Please help, I'm very frightened

[mary8]

I am getting myself into such a state and hope you will be able to help me. I am 55 and suffer terribly from HA, my latest fear is stomach cancer, for the past fews weeks I have been getting some discomfort and slight pain at the top of my stomach which sometimes goes down as far as my navel, I have definitely had this before but of course I always think 'this time' it is something more serious. It hurts sometimes when I stretch too. Also, for the past couple of days I have been getting heartburn. I can remember getting these symptoms this time last year and went to my GP, he told me to take Galviscon which did clear it up. I started taking it again yesterday, 2 teaspoonfuls after my dinner then again after my breakfast this morning but I still have the heartburn. I don't have any other symptoms such as weight loss or blood in my stools but still I have this dreadful worry as I have been looking on the internet, I know I shouldn't as it puts more fear into me, but I try to do it for reassurance but it probably had the opposite affect.
I would be so grateful for some response and to hear if anyone else suffers with the same symptoms.
Thank you for taking the time to read my post.
Mary x

[Paniclissx]

Hey, I've had a similar worry myself, I was crippled and doubled over in pain with my stomach I couldn't move and could barely talk it hurt that much an all sorts went through my head - a heamirrage, appendicitis.. All sorts but trust me you really don't need to worry, anxiety an stress can cause - wind, irritable bowel, abdominal discomfort and because you are hypersensitive to your stomach you will feel it more.. If your gp was the slightest bit worried that it could be anything more he/she woul have examined you further and sent you for tests, the sooner you rest and relax the quicker the symptoms will go :) xx

[mary8]

Thank you for replying and I am sorry that you too have been suffering with stomach pain. I just worry so much that this time it is a bit different from the last episode as I get it on and off every day now, I know I home in on pain much more because of my anxiety but sometimes it hurts when I'm not even thinking about it.

[Paniclissx]

I know exactly what you mean I'm exactly the same with my legs, I'm terrified of collapsing and fainting and I get weak legs and it was just yesterday that I was stood in the kitchen as normal and out of no where my legs went weak and I had a really big panic attack, it always worries me that it's sonething more than anxiety but I'm always reassured that it is and it's nothing to worry about, I don't always have weak legs but it feels like I have, are you on any medication at the minute that may affect your stomach? Xx

[mary8]

No I'm not on any medication, I did start taking a pre/probiotic for a few months but stopped taking them because they didn't seem to make any difference.
I get weak and shaky legs sometimes too and have to sit down, it also makes my heart really race.

[countrygirl]

Always remember that every symptom anyone has could be cancer but Drs are trained to pick up on the signs of cancer which are different and not something that we are trained to do. My Dr explained this to me once, he said only difference between ha sufferer and none ha is that the none ha does not think their headache is a brain tumour:) but he is trained to be suspicious of certain signs that would point to something nasty.

Your Dr cannot prescribe long term antacids or acid suppressing drugs without also sending you for a gastroscopy to make sure nothing nasty is going on in someone over 40 so if you find in a few weeks that your symptoms do not improve then see your Dr as if nothing else he can send you for a gastroscopy that would put your mind at rest totally. I DO NOT think you need one at all, heartburn is such a common symptom . I have a hiatus hernia and have taken famotidine for 20 years to reduce my stomach acid otherwise I have crippling heartburn and reflux and I still have to be careful what I eat ( no alcohol at all or cake!)

[Paniclissx]

Maybe you have irritable bowel from all the stress and worry? Have you told your gp your fears of stomach cancer? (I don't think for one minute that you have this) Maybe he will run some tests and then that would make you feel better as it would rule it out? :) anxiety is such a horrible and scary thing, I'm fed up of never feeling right x

[mary8]

Thank you Country Girl, I am also very frightened about going back to my GP for fear he will send me for further tests, ie a camera down the throat. I know it could possibly be just acid reflux or maybe a stomach ulcer but of course I am thinking much much worse than that, I always fear the worst. It's horrible feeling like this and it's spoiling what should be an exciting build up to Christmas.

[countrygirl]

Try thinking of it a different way - you can spend however long worrying about your stomach issues and of course imagining the worst or you could give it time to resolve say if its still bothering you after new year then see your Dr as one simple test could stop you worrying whereas putting it off just prolongs the agony. The most likely cause is just acid reflux due to anxiety or even like me a haitus hernia or a bit of inflamed stomach lining - the least likely cause is stomach cancer.

I'm not sure whether this is going to help you or not but in my experience at the Drs and knowing a couple of stomach cancer sufferers they always always presented at the Drs with vomiting, I have personally seen:scared15: the vomit of someone with stomach cancer and its exactly like coffee grounds out of a cafetierre.

Again back to the difference between symptoms and signs, if you had posted saying you kept vomiting and the vomit looked like brown coffee grounds then I would have been begging you to see your Dr as this is a sign of stomach cancer whereas heartburn alone is the sign of about 20 benign conditions other than stomach cancer if you see what I mean.

[mary8]

Thank you Countrygirl, you have really given me some positive feedback and it has helped me alot. I will try and remind myself of your words and maybe if I don't constantly think about my stomach the symptoms might ease a bit.

[Ceece]

Thank you Country Girl, I am also very frightened about going back to my GP for fear he will send me for further tests, ie a camera down the throat. I know it could possibly be just acid reflux or maybe a stomach ulcer but of course I am thinking much much worse than that, I always fear the worst. It's horrible feeling like this and it's spoiling what should be an exciting build up to Christmas.


Hi, I am new to the forum and not posted before. When I read your post I totally related to it too. I am spending my days worrying about my bad stomach, painful and bloated. I am waiting for a scan appointment to rule out other things but it was my choice as doc said he was not really concerned, I wanted it checked out tho. I had bloods tests done for liver, kidney and inflamation markers, all were clear. What started me worrying more tho was that when I first visited a different doc he said he thought he felt a lump, he said it could be undigested food or 'poo' lying there but it made me so scared. I saw another doc the next day who said that he could not feel abything there at all but I keep thinkning about it and worrying. I can't sleep for thinking about it as the pain is still there. I also just want to get on with Christmas planning but it is hard.

[mary8]

Hi Ceece, I'm very sorry to hear about your problems although please be reassured by the tests you have had so far and that they have all come back normal. I wouldn't worry about the first Dr saying he felt a lump, honestly, if there were anything there the second Dr would have felt it too. Also, I'm sure that if anything like a growth was going on your inflammation blood test would have come back high. I know how hard it is to get these negative thoughts out of our heads, they do tend to take over.
Take care and I hope you are able to enjoy the build up to Christmas.

[Ceece]

Hi Mary, thank you for the reassurance, it does help. I know its irrational to over worry. If I just knew that it was then I'd cope better but it is keeping me awake at night and I am getting pains in my chest, probably with the stress. If I knew that it was something like IBS or another 'normal' illness then I'd cope ok but its the underlying worry that something awful is wrong. It is worse when the pain is there as it reminds me. I don't even feel that ill if I am honest but I am so bloated and stomach pains come and go. Not been sick or anything tho. My appetite has slightly lessened but I think its once again the stress as it does affect me like that. I am glad that I am not the only person worried about illness, and sharing it is helpful.