In pain for two weeks with no diagnosis

[charliearlie]

Okay, this is a bit of a long story but I am kind of worried and to be honest, I have no one to speak to. This started thirteen days ago with a slight panic attack, I had to stand and breathe slowly for about an hour to relax but then I struggled to sleep afterwards. The next day (Wednesday) a pain in my chest started developing, it wasn't unbearable but it was awkward. By Friday it was unbearable, the pain moving to my shoulder blade too. I went to the doctors and was told my blood pressure and heart rate are fine and that it must be muscular. I'm not a doctor but I know when it's a muscle or at least I think I do.

The Sunday after this, the pain reached a new level so I went to the A&E and had them look at me. Again my blood pressure and heart rate fine and my ECG was fine. Stupidly I rejected a blood test because I had an exam the day after. The Thursday a week after this all began I was in this unbearable pain again so made another doctors appointment and this time got my blood test and was told it's all clear. But then the next day I was called saying i needed to get another blood test, this one is more specifically to look at my liver. I'm in so much pain and I have no idea what's wrong with me and that just makes me more anxious. One night I was laying in bed and I actually just accepted death as if it was coming soon. My symptoms are, shoulder blade pain (sometimes a numb feeling), chest pain, ache in my arm, sharp pain in my palm, diarrhea, tiredness and weak calves. :weep:

What am I supposed to do until my next blood test on Thursday?

[backfromthebrink]

Anxiety can do funny things to you. If you read around this forum, you'll find lots of people with what sound like severe chest pains and clear ECGs, who are told that it is anxiety related.

Have you experienced panic attacks before, or was this your first one?

I think the best thing is to reassure yourself that all the most important tests have come back clear - the ECG, being the main one. That means you're NOT going to have something happen to you suddenly - whatever the blood test comes back as. And when you do have the blood test, you probably won't know anything immediately anyway - it will be another few days before you get the results. As scary as the pain might be, try to reassure yourself: You have had several medical professionals look at you now, and if they were worried, they would have kept you in or run more tests.

It's not that the pain is 'in your head', it's that the anxiety is causing it. Anxiety can cause all kinds of pains and aches….

[charliearlie]

Thanks for your response. The clear blood test and ECG really did help me relax a bit but my friends are all 'doctors' because they can search on the internet and tell me what it could be and that makes it worse again. All these people trying to diagnose me without knowing a thing.

It was my first panic attack but the weeks before it I had constant thoughts about death. I would even analyse how many years I probably have left and loads of other stupid thoughts until my stomach felt like it had dropped out of me. The problem now is not knowing what is wrong with me and that is killing me. I can't sleep with the pain and it's nearly impossible to live my life like normal. I write off anxiety because I don't consciously feel anxious but as you said, it can cause all types of problems. Thank you for making me feel a bit better.

[backfromthebrink]

Well, if you're in that much pain and you're thinking about death a lot, I'm guessing that would be making you feel anxious, no? It would make me!

Someone else (sorry can't remember who) just posted these worksheets on another link and I thought they were really good, so have a read of them and see if they help:
http://www.cci.health.wa.gov.au/resources/infopax.cfm?Info_ID=53