Please can someone help me

[flatterycat]

I have posted on here a couple of times recently because of fears about cancer. I have always suffered with health anxiety but was doing ok. This bout started in January when I had a sudden pain on the right side of my lower back. I had been cleaning at the time and my doc said I probably strained a muscle. I was ok for a while and the pain eased off, then it started up again. This time I googled and convinced myself the pain was actually my kidney. Again, the docs all said muscle strain. On top of this I had blood in my urine on a dipstick. Back in 2007 I was investiagted for blood in urine - I had scans and other tests and all was ok. The consultant said it was just me and nothing to worry about. Anyway since this back pain I have again convinced myself that it is kidney cancer. I am 44 and up until this bout was quite healthy. Anyway the back pain started to go again and I settled down, but then a couple of weeks ago I started getting horrible pains going down the outside of my right leg. Again, the docs aren't worried but I have convinced myself that I have kidney cancer that has spread to my bones. I am terrified. I can't eat, so am losing weight whci adds to my fears and I am a trembling mess.

At the moment my symptoms are blood in urine on dipstick (invisible) but my doc won't refer me because she says I have had it investigated and its just me. I have seen a chiro, 4 docs about the back and leg pain and they all say its nothing to worry about. The pain is worse when sitting for a while and best whenin bed. I have full movement in my spine and joints too. However I can't believe that this pain could last so long and not be something awful.

I have even taken myself to a and e twice. The first time I thought the leg pain wwas a dvt, they did a d-dimer blood test and it was completely normal. Then I went again yesterday. This time they gave me a kidney function blood test, again all normal. They wouldn't scan me, they said I didn't have anything that made them think I needed one.

To top it all off I also have watery diahorrea.

I am so scared. My doc has put my sertraline up to 100mg after being on 50mg but I have just gone up to 75mg.

I suppose I'm writing because I want to know if this could all be down to anxiety. I know that if I was certain it was nothing nasty that pain wouldn't bother me. The lack of appetite, diahorrea, trembling - could all this be anxiety.

Sorry for the long post, I hope someone can help.

Sarah x

[LHinsch]

Hi Sarah,
I am so sorry that you are having it so rough with your anxiety. I do not have any specific advice to give on your kidney issues and leg pains, but I can speak from experience on the anxiety. I know how it feels to constantly sit and worry about one symptom or another. I have have health anxiety and it has been with me since childhood on and off. Most recently I am currently trying to convince myself that I have MS. I started taking Celexa back in September at 20mg and did fine until about January when I started having some dull abdomen pains. I remember feeling very nervous and jittery, so I went back to the Dr. and he upped me to 40mg. I have been on this for about 1 month and really I am just feeling tired and not a whole lot better. I called him yesterday and they are going to put me on Lexapro 10mg. I just totally remember the not being able to eat and being really nervous. I still obsess about the illness part, but the meds seem to have taken away the nervous feelings. Again, sorry for the pain you are in.