Aa
Potential health anxiety symptoms fading
For the last 18 weeks I've been going through a STD health scare. I have tested negative at the correct intervals but have had all sorts of symptoms which my doctors have put down to anxiety, also doctor HHH on this site (std expert) suggested that I may be dealing with anxiety/guilt issues. The worst issues I have had are abdominal pains and now sweaty armpits and also a thin white coating on my tongue that does not want to clear. I've had the coating tested and the doctors said nothing came back to worry about. I've also felt light headed a lot and 'not myself'. I've had liver/kidney/WBC/urine tests etc and all keep coming back clear (no sign of infection).
The abdominal issues have been fading over the last week and today I've not really noticed anything. I also feel more myself today.
Has anyone else gone through anything like this and can relate to my experience?
The abdominal issues have been fading over the last week and today I've not really noticed anything. I also feel more myself today.
Has anyone else gone through anything like this and can relate to my experience?
Your problem is your anxiety fears that you have something has heightened your awareness of your body. You are watching every twitch and sweat trying to make meaning from it, whereas before you wouldn't even notice it when this happens. As I write this I feel a slight twitch above my left eyebrow which is as meaningless as your "symptoms."
Simple things like sweating are making you try to figure what disease lurks, when in fact the sweating occurs because you are too hot or you have worries. The worries are a vicious circle for you, because you have not been able to accept your doctor's diagnosis, and in fact your last sentence talks about your need to get a diagnosis - you post as if you didn't have a diagnosis.
You need to see a counselor because you are wasting your life worrying all the time and playing a game called "I am a doctor and I have a disease" despite the fact you have no medical diagnosis skills. Your first sentence says the sad truth about your last 6 months - everyone knows you have nothing but you won't believe it.
Simple things like sweating are making you try to figure what disease lurks, when in fact the sweating occurs because you are too hot or you have worries. The worries are a vicious circle for you, because you have not been able to accept your doctor's diagnosis, and in fact your last sentence talks about your need to get a diagnosis - you post as if you didn't have a diagnosis.
You need to see a counselor because you are wasting your life worrying all the time and playing a game called "I am a doctor and I have a disease" despite the fact you have no medical diagnosis skills. Your first sentence says the sad truth about your last 6 months - everyone knows you have nothing but you won't believe it.
Just to update this thread even though no one believes I could have got anything from this exposure. My abdo pains have calmed down but I'm still getting occasional stabbing ear pains and also slight unusual armpit sweating.
If I ever get a diagnosis before I drop dead I will update this thread.
If I ever get a diagnosis before I drop dead I will update this thread.
Have you looked into professional help for your anxiety yet? You have conclusively negative test results. That's SCIENCE, FACTS, not fear and "what ifs".
You're right that anxiety wouldn't usually cause ear pain, but like I said a few posts ago, when a person is in a heightened state of anxiety, they are hyper aware of any sensations. Anxiety can cause all KINDS of very real physical symptoms. Also, it's very possible that some of the "symptoms" you've experienced could be attributed to a common every day illness, like a cold, sinus infection, ear infection, etc.
I really recommend that you seek some help. You've already been stuck on the anxiety merry-go-round long enough.
You're right that anxiety wouldn't usually cause ear pain, but like I said a few posts ago, when a person is in a heightened state of anxiety, they are hyper aware of any sensations. Anxiety can cause all KINDS of very real physical symptoms. Also, it's very possible that some of the "symptoms" you've experienced could be attributed to a common every day illness, like a cold, sinus infection, ear infection, etc.
I really recommend that you seek some help. You've already been stuck on the anxiety merry-go-round long enough.
Fryguy94,
I hope yours clear up with time as I hope mine do. I am worried though that there is something more sinister going on with my symptoms due to the nature of my exposure. I've felt really out of it too over the last 6 months. I've read about derealisation depersonalisation but I don't think it's that.
Anxiety surely cannot cause earache and pain either.
I hope yours clear up with time as I hope mine do. I am worried though that there is something more sinister going on with my symptoms due to the nature of my exposure. I've felt really out of it too over the last 6 months. I've read about derealisation depersonalisation but I don't think it's that.
Anxiety surely cannot cause earache and pain either.
*100mg of sertraline(Zoloft) daily for about a month now for GAD/depression and I have been feeling a bit shaky and getting random muscle spasms and "twitches" here and there. I also have noticed some on-and-off pains at the tip of my penis, nothing too severe just a general uncomfortable sensation down there and around the testicles and abdomen area as well. I can also relate to having a thin white layer on the majority of the top of my tongue(the thickness of the layer varies from day to day) and an overall looming sense of feeling "out of it," but at the same time hypersensitive about all of these little pains and quirks that you find yourself stopping to worry about then whenever they occur. I feel a bit more at peace knowing that someone has been having similar problems.
Wow I am really glad I joined this site, I was beginning to get worried that I was the only one experiencing these symptoms. I have been taking 1
I tend to agree with your doctor. The thing with anxiety is, you will be hyper focused on every sensation, then catastrophize that symptom and make it into something when in a normal, non-anxious state, you likely wouldn't even notice some of these sensations. Your awareness is heightened.
It would be extremely rare that you have some kind of infectious disease that went undetected. At some point, I think you have to try to start addressing this as anxiety, to see what happens. The great news is, once you start addressing the anxiety, if the "symptoms" you had are related, they will subside.
It would be extremely rare that you have some kind of infectious disease that went undetected. At some point, I think you have to try to start addressing this as anxiety, to see what happens. The great news is, once you start addressing the anxiety, if the "symptoms" you had are related, they will subside.
What's further complicating things is that the doctors are confident there is nothing physically wrong because my wbc keeps coming back normal. Also every other observation is normal.
Lower right abdo pain and feeling very week and generally unwell. Various muscle twitches in various parts of my body. Also getting these little itchy spots popping up in various places from time to time. Also getting the occasional pain on the tip of my penis.
The exposure is unusual in that I came into contact with some lube in a massage parlour. The lube was applied using an applicator which was pulled out of the lube and will have been used on other clients. I was even asked if I wanted lube. It was a decision I will regret for the rest of of my life. Something must have got into me via the end of my penis. The problem is its hard to know what.
The exposure is unusual in that I came into contact with some lube in a massage parlour. The lube was applied using an applicator which was pulled out of the lube and will have been used on other clients. I was even asked if I wanted lube. It was a decision I will regret for the rest of of my life. Something must have got into me via the end of my penis. The problem is its hard to know what.
What are the symptoms you're having? If not an STD, what would you have caught from a sexual partner?
I'm now at almost 6 months past the even and continue to feel very unwell. I've been put on ciralopram 20mg. I no longer believe that my symptoms are anxiety. I actually caught 'something' from the exposure but not an std as I've been tested for them all and they all came back negative. I'm in the position now where I'm basically having to let this play out and hope a red flag symptom shows up before it's too late. I never thought I would not make it to my 40th year on this planet but it is looking that way now
You don't have to explain it to anyone. No one needs to know your business. Just sayin'!
nursegirl I have been advised I may need to go on anti-d's but I believe I'm getting on top of my symptoms as they seem to be getting better not worse. It's tough too as you have to deal with this sort of stuff alone especially when you have done something stupid and you do not want people to know about it. Explaining why all of a sudden you are seeking professional help for anxiety is a bit of a tough one!
I would give you the same advice as I gave the other poster, that if the anxiety is affecting you to that extent, it's time to seek some help!
what_a_journey. I also have noticed my urine seems more yellow but it is going less so with more drink through the day. I think you are probably like me just over-analysing every little thing. Things that have always been there and are normal for you are probably no different but because your mind is working overtime (like mine) you notice what you think are changes in everything and think they are significant of everything when they are most likely significant of nothing. I even paid for a PCR hepb/c/hiv test at one point which is not cheap as I wasn't believing all my negative results.
It's effected me all over the place, at home and at work. Concentration has been difficult and 'putting on a brave face' so as not to worry people has been hard. I've never spent so much time reading up stuff on the Internet. Don;t think that helps either. Certainly did help though when looking at other people and their anxiety symptoms as that gave me at least some way of rationalising the fact that what I was experiencing is based on anxiety as the doctors keep telling me due to my negative results.
nursegirl, good advice. Guilt/shame/fear has been high over this with me. I've had times where I've wondered if I'm anxious about it all but I know Ive not slept properly in months and also I'm even dreaming about what happened up to this day so it's on my sub-conscious at least even if I'm trying to forget about it more and more day to day. I've never experienced anything like this in all my life.
what_a_journey I've had tests etc all over this period and had all sorts of symptoms. I go through good and bad days. The doctors keep reassuring me everything is fine but I'm still worrying, although I think less over the last week or so as I seem to be sleeping more and also I've noticed the abdo issues going away. I do get days where I do not feel like myself at all (depersonalisation or something I'm reading about) but I have had a couple iof days this week were I have felt pretty normal so that's good. My white tongue (if it was ever fully clear in the first place) still persists!
Its soul destroying! I cant help thinking 24/7. Im even taking sickies off work because of all this! I did get to a point when I felt great the past few days but pain has come back to haunt me =(
If it's affecting you to that degree, then you need to seek professional help.
If it's affecting you to that degree, then you need to seek professional help.
Its soul destroying! I cant help thinking 24/7. Im even taking sickies off work because of all this! I did get to a point when I felt great the past few days but pain has come back to haunt me =(
Thanks for your support
Thanks for your support
It's the sense of guilt or possible soul ties! Seek prayer and praise and thank god all your results and negative ;)
What brought all this to begin with is anxiety and the time frame waiting to get results!! Your gonna be okay ;) give it some days for all the adrenaline to come down! Seek counseling and trust me I suffer from anxiety so I know this
What brought all this to begin with is anxiety and the time frame waiting to get results!! Your gonna be okay ;) give it some days for all the adrenaline to come down! Seek counseling and trust me I suffer from anxiety so I know this
All you have to do is read the STD related forums to see that this is a VERY common occurrence.
Often guilt and regret over a sexual experience will lead to high levels of anxiety, then the person starts "what iffing", imagining that they will end up with all kinds of STDs as a result, like a punishment. The more anxiety he/she has, the more they will "what if" themselves into a frenzy. It's a vicious cycle.
Believe your test results and get yourself engaged with life. Distraction is the best way to move past something like this. Get your mind on other things. If you STILL can't shake the anxiety after making a concerted effort to put the experience behind you, then it's time to think about getting some professional help.
Take care!
Often guilt and regret over a sexual experience will lead to high levels of anxiety, then the person starts "what iffing", imagining that they will end up with all kinds of STDs as a result, like a punishment. The more anxiety he/she has, the more they will "what if" themselves into a frenzy. It's a vicious cycle.
Believe your test results and get yourself engaged with life. Distraction is the best way to move past something like this. Get your mind on other things. If you STILL can't shake the anxiety after making a concerted effort to put the experience behind you, then it's time to think about getting some professional help.
Take care!
Have an Answer?
You are reading content posted in the Anxiety Community
Find out what can trigger a panic attack – and what to do if you have one.
A guide to 10 common phobias.
Take control of tension today.
These simple pick-me-ups squash stress.
Don’t let the winter chill send your smile into deep hibernation. Try these 10 mood-boosting tips to get your happy back
Want to wake up rested and refreshed?
