View Full Version : if you think you're ill, you are?
for the last 2 days i've felt extremely sick and nauseous and tonight i thought i was going to have to go back to the ER despite me visiting 5 different doctors in the last 3 weeks. All doctors have told me i'm suffering from an anxiety disorder after carrying out basic and neurological tests. I have read extensively online and convinced myself i am the exception and that they have missed something, mainly MS, brain tumour or Lymphoma (articles from the dailymail certainly don't help)
i'm trying my best to trust the doctors diagnosis but the worsening of my symptoms is leaving me concerned. I'm struggling to decide whether i feel ill because i think i'm ill or if i'm genuinely ill, i've been sick the last 2 days and felt very dizzy but i don't know if a positive mental attitude would slightly alleviate the symptoms and make them more manageable. I find it very difficult to stay positive and accept the diagnosis as whenever a symptom strikes i find myself absorbed by it and increasingly concerned about what it could signal. Has anyone accepted it's anxiety and been able to move forward despite horrible symptoms even when they aren't anxious?
i've been keeping a symptom diary day to day and below is a list of symptoms i've felt over the past few days, i've put * next to the most severe symptoms. See if anyone has suffered with something similar.
Symptoms have persisted for over 2 weeks despite me feeling calm at times. Some are more concerning than others.
*Dizziness
*Spaced out-depersonalised
(these are the worst 2 symptoms, i literally feel out of it wherever i go and it's horrible)
*Gurgling stomach
*Bridge of nose pressure, nose pops but still feels the same
*Pressure behind eyes
*Tingling fingertips
*Burning top of head & forehead (feels like brain)
*Headache-moves around head from above ears to the back corners
*Tiredness
*Nauseous/sick
*Leg, arm and abdominal twitches
*Wet feeling in ears-hard to explain
*Pain in ears
*Big pain in right index finger, very random
Foot tingling-comes and goes
Pain in knees, elbows, toes and fingers
Sharp pains in abdomen and behind ribs
Pulse in strange places
Palpitations during exercise
Tight throat
Facial rash
Hip pain
Pain above eyes
*Floor feels spongey when walking-almost like being on a boat
Burning in calf
Tingling face, next to eyes-skin sometimes feels tight
Pain in temples
Sore, watery eyes-pain behind eyes
abdominal pain
*panicky feeling-feel as though i'm about to have a seizure/pass out
random pain in chin
pain in shoulder
hot and cold sensations all over the body
lower/upper back pain
sluggishness upon waking up
chest pain, left and right side
sharp pain under tongue
slight cough
seeing things in corner of eye
pins and needles bottom of feet
shooting pains in colon (i suffer from IBS)
shin pain
eye floaters-worse on a morning
burning face-particularly under eyes
heavy head
I can honestly say at one point or another I have had like 90% of these symptoms. You should trust your doctors. It very hard to accept that these very real symptoms are produced by anxiety but they are. Once you except this you will slowly start to feel better.
Worriedwellornot
13-01-14, 20:52
Mrdave like RoseEve I had also had the majority of your symptoms apart from the wet ears ( but I have tinnitus ) for last 30 years and I'm still here. I don't have them all at once and they change intermittently. They are all signs of anxiety. I've had all the tests done and nothing has ever been diagnosed apart from anxiety related issues such as IBS.
You will be ok
During various phases of my HA, I had 14 of the symptoms you mentioned. All of them are either caused by anxiety, or caused by mild disorders (such as migraines or TMJ) which are, in turn, directly caused by anxiety. Trust your doctors-and positive mental attitude WILL alleviate the pains. Maybe not in an instant, but in a mid-longer term surely. Stay strong! ;)
Symptoms have persisted for over 2 weeks despite me feeling calm at times. Some are more concerning than others.
*Dizziness
*Spaced out-depersonalised
(these are the worst 2 symptoms, i literally feel out of it wherever i go and it's horrible)
*Gurgling stomach
*Bridge of nose pressure, nose pops but still feels the same
*Pressure behind eyes
*Tingling fingertips
*Burning top of head & forehead (feels like brain)
*Headache-moves around head from above ears to the back corners
*Tiredness
*Nauseous/sick
*Leg, arm and abdominal twitches
*Wet feeling in ears-hard to explain
*Pain in ears
*Big pain in right index finger, very random
Foot tingling-comes and goes
Pain in knees, elbows, toes and fingers
Sharp pains in abdomen and behind ribs
Pain above eyes
*Floor feels spongey when walking-almost like being on a boat
Burning in calf
Tingling face, next to eyes-skin sometimes feels tight
Pain in temples
Sore, watery eyes-pain behind eyes
abdominal pain
*panicky feeling-feel as though i'm about to have a seizure/pass out
random pain in chin
pain in shoulder
hot and cold sensations all over the body
lower/upper back pain
sluggishness upon waking up
chest pain, left and right side
sharp pain under tongue
slight cough
seeing things in corner of eye
pins and needles bottom of feet
shooting pains in colon (i suffer from IBS)
shin pain
eye floaters-worse on a morning
burning face-particularly under eyes
heavy head
**Whew** remind me not to ask you how you feel!! ;)
As has been said in response to your posts, these are classic anxiety symptoms backed up by medical professionals diagnosis. I saw another post about quitting drinking. A wise move as drinking and anxiety don't mix!
Seeking help for the illness you are suffering with, anxiety, would be your best course of action.
Good luck and positive thoughts
i sometimes worry as i suffer from so many sypmptoms. no one seems to suffer from such an extensive list and these are only symptoms i have felt over the last few days. i've felt extremely ill with nausea and headaches and convinced myself i'm dying/seriously ill. Visiting message boards full of people with serious illnesses definitely doesn't help. It's still hard convincing myself anxiety can do this especially when symptoms worsen despite doctors reassuring it's just anxiety. 'just anxiety' is a term they shouldn't use as if this is all simply down to anxiety then it's one of the most painful and debilitating illnesses anyone could suffer from
MRS STRESS ED
13-01-14, 21:06
MrDave I understand how hard it is to believe and except its anxiety ,I was exactly like you over 12months ago ,I always thought the worst,always looking for reasurance ,you have got to start believing its anxiety trust your doctor ,once I excepted anxiety I started to feel better ,its been along hard struggle but im getting there. I hope you can too good luck :D
how do you manage to get past the symptoms though? it seems as soon as i accept it's anxiety a new symptom comes and throws me off making me think it's something more severe. Articles online about people suffering from serious illness's being misdiagnosed with anxiety stick in my head as well. Many people seem to know someone who was misdiagnosed time and time again. It's hard not to think i fall into this category when my symptoms worsen over time and show no signs of improving
MRS STRESS ED
13-01-14, 21:36
how do you manage to get past the symptoms though? it seems as soon as i accept it's anxiety a new symptom comes and throws me off making me think it's something more severe. Articles online about people suffering from serious illness's being misdiagnosed with anxiety stick in my head as well. Many people seem to know someone who was misdiagnosed time and time again. It's hard not to think i fall into this category when my symptoms worsen over time and show no signs of improving
The only way to get past the symptoms is to stop thinking about them ,you have got to put all your energy into getting better focus on other things such as ,going to see friends ,going for regular walks listening to relaxing music ,reading also make time for yourself to relax ,it wont happen over night you have got to work hard, ,I have and im getting better everyday I hope you can start believing you can do it x
Dave,
If you haven't read this please do:
http://www.nomorepanic.co.uk/articles/symptoms/
Also, please download and read this:
http://www.nomorepanic.co.uk/showthread.php?t=131665
Based on what I'm reading, I don't know if you're in the right state of mind to absorb it but it's worth a shot :)
Positive thoughts
i've read the symptoms link and looked at the CBT page thanks Fishmanpa. It's hard to absorb when you're in the thick of all the symptoms and feeling so run down but i'm really trying my best. A lot of my symptoms don't seem like your usual anxiety symptoms which concerns me.
Mrs Stress Ed- it's hard not to think about the symptoms as some of them are very painful and alarming, it would be pretty much impossible to ignore them. i went to the gym the other day but felt so spaced out on the walk there and back, it was horrible. I guess the only way to improve is to expose myself to these situations though till i get used to them again. I just wish the symptoms would settle down & i could get back to a normal life but i know that's going to take a very long time.
i've read the symptoms link and looked at the CBT page thanks Fishmanpa. It's hard to absorb when you're in the thick of all the symptoms and feeling so run down but i'm really trying my best. A lot of my symptoms don't seem like your usual anxiety symptoms which concerns me.
Unless you've actually registered and downloaded it, the CBT link won't do you any good. Most of the issue is the spiral of anxiety. You feel a symptom, the adrenalin starts flowing, getting you more anxious which in turn send more adrenalin etc...
Hope things calm down enough to give you time to rationalize things.
Positive thoughts
MRS STRESS ED
13-01-14, 21:54
MrDave I truly understand what your saying ,this time last year I felt exactly the same ,I never thought I would get better ,but as horrible as these symptoms are you can beat them x
Dave, you asked if anyone had ever suffered those symptoms, in those numbers and severity, and ever accepted that it was anxiety and was able to recover. The answer to your questions is a resounding YES!!!!
I am living proof that it can be done. I'm not 100% yet but I'm a good 80%. Four months ago, I was in a similar place. I felt horrible every day with differing symptoms. The symptoms seemed to change on a regular basis, with a few remaining constant. I constantly googled, came up with all of the "diseases" that I was afflicted with, and then sought reassurance right here. The more I googled and read articles about mis- diagnosed individuals and the more I sought reassurance, the worse my symptoms became.
It took total ( as much as I was capable of, day by day ) acceptance and me fully believing that EVERY symptom was anxiety. Just ANXIETY! And realizing that anxiety can not hurt me.
It took building a tool box of tools to have at my disposal. Meditation. CBT ( a great online course that is free ). Progressive muscle relaxation. Reading self help books. Watching something every day that would make me laugh. Distraction (no matter how bad I felt ). Turning my irrational thoughts into rational thoughts. Realizing that what I thought influenced how I felt.
You have only one disease, and that is anxiety. What are you doing to help the diseas that you have?
Thank you for the kind words and support, i hope i can overcome these horrible symptoms as they're making me feel extremely crappy at the minute.
Tanner- your story inspires me and gives me hope that i can recover from this and get back to the person i used to be.
I'm beginning 'The Linden Method' tomorrow and attempting to come to terms with the anxiety diagnosis by stopping researching new symptoms. I'm struggling tonight as i'm suffering from a very painful headache and painful eyes which gets alarm bells ringing but i'm trying to stay calm and not overreact. Which CBT course did you undertake if you don't mind me asking?
There were many people on here that inspired me, Dave. CPE, Skippy, HoneyLove, Fishmanpa, Kate just to name a few. They made me want to follow their path and get better too. CBT for Panic and Mood Gym are two free CBT classes and I have used both of them. They are both quite good and have been helpful for me.
i feel slightly better today and have had my blood taken for tests this morning, when walking down the street i felt very spaced out again but i tried battling through it and telling myself it's just anxiety. Is it normal to get random head pains with anxiety, i get them at random points on my head and they last for about 2 seconds at a time? i've suffered from them last night & this morning but haven't had them in the past
Very normal Dave. A rush of adrenaline can do the strangest things to the body. I've found the best thing to do is just to ignore it. Go ahead and dare it to do it's worst. I find the more that I concentrate on or worry about a symptom, the more persistent that it becomes.
they happen even when i'm feeling relaxed, last night i was in bed feeling a lot better and all of a sudden i got a horrible pain in my head that knocked me for six. Did you have the spaced out feelings when walking around? i find this to be the most troublesome symptom. I'm trying to ignore symptoms as much as i can when they come
Yes, definitely all anxiety. My symptoms used to occur even when I thought that I was relaxed. Our bodies waynof telling us that it's still on high alert.
it's very difficult to accept, especially with the swollen lymph node under my chin. My worsening headaches, sickness, nausea and dizziness also concern me to no end as they all point to a much more serious illness & i don't see how doctors can rule this out without thorough tests, it seems irresponsible
Rennie1989
14-01-14, 15:45
The doctors are far from irresponsible. The diseases you're worried about would have been found straight away with those tests. You have to remember that anxiety IS a real disease, just because it's labelled as a mental illness does not mean that it is less serious or important to understand and treat as any physical illness.
The reason why your symptoms are worsening is because you seem to be in a constant state of anxiety. I advice that you learn how the sympathetic nervous system works, as it is triggered by adrenaline to change our status to 'fight or flight' mode. The symptoms you describe as classic anxiety and adrenaline symptoms. There is nobody here who has not experienced what you have.
We can only offer you so much advice, but it seems like it's not working for you. So my advice is:
- NO MORE GOOGLING SYMPTOMS AND DISEASES
- Try learning to accept that you have an anxiety disorder
- If that fails, ask to be referred for CBT (Cognitive Behavioural Therapy)
Here are some links:
Importance of proper breathing with a quick biology lesson:
http://positive-mental-health.blogspot.co.uk/2013/11/the-importance-of-proper-breathing.html
NHS on CBT
http://www.nhs.uk/conditions/Cognitive-behavioural-therapy/Pages/Introduction.aspx
MIND on anxiety and panic attacks:
http://www.mind.org.uk/information-support/types-of-mental-health-problems/anxiety-and-panic-attacks/#.UtVbg_RdXg8
I get very spaced out when im anxious. I get funny pains in head, head rushes and zaps.
Iv had terrible head pain for past few days and I do panic over it but you have to try and accept what you have is anxiety
mandie
i still have the loud stomach gurgles which don't seem to be going away coupled with the dizziness and pains in ear. I know a girl who was diagnosed with Lymphoma after finding a lump in her neck and it makes me so worried about the pea sized lump i have under my jaw on one side of my neck. I can't believe i never got it checked, my parents told me it was nothing to worry about and i stupidly believed them
JITTERBUG1
14-01-14, 20:06
Your dizziness, ear pain and swollen node could be caused by TMJ. Try putting a finger in each ear with your palms facing forward, put light pressure and open and shut your mouth. If your jaw is functioning ok it will open and close real smooth. If it is not functioning right you will fill a click, or your can feel it shift. TMJ caused all kinds of problems.
it closes smoothly. The swollen node has been there for a very long time but i never thought it was a problem and i wasn't even aware of what lymphoma was. I have also realised a lump under my tongue & lumps in my gums below my lower back teeth. I am positive something is not right with me, i've had anxiety before and the symptoms have never made me feel this unwell
Do you grind your teeth Dave? check your cheeks for cuts, or you could even check your gums to see if they're inflamed (white around the teeth)
no, not that i'm aware of. All these lumps are just escalating and i'm discovering more in my gums and in my neck by the day. I feel so overwhelmed. I'm petrified.
How do you know those lumps weren't there before? :)
i think i've always had them or had them for a very long time but with feeling the way i do now and not getting an explanation for it i'm beginning to think they are harmful. Particularly the hard lump under my chin
Is there someone you can talk to? Perhaps you can call your GP and get a referral to a counselor, therapist or psychologist pronto? It just seems you're spiraling out of control here Dave. Nothing anyone can say or do in this forum is making any difference. You need a perspective tune up to help you gain some control.
Positive thoughts
http:// http://www.nhs.uk/Conditions/teeth-grinding/Pages/Symptoms.aspx
That node under your chin usually responds to mouth problems, check your cheeks for cuts, feel your jaw is it sore/achey, I'm quite sure your under a large amount of stress and this causes jaw clenching, I do it in my sleep and it causes lots of horrible aches and pains, it even effects my ears
:)
---------- Post added at 20:53 ---------- Previous post was at 20:50 ----------
Check the link
i just feel so bad and have done for so long. No matter what i do i can't pick myself up & i'm sick of it. My symptoms seem too severe to be anxiety i just can't get healthy again no matter what i try, diet, exercise etc. that is why i know within myself something is wrong with me. I never usually get ill. I'd give anything to feel normal again & feel healthy but this has gone on for so long & is getting worse. I understand peoples frustrations but i'm trying my best to pick myself up & i can't. I feel terrible. This is why i can't accept that it's 'just anxiety'
i just feel so bad and have done for so long. No matter what i do i can't pick myself up & i'm sick of it. My symptoms seem too severe to be anxiety i just can't get healthy again no matter what i try, diet, exercise etc. that is why i know within myself something is wrong with me. I never usually get ill. I'd give anything to feel normal again & feel healthy but this has gone on for so long & is getting worse. I understand peoples frustrations but i'm trying my best to pick myself up & i can't. I feel terrible. This is why i can't accept that it's 'just anxiety'
Didn't you say you had an appointment with doctor the day after tomorrow?
yes but as i say i've seen 5 doctors and told them this and they just say it's anxiety but no matter what i do i can't feel better and just keep getting worse. It's awful
yes but as i say i've seen 5 doctors and told them this and they just say it's anxiety but no matter what i do i can't feel better and just keep getting worse. It's awful
Ok. As I said before, tomorrow you absolutely need to calm down and to appear collected in your appointment with your GP.
I read your fear is lymphoma. As lymphoma fear is regular part of my cancer phobia too, I know a thing or two about it. I am not a doctor, but your symptoms absolutely doesn't sound like lymphoma. Being a young and otherwise healthy persons, your chances to develop lymphoma are really very low. There is more statistical probability that you'll get killed by a thunderbolt than that you'll develop lymphoma.
Swollen lymph nodes get swollen from colds, teeth and gum problems, thrush, sinusitis, bacterial and viral infections, glandular fevers and yes, tumours-but tumour is absolutely the rarest disease that affects lymph nodes. Moreover, as I said before-the lump under your chin doesn't have to be a lymph node at all. It can be a fatty tissue, a benign cyst, a non-tumorous bone growth (exostosis) and so on.
I know that Google says swollen lymph node is a symptom of cancer. Well, basically everything can be a symptom of cancer. Runny nose can be a symptom of sinus cancer. Sweating can be a symptom of leukemia. A cough can be a symptom of lung cancer, and so on. But the thing is-all these things are much more often (in 99% cases, minimum) symptoms of something else and HARMLESS. That's what Dr Google doesn't take into account-you read all the possible causes, which are listed there, you see "cancer" and you freak out.
But let me tell you another thing: even if you are one of those very very few, very unlucky young people who got cancer, lymphoma is, together with testicular, prostate and breast cancer, now considered the MOST CURABLE cancer. In most cases people go in remission and cancer doesn't come to visit them again. Even the metastatic lymphomas are now often successfully cured. Therefore, even if you have cancer (and 99.999999% chances are that you don't)-you got the "best" available. Actually, it's much easier to conquer lymphoma (although consequences of possible defeat are grave, naturally) than to conquer health anxiety-HA tends to last longer, relapse every time and follow you throughout your life. Thus whatever is the problem health problem, you need to tackle anxiety because, lymphoma or no lymphoma, you don't need it to ruin your life.
Therefore try to stay positive and, above all, calm. You're not going to die. You're not going to be very sick. You're going to be fine. Take a deep breath, take a sleeping pill if you have one, go and get some sleep, try to have a normal day tomorrow and Thursday talk with your doctor, be sincere and tell him everything. Don't freak out, don't panic in his office, don't come to his door and shout "I have cancer"-just act normally, and speak with him, man to man. He is there to help you and he will-he will not give you the answer you expect (that you have cancer)-but this time try to follow to the letter what he/she recommends. And now, off you go to bed and stop lurking around here :)
thank you so much Andrash. Your words are very wise however the lump really is located in my lymph glands and i've had it for so long that it would likely have spread if it were to be cancer.
I don't know how to pick myself up and feel well again. I'm 21 year old and i feel so dead inside physically and mentally. The symptoms i experience are unlike anything i've had before and alarm me so much that it makes me convinced what i have is more serious than anxiety. My stomach gurgles are getting worse, the twitches are getting worse, everythings getting worse no matter what i try and do to alleviate it.
i just feel so bad and have done for so long. No matter what i do i can't pick myself up & i'm sick of it. My symptoms seem too severe to be anxiety i just can't get healthy again no matter what i try, diet, exercise etc. that is why i know within myself something is wrong with me. I never usually get ill. I'd give anything to feel normal again & feel healthy but this has gone on for so long & is getting worse. I understand peoples frustrations but i'm trying my best to pick myself up & i can't. I feel terrible. This is why i can't accept that it's 'just anxiety'
But you're on an "Anxiety" website? There has to be a niggle in your mind that indeed you suffer from anxiety or you wouldn't be here. Logic more than suggests that.
I had cancer. I participate in a couple of cancer forums. What got me interested in anxiety and HA were people that would join the forum and post their symptoms just like here. The members, including myself, would answer much the same as I answer here. Their symptoms were not typical of the type of cancer we had and we suggested them seeing a doctor that could rule it out. Many, like yourself, had seen numerous doctors, had numerous tests, only to be told there was nothing "physically" wrong with them.
I would venture to guess that if you were to join a forum about whatever it is you're fearing you have, you would be told the same thing. What is it you expect people here to say? They've all been through it and are suffering from it the same as you are. Some take the Dragon by the horns and fight back and some allow him to breath fire until they're burning up. Sadly, many live in the fire for years and years.
In my opinion, you're in the fire big time right now and just don't know how to put it out. Anxiety causes real physical symptoms. Pain, nausea, dizziness, chest pain etc. etc. etc. I've had a couple of intense panic attacks in my life so I do know how it feels and it sure as hell feels real. But guess what? It was real for a small period of time and there was nothing physically wrong with me. There are members here that are in the same boat as you and have responded. I don't know what else anyone here can tell you that will help to be honest. What is it that you're hoping for? A magic pill? A self-fulfilling prophecy?
All I can say is I hope you find a way to get a grip on things and find a way to get on and treat what in my opinion is ailing you and that's anxiety.
Best wishes, positive thoughts and good luck.
Anxiety Dave, it's anxiety. When are you going to begin to help yourself by treating the disease that you actually have? There has been a great deal of reassurance on this thread and many wonderful suggestions. Which of those suggestions have you tried to implement today?
i'm so sorry, you're all right. you have gone out of your way to try and help me but i'm too wrapped up in my symptoms and how i feel to take anything on board. as soon as i make progress a symptom strikes and i can't get past it. I just feel the severity of my symptoms is unusual which makes me riddled with worry.
this board has been a great help for me and i don't want to rub people up the wrong way by persistently begging for help & advice when it has already been given. i need to try my best to accept it's anxiety which is my main struggle & go from there. tomorrow is a new day and hopefully i will feel better & be able to get past the troublesome symptoms that are currently plaguing me. Thank you all for your kind words & for taking the time to help me, i'm really trying my best but understand that this is a battle with myself and no words are going to magic away how i feel.
MRS STRESS ED
15-01-14, 12:11
Mrdave if you have had the lumps for along time what does that tell you x
people can have things that go undiagnosed and lay dormant for years though, i hope it's nothing but the way i feel is horrendous and it would explain a lot if it was something serious.
i just ache everywhere, real sharp pains in my fingers, toes and groin. i'm 21 year old and have felt ill for over 2 months now, it has particularly worsened over the last 3 weeks. i'm usually fit and a regular gym goer but something inside me is not right. i feel like i'm banging my head against the wall because everyone says i have anxiety which is true but what is making me anxious is my symptoms and how they are worsening. then i get stressed when they're passed off or played down. the way i've felt over the last few weeks is unlike anything i've experienced before & it's the most ill i've ever felt in my life. I do have anxiety but there seems to be a real underlying problem with me, i know within myself that something is severely wrong.
My stomach goes insane, constantly gurgling extremely loudly all day long with pain and discomfort. I feel dizzy, i've been sick 4 out of the last 7 days with horrible nausea. I have horrendous headaches and pain literally everywhere, my throat feels tight & i have a cough that wont go. I had anxiety in the past and none of the symptoms were even close to being this severe, painful and debilitating. The rates of misdiagnosis are alarmingly high and it's easy for a doctor to pass something off as anxiety when they have a healthy young guy come in suffering with an unusual range of symptoms which could be tricky for them to diagnose.
I feel like the boy who cried wolf because of my anxiety problems in the past but this time i'm genuinely ill and i can't accept the anxiety diagnosis because my symptoms are constant all day long and worsening by the day. Pains in ears, groin, eyes, toes, fingers etc. are not consistent with anxiety disorders and most symptoms seem to come and go during times of high anxiety, mine are constant 24/7 even when i'm relaxed and not stressed.
Hi Mrdave,
It certainly sounds like you are suffering at the moment and I really have a lot of sympathy.
Maybe there is something wrong other than anxiety, but a lot of very easily treatable things can cause all the things you mention. I would also suggest that maybe you have some "real" symptoms that have made you more sensitive and prone to notice things you wouldn't have otherwise.
For example, I once had shoulder and upper back pain that hurt like hell. I was diagnosed with tendonitis so the pain was very real and had a cause other than anxiety.
However, I became concerned that I had lung cancer and over the following month started to notice that I was getting shorter of breath, had a cough, was feeling lightheaded and fatigued, didn't want to eat and many other things that pointed to what I feared. Once I accepted that I didn't have lung cancer, all the symptoms except the shoulder and back pain seemed to fade away.
As to the three things you think you could have - well out of them, if you had any (which I am certain you don't) MS would be the most likely. I have MS and it is not as scary as many people think. My life is perfectly normal and all the people I have come to know through support sites etc say that while they have bad days, they have normal, happy lives.
I am very sure that you don't have any of the things you are worried about but I'm not sure whether you symptoms are all anxiety induced - maybe you do have a "real" issue or two like my shoulder issue - I can't honestly say for sure. But it WILL NOT be anything deadly.
Good luck at the doctors and please let us all know how it goes.
Hi Katesa,
thanks for the advice. I really know something more than anxiety is wrong with me, no one from any of the threads i've come across seems to get the aches and pains that i experience or the range of symptoms. Whenever i've been to the emergency room they've done neurological tests which i have passed with flying colours, the doctor also checked my pupils with a light and said that this most likely ruled out MS or a brain tumour but i really have no idea if this is true or not.
It's so frustrating as the doctor is set on me having anxiety and seems so reluctant to even entertain the thought that something else could be going on. The only reason i got a blood test was because i asked for one & he said he didn't want it to become a regular thing where i go and ask for more & more tests. My symptoms are completely underplayed and it's so frustrating that i could have a serious illness but it wont be diagnosed till it's too late and i experience advanced, serious symptoms. My main frustration at the minute is how everything i describe is classed as anxiety when i've had anxiety in the past & it was nowhere near as severe as this. Things have gone on too long & they should be getting better by now, not worse.
I know nothing about brain tumours but I think your doctor was telling the truth.
I went to the doctors about my lung cancer fears and one of the things I brought up was an eye issue (I thought I had a pancoast tumour in my lungs which can cause eye problems). It was through doing an eye exam similar to what your doc did that my GP spotted my MS warning sign and began the process of diagnosis.
What I'm saying is that even though I went in about a completely different fear, my doctor was able to spot the warning signs that I had a neurological condition. They really do know what to look for.
As I said, I think you may have a real issue and that it is giving you problems. But it will be something completely benign and your anxiety and fear, the power of suggestion, will be making it a whole lot worse.
I don't know a single person with a neuro condition that has ALL the symptoms you have, and definitely not for two months straight. Even with cancers, people don't tend to get such a huge and exhaustive list of symptoms all over the body.
i'm sorry to hear about your MS diagnosis but i'm very happy to hear you lead a happy, normal life.
the thing that worries me is i've had dizziness for a long time now and progressively nausea crept in and now i'm getting worsening headaches. All of these indicate a severe issue.
I really don't see how a doctor can rule out anything serious by doing a neurological test and taking my heart rate & temperature. It is not thorough enough & i know my symptoms aren't being taken seriously. I surely require some kind of scan or more thorough method of testing to get to the bottom of what the problem is.
I have no idea what it could be, the aches and pains everywhere coupled with the pea sized lump in my neck really do make me believe that it's lymphoma or leukaemia, my whole body aches and severe pains in fingers, toes, knees and groin are not normal.
If it were nothing serious after 2 months i would have started to feel better & back to my normal self but this is not the case at all and i feel it's a matter of time till my condition takes a real turn for the worse as every symptom is worsening.
I'm considering writing down my most severe symptoms and giving them to the doctor when i go for my appointment tomorrow. I need to explain to him that i know i have anxiety but these symptoms are severe and troubling me more than any anxiety could account for.
My symptoms are constant day to day and the doctors have said it could be a viral infection. This would not last for 2 months in a healthy 21 year old and if it did it would be getting better by now, not worse.
I should get my blood test results tomorrow which i'm nervous about however i don't know what they rule out or what the blood is tested for so i'm sure it doesn't rule out any conditions.
i'm sorry to hear about your MS diagnosis but i'm very happy to hear you lead a happy, normal life.
the thing that worries me is i've had dizziness for a long time now and progressively nausea crept in and now i'm getting worsening headaches. All of these indicate a severe issue.
.
I'm sorry hon, but who says? Many common and benign things can cause those symptoms, from a thyroid issue (which I also have and it also causes aches) to seasonal affective disorder or even eye strain so your statement is just wrong.
I think your plan of writing them all down and saying that to your doctor is a good one.
Now, maybe someone with more medical knowledge than me will correct me but I believe that while blood tests don't diagnose lymphoma or leukemia, they do both present markers in a blood test that tells a doctor that more testing is needed
I also have had or having 90% of those symptoms
---------- Post added at 17:22 ---------- Previous post was at 17:20 ----------
I wrote every symptom I had down and gave it to doc he sent me for about 15 different blood tests I'm awaiting the results .... So I think it's a good idea because I never used to get them out when I saw my doc
I also have most of these symptoms. I have just moved to a new area and out of my parents house. I am 29 and since this I have just been sick, but all the Doctors say is that it is stress. I am convinced it is MS or ALS which is worse and my fear is ending up severely disabled or even dead. It is debilitating as you know to wake up each morning with these fears. My newest symptom is the pressure behind my right eye and also like it is blocked underneath. I am so so scared and just want this to go away. Whenever I look up tingling on the internet it shows so many awful illnesses and I just think what is the point in living life waiting to get these horrible things. When I read your post, I automatically thought "anxiety symptoms" so why can't I think that about my own symptoms? It's so hard. And then I think what if I put it down to anxiety and then miss something serious
i'm so frightened tonight. i have been suffering dizziness and been sick 5 out of the last 7 days with extremely nauseous feelings which are worse on a morning. Over the last 3 days i have had stabbing pains in my head that come and go and are very sharp. They have gradually gotten worse. On top of this tonight i have felt a lot of pressure particularly in my right ear. About 10 minutes ago i got a horrible sharp pain on the top of my head that went right through to the core of my head and rocked me, a horrible surge of adrenaline went through me as the pain struck and made me feel like i was going to pass out. All these symptoms point to a brain tumour, i'm seeing the doctor tomorrow and want him to take me seriously, i'm petrified of getting a scan but i know i need one cos i've been ill for so long and all my symptoms point to this
I do not doubt you may be actually ill Dave, but jaw clenching can cause all of this, especially if you wake up with it, most people clench and grind during the night. it's pretty common.
Have a good night's sleep and good luck :)
i don't clench my jaw though. I sleep with a slack jaw. I'm so frightened. All my symptoms now point to a brain tumour
How do you know this? open your jaw as wide as you can, what does it feel like?
if it was that it would have been picked up already by the multiple doctors you have seen. I think this is a combination of things.
many, many people with brain tumours are misdiagnosed and my symptoms have worsened significantly over the past few days. I have all the typical symptoms of a brain tumour apart from a seizure which i felt like i was going to have after that horrible head pain. Nothing will be done till i pass out or have a seizure, they wont look past my anxiety and see that i'm genuinely really unwell and deteriorating.
many, many people with brain tumours are misdiagnosed and my symptoms have worsened significantly over the past few days. I have all the typical symptoms of a brain tumour apart from a seizure which i felt like i was going to have after that horrible head pain. Nothing will be done till i pass out or have a seizure, they wont look past my anxiety and see that i'm genuinely really unwell and deteriorating.
Gurgling stomach a typical symptom of brain tumour? :)
Powered by vBulletin® Version 4.2.5 Copyright © 2024 vBulletin Solutions Inc. All rights reserved.