popdisaster
06-03-13, 21:10
Hi everyone,
I have only been on this forum a few times – I discovered it over Christmas when my health anxiety started to get really bad, and have used it to reassure myself a few times over the last 2 months.
Recently, I feel like my anxiety has been getting a lot better. I have been to see the GP several times, who is not worried that I have anything serious, and also started on a course with a CBT therapist at my local surgery too. I'm also taking 10mg of propanalol 4 times a day. But most importantly, my attitude has improved a lot, by which I mean I have started to genuinely believe that there might be nothing wrong with me. (Just to fill you in, I'm male, 26, never smoked, hardly drink, eat well and exercise daily). Although a lot of the time I do still fixate on different sensations in my body, and often wonder what it could be (usually cancer or something equally bad), I am starting to regain a feeling of normality – I am able to enjoy things I used to, and sometimes go whole days (...!) without thinking about my health.
However, it's not all such plain sailing, and today has been a particularly bad day, for some unknown reason. Over the last week I have been having sharp pains that come and go in my right hip area. It's really hard to pinpoint where the pain is, but I think it may be related to my right testicle. So I have been examining them almost every day for fear of cancer, and there's no sign of any lumps, and they don't hurt when I feel them. I had a scan about a year ago and it showed that I do have an epididymal cyst just above the right testicle, but the doctors assured me it was nothing to worry about and I can just leave it alone.
Anyway, this pain... it's sort of 'in the middle' of my hip somewhere, neither the buttocks nor the front. I am occasionally also having sharp pains in the groin/crotch region, again on the right hand side, just above the penis and below the abdomen. It's been particularly bad today, coming on almost like clockwork every 5 minutes.
Any idea what this could be?? I try to focus on the fact that I don't have most of the 'key' symptoms for something serious - my appetite is good, bowel movements normal, no weight loss, not feeling particularly tired - but sometimes I soon convince myself that there must be something underlying the whole thing.
I am going to see my GP next week as they have just done a blood test for TSH (thyroid) to see if that is abnormal. I am also, quite often, having the sensation that it's hard to breathe, like someone is pressing down on my chest. I know this sounds like a classic anxiety symptom, but like I said – I really feel like my anxiety is reducing, so I'm finding it really frustrating that these symptoms are persisting.
Any advice on either problem appreciated! Thanks for reading!
I have only been on this forum a few times – I discovered it over Christmas when my health anxiety started to get really bad, and have used it to reassure myself a few times over the last 2 months.
Recently, I feel like my anxiety has been getting a lot better. I have been to see the GP several times, who is not worried that I have anything serious, and also started on a course with a CBT therapist at my local surgery too. I'm also taking 10mg of propanalol 4 times a day. But most importantly, my attitude has improved a lot, by which I mean I have started to genuinely believe that there might be nothing wrong with me. (Just to fill you in, I'm male, 26, never smoked, hardly drink, eat well and exercise daily). Although a lot of the time I do still fixate on different sensations in my body, and often wonder what it could be (usually cancer or something equally bad), I am starting to regain a feeling of normality – I am able to enjoy things I used to, and sometimes go whole days (...!) without thinking about my health.
However, it's not all such plain sailing, and today has been a particularly bad day, for some unknown reason. Over the last week I have been having sharp pains that come and go in my right hip area. It's really hard to pinpoint where the pain is, but I think it may be related to my right testicle. So I have been examining them almost every day for fear of cancer, and there's no sign of any lumps, and they don't hurt when I feel them. I had a scan about a year ago and it showed that I do have an epididymal cyst just above the right testicle, but the doctors assured me it was nothing to worry about and I can just leave it alone.
Anyway, this pain... it's sort of 'in the middle' of my hip somewhere, neither the buttocks nor the front. I am occasionally also having sharp pains in the groin/crotch region, again on the right hand side, just above the penis and below the abdomen. It's been particularly bad today, coming on almost like clockwork every 5 minutes.
Any idea what this could be?? I try to focus on the fact that I don't have most of the 'key' symptoms for something serious - my appetite is good, bowel movements normal, no weight loss, not feeling particularly tired - but sometimes I soon convince myself that there must be something underlying the whole thing.
I am going to see my GP next week as they have just done a blood test for TSH (thyroid) to see if that is abnormal. I am also, quite often, having the sensation that it's hard to breathe, like someone is pressing down on my chest. I know this sounds like a classic anxiety symptom, but like I said – I really feel like my anxiety is reducing, so I'm finding it really frustrating that these symptoms are persisting.
Any advice on either problem appreciated! Thanks for reading!