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mersault

New (here). Relapsing Health Anxiety Sufferer

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Hey everyone. 

 

Cliffs Notes: Had debilitating anxiety/depression/health anxiety for a long time. About 11 or so years ago I started to get better. Since then I've been mostly ok. This last year, though, it's really creeping back up. 

 

Rationally, I know that I've been through a lot this year, and am very stressed out. And that my body reacts with symptoms, then my brain reacts with exaggeration and the cycle begins and continues. I know. 

 

But damn it, the conundrum of hypochondria. What if THIS TIME it IS something bad? I DO have symptoms. Blah, blah, you know the drill. 

 

So right now heres what I got going on: Weird numbness, tingling, pain on left side(leg, arm). Lower back pain (this is constant. it doesnt hurt until I bend). General out of it feeling. Frequent urination (comes in spells). Some stomach cramping. I fell off the wagon and went to google. 

 

I came back with prostate c****r, that has spread to my bones, hence the lower back pain. I've also "had" diabetes over the last few weeks, but the prostate c****r thing is really getting in there. By the way, I'm male, 36, about 70 lbs overweight. High BP and Cholestorol(controlled with meds). 

 

So, I freaked. I now have a doc appointment monday morning. 

 

I actually have a question. What's your strategy when you go to the doctor and you have this litany of complaints? Just let it all fly? I want to tell him that I'm a bad health anxiety sufferer but of course worry that everything after that won't get heard. I'm thinking of just saying look: heres whats going on. heres what i think it is in my warped brain. Help. 

 

Anyway, I used to be on these kinds of boards all the time. I'm glad that there are still places for us. 

 

Thanks for listening. 

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Hello there and welcome. Ok, so let me help you think rational for just a moment.... my doc told me I have health anxiety also. Mine stems from worrying about having a heart attack or a blocked artery that won't get treated in time and/or blood clots... soooo what follows?? chest pains, left arm pain, pain in my shoulder blades, pain in my jaw, shortness of breath... a lot of the signs of a heart attack right? WELL, one time I was in such a panic state, I drove myself... drove myself lol to the emergency room and told them I thought I was having a heart attack. Of course they run all the tests on me, blood work, EKG, chest xray, ct scan with contrast, the whole nine.... it wasn't anything but anxiety. 

 

I think if you had c****r, you would have more going on than what you have listed in your post... but I am glad you are going to the doctor because once the doc says you are OK, then your mind will be at ease :)

 

and yes, just go in there and say this is what I have been feeling and then go from there. That's what I do.. most of the time I write my symptoms down so I don't forget to mention anything I had been feeling since a lot of times I would have these symptoms this time and another time it would be these symptoms etc.... 

 

You are going to be ok!! :) Please stay away from google though because as you can already see, it has convinced you that you have something terribly wrong when your just dealing with some anxiety.

 

You have overcome before and you will again. Hang in there.

 

Message me if you need to talk or vent, I am as everyone is .. here to help :)

 

Wendi

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Thanks for the reply. 

 

yeah Ive had a few hospitalizations for "heart attacks". Last time I had a tightness in my chest so I ran to the ER, thinking they'd tell me that I was fine and send me home. Instead they admitted me, and gave me every test known to man. Shockingly, everything was just fine. 

 

Also had a bunch of MRIs back in the MS fear days. 

 

Thank goodness for health insurance. 

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I have had the dr tell me that I am fine and I still suffer :( I am better than I was FOR SURE!!! but the 2 things I cant get out of my head are heart attacks and Blood Clots 

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