So scared I have a serious illness

[AaronB]

Hi Everyone,

So I'm back again, I've been doing so well I suppose I am due a slight hiccup!

Right now, I am so scared I have lung cancer. My symptoms are achy upper body, back, shoulder, ribcage. There were shooting pains going through my chest and side of my ribs but these seem to have faded today, leaving this large ache in my stomach and the rest of my upper body.

Could it be my lungs? I'm so scared it is, I've smoked since I was 16 and I'm 30 now. I smoke about 5 or 6 a day at the moment.

I just feel like 'it must be'.. Which I know is silly. I've googled symptoms of lung cancer before and I am fighting so hard not to do it again as I just know it will make me worse.

I have no cough at all, and pretty much no other symptoms other than nausea, and these aches.

I'm battling through work and still going, although I just had to cut my last lesson (I'm a driving instructor) short and I HATE doing that. I have the weekend now to try and relax but I just can't get this lung cancer theory out of my head!

So most people are telling me this is all muscular issues. I have a bad left shoulder, whereby the muscle across my shoulder blade goes very hard and sore. It aches and can produce pain and aches all down my back, arm, and neck. It is flaring up right now as my left shoulder blade is sticking out like 2 inches.

I have a doctors appt on the 16th, but am going to all again on Monday and try to get an earlier date.

If anyone can offer me any re-assurance, or tell me they've had the same I'd really appreciate it.

I've been so good recently and hate feeling the wrath of anxiety again.

[abby38]

Definitely sounds like muscular problems and not at all like lung cancer, I've had every ache and pain you can imagine, back, neck, chest etc etc. Try not to worry :)

[AaronB]

Thanks Abby,

I'm even worse today, I feel like the right hand side of my back is burning, and aching.

I'm terrified I have lung cancer.

I woke up feeling very tired, didn't sleep well at all last night, and feel like I have a large knot in my stomach. It's the aching in my upper body though that is just scaring the hell out of me.

Still no cough at all which I guess is a good sign?

[Annie0904]

It sounds like muscle tension to me. If it was lung cancer you would be out of breath, coughing and other symptoms so rest assured it isn't that.

[Anxious_gal]

If it was lungs your doctor will be able to hear it.
When I had a bad chest infection I had a constand deep ache in my upper back and chest and it really hurt to breathe.

Pain doesn't mean cancer. It might be just tension too : )

[Ventussi]

Seems like muscles overload. I've got such pains from time to time. They usually go away after a few days. I'd rather check your bed if it's ok. Or maybe a cold/flu is coming - they also give such symptoms.

[AaronB]

Thanks for the replies.

I went to the doctors this morning, she checked me over, listened to my lungs, took my blood pressure, and checked my throat and ears.

She said it is most likely a virus, and to go back in a week if I feel no better.

This evening I feel horrible, I ate a meal (pasta, chicken steak, and sweetcorn) and it all felt like it got stuck just above my stomach. It felt horrible and then my chest tightened up to the point where I felt I couldn't breathe and was weezing!

I've been told it could be a hernia? A common one that won't allow my food to digest properly?

It is slowly going doewn and my chest is slowly clearing but my god I feel so scared tonight.

I kind of wish if something bad was going to happen then just to hurry up and get it over with so I can get better!

I have a feeling like there is a lump in my throat too, but I've had that before when I'm anxious so trying to ignore that.

I am still getting a sharp pain across my chest when I take a deep breath too. Probably 1 out of 15 times and its there.

[Laurenita]

I am brand new on here (this is literally my first post!) And I seem to be going through exactly what you are. I have aches and pains all over my body, I've convinced myself I've got every type of cancer you can name and I'm only nineteen. I'm just wondering how you've managed to be 'doing well?' Right now, I'm just an absolute mess. I was diagnosed with GAD around a month ago, and whilst it seems to come and go, the health is always in the back of my mind; leg pains, pelvic pains, chest pains etc. I'm good 70% of the time, but when I'm bad, I'm so bad it terrifies me :(

[mocha]

I know the feeling of fear, of completely believing that this horrible thing must be the answer to the symptoms, of thinking about it every second.
Stay strong and ride through it, let it pass and hopefully in a few days you will have gotten over it. wish you all the best!

[ReissG]

Lung cancer is pretty much known as impossible for those under the age of 45.

It's an extremely powerful cancer, your first symptom would not be back ache.
You'd have chesty cough, terrible burns, you'd be out of breath all the time.

It sounds to me like you got these pains and your anxiety intensified them :(
My advice, quit smoking :)
I did last week due to a HA scare of throat cancer lol it does give you a lot more peace of mind!
If you carry on smoking you'll keep feeding the anxiety.

[lo89]

My gran died of lung cancer, she lived with us so we pretty much dealt with it every day.
Her symptoms did not sound anything like yours. To start with it was an awful phlegmy feeling chest infection and she couldn't get enough air into her lungs with each breath. She pretty much knew right away it was cancer, and she had lots of other lung problems before that.
Your symptoms sound a lot like mines - anxiety related I believe.
I know it is hard but you need to try and break the panic cycle!

[JackInTheBox]

I agree with the anxiety version. Par to the heart "problem", my other great fear is lung cancer.

I also smoke since 16 and I had something that resembled a pneumonia when I was 23(?) or 24(?), that left one of my lungs with a wicked scar.

For years I stressed about all the twists and aches of it and yet only when I started to lower my cig ratio and started to exercise did things get better.

Now the scar on the lung actually hurts when:

-Weather changes
-I get sick
-I smoke/inhale smoke too much
-I'm exposed to too much humidity (like my sternum, I hate humidity)

Lately my plight against health anxiety has made me shift this fear for the one of chronic bronchitis, which seems much more viable right now :P

[AaronB]

My gran died of lung cancer, she lived with us so we pretty much dealt with it every day.
Her symptoms did not sound anything like yours. To start with it was an awful phlegmy feeling chest infection and she couldn't get enough air into her lungs with each breath. She pretty much knew right away it was cancer, and she had lots of other lung problems before that.
Your symptoms sound a lot like mines - anxiety related I believe.
I know it is hard but you need to try and break the panic cycle!

See, this is what scares me, I guess it does feel a bit like a chest infection, but I'm not producing any phlegm at all. This morning, the right hand side of my back right down to my waistline feels warm, and has a slight ache to it. I also feel like my stomach acid is in my chest, like a warm stingy feeling.

The feeling in my back does seem to be more kidney area than lung though.

[AaronB]

So tonight is more of the same. :(

My chest still hurts, I feel short of breath just walking up the stairs, and I am so worried.

I had a meal which didn't feel like it had got stuck so I guess that's a good thing.

I just need to feel better soon so I can stop panicking that it is something serious.

My doctor listened to my lungs and said they were all clear surely that rules out lung cancer right?

If anyone can offer any advice or reassurance please do.

[blingkasa]

I get all kinds of aches and pains as well. We think its not anxiety but it usually is, it is scary and it makes me feel like wanting to run away. But we are not usually aware of how tense our body is and when we sub-consciously relax it tends to zap our muscles and we are always tuning in to the slightest thing. Usually people just get on with whatever they are doing but if a person has anxiety then its normal for them to be more " keyed in" to their body. Don't worry so much about it ( easier said than done i really know) But it does sound like tension and stress. I was just reading in the forum about power poses, maybe you need to stretch more and release the tension in your body. It helps me as i tend to slouch a lot. Best of Luck.

[AaronB]

So I called the doctor again this morning. Last night the pain in the centre of my chest got really bad, and so uncomfortable. I felt like it was acid burning my chest, and I looked up the symptoms of GERD.

It appears that I have an awful lot of the symptoms, chest pain, back pain, acid feeling, sore/tickly throat, worse if I lay down or after a meal etc.

So I called the doc and said is it likely? She said it could well be, it's a common condition, and has prescribed me what I guess is some industrial strength Rennie.

Going to pick it up now so I just hope it helps. I still have aches and pains all up my right hand side of my upper body, more to the back. Apparently this could be referred pain.

So badly want to feel better now.

[j2]

I have gotten great relief of these type of symptoms from finding yoga for upper back and neck on youtube and by being very mindful of good sitting and sleep posture. I hope you feel better.