White tongue, lymph nodes and other nightmares...

[drronnie]

Three months ago i had chicken pox which firstly I assumed which looked terrible like karposi sarcoma. This was very terrifying for me. After curing my chicken pox I was fine for a couple of weeks until I saw a stupid Tv show in which some character was diagnosed with AIDS. Right on that night I ended up having night sweats. Not a drenching sweat just a little damp on the chest and sweat on the forehead. As "smart' as I am I had to google right and there the whole health anxiety started .

I began to have diarrhea and appetitelessness. Also lost 3 kilos. This was worrysome. I have been to 2 renommated hospitals and did the blood work and the doctors said the blood is okay and nothing to worry about. My "night sweats' were considered to be too little to be considered a symptom of a serious illness. In fact it was only dysentary.

With anxiety gone and aircon temperature. Immediately the night sweating stopped and I felt and ate normal again and managed to put on the same weight as before. One doctor gave me xanax and another one gave me rivotril just in case i had insomnia.

I did take the benzos a couple of times for sleep and I felt better a little dizzy too, but it was not too bad.


Then one day I woke up realizing my tongue is white. Please bear in mind that I occasionally been having a white tongue since who knows when. But now it freaks me out! I try to feel lymph nodes and when I do feel something I panic eventhough there are no signs it is swolen. Sometimes I even go as far as measuring my temperature every hour which makes me look queer in the eyes of my work colleagues.

Last Sat I went to the doc and showed him my tongue. He examined it and said that it was a little white and nothing to worry about. In fact he was right because when I drank more water the white color went away. Then i was fine again.

Right now I am having this lump under the armpit feeling. My logic however tells me that I have gained weight and I am overweight so there is probably a fat mass which gives me this lumpy feeling. This has already given me sleepness nights and my slight night sweats have returned and me terrified me.

Now I am thinking of taking 1mg of Rivotril before sleep so that at least I can sleep well.

[LisaLisa]

Hi Drronnie

Its horrible having this health anxiety isnt it! I know the fear is awfull and very debilitating. But it seems that you have had a good opportunity to see that your symptoms are all anxiety caused also that your immune system is in good shape for you to recover so well from chicken pox, its hard when you are not a child.

Lymph nodes do all sorts of wackythings and especially when you get viruses like chicken pox. Some people , infact i recall someone on this site has permamnently enlarged nodes from chicken pox over ten years before!

You are doing well by the sounds of it and getting through your fears quite well by seeing a more rationale explanation of your anxiety and the symptoms.

Hope you are okay today

Lisa
xxx

[drronnie]

Dear Lisa,

Thanks for your reply and kind words. At the time being every sore, twitch and unusual feeling can trigger a next anxiety attack.

I guess I will start my benzo treatment tonight so that at least I can get a good nights sleep and maybe tomorrow will be a better and more pleasant day.

Cheers!

Drronnie

[LisaLisa]

I kow what you mean, its like your mind is just waiting to find a sign of something to misinterpret....it is a nightmare!! But you are sooooooo not alone there!

Sounds like a good idea becuase getting good sleep really makes a different and from my experience the benzos help to break the cycle and give your mind and body a rest and as you say start a cycle of good days!

Take care but have fun!

Lisa
xxx