lung cancer, scared

[BrayRevolver]

don't know where from here lost all hope my health anxiety has ruined my life, 6 months ago i thought i had lung cancer and had a X-ray plus copd tests and all came back fine , I've still battled away for 6 months convincing myself I'm fine and still had the breathing issues and major anxiety , 4 weeks ago i was walking up my drive and thought to myself my berthing actually feels ok that afternoon i developed a cough a very chesty one and started coughing up phlegm and tried to talk my self through it but it didn't work so i went to the doc who said i had a infection but after 4 more visits and 3 lots of antibiotics its still there , he ran bloods they came back ok and knows i suffer anxiety around my breathing so offered me another X-ray to set my mind at ease that i was fine , i asked him do you think i need one and his reply was no , so although i did want one i refused in order to try and trust the doc and battle my demons , my worst thing is i smoke and only because my anxiety is so bad and when i try to quit it raises my anxiety but i know the smoking also triggers my lung anxiety so I'm in a horrible spiral of doom and gloom , I'm 42 and am a husband and father and terrified I'm dying , the doctors and my family say its anxiety and all in my head but how can coughing up phlegm and being chesty caused by anxiety and won't go away , I'm so over it I'm ruining my life and just want normal again , yes I'm going to quit smoking thats a definite but just trying to get my anxiety to a level i can cope with the withdrawal , please don't comment if your going to freak me out further , I'm just wondering if anyone has been here with there own experiences

[tmckenzie-orr]

You need to stop smoking as off today or you are tempting fate, you need to trust your doctor but it goes past trusting your doctor you have had test actuall medical test that have showed your fine smoking is a irritant and it causes you to produce more mucus and gives you a nasty cough, the test show your fine if you had lung cancer you would know about it trough a lot worse symptoms and blood test and X-ray would say you got it but it didn't you need to drop it and leave it today and stop smoking today and positive thoughts no more about a non existent lung cancer that you don't have , positive thoughts my friend not negative silly made up ones live your life you only have one

[SarahH]

I have EXACTLY the same fear as you and I am also a smoker.
I am about to go for a chest X ray and have recently had a COPD test (which was clear).
So how am I coping with it? By thinking if all the tests are clear then I will trust my Dr. And not give in to the fear!!! I have NO symptoms of lung cancer and therefore do not have it...OR COPD. Then I get on with my life.

Oh about the smoking... when I give up (which is about twice a year) my anxiety almost disappears because nicotine INCREASES anxiety. But trust me I know how hard it is.

Sarah

[Fishmanpa]

You posted a nearly identical thread that I responded to. I'm sorry that my answer disturbed you but it's difficult to be supportive or sympathetic of someone hurting themselves and knows they're doing it.... especially when the behavior cost me dearly. It also seems that the responses here echo mine in that having a fear of lung cancer and smoking is like oil and water.

You've been cleared medically so the next step is to treat the real illness (anxiety) and get off the tobacco.

Positive thoughts

[countrygirl]

Technically you are only physically addicted to nicotine for 2 weeks after you remove it and any return to it is down to mental addiction only ( according to my aunties Dr) I am not in any way saying that it is easy to stop smoking just like its not easy to come off street drugs but just remember the 2 week rule.

If you stop smoking now then in 5 years you will have undone alot of the damage to your lungs. The chest infections etc are a huge sign that you are doing alot of damage to your lungs already even ignoring the cancer risk and if you continue then you will possibly get severe lung disease later.

Plus your risk of throat and oesphageal cancer is higher.

Yes I know what you want on here is someone to say don't worry you carry on smoking and you will be fine but sadly thats not true life.

You know what to do, you have a chest infection now and you are smoking as well!! Please please stop and remember after 2 weeks the physcial craving for nicotine will have gone, your body can start to undo the damage to your lungs and everywhere else and in 5 years you will be a new man:)

[BrayRevolver]

i know the smoking does not help and is a trigger and I've quit from last night but i had the worst sleep feel like I'm suffocating my legs and arms ache and coughed up lots of phlegm this morning as well as wheezing , I've just convinced myself I'm dying and have no where to ask for help because no one believes me , so I'm just sitting here waiting to die and will leave my beautiful family behind

[countrygirl]

REmember you have got a nasty chest infection and if you stopped smoking yesterday then you will get all the withdrawal symptoms hitting as well so you will feel really lousy at the moment.

The antibioitics should start working over next days and hopefully your chest will feel a bit better. The withdrawal will not be nice but its a necessary evil to make you better in the long run.

If you are not starting to get better chest wise in a few days then by all means go back to your Dr to get your chest listened to again.

Sorry you are feeling so ill.