Really worried and need someone to talk to!

[waveparticle2012]

Hi guys,

Having a little bit of a panic attack tonight, very anxious and struggling for breath.
I'm very worried that I'm dying of something like lung cancer or pancreatic cancer. I have had a pain in the top right side of my back around my shoulder blade that DOES feel better when it's massaged or prodded. I get some pain around my lower ribs and in the right side of my abdomen.
I'm 21, smoked since I was 15, gave up for three months but recently started back. Giving up day is tomorrow.
I suffer from quite bad acid reflux/GERD and bloating too. I'm terrified I have something that relates to this back pain that is underlying and terminal. The main pain comes from taking a deep breath which I seem to take a lot at the moment, sometimes feel like I'm struggling for breaths... I would really appreciate some answer and im feeling really quite alone tonight.

Thanks guys :huh:

[Catherine S]

Hi there, sorry you're feeling so scared. The right side abdominal pain could be because of stomach issues if you have acid reflux, as do I, and the pain around your shoulder blade/ribs sounds like it could be the muscles surrounding both.

Obviously, as you know smoking doesn't help but your age doesn't give me any red flags for lung or pancreatic cancer to be honest. There are muscles and ligaments actually in between your ribs and sometimes these can cause pain. Sorry I can't be more help, other than to say not to worry about this.

ISB

[waveparticle2012]

Hi ISB,

Thank you very much for the quick reply, I really appreciate it. It's very difficult suffering from anxiety isn't it... I've always been very anxious but it has gotten a lot worse in the last couple of weeks. The breathlessness and dizziness is certainly new, and it's very scary trying to take a deep breath and not getting anything.. I get very stressed and start thinking I'm going to need an ambulance. I just don't know what to do anymore. It's bringing me down big time. People say that the deep-thinkers suffer from anxiety, but it's a real curse. I'm a masters student in theoretical chemistry, with my PhD being started next year... I've won four scholarships since my time at university, but being both a perfectionist and an overly analytical mind leads to this absolute torment I suffer every day. All I want is to think and process thoughts like a "normal" person. I'm fed up of thinking about whether I'll die 20 times a day... the chest pains under my ribs, in my back, my wheezing, my shortness of breath, it all pushes me to believe that I have cancer. Anxiety that stems from not wanting to die young.
I'm sorry for ranting, I'm just really struggling tonight.

[Lukas]

Sorry to hear you're really struggling tonight,
The abdominal pains could be Down to stomach issues as my partner gets them to with their acid reflux and often mistakes it for something else bad, its very annoying how the thought pattern works and it often makes me feel embarrassed after I've had an irrational thought and come to my senses lol, I know it won't help but from my standpoint I think its unlikely you have cancer :) x

[Catherine S]

I do understand you. In 1977 when I was 24...yes I'm really old...I had a nervous breakdown and spent 3 months in a North Wales hospital for people with mental illness. In the ward I was staying in, among the riff-raff like me, there was a concert pianist, a doctor of science and a nun...all patients.

My son is a freelance artist and does quite alot of work for Disney/Pixar and he's a sufferer too. So although the physical and mental symptoms of anxiety and depression through stress can affect anyone, higher achievers seem to suffer with their fair share. You're not alone with this, but even though we can't diagnose here, I know you are not terminally ill. You are simply feeling the physical effects of your Gerd, and muscular tension through the stress of your professional life at the moment. Please believe that, and you will find your own path to cope with it eventually. You're still very young, you'll get through it. Be brave and tell HA to f**k itself right off ok?

Take care
ISB ☺ X

[GlassPinata]

And just remember that at your young age, cancer of any sort would be very rare; I've never heard of lung OR pancreatic cancer striking before the 40s.... maybe mid-30s at minimum.

You are okay.

Best wishes.

[Kay8010]

And just remember that at your young age, cancer of any sort would be very rare; I've never heard of lung OR pancreatic cancer striking before the 40s.... maybe mid-30s at minimum.

You are okay.

Best wishes.

12 weeks of coughing, 3 colds in 3 months, 12 weeks of unexplained left shoulder blade pain so convinced it lung cancer! Im 36 and smoked for 18 years, stopped a week ago! Whats more scary is sometimes when i inhale deeply the area in my shoulder blade pinches!! What else could it be if we being 100% honest. Terrified!! E

[montys]

Hey waveparticle,

Don't worry, you're not alone! I know the symptoms might be overwhelming but I totally understand what you're feeling.

How long has the pain been there? Is it different from the usual pain you get from acid reflux? If it is different and its been bothering you for more than a week, it's worth checking out.

The pain in your abdomen could quite literally be a million things. I have health anxiety and just last month I was convinced I had anything from an angina to lung cancer over the span of two weeks, when suddenly I woke up one morning and the chest pain was gone. It was in all likelihood a pulled muscle.

Since you've recently been in a heightened state of anxiety, know that anxiety is itself going to be expressed through physical symptoms. You may be anxious about some localized pain, but the pain may very well be due to the heightened muscle tension caused by your anxiety. It's an annoying vicious cycle, but both the tension and the pain will subside naturally over time :)

Also, quitting smoking is always a good idea, but millions of people smoke a pack a day over decades and don't get cancer, so I highly doubt you have it after 6 years.

I'm also in university and I know it can be so hard, and especially so with anxiety. Just know that you're doing an amazing job balancing everything (four scholarships, holy crap) and this is just another challenge you'll learn to overcome. Meditation has done wonders for me. It's a great way to sort through class stress, extracurricular stress, anxiety, relationships, etc. at the end of the day.