Health anxiety, very hard to cope :(

[polyhydroid]

This week, I had a tooth extracted, and a couple of days afterwards I came down with fever, cough and other flu symptoms. I feel miserable and I've been driving myself crazy worrying it could be some sort of systemic infection related to the tooth, although both my dentist and my GP were completely unconcerned. I've spent some three days taking my temperature every hour or so, and googling complications of dental extractions.

To top it up, last night, my partner served our dinner with a plastic spatula I had used to turn raw chicken, without washing it! I felt sick to my stomach finding out, but it was too late, I had already eaten. Now I'm thinking I got food poisoning with campylobacter, which is pretty deadly in itself but in my current weakened state would be even more horrible. I google death rates for campylobacter and feel that my life is over and I'm gonna die. The incubation period is five days, and I don't know how I'm going to live waiting for five days to find out if I'm ill or not, especially because there is nothing I can do, and I can't think of anything else. :( I cannot calm down at all. I threw up my dinner during the night because of nerves.

I don't know what to do and at the moment I just feel that I cannot cope anymore. Please help :(

[michigan07]

You will feel better. The sickness to your stomach is likely from the anxiety you have. The chances of getting ill just because raw chicken was touched is very slim. If your thoughts persist it might be a good idea to see a therapist.

[polyhydroid]

Thank you for replying. No, the extraction site doesn't hurt, but the bad luck of getting the flu, and then the raw chicken incident which terrifies me with the possibility of food poisoning, all of it in a few days, is completely crushing my spirit, I am exhausted and I feel like I will never feel well again.

[polyhydroid]

Thank you for replying. It's very difficult to abstain from going to Dr Google, it's just like an addiction, I know it's bad for me but I can't stop it.  At this point though it's not the flu, but the food poisoning possibility that occupies all my thoughts :( I keep waiting for horrible cramps and diarrhea to happen.

[Paxiled]

Stop googling symptoms.  Does the area where your tooth was extracted hurt?  I had a tooth out several days ago, and it hurts, so obviously something is wrong.  But the symptoms would be the area would hurt, not getting a cold or other virus.  

[LRon]

First thing you need to do is stop Googling your health concerns. You're making yourself a nervous wreck. Your tooth extraction and fly are probably unrelated and just a coincidence. Swear to yourself that you will no longer allow Google to feed your health fears. Then do it. Good luck!