"Dr google will see you now!!!"

[AdamE]

What I did to stop googling or looking up anything on search engines is I literally went into the settings of the browser and put those sites on the bad list.

[Deckard]

This thread is the one which convinced my to sign up to the NoMorePanic forum. I can relate to the people who replied so much. Yesterday evening I took the decision to no longer Google any symptoms, after spending all day yesterday at work thinking I had pancreatic cancer. It all started by googling something seemingly innocuous: vitamin B12 deficiency (which I thought I had.) What can go wrong, I though, where can a simple search for a vitamin deficiency lead to? Google told me vitamin b12 deficiency is rare in Europe for non-vegetarians, and if it occurs it's most likely due to absorption issues. And of all the absorption issues listed (most are easily cured) I chose of course the absolute worst. Then that damn vicious circle started: do I have the symptoms...google ... google.... early pancreatic cancer doesn't show symptoms! That's the worst answer ever, since I really do have no symptoms, ergo I must have cancer. And yes, I can see that my logic is flawed. Of course, I ignored most information about how rare it is, especially before the age of 50 and that I am in no risk group (except for being slightly overweight with a BMI of 29).

And I most likely don't even have B12 deficiency, ... but try telling that to my brain!

And even after one day, I realize how hard it is to not google symptoms. I was just in the bathroom and I checked my tongue (for no apparent reason.) It has slight whitish-brown coating ... maybe because of the sertraline (which made my mouth dry, as I was warned it would be my doctor.) But I have been strong up until now, and I have an appointment with my GP on Thursday (for a different reason) and I'll ask her about it instead of comparing images of tongues on google all afternoon.

[unsure_about_this]

I am closing my Dr Google, instead I will go to the doctors more and trust them more.

[lmh97]

I have had health anxiety for a while and only just decided to sign up to this website. I'm unsure of how it works but it is somewhat a relief knowing that I'm not the only one obsessing over my health.

Obviously, we all know what the biggest health fear is, and over the years I have Googled my symptoms repeatedly and been faced with that word. I have lost count of the amount of illnesses I have convinced myself I've had. I talk about my health worries almost constantly to my loved ones and I fear that it is having an impact on my relationships.. people just don't want to hear it after so long.

I guess I'm scared that if I find a symptom and don't go to the doctors about it, the disease will spread and it will be advanced by the time in is caught, if at all. I'm scared that if I dismiss my symptoms as part of my anxiety, rather than the horrors that Google informs me of, then I will ultimately not be going to the doctors and I will die. I've lost all ability to know when a doctor's appointment is necessary or not. Sometimes I don't sleep for fear of not waking up or missing crucial signs of illness while I am sleeping. I was taking antidepressants but they made me dizzy and then I just worried about that and Googled side effects and what they could indicate etc.

It is a challenge for me not to Google things. By now I have read up about so many different types of cancer, heart disease, meningitis etc. That I'm aware of the symptoms without having to use Google, so I've shot myself in the foot there. But I do it for one of two reasons. I am looking for either reassurance or confirmation.

I still don't know how this site works but it felt good to be able to write this and know that somebody might see it who knows exactly what I feel like.

[jamesgdev]

I really need to stop googling my medical advice.

[ShellyTai]

I love this post .... nearly cried reading it....
I have a confession
I'm 45 years old, i'm cancer phobic (name my dr gave me) and a googleholic......
I started taking 50mgs of Sertraline at the end of November .... I also (up until recently) drink half a bottle to a bottle of wine every night....
For years my life has been, alcohol, sertraline, Dr Google, anxiety, more Dr Google, Dr's surgery begging for tests, hospital tests (all to come back clear), more wine, more anxiety, more Dr Google (with stupid questions like - how common is it that a battery of tests will miss cancer) .....
In the meantime, the sertraline isn't getting a chance to do a damn thing .....
Oh my good god .... is it any wonder I'm a walking quivering wreck !!!!

Does any of this sound familiar ???
Please - do not google ...... take it from someone who's pretty much let Cancerphobia ruin their life for years .....
I've stopped drinking over the past 2 weeks - I think I was hoping for a miracle .... I expected to feel brilliant .... all anxiety and phobias to be gone - but they're not....no where near it, I feel worse now than ever ......
But - I'm really really going to try and stay away from google and the bottle...and see if I can get some perspective ..... it's a long road .... Dr Google isn't our friend here though.

Take care everyone......trust your dr's .... xxxx

[TheDogMan]

Dr Google diagnosed me with Colon Cancer 16 months ago, i literally walked into my dr's office and told her i have colon cancer, what can we do. She nearly fell off her chair, and told me to stay away from the internet for diagnosing myself.

[Thelegend27]

I use Google all the time, I'm always searching symptoms. I drives me crazy. My most recent scare was lymph nodes in my neck, i noticed i had 4 small palpable lymph nodes 2 on each side of my neck that sit side by side just above the collarbone, Google made it seem as if it cant be anything other than cancer. So of course i seen my doctor who did a ultrasound and a complete blood count and said everything looked fine, i then said but Google said it must be cancer, and she said i have hundereds of patients to reference to and you only have Google she said to always trust doctors over Google and that nobody should Google symptoms of any serious health conditions, she even said she has palpable nodes in the same area as me and she said she plays with them from time to time but she said she knows its nothing abnormal so she doesn't worry about it. My point is, Google will put you in a state of mind where you believe your symptoms are caused by something serious and its a hard place to get out of. I try not to Google, i try not to poke at my lymph nodes and i can tell i have alot less anxiety now.

[unsure_about_this]

Dr Google I felt hot whilst I was eating today what does this mean. I been told to stay away from the Internet. Dr Google is sometimes a lifesaver

[crystal17]

I love this post .... nearly cried reading it....
I have a confession
I'm 45 years old, i'm cancer phobic (name my dr gave me) and a googleholic......
I started taking 50mgs of Sertraline at the end of November .... I also (up until recently) drink half a bottle to a bottle of wine every night....
For years my life has been, alcohol, sertraline, Dr Google, anxiety, more Dr Google, Dr's surgery begging for tests, hospital tests (all to come back clear), more wine, more anxiety, more Dr Google (with stupid questions like - how common is it that a battery of tests will miss cancer) .....
In the meantime, the sertraline isn't getting a chance to do a damn thing .....
Oh my good god .... is it any wonder I'm a walking quivering wreck !!!!

Does any of this sound familiar ???
Please - do not google ...... take it from someone who's pretty much let Cancerphobia ruin their life for years .....
I've stopped drinking over the past 2 weeks - I think I was hoping for a miracle .... I expected to feel brilliant .... all anxiety and phobias to be gone - but they're not....no where near it, I feel worse now than ever ......
But - I'm really really going to try and stay away from google and the bottle...and see if I can get some perspective ..... it's a long road .... Dr Google isn't our friend here though.

Take care everyone......trust your dr's .... xxxx

Just want to wish you all the best, you sound like a lovely lady and I can relate to all that you say, except it's not alcohol for me but sugar and pain meds. Keep going, you sound so strong and determined - I honestly read your post with admiration