Fear of AAA coming back (may trigger)

[KeeKee]

I have previously posted regarding a strong pulse I have in my stomach (it's not just my stomach I noticed recently as my upper t shirt also moves), I felt very reassured after reading my replies and my HA has been barely there for a short while now.
However the last couple of days I am getting a mild sharp pain in my upper stomach kind of below the sternum. It only lasts a second at a time but now my mind is all over the place and again I am thinking of AAA.
I have heard (possibly on here) that you wouldn't feel any pain unless is ruptured which of course would be a medical emergency, so I know it hasn't ruptured but I can't help worry in case the sharp pain (albeit mild and short - lived) is due to the AAA becoming larger :-(
Any ideas? I'm not crazy anxious as I feel if it was something serious, I would know, but I wanted a bit reassurance before it gets out of hand again. I haven't been to the doctors in 5 weeks now, so have no intention of going back unless I absolutely have to.
Also about 10 weeks ago my dr felt my stomach because I was convinced I felt a lump just below my sternum (didnt mention AAA) and he said he couldnt find anything, would he have felt this had I actually had one?

Thanks in advance :D

---------- Post added at 22:47 ---------- Previous post was at 22:31 ----------

I have stupidly googled 'aorta diagram' and my pain coincides with where the aorta is. It could also be liver pain? Hmm, why did I do that :-(
Just before bedtime too :scared15:

---------- Post added at 23:35 ---------- Previous post was at 22:47 ----------

Just remembered I'm at the Docs on Friday for a sick note for ESA. I'm going to mention it then because I'm really starting to freak out! Role on Friday!
(Wonder if it could be trapped wind).

[Serenity1990]

Not idea what AAA might stand for (guessing not a battery size in this instance), but nothing you've describes sounds like anything other than classic anxiety symptoms to me. Certainly everything you describe I've experienced at some point today and many days over the past year.

[KeeKee]

Thank you very much for replying I was getting more and more worried. I believe it stands for Abdominal Aorta Aneurysm. (I wish I was talking about a battery hehe.) I'm still so freaked out.
Have u had actual sharp but mild pains in your upper stomach, below sternum before?
I know anxiety can cause pains as I was convinced I had a blood clot a shirt while ago and had actual leg pains, that soon went.(Well after about a fortnight).
I looked on my past posts and a month ago I posted about me having the same pain I have now, surely AAA wouldn't cause intermittent mild short lasting pains for at least a month?

[Serenity1990]

Out of curiosity why are you latching onto that? It seems a rather obscure cause of your symptoms.

One of my doctors thought I might actually have an aneurism about half a year back, albeit elsewhere in the body, and I was sent straight to hospital who did tests very quickly. I didn't even know what one was! Whatever it was they established with blood tests alone that I didn't have one and I was sent back home.

I guess the point I'm trying to make is whilst I know nothing about the condition in question if your docs thought there was the smallest likelihood of it actually occurring they'd send you off to hospital ASAP. And from my limited experience they can tell whether it's likely you've got one from a blood test, has your doc done any bloods?

[Fishmanpa]

I see things like "sharp pain only lasting a second or two" often on the boards. These are what I call "twinges". We all get them and most often than not, for no apparent reason. Pain that is severe and doesn't go away are the types of pain that you might be concerned with. Otherwise, it's just a twinge and nothing serious IMO.

You can get a sharp pain anywhere in your body at any given time. I get sharp stabbing pains in my feet that last less than a second due to peripheral neuropathy from chemo. I get sharp pains in my abdomen lasting a second or two when I'm full of Sh*&. I get similar pains all over my body because that's sometimes what bodies and nerves do and it doesn't mean it's sinister.

Being that medical professional has given you the all clear, I would take that and run with it.

Positive thoughts

[KeeKee]

I haven't actually mentioned this to my doctor. I did mention that I thought I felt a lump just below my sternum and he said he couldn't feel a thing, not even muscle (and my partner says im not chubby ha). I am hoping he would have felt this.
The reason this bothers me th most I think is because of my strong pulse. And then recently this pain that I agree Fishmanpa is more of a twinge but it's always in the same place :-(
I've been tired these last few days too which I used go think was caused by my SSRIs but I've been off them 10 weeks now.
If this stomach pain stops I will most likely feel ok again as I have been feeling decent for a short while now. But I still fear other causes such as stomach ulcers (although I looked at a stomach diagram earlier and the stomach is more to the left(.
Thank you both for taking the time to reply, I'm sure if either of you thought it was possible you would have said, plus I know the odds are on my side with me being female and only 25. Hope I fall asleep soon as I may forget about this niggle thing in the morning.

[Serenity1990]

The strong pulse thing is probably the hallmark feature of anxiety disorders, and there's not much else that can cause it. If that's your only twinge of pain you're doing well, try borrowing my body for a day! With respect to the lump, your doctor has inspected it and found nothing there that shouldn't be there. I'd say you can pretty much relax on this one. :)

[KeeKee]

Thank you Serenity :-) at least I still had a decent nights sleep.
I've beven thinking this morning that if it was an aneurysm causing those twinges that it would also hurt when I pressed it, which it doesn't seem to be.

[edwardthebear]

If you are quite slim it is possible to see the Abdominal Aorta pulsing especially when laid on your back, I can see mine quite distinctly. If your heartbeat is hard and fast with heightened anxiety the Aorta will pulse harder (in sync with the rest of the pulse points in the body)
As Fishmanpa says your twinges sound just like nothing more than twinges, probably with you focussing so much on this particular region of the body your awareness to them is heightened.
I believe Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm's are most prevalent in overweight Males over the age of 65, so I am sure you are worrying yourself unnecessarily with this. Best Wishes.

[KeeKee]

Hi edwardthebear, I am not slim. I am very close to being overweight now due to (IMO) weight gain from Paroxetine (which is why I quit it). This is why it bothers me so much. I have read many past posts about the stomach pulse and a lot of replies said that if you are slim this is common, I am not slim and my pulse is much stronger than my partners who is all skin and bone!

I was on Propranolol last year for panic attacks and have only been fully off it around 5 weeks or so, do you think that could cause a stronger pulse due to your body being so used to having it? I took it twice a day.

[Catherine S]

I take propranolol and as with all beta blockers, it reduces the power of your pulse because it slows down your heart. Its a reason they prescribe it for high BP, to reduce the power of blood flow through the heart, so its stands to reason that if you stop taking them your heart rate will increase and pulse will become stronger. Propranolol can also affect your digestive system so this could be a reason for the pain in the area of your stomach. It affects insulin levels and the combination of this and the slowing down of digestion can lead to weight gain in some people...including me.

ISB x

[KeeKee]

Thank you I still believe. I wonder if it will settle in time then? Now and again I do still get surges of panic such as when family members argue (it doesn't bother me but for some reason it bothers my body).

[Catherine S]

I think your nervous system is on a much higher alert after coming off beta blockers KeeKee, they aren't addictive where you can crave them like other meds, but they do calm your system down somewhat so without them your body is adjusting to coping with stimulation without help so to speak. It will find its balance eventually, you've just forgotten how your system reacts normally I guess.

ISB x

[KeeKee]

Thank you very much :-) it makes sense to me.

[Serenity1990]

I take propranolol and as with all beta blockers, it reduces the power of your pulse because it slows down your heart. Its a reason they prescribe it for high BP, to reduce the power of blood flow through the heart, so its stands to reason that if you stop taking them your heart rate will increase and pulse will become stronger. Propranolol can also affect your digestive system so this could be a reason for the pain in the area of your stomach. It affects insulin levels and the combination of this and the slowing down of digestion can lead to weight gain in some people...including me.

ISB x

It's not suitable for everyone though. My doctor said as my RHR is about 60 he wouldn't want to medicate to make it any slower, even though that would stop the pounding heart issues. As soon as I recognised they were just anxiety they went away. :)

[Catherine S]

Hi Serenity

No, propranolol isn't suitable for everyone but KeeKee was asking if her strong pulse could be connected to coming off it a few weeks ago and I agreed that it could be connected. Her question and my answer wasn't anything to do with the suitability of the drug in general, only about the fact that if already on it, then coming off it can result in a stronger pulse as it appears to do in her case. If I don't take it for a few days I can feel the difference in my heart rate and my pulse becomes stronger, so I was also sharing my experience of it.

ISB x

[stars22]

Hey ! I have the same at the moment the other day I was sat watching tv when I felt a pulse in my belly I was laid back I freaked out I panicked , two days later still panicking yet I can see and feel my pulse without touching it through my top when im standing or sitting iv had burning belly ache in the same place for 6 hours now and im so scared that its a anyrsm my partner is looking at me like im crazy I suppose he is used to it im also getting a tight pushing out feeling im 22 and have 2 children so I'm very stressed all the time but I hope it helps you to know others are goimg through this too sounds crazy but only last week I was freaking out about a brain tumour x