Poll: How long have you experienced the same symptoms?

[artist12]

Just curious. Sometimes I find it hard to calm myself down about certain symptoms because I've had them so long, and I think it can't possibly be health anxiety or something less sinister because WHY would it have persisted for this length of time? :lac:

So, post how long your current HA worry has been, or how long you've have specific symptoms, maybe we will find some comfort together in knowing that just because something has lasted what seems like a long time, it doesn't mean that it's worst case scenario.

7 long months - one-sided neck and sinus pain, obsessing nearly every single day

[LilGsMama]

Sinus probs - on and off since last April
Ear probs - ongoing for 2 months

Xx

[pb]

Back ache now six and a half weeks

[Mi]

Shortness of breath
Lump in throat
General aches and pains in chest, back, arms and legs
All going on for about a month now

[lfc65]

Tingling sensations, intermittent muscle twitching, churning stomach, tightness across chest....on and off for 13 years since my HA started. Sometimes I've been for a year or so with no symptoms at all. I'm still here!

[Ditapage]

Weird, migrating head pressure- 12 months
Ear pain - 6 months
Breathing obsession- 2 months

It's hard to say because my problem is I have different health anxieties and symptoms every day. Yesterday I was fixated on my lungs. Today I read about a model who died of a stroke from a carotid artery tear and I am obsessing about my neck. Sucks that before I read that I didn't even know the term "carotid artery."

I was keeping a diary of my ever changing symptoms but it was getting exhausting and I think it was doing more harm than good. It's a good exercise to prove to yourself you're probably a hypochondriac and irrational thinker but I had to give it a break. Decided that maybe (definitely) giving the symptoms so much thought is part of the problem.

[LilGsMama]

Is your ear pain one sided or both, Ditapage? :unsure:

[androidz]

The longest I've had the same somatic symptoms for was 4 months, and this was at the beginning of my health anxiety disorder about 3 years ago.

Fortunately now my anxiety bouts get less and less frequent and also last for less time. I used to have symptoms for months, now it's only days. Hopefully soon I'll have no bouts anymore.

Wish you luck, hope you're feeling better.

[half-empty]

backache 4 months
leg aches on and off for 4 months
one sided nose and ear pressure 3 months just getting over it
pressure at the back of head 3 months just getting over it
muscle twitching 2 weeks
ear eye pain on and off for about two months caused by tmj over it now
found it so hard to believe it was all anxiety but doctors seem to say so

[Ditapage]

Is your ear pain one sided or both, Ditapage? :unsure:

Right side only. It used to be so bad I had to put olive oil on a napkin and plug y ear for any relief. I wouldn't say it was entirely somatic - I think it was linked to tension in my shoulders, neck, jaw. Or sinus issues. But believing the worst made it very intense. Now that I don't panic about it, it doesn't hurt as much or last as long. However on a bad day the pain will give me nausea.

[artist12]

Right side only. It used to be so bad I had to put olive oil on a napkin and plug y ear for any relief. I wouldn't say it was entirely somatic - I think it was linked to tension in my shoulders, neck, jaw. Or sinus issues. But believing the worst made it very intense. Now that I don't panic about it, it doesn't hurt as much or last as long. However on a bad day the pain will give me nausea.

I have this exact same thing. Only my right ear and I suspect it is from just like you said, tension in the shoulders and neck. Once in a while my ear rings as well.