Hypochondria and anxiety logic.

[Jon10]

Hi everyone, i hope you all are having a good day.

I had an appointment with my doctor last night and he offered me some very logical and constructive advice. I told him of my Hypochondrasis wih anxiety and how i know i have a life threatening illness. He said that symptoms such as dizziness, flushing, on/off chest pains, headaches, neasua, palpitations etc are insignificant in terms of termonal illness`. He said that doctors are trained to look out for the following... Lumps/swellings, Skin abnormalities i.e legions/bruising, bleeding into the skin, and bowell abnormalities, and severe long lasting persistant chronic pain is one specific location.

This chat really helped me as it made me look at my symptoms and realise that in actual fact they are all very minor and nothing to worry about. I have already noticed a difference in the way i feel.

I hope others can take the same from this logic.

Thanks

Jon

[Topher7]

Thanks. I agree. I've seen two docs that did basic neurological exams on me. While talking to them freaking out, they just went about their business testing reflexes and making my eyes move around. Basically he was just wanting me to keep my blood pressure under wraps. When I mentioned ligthheadedness he just shrugged and said it could be bp meds I had been on for years but most likely stress. He told me to play golf. Yesterday I had no symptoms until right before bed I read something on a forum about a twitch being epilepsy..I freaked and all the symptoms came back while trying to fall asleep and before bed. I see the pattern, not it is time to overcome.

[bip]

Im glad you are feeling good. The doctors eased you. Anxiety can give you so much symptons and we all think something is wrong. Like me I went through it so many times and I feel better when I talk to my doctor do you know how many times I went to the doctors? Alot and it turned out to be anxiety I feel symptons and I think Im dieing with the heart or cancer. That is my most fear. Im glad you are doing well........

Wish you the best...

[bip]

Try not to read .  I need to tell that to myself to...  (LOL)     The reading and google is so bad..  

[Shooped]

ban search engines from your browser! lol

[Topher7]

I know. I was great yesterday and really was thinking about other illnesses..lol..so the head vice didn't exist. All of a sudden before bed I read that blurb on here and while trying to exist the vice was on the sides of my head and righr between my nose and I felt lightheaded like I was walking on a boat. I could feel the tingle come over me. I just need to really get over this.

[bip]

Try to think you were riding on a boat. (LOL)

[bip]

I agree...(LOL)

[Topher7]

I know...lol. I have pressure today but I'm ignoring it.

[bip]

It will go away. I have a headache but I know it's not a brain tumor just cause my anxiety.....(LOL)

[Topher7]

I know. I don't know why I insist on driving myself nuts about it?Seriously, I know alot of people on here have the same problem and throw out tumor like people just get them but I'm honestly just seeing the symptoms when I freak now or catch myself obsessing. Its like I want to run to the emergency room just to have it looked at. I used to think abotu dumb stuff so much my family jokingly gave me this wheel..it is hilarious. Under the ehadache one it says you obsess about tumor when it is probably stress. Some are hilarious

http://www.wishingfish.com/wheeldying.html

[bip]

True... I drive my husband crazy more than I drive myself crazy (lol)  He has to listen to me when I think Im having a heart attack.   I wouldn't even know what to do without this forum I read alot post here and I say to myself  WOW Im going through the same thing... Tell one thing this forum makes my anxiety so much better... I don't even bother telling my husband anything cause I think he gets upset when Im thinking something is wrong with me......

[Topher7]

Same with me. My wife has been very frustrated. She thinks I'm nuts for even thinking tumor, etc. It all makes sense when I look at symptoms of hypochodria or anxiety but I freak about it. I really have no clue why this past week caused all of this.

[bip]

I think they just don't like seeing us like this they want us happy... Happy whats happy (LOL)

[inhisword26]

What a great topic.  I never thought of myself as a "hypo" until recently I swear I have cancer, a brain tumor etc.  I have been to the ER 5 times in the last 2 years but I keep insisting they aren't finding the problem.  I usually have control over everything in my life and it is driving me crazy not having control over myself.  The mind can be a dangerous thing!

[Topher7]

bip, I know but I can sense the frustration too, especially since she has seen me not act this way.

inthis, here is a good read up on hypochondria. It really is amazing how most people here probably fit these symptoms and ideas exactly compared to the diseases we are looking up.

http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/hypochondria/DS00841

[bip]

The last post I read did he mean he convinced his self having a brain tumor but he doesn't!!!

[Topher7]

confused..where?

[mithras]

Yeah, I feel with you guys. Mine is starting to take control of me. I can barley go through 5 minutes without thinking of my "terminal illness," I gets me down all the time, I cant eat right, sleep right ect. Its driving me insane!! Part of me is saying its anxiety, but sometimes my mind even tricks me into thinking that my symptoms of hypochondra are acutally an illness of some kind. Its messing with me! has anyone tried meditation? Does that seem to help? Any ideas, suggestions for coping with daily struggles? Hope you are all having a better day than I am!

[Topher7]

I'm not telling anyone not to use medicine but if you don't like trying new meds you might want to look into fish oil and working out. I was feeling perfectly fine with no symptoms until I stopped taking it because I thought it might be messing with my system after a year or so. Things got worse. I really think it is a natural way to help. Might just be me.Working out always helps and I ignore the symptoms and feel better after.

[bip]

I know anxiety puts ourselfs down but we all work together hard and we can fight this anxiety together...

[mithras]

Amen. I think if i didnt have these forums to discuss all this...i would be way worse off than I already am.

[Topher7]

I want to add that because of this forum I went back to my PCP today and pretty much said, "listen, I've been here twice and you told me I am fine but I am acting like a hypochondriac and I think it is more serious." He went through my file and said that to fix it I needed an MRI to prove it. So one is set up. He also said if I had a brain tumor I would be in no shape to be where I was, working, functioning, etc. He said if I wanted to clear thing, to go back to my normal heart meds and schedule a physical. But overall he thought I looked good. He also told me that one symptom doesn't make you sick or have a disease. Me smelling something in my sinuses doesn't man my kidney is diseased. You have to look at the whole picture. I am still having some head pain but it is better.

[bip]

You sound your mind is eased cause you went to the doctors who cares if you go 10 times you just want to make sure you are alright!!!

[Topher7]

Yes. Its not gone because I'm still not sure where some symptoms are coming from but it is close/

[lily925]

Hello there-
its nice to know that were not alone, but it is frustrating that all of us have the same thoughts  and its such a frightenibg experience and it takes so long to get a doctor to do ant test on you. And since we have multiple symptoms were back and forth to the doctor all the time. My story began 2 years ago, and i'm stilll not cured. I was walking in my foyer and my house when all of a sudden this wave od dizziness came over me, with the fealing I was really going to pass out/or die right there. I drove myself to the ER. They ran some tests and said my potassium was low. Ok gave me potasssium pills and sent me on my way. Two days later same feeling. Drove myself back to the ER, this time petrafied. The nurse said I think your having a panic attack, And I said what the hell is that? Any way they gave me ativan and sent me home. A month later again. Back to the ER!!!! Again sent me home, with a list of doctors to go see. Cardiologist, ENT doctor for dizziness, nurologist, and a psychiatrist. I started from the top. My heart was fine, my ears were fine, no issues with middle ear, nurologist just prescribed me anti- depressents that made me feel like they were crawling up my head. I have never been so scared in my whole life. I felt really sick and no one could figure out why. I didn't believe the diagnoses of a panic attack- I felt to bad for it  not to be something very seriuos. I ended up practically moving out of my house with my parents. My children came with me while my husband worked. I coulnt sleep for days, couldnt even treally sit down, i was so scared of having another attack and i was consumed by my physical symptoms. The twitching i could feel in my body, the dizziness the underlying feeling of real fear. I couldnt explain it to anyone. I looked terrible. I lost 20 lbs and was petrafied i had cancer, then I thought absolutley I had MS. I had two mri of my Brain which came back normal. I had a mri of my back-normal. A cat-scan done of my stomach and pelvic area-normal. I had a ultrasound done of my caritted arteries because my neck hurt and the dizziness-normal. I spent every waking moment worried about my health. I would wake up in the morning and i could feel the anxiety build up in my body, and i would be exhausted 10 minutes later knowing i had to make it through another day. i  was so scared to take the medication, i could not tolerate any more symptoms. I hope this story helps someone out there, to know your not alone in your struggles and to keep plugging away. I have milder days know, but still wake up with the same anxiety, i'm just plugging away too