Worried about Rabies

[Munchlet]

Hi Everyone

I've just come back from Mallorca on holiday and my Health Anxiety is the worst I've ever known it to be.

I'm not eating, sleeping, have a pounding headache, can' stop crying etc, it's just awful, I really feel like I'm going mad.

Whilst I was on holiday I'm panicking that I've contracted Rabies.

I have't been bitten or scratched by anything and some of you will probably think the same as my husband that I'm completely mad, but I am absolutely worried sick.

We visited some caves in Mallorca and whilst waiting to go in some water dripped on my hand. I looked down and saw a little puddle along with lots of others and my husband laughed and said look out for the puddles and don't stand over them as you will get wet!

Anyway I sprayed my hands with anti bacterial spray and in doing so noticed I had a tiny cut on my hand probably more caused by dry skin rather than an actual cut but the anti bacterial spray caused it to sting a bit.

So ever since then I've been worried about what dripped on me, my husband says it's just water and alll caves do it as they are mosit but I'm thinking what if it was bat urine or saliva and it's got into this cut?

I am going out of my mind, I've tried googling and obviously the symptoms I'm having are early symptoms or Rabies, I also found articles about people who work in caves contracting rabies from bats because of the aerosol effect of the bats urine/saliva.

I don't know what to do, my husband is trying to reassure me unsuccesfully and has said these people who caught rabies work in caves all the time with bats and thousands of them. He has also said what dripped on me was water and it's not like we just wandered into caves we discovered unaccompanied. He said it was an organised trip, thousands of people go every week and the caves had no sign of any bats they were well lit and had obviously been renovated as they had a proper floor inside and steps etc, which he is trying to reassure me is completely different to just wandering into bat infested caves unaccompainied. He also said if there was a Rabies risk to the public they wouldn't let them go in.

I'm sorry this post is so long but I truly am going insane, I rang my mum in the middle of the night crying cos I couldnt sleep and she pretty much said the same as my husband , she also said all my symptoms are far more likely to be because of anxiety rather than rabies, she also said I need to see my doctor because last night she thought I was having a panic attack.

I don't know what to do, what hasn't helped is I stopped taking my meds a couple of months ago as I thoughy my HA was under control but now it's back with a vengence. My other issue is if I ring my doctor what can he do, if I've started showing symptoms they can't treat it anyway :weep:

I realise this is a very long post and would be greatful if anyone can offer any advice on this.

thanks x

[cocohac]

Hi there,
I just wanted to try and reassure u. I are perfectly ok. You haven't caught rabies and can't catch it like that.
My doctor always tells me off for looking my symptoms up on dr google because they do more damage than good in scaring us.
Ignore google an d try and listen to your family when they say ure fine.
Think about it, if they thought there was anyway of you catching rabies this way, don't you think they would have you down the doctors?

Hope this helps and please try not to worry, you are fine Xx

[Mr Brownstone]

"I haven't been bitten or scratched by anything". This is all you need to know. The rest is just your mind playing havoc. You dont have rabies.

[Munchlet]

Thanks for the replies, everyone I've spoken to has said the same thing, "that's not how you catch it" I just wish I could accept it and move on.

I haven't had HA this bad before, I can't eat, sleep and as a result I've got a pounding headache, my face keeps flushing, but I just can't seem to stop thinking this is the start of the symptoms. :weep:

[cocohac]

I can understand where you are coming from. Its like a vicious cycle. The symptoms are from ure anxiety but they help fuel ure thoughts more. You have to be firm with ureself and try and believe what people are saying to you.
I know how hard it is. I've had HA for 15 years.
Take care,
Helen

[Munchlet]

So I plucked up the courage to go to the GP and I'm not sure how I feel about the appt.

The GP was lovely and said he does not believe for one second I have Rabies, he said there is no indication of any wound and said even assuming it was saliva that dripped off the cave it would have to penetrate a substantial wound which as there is nothing to show now, he said it couldn't have been as it has healed up so quick.

He also said that it is water that drips off caves not bat saliva so he was not even remotely concerned.

I then showed him another small dot I found on the palm of my hand which is alongside a much smaller dot and said I thought maybe a bat could have bitten me without me knowing( you can probably tell how mch it's spiralling out of control) he said it didn't look anything like a bat bite it was a small skin abrasion and was not dark enough or deep enough and he didn't think a bat could possibly sink it's teeth into me without me noticing as he said it would hurt!

So he said without any evidence of wounds we don't need to go any further. He also said whilst the inubation period for Rabies can vary in most cases it is pretty quick and when I mentioned I'd had symptoms for a few days he was quick to say he thought it was far more likely to be anxiety and if it was Rabies the symptoms would progress very rapidly not stay the same.

So to conclude he wants me to refer for cognitive therapy as he feels I really need to talk his over to try and manage things better. He has also told me to restart the fluoxetine immediately and take 2 tablets for a week or so just to help me try and calm down and sort out the panic.

I just wish I could get to grips with things, I think I was wanting him to say "I guaranee you don't have Rabies but obviously he's not going to do that.

[southey]

Hey Munch,

You do not have Rabies, period.

I can look at this from an objective viewpoint. Mallorca is rabies free according to the health protection agency.

Your anxiety is making this an issue when it is 100% not an issue.

If you were bitten by a foaming at the mouth dog while supping Mallorcas finest sangrias then I would have concern and would seek treatment.

From what you have described you are 100% not at risk from any infection let alone Rabies which is so incredibly rare to start with.

You are fine:D

Steve.

[Munchlet]

Thanks Steve, I apppreciate the post.

It does help when people given an objective view, but for some reason I just can't seem to shake this anxiety.

I just hope the tablets kick in soon.

thanks :D

[southey]

That is all it is that is fuelling your thoughts, Anxiety and I expect the tablets to cause your anxiety to fade away. Yes it's hard to kick these thoughts away but once you have been through the process a few times it does get easier.

Your Doc was correct and justifiably so in reasoning you had NO exposure to Rabies. If He/She thought for one tiniest moment you were exposed they would have given you the vaccine.

Please don't allow yourself to obsess about this non -incident. It really isn't worth the energy and when you look back in a few weeks time you will see this and understand however bleak you feel now.

Steve:)

[Munchlet]

Does anyone know how long Fluoxetine takes to kick in?, Dr said this would be the best thing to try and reduce my anxiety and panic but I just wondered how long it would take to work.

At the moment, I'm still worrying alll the time, and still have the feeling of impending doom! :weep:

Just want to feel like there's light at the end of the tunnel, I know it's not an instant fix but just wondered if anyone else had been a in real state of panic and found Fluoxetine helped?

thanks x

[southey]

Not too sure about Prozac, I have taken it in the past but not as a starting treatment, I was on Citalopram then switched to Prozac.

Unless someone else knows I would expect it will take several weeks or more to feel the effects like other SSRI meds.

They can work very well however for panic and anxiety and as long as you can rough out any initial side effects and maybe feel a bit more anxious for a few weeks you should do well and get your old un-frazzled brain back :shades:

Steve:)

[violet33]

Hi, I've had health fears about many things including rabies. It is HIGHLY UNLIKELY that what dripped on you was saliva. Sounds like damp cave. Honestly I don't think you contracted rabies. Normally you'd have TI be actually bitten. Hope this helps.

[tamulus]

Fluoxetine will help. Your situation is nearly identical to mine of a few years ago. I completely empathise. I am very sorry for you because I know the nightmare you're enduring. Please take fluoxetine daily and don't even think about ever giving it up. It will simply bring your state of mind in line with what's "normal". This is not a failing in you. It's a condition that's inflicted on you and it requires honesty, courage and medication to deal with it. I'm almost in tears writing this, because I remember my terrors, which included exactly the one you specify. So take your fluoxetine daily without fail. These mortal terrors and other paranoid anxieties will subside. You will be liberated from debilitating mortal fears - or the worst of them at least. Fluoxetine has changed my life to the point that I can function without constant anxieties and outbursts for which I was constantly apologising. Take the tablets and consider doing to to be a lifelong thing. I'll be thinking of you. Show your husband this message and email me directly if you want to x.