Can I be reassured?

[MuBu]

Hi.

I am a 30 year old male and have the following symptoms;

- Nausea. Mostly in the mornings, usually helped by eating. Made worse by drinking water. I haven't been sick with them.

- Tiredness. A weird sensation when going to sleep as though my body is shutting down. And feeling really fatigued on the way home from work, random times of the day etc.

- Vague headaches. They are all over my head, but mainly on top. Sometimes they are quite electric-feeling headaches. Never that painful, but really contribute the general sense of sluggishness.

- Weakness - I was fit and healthy before these symptoms but feel very unwilling to do exercise.

I've had the following tests;

- Blood test - Doctor said he saw "nothing remarkable"
- Stool sample - Was testing for H Pylori. Negative.
- Urine sample - Nothing concerning
- Rectal examination - Had blood in one stool; doctor found nothing
- Eye test - Need new prescriptive glasses

I have my firstborn on the way and I'm very scared about my symptoms, as I've had them for a month. I'm really desperate for it to be nothing sinister but I've not felt like this before for this long and there seems as though there's something amiss.

Can I at least be reassured that my blood and urine tests were both OK? I'm not sure how telling those tests are?

I'm scared that I have a brain tumour, and I'm scared that I have stomach cancer. No hardness on my stomach though.

I'm sure that sounds irrational, but I am constantly thinking of it, whilst I just want to enjoy my partner's pregnancy.

[Gary A]

Your eye test would most likely have spotted signs of raised intracranial pressure within the skull of you had any type of mass growing in or around the brain. Opticians and ophthalmologists inspect your optic disc during these examinations and it's this that can show signs of swelling if there were a mass in your skull. That nothing of that nature was seen is very reassuring.

As for stomach cancer, your bloods would almost certainly have shown certain markers that would show something was amiss. The markers wouldn't specifically point to cancer, but there would have been something in them that your doctor would have wanted to investigate further.

In my opinion you're suffering from the physical manifestations of stress. Fatigue, headaches, nausea and weakness are classic signs that your mind is suffering and your body is crying out.

See your doctor again and have a chat with him about this possibility. It really is amazing just how much mental stress can affect your physical health.

[MuBu]

Thanks Gary, that is reassuring to know regarding the tests that I've had.

Makes sense in many ways, having just found out I'm having a baby and having just bought my first home!

But I didn't put it down to stress, as I've been over the moon about both, and excited rather than worried.

Really hope it is stress and that I can combat that.

Back with the doctor on Monday. Still a little concerned but this has helped.

Thanks.

[axolotl]

Thanks Gary, that is reassuring to know regarding the tests that I've had.

Makes sense in many ways, having just found out I'm having a baby and having just bought my first home!

But I didn't put it down to stress, as I've been over the moon about both, and excited rather than worried.

Really hope it is stress and that I can combat that.

Back with the doctor on Monday. Still a little concerned but this has helped.

Thanks.

Congratulations on both!

I think it's a misconception of stress that you have to be feeling negative about something to be suffering from its symptoms, I know from experience buying a house is exciting but very stressful indeed. I haven't got any kids, but again I know it's a huge change in your life, even if you're over the moon about it (which is great to hear).

Also health anxiety seems to crop up at times like this. Maybe on paper you have the least to be anxious about - it sounds like your life is pretty good at the moment. But this is the time when we have most to lose and insecurity that our health could bring it all down is what fuels this thing. Mine certainly started when I was more comfortable and happy in life.


I'm sure that sounds irrational, but I am constantly thinking of it, whilst I just want to enjoy my partner's pregnancy.

I think this backs up what I'm saying - the fear your health will spoil a happy time in your life is what's keeping this going. It sounds like you've had all the relevant tests - and the doctors weren't testing for anything too scary anyway so no red flags were being waved for them - so try and get some peace from this, and don't be afraid to investigate therapy if your anxiety persists.

[MuBu]

Thank you, again, it's nice to hear.

I just find it so hard to understand how stress can have such a direct effect of the physical symptoms that I'm feeling. And I've been stressed and anxious before but without these symptoms, but I suppose it manifests itself in different ways?

And yes, feel as though I have a lot to lose!

Thanks again.

[axolotl]

Thank you, again, it's nice to hear.

I just find it so hard to understand how stress can have such a direct effect of the physical symptoms that I'm feeling. And I've been stressed and anxious before but without these symptoms, but I suppose it manifests itself in different ways?

And yes, feel as though I have a lot to lose!

Thanks again.

Because the fight or flight response of your body is being erroneously triggered by your mind, but because you have nothing to fight and nothing to run away from all the bodily changes that are designed to help you escape from danger happen but aren't actually needed, and it all makes you feel weird in all kinds of ways. Add to this health anxiety which makes you hyper-aware of these changes, leading to more anxiety and a feedback loop of symptoms leading to anxiety leading to symptoms leading to anxiety... and so on.

[MuBu]

Yes, that makes sense. Such a horrible cycle of events.

I have been reassured by the posts above, but then I get the symptoms and I get worried again. But I'm trying to stay rational.

I have such strange headaches. More like head pressure. Like a weight is on top of my head. And then there's the nausea too. And I irrationally think maybe the optician didn't do a full check for those kind of things.

Can I at least be reassured that, white my headaches are more dull and vague than intense and throbbing, and that they're very stop and start, and that I am not vomiting despite the nausea, I can be reassured that I'd be experiencing different problems if it was a brain tumour?

[MuBu]

Agh, I'm still finding it difficult to accept it's not a brain tumour.

It's proving to be very scary, despite how much I try to reassure myself.

Can anyone provide me with reassurance please?

I have headaches that resemble either a pressure on the left/top side of my head or sharp shooting pains and pressure at the top of my head.

I have had muscle spasms today which is making me worry. They're quite constant and in the same place, near the armpit. I'm convincing myself that's a seizure. Ridiculous, I know. But once it's in your head... and the nausea isn't too bad. No acid reflux. But I can still feel a bit sick, especially at work. No vomiting.

As mentioned, I've had an eye test, which was fine. Doctor says I can go down the neurological test route, but it could take months to get an appointment. I'm worried that, if it's something sinister, I'm losing time to sort it out.

So can anyone offer reassurance please? I have no vision problems, muscle spasm today in left arm, near armpit, nausea usually set off by food, and usually in the morning. Head pressure randomly throughout the day and random sharp shooting pains too.

I find myself stretching or bending down just to see if the pain gets worse etc. It's crazy, I know too many of the symptoms I'm looking out for.

[Fishmanpa]

Unfortunately, more reassurance isn't the answer.

Professional help and meds if needed is the most prudent way to go. A therapist will affirm what I'm saying. Reassurance is like a band-aid over a gash. It barely stops the bleeding if it does at all. The very fact that you're still seeking reassurance after several very good reassuring replies is testament to what I'm saying.

I hope you find some relief from your anxiety.

Positive thoughts

[MuBu]

Yes, that's a fair comment and I understand.

The previous replies have helped and I'm grateful for them. Especially as I wouldn't have thought about the eye test being a positive sign.

So I suppose I was looking for some reassurance that my nausea is usually food related, or that the head pains come about randomly in the day, rather than mornings, or that muscle spasms wouldn't keep recurring in exactly the same place 20 times a day and that they aren't descriptive of a seizure. I'm googling trying to find out symptoms that are different t what I'm experiencing.

But yes, I do understand, and I'm trying to get as much medical advice as possible. It can be a long old waiting game though and the impatience can be overbearing!

[jdheart]

This is good advice already offered. My question for you is what are you afraid of. Death? Disease?

Stop the Google would be a good step to take.
Also remember fear is an illusion that your mind is creating. You are fighting yourself and cant relax. Trying to relax will be difficult as you already know.

Stop for a moment. Where are your thoughts focused at internally or externally. If the internally most the time you know what do? You know the answer?

[axolotl]

Yes, that's a fair comment and I understand.

The previous replies have helped and I'm grateful for them. Especially as I wouldn't have thought about the eye test being a positive sign.

So I suppose I was looking for some reassurance that my nausea is usually food related, or that the head pains come about randomly in the day, rather than mornings, or that muscle spasms wouldn't keep recurring in exactly the same place 20 times a day and that they aren't descriptive of a seizure. I'm googling trying to find out symptoms that are different t what I'm experiencing.

But yes, I do understand, and I'm trying to get as much medical advice as possible. It can be a long old waiting game though and the impatience can be overbearing!

The problem with the reassurance game is it's short-lived. Health anxiety sort of goes like this.


I feel strange.
I'll Google the symptoms.
Maybe I have a brain tumour.
I'll go the doctor.
The doctor says it's not a brain tumour. (phew)


You feel better, and then...


What if the doctor missed something. What if I didn't explain it properly?
I still feel strange.
I'll Google the symptoms again.
I'll go to another doctor.
The other doctor says it's not a brain tumour. (phew)


And then after another brief period of feeling better...


I feel strange in a slightly different way.
I'll Google the symptoms.
OK, I was wrong about the brain tumour, maybe it's multiple sclerosis.
I'll go to a doctor...


And this reassurance cycle keeps going, some people on this forum have been at it for years. It's hard and we all give in from time to time, but resisting urges for reassurance from searching Google (STOP IT), asking on forums, asking family members for opinions, and going to doctors with vague symptoms is necessary to get through this. Reassurance is short-lived with this thing, sadly - we're constantly playing whack-a-mole with arbitrary fear.

[TinkrTonkr]

Stop googling.
I had stomach cancer and you don't describe it at all.
Second, I've had all types of headaches for the past years, i would be dead by now if these were related to a brain tumour.
I can't say for sure that you don't have a brain tumour because anyone can get it, it's life, but if your only symptoms are headaches, you shouldn't be concerned about it.
However for your peace of mind you can try getting a CAT scan or something.
Also the pain associated with brain tumours is usually very localized (one spot) and intense, not the pressure you feel, that might be anything, from anxiety to sinusitis.