain tumour. My symptoms are as follows: - trouble recalling the right word or name of a colleague - constant brain fog and headaches (seven weeks going now) headaches are relieved with ibuprofen - occasional ringing in my ears - constant post nasal drip down the back of my throats despite no blocked nose I've been to a doctor who gave me numerous cognitive and neurological tests. All of which I passed perfect. He's booked me in for a blood test and an MRI. However due to the holiday season I'm unable to get these tests done for a week and a bit. All I can do is sit in my room and obsessively read threads of brain tumour stories and initial symptoms having a mild panic attack every time I find one that matches my symptoms. Has anyone else suffered from this and can you offer any advice?

Hello, I'm Jim from Virginia. I want to give a big "Thank You" to the owners and creators of Anxiety Central. I find it very difficult to discuss my health anxiety with people who don't experience it or understand it, and this forum gives me a chance to speak with many others who will not just tell me "You are 30 years old, why are you worrying about c****r?". Thank you! -Jim

Where do I start? I'm a first time user of any type of forum ever. Basic details as follows: male, mid 20's, registered nurse, anxiety since as long as I can remember with the worst being health related anxiety. The short version leading up to today: My wife left me in September which was a shock to me, I spent October in a deep depression, early November had a few episodes of SVT which I was hospitalized for and by mid November when I moved back in with my parents, all hell broke loose. I was having episodes of SVT almost daily and during those times I felt awful (near syncope, throat tight, short of breath, pounding heart of course, and dizziness/lightheadedness). It continued for a little bit but it eventually stopped bothering me once I realized I was triggering it with my anxiety. After that though, the dizziness continued on for a while. Actually the dizziness is still sort of there but not to the extreme it was at at all.So the second week of November I moved back in with my parents and that's when it all began. I felt as though I had a sinus infection of sorts within the first week of being here, but a weird one at that if that's even what it was. I had headaches everyday but not in the usual sinus regions and a constant pressure type feeling in my head. My ears were super full and my hearing was very muffled, it's still not all the way better but it's a far cry from what it was. Increased post nasal drip, etc. and what I can only describe as brain fog which isn't all the way better either but much better than where it started. I was forgetful and my short term memory sucked, that scared me the worst because I just didn't feel like myself but at this point my mental clarity is coming back. I would also get these weird shots of tingling with lightheadeness and the tingling would happen anywhere in my body multiple times a day, a lot of it occurred on the left side of my head and face split right down the middle to the left which only lasted a few seconds and would fade, never true numbness. Those were most of my symptoms with that and some still persist, and now let's move on to present day. Probably the beginning of December I still had some of the aforementioned symptoms like the occasional dizziness and brain fog but now I started to have muscle twitches. At first it was just in my right calf with some in my left. Then it was both. Then it was my calves, thighs, and occasionally above my waist at random spots like my abdomen, some in my back, neck, face, tongue, eye. The twitching has died down a bit since it started which I guess? I'm going to attribute to starting to take magnesium and b12. That or it's a coincidence that it slowed during the time that I took those, idk. My muscles cramp and feel stiff as if I had been doing squats all day long and I hadn't done a thing. I remember having my girlfriend stretch out my foot one night because the arch of my foot got that bad. The cramping is now lesser but the stiffness is still there especially when I walk I can feel it in my calves mostly. When walking down stairs my legs tremble with every step. I have a more noticeable essential tremor in my hands especially my right. Now my right wrist to hand is very tight and my right hand feels very tight and not as limber as my left. My writing is becoming messy and weird things just keep happening in general. I've had a head and neck cta which was negative, brain MRI negative, past lumbar MRI years ago that showed I don't have a disc at L5-S1 with degeneration moving upward, chest ct negative, abdomen ct negative, echo good, ekg fine outside of isolated svt, basic blood work good. I recently saw my GP who thought the muscle stuff was electrolytes that were off but they were fine and laughed at me when I asked if it could be ALS saying "you can't think like that man, even if it was what can you do about it?" And that was it. Really comforting. Anyway, I'm depressed now because I know deep down that I don't have long left on this earth and I won't be able to live a full long life. I know that I'm going to die soon and it will be because I have ALS. All I do all day is drive myself crazy with reading about ALS and reading stories of it. Literally that's all I do I can't get myself to do anything else. Down time at work? Reading about ALS. Not with my girlfriend? Reading about ALS. Day off? You get the point. Looking for some encouraging words to help me through my last days here on earth although I know (or at least pretty much know based on odds) that I won't be dead tomorrow, but I am convinced fully that I only have a couple years left at best. Thanks for your time and understanding.

Hey everybody! Brand new to this site, however, somewhat long time health anxiety sufferer. I would say I have suffered on and off for about 10yrs now. Unfortunately, I am now suffering from a resurgence of it. My current fear is a brain tumor (I have feared many other diseases in the past). I've had numerous symptoms over the year. Most have gone away. I do have ringing in both ears, which I believe is from my jaw (which is tight quite regularly, and can feel like its off center). Doctors have yet to confirm this. It has been going on for about seven years, with various intensities. I have been to the ENT twice for it. As of course, I believed it was caused by an acoustic neuroma. In both meetings, we did the audio tests and she didnt't seem too concerned. So I just decided to live with it and my health anxiety got better. There was a passing late stage lyme disease fear, but that subsided. About 4wks ago, I fell back into a bed and got kinda dizzy and it really hasn't left me. It got worse after what I assume was an anxiety attack (don't get them very often). Its kinda hard to describe because it feels like my head is being weighed down, and I feel I'm going to fall down. I seems to occur mostly when I move my head or get up from a laying position. It also feels like I have tension in the back of my head too. I have been feeling very off balance. I've been to the doctor twice for it. One said I had vertigo and prescribed antivert but that didn't seem to work. Then my PCP said it was allergies because she saw fluid behind my ear drum and prescribed flonase which also didn't seem to work. However while I was meeting with her, I told her about the ringing and the two ENT visits. She scheduled an MRI with no contrast to ease my worries (which worries me), that will take place on Christmas Eve. Earlier, this week I asked her about the dizziness which is still there and she said there is nothing more she can do for me, and that maybe I should go to a neurologist (which worried me). However, she doesn't think is necessary per say but that it could help (which worries me). So over the weeks, I have though I have a brain tumor (I'm 28 btw). It could be an acoustic neuroma, or maybe claustoma (spelled wrong), or maybe something malignant. Please help.

Hello everyone.I am freaking out. Please feel free to read my other posts as you will better understand where I am coming from. I normally go to the bathroom within a half hour of waking up in the morning usually around 5:15AM. Today, Sunday, I went at my normal time, but also went again around 10AM which I almost never do. Over the past few weeks once in a while it will happen where I go a second time like today. I am freaking out because my grandpa on my moms side died at 61 of CC and my old boss at 35 which I know is not common. My mom was negative for it, but I am scared!!!!

Hi, so I'm new here and I've read some posts talking about some of the same things that I've been experiencing and seeing as i regularly convince myself that I'm dying I figured it might do me some good to reach out. I'm 21 years old and i noticed recently that I've had some changes in my bowel habits ranging from constipation to passing more gas than usual (though i might just be hyper aware of my gas making it seem like more) but these symptoms seem to come and go as for the past couple of days I've been able to pass stool regularly and i haven't passed a significant amount of gas, but it could return, I don't know. Today i noticed little specks of red and black in my stool and it scared the hell out of me, and before i scare myself to much I'm wondering if they weren't caused by something i had eaten because I've recently eaten black beans, and green chili (which contains tomatoes). of course my fear is that i have colon c****r and of course i consulted Dr. Google (stupid idea, i know) considering my diet and the changes in my bowel habits being infrequent am i right in worrying myself? or am i freaking out about nothing? I apologize if talking about bowel habits comes across as a joke post, It's not intended to be, I am very sincere in my fears about my health.

I don't know how everyone else feels, but I get really fed up when I'm trying my best to relax and chill out (which is a challenge for me lately) watching t.v., and every other commercial is a pharmaceutical company pushing their latest drug for x,y, and z diseases. I'm really trying to keep my distance from that health related stuff. My favorite is the latest one for some type of c****r, with the actors in it singing "the sun will come out tomorrow....". Ugh......

Hi Everyone -- as some of you may know, I am new here and have lately been suffering from a major flare-up of health anxiety (some of which is attributable to the fact I weaned off some anti-anxiety meds earlier this year and am now re-starting up on Lexapro, which is creating more increased anxiety until it settles in). My primary health phobia at this point is skin c****r, after seeing an article on Facebook on it, making the extreme mistake of consulting Dr. Google, and diagnosing myself with skin c****r and/or sebaceous gland c****r. When I worry about a medical concern, I tend to always take immediate action and schedule an appointment with the doctor -- so a few weeks ago I visited the dermatologist for a full skin screening, all of which was fine, and she confirmed that the bumps on my forehead were benign "sebaceous hyperplasia", an enlargement of the oil glands (not the basal cell c****r I had diagnosed myself with). I subsequently went back to have them electrically zapped off. Some of them did not dissolve completely, so I had another appointment today for a "re-zapping". Lately, however, I've been completely obsessed with a mole I had removed fifteen months ago from the back of my calf -- it was normal looking, light brown, uniform in color, etc. and I had just had it checked by a different dermatologist who told me it was normal/benign. I didn't like the looks of it cosmetically, so I found an on-line home remedy of using apple cider vinegar to remove moles and skin tags. Essentially, I applied the vinegar daily until it scabbed and fell off, leaving pink skin underneath and now (fifteen months later) it's just a fading pink scar. The dermatologist told me the site looked fine, as did my PCP, but after doing more googling I found an obscure reference that the method should never be used and could cause c****rous changes. so of course, I've been freaking for the last five weeks convinced I somehow created c****rous changes that just can't be seen on the surface. So, I sought reassurance from the dermatologist, my PCP, an online consult with a dermatologist, and even my son's pediatrician when I brought him in for a visit the other day (Yes, I AM crazy!) that using the vinegar could not cause c****rous changes into the skin or bloodstream, and that if it was a dangerous mole it would not have just scabbed and fallen off -- it may have been a surface mole or a seborhheic (?) keratosis, a benign growth. Despite those reassurances, I've still been obsessing over that scar that's left and what I had done. So today, I had to go back to the dermatologist for the "re-zapping" of the other spots, and I asked her if she could zap off the remaining scar that is there so I no longer have to look at it. She said she could certainly do that, and suggested that first she would scrape off a bit of it to send for a biopsy, presumably just to make me feel better (again, she made nothing of it when I told her at the first visit what I had done and when she looked at the site). Of course, now it's seven to ten days for the results of the biopsy to come in and I know my anxiety will still be flaring until then. Whats left of the "rational" me at this point knows it's very likely it will be normal and she did it for my peace of mind, knowing how much it was bothering me. The anxious part of me is stressed to the nines. Any thoughts or reassurances from any of you would sure be comforting........

Hi Everyone -- as some of you may know, I am new here and have lately been suffering from a major flare-up of health anxiety (some of which is attributable to the fact I weaned off some anti-anxiety meds earlier this year and am now re-starting up on Lexapro, which is creating more increased anxiety until it settles in). My primary health phobia at this point is skin c****r, after seeing an article on Facebook on it, making the extreme mistake of consulting Dr. Google, and diagnosing myself with skin c****r and/or sebaceous gland c****r. When I worry about a medical concern, I tend to always take immediate action and schedule an appointment with the doctor -- so a few weeks ago I visited the dermatologist for a full skin screening, all of which was fine, and she confirmed that the bumps on my forehead were benign "sebaceous hyperplasia", an enlargement of the oil glands (not the basal cell c****r I had diagnosed myself with). I subsequently went back to have them electrically zapped off. Some of them did not dissolve completely, so I had another appointment today for a "re-zapping". Lately, however, I've been completely obsessed with a mole I had removed fifteen months ago from the back of my calf -- it was normal looking, light brown, uniform in color, etc. and I had just had it checked by a different dermatologist who told me it was normal/benign. I didn't like the looks of it cosmetically, so I found an on-line home remedy of using apple cider vinegar to remove moles and skin tags. Essentially, I applied the vinegar daily until it scabbed and fell off, leaving pink skin underneath and now (fifteen months later) it's just a fading pink scar. The dermatologist told me the site looked fine, as did my PCP, but after doing more googling I found an obscure reference that the method should never be used and could cause c****rous changes. so of course, I've been freaking for the last five weeks convinced I somehow created c****rous changes that just can't be seen on the surface. So, I sought reassurance from the dermatologist, my PCP, an online consult with a dermatologist, and even my son's pediatrician when I brought him in for a visit the other day (Yes, I AM crazy!) that using the vinegar could not cause c****rous changes into the skin or bloodstream, and that if it was a dangerous mole it would not have just scabbed and fallen off -- it may have been a surface mole or a seborhheic (?) keratosis, a benign growth. Despite those reassurances, I've still been obsessing over that scar that's left and what I had done. So today, I had to go back to the dermatologist for the "re-zapping" of the other spots, and I asked her if she could zap off the remaining scar that is there so I no longer have to look at it. She said she could certainly do that, and suggested that first she would scrape off a bit of it to send for a biopsy, presumably just to make me feel better (again, she made nothing of it when I told her at the first visit what I had done and when she looked at the site). Of course, now it's seven to ten days for the results of the biopsy to come in and I know my anxiety will still be flaring until then. Whats left of the "rational" me at this point knows it's very likely it will be normal and she did it for my peace of mind, knowing how much it was bothering me. The anxious part of me is stressed to the nines. Any thoughts or reassurances from any of you would sure be comforting........

Hello all, my name is patty. I suffer from health anxiety I have recently started a group on facebook for health anxiety if anyone would like to join https://www.facebook.com/groups/1769405316666808/

Hello....I'm new to this site -- thought I'd join for some camaraderie and support, as I've suffered from anxiety my whole life, which is currently at an all-time high (particularly with health anxiety) due to some medication changes (weaned off cymbalta, started on Wellbutrin which made the anxiety worse, just gave Prozac a try which was awful, and now starting back up on Lexapro and having the typical start-up increase of anxiety). Oh, and I'm convinced I've got every disease in the book ☹️

I was just wondering if anyone on here get headaches that last weeks with anxiety i have had my headache for 8 weeks and it's really worrying me. My dr says it's from my neck as ihave just been diagnosed with osteoarthritus in my neck. The headache is one sided, on the top and back of my head. Has anyone had This?

I just found this site tonight. I'm having a rough time tonight and looking to connect with people who understand what I'm dealing with. I have anxiety, depression and health anxiety.

I am 7 months PP and have suffered some PPD and PPA. I have always dealt with anxiety, but never like this. It started by obsessing over death. I had this with my first kid as well. I just start thining about life and its purpose. Where we go when we die, what happens to my kids if I get hit by a car, or die of an illness, and it spiraled into panic attacks everytime. It has shifted into a fairly extreme health anxiety. Every single tingle or pain and I think something is seriously wrong. I google every symptom, and obsess over them endlessly. It hasn't been going on long, but it is making my life very miserable. Since finding a few forums online I have started to feel much better. Easier to remind myself it is in my head, when I read so many others who go through the same horrible thought pattern. Anyway, hope to learn some ways to cope and get past this!

Back in the end of February, I went to the doctor for routine bloodwork, everything was fine except that my cholesterol was a bit high (not high enough to be on medication), but also my liver enzymes were elevated. My AST was 124 and my ALT was 319. When I received these results, they immediately repeated the test and included Hepatitis A, B, and C as well as my GGTP. The AST went down to 116 and the ALT went down to 302, the GGTP was 150. They then sent me for a CT Scan of my abdomen and pelvis. The results were the there was a 3cm hypodense region consistent with diffuse fatty change, but in the notes it said "3cm indeterminate hypodense region" further characterization with MRI is recommended. So I went to my cardiologist who referred me for the MRI. The MRI confirmed "diffuse hepatic steatosis" which is a fatty liver. I drank, but no hard alcohol and not in great excess. I then followed up with a gastroenterologist who told me everything would be ok. He did a DRE on me and it was negative for blood. Fast forward to about two months ago, I had my blood retested again. This time the AST went to 56 and ALT 175 and GGTP 88. The AST and ALT should both be below 40 and GGTP below 70. So now to my IBS concern. Back when this whole thing started, I was overweight. I am 5'11 and weighed 210 to 213. When I got the news of my fatty liver, the doctor told me that I had to eat better, so I immediately and abruptly changed my diet. I cut out pizza, cake, cookies, red meat, soda, and alcohol to be on the safe side. What happened was I went from that weight to about 183 to 185 today. Everyone is telling me that it is because I drastically changed how I eat. I have had no fast food and almost zero junk food. I started eating a healthy breakfast, something like honey nut cheerios, a triple 0 yogurt, plain oatmeal, and some fruit like a banana. Sometimes I will have eggs on whole wheat. Lunch I make healthy choices and my wife doesn't fry food anymore. I almost completely cut out fried food. Lately I have noticed that my stool habits are changing. Sometimes it is thin but not pencil thin, Sometimes it is long and well formed. Sometimes it is dark brown and sometimes it is light brown. I usually go in the morning within about 30 minutes of waking up. What scares me is that randomly I will go during the day, but not too often. When I am off work on the weekends, sometimes I will go three times during the day. One thing I have notices is that the tip of the stool is hard but the rest is soft sometimes and sometimes I have to give a push in the morning, not a strain, but a slight push to get it started and then the rest is usually ok. Lately I have been having passing slight soreness in my left abdomen, but sometimes my right side also. Also I have been having lower and upper back discomfort. None of these pains are unbearable, more annoying than anything. I often find myself crying hysterically and I even went to numerous doctors and ER's. They all felt my stomach and said I am fine, they even looked at my bloodwork and CT scan. One ER doctor gave me low dose Xanax 0.25mg. I have never taken anything like that in my life, I find it makes me sluggish and slow. My CT scan said "no bowel obstruction or wall thickening" and my MRI was good, my CBC was fine too other than the issues that I mentioned earlier. My issue is that I read symptoms online of colon c****r and am scared to death. My moms father died of it at 62 and my mom had a NON c****rous polyp removed. I have an old boss who died of it in his mid 30's. I feel neurotic and afraid to do anything anymore. I have an 11 month old baby girl and a wife and I am shaking in my boots. I have read that IBS is more likely for someone younger, but that it is more predominant in women, and that scares me too. Like I said, I have never had blood that I can see, the only time that happened was when I had a hemorrhoid, but the doctor definitively said it was a hemorrhoid. I have read so many websites that I can't even count. I always think well what if the back pains mean it spread to my lungs or worse. Everyone I have talked to said it is my nerves and doctors have said that it is anxiety, The pains in my abdomen and back come and go, they are not 24/7 or excruciating. Has anyone experienced anything like this? Thank you all for reading my novel of a post.

Hi - I'm really having a hard time with my anxiety and my blood pressure. I've had the occassion to go to the dr. 3 times in less than a week and each time my bp has been like 150/102 and my hr at least 100. I ran out and bought a home bp machine and it's still been running 140/95 about. I'm anxious every time I take it but now am wondering if I actually have high bp and need medicine or if this anxiety isn't letting me get decent readings. I have an appointment with my psych tonight but could really use some help in the meantime. Thanks. Donna