View Full Version : HA resurfaced - help please
As you may have read in other posts of mine, I have a fear that I've got pancreatic cancer. I've had blood tests & an abdominal ultrasound. Both came back clear. I've still been getting pain (mild, but definitely there) in my left ribs/back, which ranges right up to shoulder blade, and right down to hip. But is mostly concentrated around back and front of ribs. Anyway, I just had an appointment with my doctor to follow up on the ultrasound and discuss the continuing symptoms. He started by saying the ultrasound showed that there was nothing serious going on (which was a relief). At that point I asked about whether anything would have shown on my pancreas? He said the pancreas wouldn't have really been looked at as it is mostly hidden. He said what bits they could have seen appeared completely normal. Well, this sent me into panic mode. I had assumed my pancreas would be looked at since that's the area the pain is, and the doctor specifically knew my worries about it. I had previously been doing really well with the HA but I feel like I'm back to square one. I came out of doctors feeling sick, shaky, and like I have no answers. It doesn't help that my doctor doesn't have a great bedside manner- today he told ne the best thing I can do is get on with my life and stop thinking about it. He also said if there was a pancreatic condition it's bad news and nothing can be done anyway!! (Although in the fairness of balance he did say again he doesn't think it is)
I'm still shaking, feeling sick. Help anyone!
Your doctor sounds a bit cold to be honest. The thing is though, the only person telling you that the area of your pain is your pancreas, is you. Also, all of your blood tests and even an ultrasound have come back normal. This would not be the case if you had pancreatic cancer. There would be abnormalities in your blood tests and while the person performing the scan may not have been able to directly see the pancreas, any inflammation caused by pancreatic cancer would have been easily apparent.
As much as your doctor shouldn't be telling you that nothing could be done even if it was your pancreas, I do believe you should take his advice and try not to worry about it. Pancreatic cancer is very rare, after all. Did he offer any diagnosis as to the pain you are feeling? It sounds muscular to me, possibly caused by tension and exacerbated by your fixation on the area.
Thank you Gary. Your level headed reply is exactly what I needed. Yes the doctor I saw today is quite cold. The doctor I'm registered to is really lovely, and I would have rather seen her. Unfortunately because she is very good and such a nice person, she is very popular. Which means getting an appointment with her requires about a two week wait! Plus because the doctor I saw today was the one who referred me for the ultrasound, I figured it made sense to have the follow up with him (plus it was the only appointment I could get anyway).
You're right. Despite there being a plethora of pancreatic cancer symptoms that I DON'T have, I can't help focusing on the pain I get and in my mind attributing it to PC. I was so tempted to google PC this morning to try to reassure myself I don't have it, but I fought the urge as I know from experience that it's the pathway to panic.
The doctor this morning said he would put the pain down to either referred nerve pain or muscular pain. Either one basically being muscular. The rational part of me desparately wants to accept that, but the only bit of me that doubts it is the fact that the pain comes and goes. And it moves around. Sometimes it's worse in shoulder blade, other times worse in back ribs, and so on. I often have soft stools too so he touched on it being IBS, but didn't really go into that much further.
Thanks again for your reply Gary.
One thing I forgot to mention, is that the pain seems to ease if I have a hot water bottle on it. Would PC pain ease with a hot water bottle? I'm hoping to rationalise and put the issues I have to IBS. I feel a bit frustrated that the doctor I saw earlier kind of alluded to it being IBS, but then didn't offer me any advice whatsoever on how to deal with it (I know there's no cure, but I would've thought he could've given some dietary advice etc.)
If your pain eases when you apply a hot water bottle then it is 99.9% a muscular problem. Muscles relax and release tension when heat is applied. Pancreatic cancer pain doesn't ease with the aid of heat. As for IBS, guess what the main cause of flare ups is? Yep, stress. So first things first. Put the idea of pancreatic cancer right out of your head. You do not have it, you have no signs or symptoms of it and you've been pretty thoroughly tested, all with very good news. Avoid spicy and processed foods, try peppermint supplements and stay well hydrated.
I've got to say, if your doctor suggests IBS why isn't he advising on any of this? He sounds like a bit of a tool, I'd avoid him in future.
Thanks Gary. I think after today's episode I won't see that doctor again. I've actually already booked an appointment to see my nice doctor in about 3 weeks. Not because I'm seeking more reassurance, but more because if I have got IBS I'd like to discuss it. As I said before I know it's a condition that there's no cure for, but a bit of advice on it wouldn't go amiss.
Trying to relax now. Thanks again for taking time to reply.
Hi! I too am making myself crazy over something similar. Last year I had blood work done and all came back fine except my sugar ( borderline prediabetic ). I was concerned since I was not overweight or ate particularly bad. However, the last couple months I started feeling discomfort just beneath my left breast, and sometimes in my back. I go to the gym daily and just assumed it might be from that. Finally went to doctor since I ended up with a panic attack over it and was told more or less anxiety. Ran blood tests again to check sugar and it came back same, pre diabetic (5.8 was the number I was given). Totally freaking out that this combined with the on and off again discomfort I am feeling means pacreatitis or even worse pancreatic cancer. Of course when I called the doctor back to voice my concerns the office is closed for the next 3 days. I'm so upset I don't know how I'm going to get through the next few days! I'm just terrified.....
Hi vicky
Your gp sounds awful! I'm sorry you've had this experience today. Again I know exactly how you feel. My bloods came back fine, but I had the left rib pain all that day, which totally took the shine of it. Since then I've had the discomfort to the left of my ribs, to the centre of my ribs (where it is now) & occasionally to the right. However when I'm busy it mainly goes away. I know I'm over analysing it but I would give anything for it to just go away. The morning nausea has practically gone but that's been replaced by a very churny upset stomach, but just every 3 days. I don't know if that's a symptom of something or I'm doing it to myself with the worry. Then I'm worrying if it's all colon related!
As Gary says (Gary you are just absolutely fab at reassuring people btw, the minute I read your posts I feel calmer) surely your bloods would have been awry if something was going on? I'm repeating this like a mantra at the minute so you need to do it too. My pain eases with a hot water bottle too, so it sounds very similar.
Hang in there, I still haven't got the date for my scan (I'll be about 3 stone by the time I get it and losing weight is a symptom, argh, but I haven't got much appetite I'm so worked up about it) but I bet if we can just try and calm down a bit our symptoms will ease. Now if I could just practice what I preach! X
Thanks Milly. I'm also trying desparately to practice what I preach. I used to be such a level headed person, I can hardly recognise myself now. I know I'd feel fine if I could just shift these physical symptoms, but they don't seem to be going anywhere. I'm led on the bed at the moment with a hot water bottle as the pain in my left side & shoulder is not good again. I'm even worried that it's getting worse, which is feeding into my fear of having PC even more.
When the ultrasound person told me everything looked normal I felt so good. My symptoms had already virtually disappeared before the appointment anyway so I felt totally confident that I'd waved goodbye to the aches & pains and to the anxiety. Then the pains returned, followed by a totally disappointing conversation with the doctor where he said an ultrasound doesn't look at the pancreas. I came out of that appointment feeling so bad and haven't really got any better since. At the moment I just feel like I can't function as a wife, mother, normal human being!
---------- Post added at 17:23 ---------- Previous post was at 17:07 ----------
I should also add that this whole sorry saga has now been going on for 9 weeks... I am so fed up with feeling unwell. I could cry.
Hi,
I'm having a bad day with the HA and just felt like I needed to chat it out again here. I've been feeling pretty good with the anxiety lately. Most days I haven't felt overly anxious, although having said that, my continuing worry with pancreatic cancer lurks at the back of my mind pretty much all of the time. Yesterday I was feeling good though, and I has been finally beginning to think I was on the right side of the anxiety. Then....
Last night in the middle of the night, when I got up to one of my children, I noticed that my tinnitus seemed louder and more prominent (I developed tinnitus whilst taking Omaprezole. It's a common side effect so I didn't think anything of it. Even though i only took it for about 2 & a half weeks, the tinnitus remains). Anyway, I googled tinnitus and it turns out one of the causes is anaemia. Also, anaemia can cause twitching which I have also developed lately. I felt myself have a panic attack right then. My heart was pounding and I felt awful. The reason for that reaction is that I've read previously that pancreatic cancer can cause a person to be anaemic. I know I sound like a broken record but yet again my symptoms keep pointing back to PC.
I managed to get back to sleep eventually but have been feeling dreadful with anxiety today. I've got an appointment with my doctor on Tuesday but right now that feels like a long wait.
My bl
---------- Post added at 17:56 ---------- Previous post was at 17:47 ----------
My bloods were done about 8 or 9 weeks ago and came back fine. Could I have become anaemic since then?
I'm so worried about this (again) that it's sent my anxiety spiralling today. I'm trembling, got heightened aches & pains, feel sick, loss of appetite. I know that the way I've been feeling today is 100% due to anxiety, as I had felt so well yesterday. But it's so difficult to feel well now that I'm worrying again about PC.
---------- Post added at 17:58 ---------- Previous post was at 17:56 ----------
Gary, if you're on here have you got any words of wisdom about this? Your posts are always brilliant.
I'm here. :bighug1:
First and foremost, anemia is very very common, and there are many different kinds. I had it once due to a lack of B12, I had no idea and had no symptoms, was just found in a random blood test. I took some folic acid and away it went. Sometimes there's no cause, it just kind of happens. Tinnitus can also be caused by anxiety, as can twitching. It's unlikely in the extreme that you've developed anemia in the last few weeks, unless you've lost a lot (and I mean a LOT) of blood. Even if you had, it's almost impossible for it to be producing symptoms so quickly.
I'll say it again and again. You do not have pancreatic cancer. You have NO SYMPTOMS of it. What you have is a normal bodily reaction to constant stress and worry. Even if you do have anemia (unlikely) it will be anemia caused by a lack of vitamins or something of that nature. Please try to calm down a bit. I'm here if you need any more help, but I think you first of all need to convince yourself that pancreatic cancer is an illness that you simply do not have.
Thank you Gary for your swift reply. This forum really has been a saviour for me over the past few weeks.
I try so hard to put the idea of PC out of my mind, but it keeps creeping back every time I get a pain in my left ribs/back. The last 10 days or so my HA has been really low as any twinge I've had, I've managed to mentally file away as muscular and carried on enjoying my life. Then my body goes and throws up something else and it starts me panicking all over again.
I know that tinnitus & twitching can be commonly caused my anxiety, but as i'd been feeling a lot better lately it worries me that the cause is something more sinister. Can anxiety cause physical symptoms even if one doesn't feel particularly anxious?
Also, this whole sorry saga has been going on for about 10 weeks now. I'm guessing that I'd feel a whole lot worse if I had PC by now?
Your symptoms would have progressed pretty quickly. Pancreatic cancer develops pretty slowly, but when symptoms do become apparent they tend to cause a rapid decline in health. You'd be suffering some pretty awful digestive issues, the weight would be starting to fall off of you and you'd more than likely develop jaundice, yellowing of the eyes and or skin. Do try to remember that you've had negative blood tests, and as much as that wouldn't necessarily diagnose cancer, there would be a number of abnormalities that would warrant further investigation. You have also had a negative scan, and as much as I'd like to throttle the doctor who told you that wouldn't pick up the pancreas, it certainly would pick up surrounding inflammation of the liver or other close organs that pancreatic cancer would cause.
You're still in an anxious state, and while you may feel that your anxiety is under a bit more control, the symptoms won't instantly disappear. The nervous system doesn't work that way. It's like any other illness, the symptoms will disappear gradually, it's not like flicking a switch.
Thanks Gary. I'm trying desparately to rationalise the situation: I'm outside of the age range for PC (I'm 34), I don't have any contributing lifestyle factors (I've never smoked and hardly drink), I've had negative blood results, I've had a negative ultrasound, I've had symptoms for 10 weeks which haven't particularly improved, but haven't particularly got worse either. The rational part of my brain of course says that in the unlikely statistical event that I did have PC, the odds of it being missed by the two tests make it even more unlikely.
But then of course there's the irrational part of me which always takes over. The consistent pains on my left side, these new aneamic worries, and knowing (unfortunately from previous googling before I had the sense to stop) that people my age have been diagnosed with PC.
I'm hoping my GP (the nice one this time, not the other chap) will be able to reassure me further. If not, I'm going to ask her to refer me for a scan specifically for the pancreas. I'm fortunate to have private healthcare through my work and so I can go down that route. I wish I were mentally strong enough to overcome my worries without further tests, but I fear that's not the case.
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