Can HA cause you to imagine things?

[Munchlet]

Ok sorry for this post but I just need to clarify something.

For about the last 18 months one of my major fears has been bladder/kidney cancer.

It all stemmed last year when I got up and thought my urine had a slight tinge of red to it and as a result I went into complete meltdown. I spoke to the doctor and finally plucked up the courage to get a test done on my urine and the dipstick was clear. The doctor said because of my age etc no reason to suspect either cancer and a dipstick test would detect blood in the urine and she was not concerned. She put me on Venlafaxine and I'd been doing better.

Now I posted a while back about seeing a film on the surface of my urine which I have since discovered is in fact to do with LED lighting in the bathroom as I can see the same film on normal tap water, however the urine thing still bothers me.

I always think that for some reason my urine seems to have a pinkish tinge to it when I pee in my toilet. I have to say that the toilet seems to have a bit of a glow when I look into it and I do think the lights in the bathroom seem to give off strange colours/reflections. I don't see this pink tinge anywhere else only my own toilet. I've called my husband to check my pee and he thinks I'm absolutely bonkers (understandable I know) and he said he can't see any pink tinge only normal coloured urine.

So last week I go back to the GP with a urine sample which they tested and said it was clear, nothing in it at all. However I hadn't eaten that day due to stress and I'd only been drinking water and tea so my urine was very clear. I mentioned this to the doctor and she said "it doesn't matter healthy urine should be very light/clear in colour and if there was anything in it the dipstick would still pick it up". However I'm still beating myself up about this and now thinking my urine was too diluted and the dipstick wouldn't have picked up blood if it was in it.

I've now got the Dr ringing me on Thursday as I still can't get over this fear.

According to my husband and my mum I am imagining this pink tinge as I've convinced myself it's there. They both say my urine looks absolutely normal and they can't see any hint of pink but I am still sure I can see it.

Sorry for the lengthy post but is it possible to actually see things that aren't there and does anyone know would the dipstick test pick up blood even if my urine was quite diluted. The doctor is adamant it would she said they tend to get quite a lot of false positives with the dipstick not the other way round.

I want to move on from this but I've gone into OCD mode and everytime I have a pee I'm stood over the toilet for five minutes looking to see if it looks ok. :weep:

Thanks for reading and it's ok I know the post is completely bonkers but it's really hard to rationalise in my current mindset!

[Fishmanpa]

Can HA cause you to imagine things?

Without a doubt in my mind and thousands of posts to back it up, unequivocally, YES!

Positive thoughts

[TheDogMan]

HA can play all sorts of tricks on our minds, its quite unbelievable what its capable of. If your doctor, who has trained for years to be in his/her position, your husband, and mum who all care about you cannot see this tinge of pink, but you can, who self admittedly suffers from HA.

I find it very hard to believe those 3 people are all wrong and just not seeing it whereas you can. I find it very possible and very likely for those 3 people to be seeing it as it is, and the person suffering from HA to be seeing this tinge of pink because she has convinced herself it is so many times in her head.

Sorry i dont mean that in a harsh way, just telling you in a reality type of way, thats the way it is :yesyes:

Let it go...

[ServerError]

This forum's cup runneth over with people imagining things.

[Sphincterclench]

yes yes and yes.

My problem is how to tell the difference.

[Munchlet]

Thank you everyone, it's so hard when you are in the mindset to talk yourself out of it.

I think I just need to stop looking and flush!!

[pulisa]

Thank you everyone, it's so hard when you are in the mindset to talk yourself out of it.

I think I just need to stop looking and flush!!

Absolutely! Hard but essential.

[Leah88]

Yes, H.A and OCD are closely tied in with body dysmorphia.

[Cusper]

Sorry I have to laugh at this because I have the same thing!! so I looked back at your threads and it looks as if you have complained a lot about the same things I have in the past. I am obsessed because I thought I saw a very faint trace of blood and have been checking ever since. I think I can see something but my mind is playing tricks on me. When I first saw this a couple of weeks ago it was really alarming so I got a natural remedy for UTI and it went away. But still since I keep checking but I know what you mean. I would never know for sure if that was what a saw in the first place because I didn't go to the doctor. (my doctor thinks i am nuts) I have also noticed you had issues with your sinuses in the past and that is also bothering me right now as well. (Well i always have a bunch of things going on) But I know I have OCD and panic disorder so I have to always tell myself that it is just another one coming up to bug me and I have to let it go. That is easier said that done. I have also been drinking tons of water and tea!! I didn't tell or show my husband because I know that he would really get irritated. He deals with my nonsense all of the time. We don't have the kind of relationship where I would show him my pee!!! This health anxiety/OCD is so awful and time consuming I wish it just didn't exist. There is never a day where I am completely free. Sorry I don't know if this post helped you but the fact that you wrote in about the very secret thing I have been grappling with for the last couple weeks has helped me.

[GlassPinata]

Yes, absolutely. It can completely mess up your perceptions.
The behavior you describe in your initial post sounds depressingly familiar. I and probably many others here have stood peering into the toilet, numb with dread, scrutinizing its contents and wondering, "Is it....? or isn't it...?" until we can't tell the difference and can't trust our perceptions anymore.
This extends to every part of my health anxiety. I'll poke at a microscopic lymph node until I've convinced myself it is roughly the size of a volleyball.
I've imagined the whites of my eyes are turning yellow, and obsessed over them until I am absolutely convinced they are as yellow as piss, despite what anyone says to the contrary.
We imagine lumps where there aren't any. We imagine ominous pains, until they become unbearable. We imagine that tiny freckles are malignant melanoma, until there is not a doubt in our minds. We imagine we have cancer or HIV, until we manifest textbook symptoms of these diseases. When medical tests tell us otherwise, we assume they are wrong.

In short, yes. HA can cause you to imagine things.

[Munchlet]

Thank you so much everyone this is the only place I can post honestly and know that people can actually relate/understand what I'm going through.

Cusper your post helped me immensely it's reassuring to know that someone else can relate to you and has is going through the same thing and Glass Pinata I've done the same thing with the eyes as well!!!


I absolutely hate the OCD as much as the HA, having one is bad enough but the two together are unbearable.

I've been trying not to look today and just flush the chain. I just wish I could get things into perspective and believe what others tell me. I have to say Cusper my hubby wasn't too pleased at being asked to check my pee, I think he thought it was a bit beyond his marriage vows!!!

Thank you so much for the replies it really doesn't help. :hugs:

[DonnaT]

ive worked in a hospital outpatients and believe me now I have smelt and seen some very bad urine. the clearer it is the better. The dipsticks they use pick everything up they are very sensitive. it wouldn't matter if you had drunk 10 gallons of water t would still pick it up.
yes you can imagine things with anxiety, its very common

[Munchlet]

Thank you Donna that has reassured me. I spoke to the GP today and she's going to prescribe me something as she thinks I have an irritable bladder which she said is probably not helping. She also said the dipsticks pick up everything and if anything they are over sensitive sometimes as they pick things up and when it gets sent the lab it comes back fine so she said the same, it would have shown up any blood. Thanks for your reply. :)