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A Real Problem or The Power of The Mind?
Hello,
I think this is the right spot for my post as I have been suffering from anxiety, paranoia and being generally nervous since last oct.
I have posted here before in the 'STI' section and the reason for my upset, I became very upset with worry about HIV for some time, had 3tests over 4months and have been told that I'm all clear and the GUM (I'm in the UK) are not concerned about me.
The reason for my ongoing anxiety is the fact I have been suffering from an upset tongue since mid dec (dark red, sore looking down the middle with dry fuzzy feeling) which has since turned to oral thrush (I have white patches on/down the middle of the surface of the tongue with the dry fuzzy feeling) in the last 2months or so. One reason for these problems could be a 1week course of strong antibiotics I took about 3months ago (3tabs, 4times a day= 12tabs a day), once I finished them the tongue issue started and has continued to date, but I took them 3months ago, could my tongue have been that badly affected?
Just recently in the last week I have had a sore red patch on my upper gums at the back of my mouth (above the back teeth) which has now turned into a small ulcer type spot. I realise it could be an ulcer but I've never had one last a week and my gums above my back teeth were quite red and sore looking before this happened, its the same on the other side too but not too bad and just a sore patch, no ulcer type spot on the other side yet.
Basically this isn't helping my mental health and I'm really very anxious and nervous with worry about whats going on and why I have these problems. Could this all be simply the power of my mind and I'm running down my own immune system with constant worry!!? is it possible that the power of the mind can do this and cause such symptoms!!??
One thing has led to another ever since last oct when I started getting odd symptoms which led me to worry about HIV even though I now know I was never really at risk (recieved unprotected oral sex from women on 3occasions). I want to get on with my life but I can't shake these problems and I'm terrified I may have mouth cancer or even HIV still....I can't help it, if the problems weren't here I wouldn't worry...simple.
I have been advised by the health adviser at the GUM clinic that its very possible that its all mental and I'm doing it myself but I really need other peoples advice and knowledge here, more opinions would be helpful :) thanku.
I think this is the right spot for my post as I have been suffering from anxiety, paranoia and being generally nervous since last oct.
I have posted here before in the 'STI' section and the reason for my upset, I became very upset with worry about HIV for some time, had 3tests over 4months and have been told that I'm all clear and the GUM (I'm in the UK) are not concerned about me.
The reason for my ongoing anxiety is the fact I have been suffering from an upset tongue since mid dec (dark red, sore looking down the middle with dry fuzzy feeling) which has since turned to oral thrush (I have white patches on/down the middle of the surface of the tongue with the dry fuzzy feeling) in the last 2months or so. One reason for these problems could be a 1week course of strong antibiotics I took about 3months ago (3tabs, 4times a day= 12tabs a day), once I finished them the tongue issue started and has continued to date, but I took them 3months ago, could my tongue have been that badly affected?
Just recently in the last week I have had a sore red patch on my upper gums at the back of my mouth (above the back teeth) which has now turned into a small ulcer type spot. I realise it could be an ulcer but I've never had one last a week and my gums above my back teeth were quite red and sore looking before this happened, its the same on the other side too but not too bad and just a sore patch, no ulcer type spot on the other side yet.
Basically this isn't helping my mental health and I'm really very anxious and nervous with worry about whats going on and why I have these problems. Could this all be simply the power of my mind and I'm running down my own immune system with constant worry!!? is it possible that the power of the mind can do this and cause such symptoms!!??
One thing has led to another ever since last oct when I started getting odd symptoms which led me to worry about HIV even though I now know I was never really at risk (recieved unprotected oral sex from women on 3occasions). I want to get on with my life but I can't shake these problems and I'm terrified I may have mouth cancer or even HIV still....I can't help it, if the problems weren't here I wouldn't worry...simple.
I have been advised by the health adviser at the GUM clinic that its very possible that its all mental and I'm doing it myself but I really need other peoples advice and knowledge here, more opinions would be helpful :) thanku.
Well I went to the dentist today as well :) he said straight out it looks like a candida problem and gave me (yet another) mouth wash hehe Peroxyl, he said it will get into the tongue surface.
But his very quick look and even quicker answer was much better than about four different trips to the doc who both seem unable to give me a straight answer and make me think they are incompetent.
So I will try the dentists mouthwash for 1week, I also got myself some odourless garlic capsules, 500mg per cap, (allium sativum, bulb?? that good? I know you need this but unsure on figures and none are really given on the label) so I'm taking two of those per day as I read you need between 600-900mg daily intake.Got these from Holland n Barrett, they dont seem to do freeze dried tabs anywhere accept that eco-balance pack but I also read that in tab form the garlic can be harsh on the stomach.
Still on the seven seas multibionta probiotic too.
Did see coconut oil but the lady there didnt think you could just eat it straight up like say cod liver oil, so if anyone can advice on that :) I read people do take afew tablespoonfuls per day of coconut oil but is this correct? doesnt seem right as it does seem mainly for cooking and could upset your insides.
As for having anxiety, yes I am a very anxious person and a very nervous and paranoid person, get it from my mum, I always have been and cant help it really, I do always think the worst but Ive never had anything like this before, infact Im hardly ever ill and Ive never been into hospital or anything ever, always at work about 98% of the time. The reason Im so upset and anxious about this is the fact it hasnt gone away, normally you get something you take medicine and it goes away, as this hasnt it worries me and makes me depressed cos I know I have a problem and not 100% healthy, I keep thinking I shouldnt be having these issues till Im at least 50+ hehe
But yes basically I worry something serious is behind it mainly as it doesnt go and Im normally very healthy, Im a distance runner (not as much now) and have always been in good shape so it depresses me that this is going on.
But his very quick look and even quicker answer was much better than about four different trips to the doc who both seem unable to give me a straight answer and make me think they are incompetent.
So I will try the dentists mouthwash for 1week, I also got myself some odourless garlic capsules, 500mg per cap, (allium sativum, bulb?? that good? I know you need this but unsure on figures and none are really given on the label) so I'm taking two of those per day as I read you need between 600-900mg daily intake.Got these from Holland n Barrett, they dont seem to do freeze dried tabs anywhere accept that eco-balance pack but I also read that in tab form the garlic can be harsh on the stomach.
Still on the seven seas multibionta probiotic too.
Did see coconut oil but the lady there didnt think you could just eat it straight up like say cod liver oil, so if anyone can advice on that :) I read people do take afew tablespoonfuls per day of coconut oil but is this correct? doesnt seem right as it does seem mainly for cooking and could upset your insides.
As for having anxiety, yes I am a very anxious person and a very nervous and paranoid person, get it from my mum, I always have been and cant help it really, I do always think the worst but Ive never had anything like this before, infact Im hardly ever ill and Ive never been into hospital or anything ever, always at work about 98% of the time. The reason Im so upset and anxious about this is the fact it hasnt gone away, normally you get something you take medicine and it goes away, as this hasnt it worries me and makes me depressed cos I know I have a problem and not 100% healthy, I keep thinking I shouldnt be having these issues till Im at least 50+ hehe
But yes basically I worry something serious is behind it mainly as it doesnt go and Im normally very healthy, Im a distance runner (not as much now) and have always been in good shape so it depresses me that this is going on.
Just wanted to follow up on the mouth sores issue, I did ask my dentist about recurring mouth sores last week during a regular checkup and he suggested that since it was not linked to an injury or poor tooth/gum health, it may be linked to stress or food allergies. I believe him on the stress part because I get them most frequently when in periods of high stress. For food allergies, he mentioned acidic foods could be a culprit (OJ, tomatoes, cola etc.). Anyway it's another idea.
That aside, I really do like what trdofbeingtrd said on the 20th.... it is very good advice. I have a hard time believing what a doctor is telling me and feel that I need to seek other opinions etc. frequently when certain symptoms flare up... researching the symptoms does me NO good because it makes me think that I have a more severe problem than I actually might have and that makes my other symptoms (which are linked to stress and anxiety) worse. Feeling or knowing that something is severely wrong but it is going unnoticed when you have had confirmation to the contrary is a hallmark of hypochondria. If you have a good relationship with your doctor, you should be getting answers to ALL your questions, and try to allow yourself to believe in those answers and follow the treatment suggestions; if you don't have a good relationship or feel that you're not being listened to or helped very much, it might be time to find a new doctor. I just recently switched to a new doctor because I felt my old doctor was not really helping me very much, was very distant and didn't really give me a 'plan' to follow, and I am so glad that I did - I now have an overall treatment plan that I fully understand and can manage a little myself, and overall I feel I am pointed in the right direction. It is an incredible relief.
Even if you don't think you have anxiety over your health and that there still may be a real problem, it may at least be worth mentioning to your doctor the level of worry that you have at your next appointment, and how it is affecting you. This may help the doctor either reassure you or explain things in a way you can understand better or give you more concrete directions/a longer term plan to follow (i.e. "if this doesn't work, we are going to try this"). It can also also help him or her address that anxious feeling about there being something wrong so you can start to differentiate (for yourself and for the doctor) between an anxious feeling and the actual problem.
That aside, I really do like what trdofbeingtrd said on the 20th.... it is very good advice. I have a hard time believing what a doctor is telling me and feel that I need to seek other opinions etc. frequently when certain symptoms flare up... researching the symptoms does me NO good because it makes me think that I have a more severe problem than I actually might have and that makes my other symptoms (which are linked to stress and anxiety) worse. Feeling or knowing that something is severely wrong but it is going unnoticed when you have had confirmation to the contrary is a hallmark of hypochondria. If you have a good relationship with your doctor, you should be getting answers to ALL your questions, and try to allow yourself to believe in those answers and follow the treatment suggestions; if you don't have a good relationship or feel that you're not being listened to or helped very much, it might be time to find a new doctor. I just recently switched to a new doctor because I felt my old doctor was not really helping me very much, was very distant and didn't really give me a 'plan' to follow, and I am so glad that I did - I now have an overall treatment plan that I fully understand and can manage a little myself, and overall I feel I am pointed in the right direction. It is an incredible relief.
Even if you don't think you have anxiety over your health and that there still may be a real problem, it may at least be worth mentioning to your doctor the level of worry that you have at your next appointment, and how it is affecting you. This may help the doctor either reassure you or explain things in a way you can understand better or give you more concrete directions/a longer term plan to follow (i.e. "if this doesn't work, we are going to try this"). It can also also help him or her address that anxious feeling about there being something wrong so you can start to differentiate (for yourself and for the doctor) between an anxious feeling and the actual problem.
OK so Ive been reading up on yeast infections etc...and I do now believe I could very well have just that :(
I started getting slight headaches, hot sensation on my forehead last Oct, then in Dec I got the dark red smooth tongue and fuzzy feeling issue after the antibiotics (probably didnt help), then about march I got the white tongue issue combined with all of the above.
I have also been thinking about my diet and lifestyle allot and I admit that in the last year or so I have been eating a very high sugar diet including chocolate, biscuits, energy drinks, fizzy drinks (soda), desserts etc...I do exercise with running and I am actually pretty fit as I have been a distance runner since I was 18 and I used to have a very strict diet outlook. This went out of the window in the last 2yrs as I started to wind down and get bored of my strict diet, I still run but not as much, but I still do it, despite this I tend to eat what I like as Im very slim and I believe I have a high metabolism.
Is it possible I have brought on a yeast infection through a high sugar diet these last 2yrs or so?? Im sure the antibiotics didnt help and may have tipped things over the top but is this possible? I have read that yeast infections can cause a wide variety of issues like spots, headaches, depression, tiredness etc...now I have been getting headaches as said and I do suffer from spots too, had a bad spell recently but not just on my face but my neck (where I shave typically) and shoulders/back, not saying this is the reason as I have always been prone to spots in exactly the same places, sometimes I have bad spells..it just happens.
Im gonna get some garlic tabs and change my diet as best I can, bloody hard though as Ive looked up what to eat, unfortunately Ive been eating bananas, pears for lunch for quite awhile and just found out they are no good due to the sugar amounts :( This could be one reason why I have had no luck in getting shot of my problem...that and the chocolate of course :(
Work is an issue though, I work night shifts and chocolate is a good quick fix when working.
So diet change as much as possible and garlic tabs,
can you take garlic tabs with other supplements over the course of a day?
I started getting slight headaches, hot sensation on my forehead last Oct, then in Dec I got the dark red smooth tongue and fuzzy feeling issue after the antibiotics (probably didnt help), then about march I got the white tongue issue combined with all of the above.
I have also been thinking about my diet and lifestyle allot and I admit that in the last year or so I have been eating a very high sugar diet including chocolate, biscuits, energy drinks, fizzy drinks (soda), desserts etc...I do exercise with running and I am actually pretty fit as I have been a distance runner since I was 18 and I used to have a very strict diet outlook. This went out of the window in the last 2yrs as I started to wind down and get bored of my strict diet, I still run but not as much, but I still do it, despite this I tend to eat what I like as Im very slim and I believe I have a high metabolism.
Is it possible I have brought on a yeast infection through a high sugar diet these last 2yrs or so?? Im sure the antibiotics didnt help and may have tipped things over the top but is this possible? I have read that yeast infections can cause a wide variety of issues like spots, headaches, depression, tiredness etc...now I have been getting headaches as said and I do suffer from spots too, had a bad spell recently but not just on my face but my neck (where I shave typically) and shoulders/back, not saying this is the reason as I have always been prone to spots in exactly the same places, sometimes I have bad spells..it just happens.
Im gonna get some garlic tabs and change my diet as best I can, bloody hard though as Ive looked up what to eat, unfortunately Ive been eating bananas, pears for lunch for quite awhile and just found out they are no good due to the sugar amounts :( This could be one reason why I have had no luck in getting shot of my problem...that and the chocolate of course :(
Work is an issue though, I work night shifts and chocolate is a good quick fix when working.
So diet change as much as possible and garlic tabs,
can you take garlic tabs with other supplements over the course of a day?
James, you have had not just one but 3 HIV tests, you became convinced you had mouth cancer, you dont trust what your G.U.M doctors or G.P doctors are telling you, i even doubt that when you are indeed seen by your Dentist you will actually fully trust the advice he/she will give you.
Plus the reason as to why you like the advise nursegirl has given you is because you choose to 'Pick out the little bits you like and actually Hear'.... but in actual fact Nursegirl has clearly said that she has been told that pro-biotics yogurts arnt all that effective. If you do indeed need to replenish the good bacteria in your gut, then these yogurts, even though wont do any harm, wont do much good either.... The levels within them are considerably far lower than that of the capsules that i was suggesting.
The thing is when this situation clears up and another health situation occurs you will be back to square one, doubting and going from doctor to doctor, forum to forum trying to get answers.
You may think i am wrong for stating this but it has become clear to me what treatment you really do need. maybe enquiring about anxiety medication such as a benzo or SSRI along with therapy may be an idea as well, as it will help you to stop focusing on your inner being and help you to project your attention on the outside world more and relax.
Plus the reason as to why you like the advise nursegirl has given you is because you choose to 'Pick out the little bits you like and actually Hear'.... but in actual fact Nursegirl has clearly said that she has been told that pro-biotics yogurts arnt all that effective. If you do indeed need to replenish the good bacteria in your gut, then these yogurts, even though wont do any harm, wont do much good either.... The levels within them are considerably far lower than that of the capsules that i was suggesting.
The thing is when this situation clears up and another health situation occurs you will be back to square one, doubting and going from doctor to doctor, forum to forum trying to get answers.
You may think i am wrong for stating this but it has become clear to me what treatment you really do need. maybe enquiring about anxiety medication such as a benzo or SSRI along with therapy may be an idea as well, as it will help you to stop focusing on your inner being and help you to project your attention on the outside world more and relax.
I get what you are saying, and sadly because of how society treats illnesses, when someone says hypochondria, it means you are some psycho at home with tin foil on their head wondering when the next person will give them avian bird flu. Your posts and the words you use show that you most likely do have hypochondria. It could be from your anxiety, or, your anxiety could be from it.
I'm not a doctor or psychiatrist. You could very well NOT be a hypochondriac. I see what you are saying. If you had a third doctor check you out, it would make three, and if you told this third doctor that you have a problem with the first two diagnosis from your other doctors because you don't like that one says it's normal, the other don't, it will help him/her understand why you are acting the way you are.
I apologize if it seems like I am insulting you. I could have it all wrong.
I'm not a doctor or psychiatrist. You could very well NOT be a hypochondriac. I see what you are saying. If you had a third doctor check you out, it would make three, and if you told this third doctor that you have a problem with the first two diagnosis from your other doctors because you don't like that one says it's normal, the other don't, it will help him/her understand why you are acting the way you are.
I apologize if it seems like I am insulting you. I could have it all wrong.
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