Do you develop symptons before or after???

[PokerRob]

Its seems like most people on these forums have certain symtoms, then look them up, then convince themselves they have something terrible!

I usully start developing the symptoms after I have read about an illness however. Is anyone else like this???

Basically I took a doggy substance about 3 months ago (some body building supplement I bought of the internet that wouldnt have gone through any health and safety checks) then started convincing myself that I might have poisioned myself. So I started looking up poisions and was releaved to see that most poisioned would have taken affect long before, so I though I was alright.

Then it all went wrong!!! :weep:

I came across this form of mercury poisoning where the symtoms dont usually occur until months afterwards... I read up the symptoms, and would you believe it, two days later I started feeling a tingling sensation in my hands and feet, which just so happens to be the first sign of mercury poisoning!

I have suffered from various forms of anxiety in the past, but this ones pretty bad!

[uru]

yeah you can read countless examples of people doing that on this site. Unfortunately, GAD can mimic tons of other diseases because it has so many symptoms, -like tingling hands.

[MyNameIsTerry]

Mercury is a very controlled substance due to it's toxicity. Why do you think it is that other than having those symptoms and have you also confirmed that your symptoms can not be attributed to anything else that could have been contained in supplement?

One of the big problems in anxiety is how you user a narrow approach to confirm your belief without attempting to disprove it as explained in Cognitive Bias. We suffer badly with Cognitive Distortion which only compounds this issue.

[skn123]

Hey, it sounds most definitely like it's anxiety

Mercury poison requires either;
1. One large dosage which would give you symptoms very quickly, or
2. Continuous on going exposure to mercury at any level which builds up in your cells faster than it is removed, in which case slow progressive symptoms

Here's the thing though, you took it months ago and haven't continued since. If there was any mercury, it would've affected you immediately or definitely been removed by your body. Either way, after 3 months, it's definitely out of your system.

Always remember that our bodies are designed to combat things like this, we have systems in place to remove toxins and malignancies, that's the first line of defence. Whenever it becomes too much for us to handle, then we get symptoms and need assistance. Treat your body well and it'll look after you :)

[PokerRob]

MyNameisTerry - Its because only dimethylmercury can cause symtons this late on.

skn123 - Yeah Im worried it a rare form of mercury (as you can see about) which can take up to 5 months to start showing side effects!!!

[Fishmanpa]

Without knowing what you took or what was in it, how can you assume there was mercury in it? In fact, as one who was into body building many years ago, I bought stuff too that wasn't on the shelves. Most of what was in those were steroid pre-cursers. Why in hell would a manufacturer put something poisonous like mercury in even an off the shelf product? With respect, that's just plain irrational as is this fear.

There are countless threads of posters developing physical symptoms of an illness after having read about it. In fact, if I focus on a certain part of my body hard enough, it becomes somewhat hyper-sensitive.

You've said yourself this is totally a figment of your imagination that you've made your reality... "then started convincing myself that I might have poisioned myself". That and the three month span indicates no reason nor threat to your health.

Positive thoughts

[Pamplemousse]

Hi PokerRob,

I take it you read the case of Karen Wetterhahn on Wikipedia then. Earlier I listened to a podcast given by my old chemistry master about organomercury compounds.

I too thought I'd got exposed to elemental mercury at a toxic level when I broke my vintage neon sign - despite the name, neon is only used for red colours, other gases (including mercury) in conjunction with coloured glasses are used for other colours. However, I'm still here a year later with no ill effects so clearly I was wrong on that one! In fact, one of the companies I spoke to about repairing it was most vexed I'd not kept the bigger broken pieces of tubing for a pattern reference, despite the fact I could see droplets of the stuff stuck to the glass.

Dimethylmercury is a rare compound that, because of its huge toxicity, has no use outside of the laboratory and is rapidly being superseded by other compounds that it would have previously been used for. It cannot be emphasised that this stuff is mind-bogglingly dangerous and it simply would not be "out there", even in dodgy body-building supplements. As others have said, this is completely and utterly illogical.

Your tingling/numbness sensations sound like paraesthesia - but I am not a doctor so this is mere conjecture. According to the NHS website, it's something I'm more likely to get when you read what's coming below.

Which brings me to another thought. I freely admit I don't 'get' bodybuilding - I'm a twenty stone diabetic slob who lives out of takeaways and gets out of breath reaching for the TV remote and unless he does something about it sharpish, is destined for an early appointment with the Choir Invisibule. But I seriously would have thought that if perfection in your body is what you want to achieve, why on Earth would you go "off-piste" and buy something that's of an unknown quantity, given that it would seem that this sort of thing is rife in this area? Surely only a known best is good enough for the best body in town?

Getting back OT, it was often a two-way street where symptoms and illnesses were concerned with me. I curse the combination of health anxiety and the Internet!

[PokerRob]

Thank you to all who have taken the time to post on my thread.

Yesterday I went to the doctors and explained my fears, I said I think I have health anxeity, but I was also worried about mercury poisoning, and was honest about what I took.

She didnt seem interested in doing any mercury poisoning tests and put me straight on a course of Citalopram.

I can recognise that my fear has become irrational, and thats what I need to focus on more!

[uru]

Sounds like you're getting some help, that's good.