So worried its lung cancer

[Dvsone]

I don't even know where to start. So I have this pain. It's in the right side of my chest except that its not really my chest. It's more like right under my pec and in my ribs near that area. I only feel this pain when I push my chest outward and stretch hard. If I hold the stretch the pain will go away and then when I release and go back to the relaxed position the pain comes for a split second and everything goes back to normal. It feels like a muscle pain to be honest. But ive told myself thats probably because a tumor is growing and when i get to a certain point of my stretch it puts pressure on my lungs up against my ribs. Of course I have been all over google and checked every message board and every lung cancer symtom possible...even though none of them hit the symtoms on the head I rule them off as being to vague.

But when you have really bad anxiety everything tells you it's the worst thing possible. I'm 31 and I smoked for 15 years at about a pack a day. I'm now vaping as of the last four months.

These last 2 months or so have been making me crazy...it's like my anxiety has came back with a vengeance and in the form of health anxiety rather then agoraphobia. So far I've had myself convinced of heart attack, annurysm, brain tumor and now lung cancer. It all sounds silly

But the worst part of all of it is that I'm constantly thinking that I'm not going to watch my 15 mo old boy grow up

[joelhall]

The only way to be sure that nothing is wrong is to have a check up with your doctor. Given your age and the symptoms, lung cancer doesn't sound likely however.

[SarahH]

Nothing sounds silly on this forum!!!Health Anxiety is very real and distressing. Go to your GP and get it checked the you will be reassured.

Sarah

[Dvsone]

Update

I got into the minor outpatient dr this morning before work. I'm not real crazy about them as most of the time they seem confused and just really put offish.

The dr I got today though was one that has been a dr for a long time from the hospital etc so that made it better.


Anyhow
They listened to my lungs and chest and felt around a little bit and of course asked me of any activity that could cause injury . In the end he prescribed moich ( inflammatory ) and flexoril ( muscle relaxer ) he said I may even have a little costochondritis. I told him about my anxiety and constant worrying and asked him by chance if it could be lung cancer related and he simply replied with

" he could come up with a list off 100 things it could be and if he had to suspect lung cancer he would be that at 100"
So that was reassuring, and before I walked out the door he said .....and no it's not heart disease either .

So I feel a tad bettwr

[AlexandriaUK]

That Dr sounded great, wish they could all be a little bit more aware of how we feel and what we worry about, he was so right to say and its not your heart as that would have been your next step, costochondritis is so painful and hurts as well when you press in the area.

[Speranza]

Great doc! :chairfall: