please, any input is appreciated =)

[mimsicle]

Ok..I know i've asked similar questions before, but my anxiety is getting the  best of me and I feel like I need to be more specific in stating my symptoms and a little more of my background..

Im a perfectionist. Always have been, and I think that is where most of my anxiety comes from, I have a hard time dealing with myself when I fail or make a mistake. I have amazing parents, but my dad can be a bit overbearing at times, and I am my own toughest critic..so it kills me when he starts in on me. I keep alot of my fears and anxieties inside, i feel like i need to be strong for others.

I went to the doctor last month due to abdominal pain and ive been having irregular periods..she suggested that i get a pelvic ultrasound. I havent gone yet, she said to wait till i was between cycles, but I havent had my period yet this month, just spotting for about a week. Since I went to the doc, I have been extremely anxious about going in for an ultrasound. petrified that they'll find something horrible, my mind has been going crazy..Last time I was there I also told her about my anxiety and I have been on Lexapro for about a week, as well as ulcer meds.

This last week I have been having symptoms of pms, but nothing. just discharge. Can anxiety be causing all of these symptoms??? Im going in for my ultrasound next week, but I just feel like I need some reassurance, or similar stories to maybe ease my mind in the meantime..

Thanks

[nursegirl6572]

You sound like so many of us...us anxious people are always so hard on ourselves....and worry SO much about letting others down.  That's just how we're wired.

As for you current problems...obviously, you'll know more after the ultrasound...but high levels of anxiety can wreak havoc on our menstrual cycle....from making it worse every month, to the cycle itself becoming irregular.  Hopefully that will ease your mind a bit....and of course you are going to be anxious, but try not to think the worst, okay?  I know that is easier said than done....but all it does is increase your anxiety, and most certainly exacerbate your symptoms.

Did your doctor say what he thinks may be causing the pain?  Did he say if he was looking for something specific on the u/s?  "Female" cysts are pretty common, can occur almost anywhere in our girlie anatomy...and can most definitely cause pretty severe symptoms.

Again, thank goodness your test is next week, so you will know for sure what is going on...but just keep in mind that the anxiety could be making the symptoms more amplified, which of course makes you worry more and start the "what if" thinking all over again.

Please hang in there....try to keep yourself busy and try very hard to put the horrible thoughts out of your mind.  You won't be able to do that completely until you get your test results....but give it a shot.  If the anxiety is really high, perhaps ask your doc if he would prescribe a mild sedative (like Ativan, Xanax...etc) to take "as needed" just to get you through till the test?  That may help you a lot.

Also, you said you had just recently started Lexapro....don't forget that that kind of med takes several week (different for everyone) before you notice significant improvements.  And, sometimes you actually feel a little worse before you feel better.  It isn't uncommon for SSRI meds to cause nervousness, feeling "jittery", and shaky.  That starts subsiding usually after the first week or two, depending on your dose.

Let us know how it goes, ok?  We're here for you and know what you are going through!

[JSGeare]

You want reassurance? WE HAVE reassurance. Can I super-size that for you? Fries, maybe?

I'm not messing with you -because I think you already know the deal here: if anything is "going on" down there it probably falls into that vast arena of female "stuff" for which any indicated treatments are routine and outcomes always good. But the mere existence of an examination tends to make all of us a bit nervous about outcomes. Your feelings make sense. I just had my 10 year tiny telescope up the rear end thing (whatever that's called) and, yeah, I had some background concern about what they might find. And what they found was cucumber seeds. I've got the pictures to prove it.

But let me direct your attention to some other features of your post and ask if you can comment. Here's you:

"Im a perfectionist. Always have been, and I think that is where most of my anxiety comes from, I have a hard time dealing with myself when I fail or make a mistake. I have amazing parents, but my dad can be a bit overbearing at times, and I am my own toughest critic..so it kills me when he starts in on me. I keep alot of my fears and anxieties inside, i feel like i need to be strong for others."

Can you connect some dots between this information and nervousness about the ultra-sound. Do you think you might be LESS nervous about the exam had your Dad not been so over-bearing? Are you wondering if your discomfort physically is an expression of the feelings you bottle up inside, and the need to be strong for others? Are the "others" (whoever they are) weak in your estimation?

I'm not trying to poke you with a stick here -the fact that you mentioned all this is important; I'm just wondering more about the connections. Can you say?

Meanwhile, as you know and as you will be reassured -your exam is the right thing to do, and whether or not there's something about your plumbing that needs work -you DO need to know, either way. This is exactly the advice you would give yourself.

And it is perfectly correct.

[nursegirl6572]

The dreaded cucumber seeds eh?

Just a comment about those "scopes" (a lovely invention)...next time you have one done...tale a closer look at the device...ya know what it reminds me of?  A BEEER tap...like to tap a keg?  ;0)

Too bad it didn't allow for introduction of a good ale into the hind end....the buzz you would get from that would make you forget all about the fact that your innards are up on a TV screen.  :0)

mimi....JS said some VEY wise things (for a change...lol)...I'm willing to bet that your anxiety is definitely worsening your symptoms.  It's such an unending cycle, we have pain, we worry...the pain gets worse...we worry more.

Maybe a stong martini every night?  Not that alcohol is the answer...but in moderation...it's not such a bad thing!  ;0)