Scared! Coughed up Blood!

[Carnation]

I was not going to post this, but I am too scared to go to the Docs at the moment.
I woke this morning, cleared my throat and up comes a nodule of blood!
Now, I am in freaked out mode and have spent most of the day worrying and crying my eyes out.
I don't have a cough as such, but I have a habit of clearing my throat a lot because I have a fear of choking or my heart stopping.
I do bring up a lot mucus stuff, but I think I have sinitus because I have a blocked up nose, pain in the eyes, head pain, jaw ache and sore throat for time to time. I had a terrible chest infection this year; actually I had it twice, but it cleared up about 2 months ago.
So, now my Health Anxiety is through the roof. I am thinking I have lung cancer, heart disease or pneumonia. Or all 3.
I am due to go to my Mums tomorrow and stay over as she has some workmen coming and I feel terrible.
I am really scared and have never coughed blood up before; only a pinprick.
I am frightened to cough or clear my throat, so I will have to choke; probably on my own blood.
I know I have to see a GP, but
what if she tells me something bad and there is no one to look after my Mum, Mother-n-Law and Partner who all depend on me.
P.s. I did two things yesterday that may have caused a blood clot.
1. I wacked myself in the eye really hard with the towel when I was drying my hair.
2. I helped a man with his walking who must have weighed about 18 stone and he lent on my arm and he was far too heavy for me, but I was too polite to tell him.
Could they have anything to do with my problem?
Sorry, I know you are not all Docs, but any words of advice or comfort would really help me until I pluck up the courage to see the GP. :weep:

[Sunflower2]

Hi Carnation,

Firstly, if either of those things realistically caused blood clots is be clotted out by now! I must have done those things hundred of times and it wouldn't even have crossed my mind that it could cause a blood clot. I think there is a lot of health anxiety going on here and you are already catastrophising the worst case event. Which is really unlikely, it's not like you were coughing up gallons of blood this morning. THAT would be concerning! Perhaps like you said your sinuses and throat have just become so irritated that they have bled a little?

Once you calm down, call your doctor and ask for them to give you a call. Do it as soon as you can so that you can get this worrying and predicting the worst out of your mind. I'm certain you would feel completely bed ridden if you were unlucky enough to have lung cancer, pneumonia AND heart disease!

Do what you know you need to do (call the gp) and then you can relax!

[Carnation]

Kimberley, you were brave reading that.
It must prove that you are much stronger now. :D
Yes, you are right. I don't know what is wrong with me lately.
In the past I would have brushed this aside and just got on with life.
But I have become quite pathetic lately and worry over every aspect of life.
I am sure there is a rational explanation for this morning.
I have a blood pressure reading of 113/87; that is pretty good?
I am not in pain. I am eating like a horse and I feel ok.
Well, apart from the normal anxiety complaints. :D
Thank you for the gentle kick up the........... you know what. :hugs:

[Sunflower2]

To be honest I think it's because I've heard of so many people lately with these sorts of symptoms so it doesn't bother me so much. Either that or the sertraline is doing something! :D

Sometimes all you need is someone else's perspective as your irrational mind just has such a tight hold over you! I don't have any idea about blood pressure but it sounds pretty normal to me! I was once refused the contraceptive pill as my blood pressure was too high because of anxiety!! And I was 18 at the time!

I hope you are still doing all your relaxing and taking time out for yourself :)

[Carnation]

It's strange, I reassure others, but I seem to fall to pieces! :ohmy:
I need that Holiday NOW!!!!
But I have to wait another 5 weeks.
And yes, I am relaxing now. Takeaway tonight, aren't I brave?

[Greenman50]

Sounds to me your all bunged up , sinus mucus , throat clearing etc ..

The blood you coughed up , or cleared from your throat was probably from your nose and has gone down your throat to be cleared .....done this loads of times and crapped myself :blush:

[Sunflower2]

It's always easier reassuring others than yourself!

I am away on holiday on Friday to the south of France! :D I'm very excited but slightly nervous (it would be weird if I wasn't nervous though :) )

[Pepperpot]

Carnation.

Common causes of blood in the sputum (haemoptysis)
The most common reasons for coughing up blood are:
prolonged, severe coughing
a chest infection – this is most likely if your sputum is coloured or contains pus, you have a fever or you have a tight feeling in your chest
bronchiectasis – this is a long-term lung condition that causes excess mucus to build up in the airways

You'll be fine. You are always coughing too, it could be the lining of your throat. If you are otherwise ok it is highly unlikely it is serious. x

[Carnation]

Thanks Pepperpot. You too were brave to read. :)

I got some more Manuka honey today. I am not coughing at all, but I have to do this thing where I clear my throat and panic that my heart has stopped beating. :ohmy:
My Mum says I can leave the visit if I am not up to it, so that has taken a lot of the pressure away from me.

Kimberley, my French is terrible, but;
As tu fais ton valise? :shades:

[Pepperpot]

I was silly to read lol. Although it hasn't made me worry too much about myself as I'm concentrating on not diagnosing myself with kidney failure today :(

Was the blood bright red? X

[MyNameIsTerry]

Carnation,

My brother has been clearing his throat quite hard since he was a young man and still does it now. He had a couple of broken noses in his young man days, had an op on it later but it seemed to collapse again years later. He doesn't want the op again add it's not pleasant so he has been clearing his throat a lot again for years.

He gets plenty of sore throats and after 30 years of doing it the worst that happened was he had a nodule removed as it became inflamed.

So, this is very likely the cause if you are doing it forcefully so please tell your GP about that.

You had it not long ago when you had those infections. You worried about pneumonia then but you came through it fine. I'm sure you will be now. Little bits are not like something continual or free flowing.

Forget these government scare adverts about things like this, these things are common and have common reasons for them. The scare tactics are a scattergun approach to catch the small numbers early.

:hugs:

[Carnation]

It was about the size of a pea Pepperpot and red; not brown or stringy, very solid.
Have been fine since, but feel a bit fluey, so I have rested and played games on the computer and let Mr Carnation hold the fort for tonight and I am another one up closer to you Terry. :D

Thanks for the reassurance Terry. I had that just in mind, that I had been here before. But, I did not have a clump of blood then, just a pinprick.
My throat was up last night and felt tender, as does my nose, ace, head, back and well, it's easier to say which bit does not hurt. :D
I have taken the honey and lemon for now and I will sleep in the other room because Mr Carnation's snoring keeps me awake. :roflmao:

[MyNameIsTerry]

That could be a bit of blood on some mucus. The fact your throat is sore along with all the rest could easily be a cause of this so put all that other stuff we talked about last time out of your mind. I really thing that throat clearing thing is going to cause problems like this and over the years you could see more sore throats or even problems like my brother experienced if you do it forcefully.

Noses get sore when we have colds & things and I can get a bit of blood from my nose then. But because you are finding it coming from your coughing up of it you are assuming it's a lung thing. Thats a big assumption since it could be from the throat or even from the nose that has slipped down.

If I was coughing up blood and my stomach or lungs were in real pain, I would be worried and be off to my GP. But I mean consistent levels of blood. Otherwise I would be assuming it to be a blood vessel or some other irritation and the fact it just goes away would be telling me my body has healed whatever it was. Remember, I don't have HA so if I find a big lump my mind says "huh, there is a lump there...ah well, we gets lumps all the time". "huh, I've got blood on the toilet paper...but then I've had piles since my early twenties and they do that too...daft adverts". Thats what my mind says. Tell me I need to get up 30 minutes earlier though and I'm anxious :doh:

You will be fine.

I've lost about 50 points on the scoreboard! Luckily, so have most of the rest :D but you are not far off the top 5 now.

[Carnation]

Yes, I agree with everything you have said Terry.
I had a good night's sleep last night. Got to bed just pass 1am and slept to 8.30am.
I have had no blood today, but some mucus.
I am not 100%, but I am not in pain or bedridden. I even managed to go to my Mums today. I decided not to stay over, but I did manage the trip and felt ok.
I have been feeling rundown for some time now and have been overdoing things, so I am going to look after myself for a while.:)

[MyNameIsTerry]

Yes, I think you should look after yourself. Have perhaps more nights in the spare room so you can keep your sleep topped up as you seem to feel a lot of benefit from it so maybe the lack of sleep is a critical element in keeping you more anxious than you could be?