Damned health anxiety!!!!

[Liviguy]

So last month I thought I had throat cancer due to a pain in my neck (turned out I'd cut myself shaving)

Went to the doctor feeling rotten with a pounding headache and was sent for blook tests. They came back abnormal (low iron level) and I had to go back in yesterday to discuss results. So I decided that I had a brain tumour.

Doctor gave me migraine tablets and iron tables and nasal spray for sinuses, so no brain tumour. (no surprise that the headaches have eased now)

He referred me to the Gastro unit at the hospital to see why my body isn't absorbing iron and although I am sure it is diet related (very poor diet) and he tended to agree, I now am worrying that I have some fatal disease which is going to wipe me out.

Today I have a heavy left arm with pins and needles in my hand and fingers and I am worried I am about to have a heart attack.

Oh the joys of having health anxiety lol. Drives me insane.

[chris9642]

well i know exactly where your coming from - im sick to the stomach with worry about Motor Neurons disease and my whole body feels like wobbly jelly i just cant escape its like a huge fear washing over me and i just want to curl up in a ball..... im gonna have to get some help because I cant be like this all the time - any reassurance i get about MND then instantly i think "well it must be MS or Tumor then' so its like reassurance wont work

[bottleblond]

Oh i hear you Liviguy. I used to suffer chronic HA. Like you,I imagined I had everything under the sun. I was convinced my number was up on many an occassion but all these years on, i'm still here and now realise I spent all those years worrying about what 'could' be rather than enjoying my life.

Don't get me wrong, I do still suffer every now and again but nowhere near the extent i used to.

Try not to worry, i'm sure whatever it is will be easily treatable.

Lisa
x

[sonoma]

Another thing to consider along with poor diet is if you tend to drink a lot of tea, esp with meals. Tea has something in it that can slow down or block the absorption if iron. Also, if you tend to use antacids frequently, Iron needs an acidic environment to best be absorbed. So always best to try to take iron supplements with orange juice. It can also take awhile to build it back up so don't panic if it's not better in a month!

[Gruffalo]

I get pins and needles in my left arm too! I'm positively sure it's anxiety related. I came to the conclusion it was a stroke the first time I got it... but I'm still here! As everyone has already said, you'll be fine. It sounds like whatever you have is easily treatable.

[katielou80]

im really worrying about having ovarian cancer wight now. i have severe health anxiety and have bad back and leg ache for months, i googled it and it says ovarian cancer, i asked my gp and he said no. its just a back problem. im so so worried i think about it 24/7. health anxiety is such a horrible thing, i too want to curl up and hide. ive had cbt for it, but it didnt work, the only person who can help us is ourselfs unfortunately. ive wasted years and years and years, worrying about different cancers, palputations. i would love to know what its like to enjoy life and not worry about your health, it would be wonderful. my mind is occupied with it literally from the minute i wake up to the minute i go to bed. when i look back ive wasted so many xmas's worrying that i wont see the next, and different cancers ive had at the time. this must go, i really want and need to be normal xx

[meche]

HA is the worst! I've just had 3 weeks of no anxiety or symptoms and life has been great but out of the blue my headache came back, I've had ear/eye pain, dizziness and just a sense of dread that something bad is about to happen to me! I'm on a slippery slope back to brain tumours! I can't allow myself to go back there and I'm trying to stay calm and carry on but the fear is still there. I refuse to go to the doctor so I have to keep telling myself I felt like this before, nothing happened and then it disappeared. Tumours don't present themselves in that way and by now I would have so much more going on. Not easy to forget though! xx

[turnthelighton]

Hi Meche, you and me both. HA SUCKS. I was doing so well now have headache, eye pain and feeling light headed