Worried about cancer

[Walmart Boss]

Well this is my first post so here it goes. I am a 24 y/o male, that recently moved across the country for work. After being down here for 2 weeks, I started experiencing some medical issues out of the blue. First, I ended up in the ER for having chest pain and numbness in my arm. After the usual tests (xray, ekg, blood work), everything came back normal and I was sent home.

A week later, I experienced stomach issues that caused intense stomach cramping and diarrhea. I figured this was most likely some stomach bug, so I waited about 3 days for the symptoms to resolve. After the symptoms resolved, I noticed that I had difficulties breathing. It felt as if my breathing was labored, and it was coming and going throughout the day after meals. After several days of experience this, I made and appointment with my doctor.

The shortness of breath sensation carried on everyday since (ongoing for about a month now). When I met with my doctor, she seemed to blame it all on anxiety and stress (neither of which I felt). She prescribed me xanax, a PPI, and a rescue inhaler to take as needed (none of which worked). She also did a spirometry test that showed some "marginally normal" lung function. After seeing the results, I was extremely worried about what the test was showing; however, my doctor insisted that it was within the normal limit. Nevertheless, I scheduled an appointment with a pulmonologist, because I was extremely worried about COPD or other lung issues. The pulmonologist repeated the spirometry results, and received close to the same results (but slightly better). He told me the results were normal, and I was most likely experiencing anxiety.

Two weeks went by, and I was still having odd symptoms. The symptoms were: shortness of breath/labored breathing, lots of burping, gas, loss of appetite, constipation, dull pain in left upper abdomen, and bloating. Feeling frustrated, I went to a different doctor (at the same office), and he insisted the issues were probably just anxiety related, although he did not run any tests on me to rule anything else out. He prescribed me valium since I explained that these issues were happening constantly throughout the day, and after meals. He told me to buy some Gas-X and give that a shot.

Well, I have been taking the Gas-X for a few days and the bloating has gone down, but I am still burping quite a bit after eating. It also seems as if the shortness of breath was related to having gas trapped in my stomach. However, I still believe that something else is going on. The medicine helps mask the symptoms, but they always return after every meal (and even drinking water). I am particularly worried about having pancreatic cancer, or some other underlying issue. I feel like doctors dismiss my symptoms because I am a "young 24 year old". Does anyone have any advice for what could possibly explain my symptoms?

[AnxietySuckss]

That sounds almost exactly like what happened to me in January last year. Can you go in to more detail what your “laboured breathing/shortness of breath” is like?

For me it felt like my lung capacity was LOW and I couldn’t ever get a deep breath. There are lots of “shortness of breath” sensations that my doctor told me about. I was misleading my doctor by telling him I had “shortness of breath.”

[Walmart Boss]

To me it was like a tightness in the upper part of my stomach (where your ribcage V's) that made taking a deep breath more difficult. I would always describe it as if I felt like I could only take 80% of a breath. I think because of trapped gas in my stomach, my diaphragm was unable to expand fully when I took a breath. Do you think this is something I should be worried about? Every doctor I have spoken with has dismissed it without even doing any test to rule out other causes other than anxiety.

[AnxietySuckss]

To me it was like a tightness in the upper part of my stomach (where your ribcage V's) that made taking a deep breath more difficult. I would always describe it as if I felt like I could only take 80% of a breath. I think because of trapped gas in my stomach, my diaphragm was unable to expand fully when I took a breath. Do you think this is something I should be worried about? Every doctor I have spoken with has dismissed it without even doing any test to rule out other causes other than anxiety.

Nope that’s what happened to me. Just breathe low and slow. Try to not take deep breaths. Exhale all the way and breathe just as much as you need to without straining anything. Just relax. People telling me to take deep breaths was the worst advice ever. It just made me feel like I was suffocating.

---------- Post added at 05:11 ---------- Previous post was at 05:10 ----------

Also you don’t have cancer my dude!

[Walmart Boss]

So, I went to go speak with a GI. He ran a bunch of blood work to check my pancreas, liver, and kidney function. Everything came back normal. He is sending me out for a CT and and ultrasound. Since my last post, I have had extremely bad pain in my lower to middle back (right on my spine). I have also had a loss of appetite, and I have lost some wait (although this may be stress related). I have been unable to sleep at night, and I am constantly waking up in the middle of night with terrible back pain. The pain started off as just a dull ache that progressively worsened each day. Any ideas what is causing this, I am obviously worried about having pancreatic cancer?

[paranoid-viking]

Well this is my first post so here it goes. I am a 24 y/o male, that recently moved across the country for work. After being down here for 2 weeks, I started experiencing some medical issues out of the blue. First, I ended up in the ER for having chest pain and numbness in my arm. After the usual tests (xray, ekg, blood work), everything came back normal and I was sent home.

A week later, I experienced stomach issues that caused intense stomach cramping and diarrhea. I figured this was most likely some stomach bug, so I waited about 3 days for the symptoms to resolve. After the symptoms resolved, I noticed that I had difficulties breathing. It felt as if my breathing was labored, and it was coming and going throughout the day after meals. After several days of experience this, I made and appointment with my doctor.

The shortness of breath sensation carried on everyday since (ongoing for about a month now). When I met with my doctor, she seemed to blame it all on anxiety and stress (neither of which I felt). She prescribed me xanax, a PPI, and a rescue inhaler to take as needed (none of which worked). She also did a spirometry test that showed some "marginally normal" lung function. After seeing the results, I was extremely worried about what the test was showing; however, my doctor insisted that it was within the normal limit. Nevertheless, I scheduled an appointment with a pulmonologist, because I was extremely worried about COPD or other lung issues. The pulmonologist repeated the spirometry results, and received close to the same results (but slightly better). He told me the results were normal, and I was most likely experiencing anxiety.

Two weeks went by, and I was still having odd symptoms. The symptoms were: shortness of breath/labored breathing, lots of burping, gas, loss of appetite, constipation, dull pain in left upper abdomen, and bloating. Feeling frustrated, I went to a different doctor (at the same office), and he insisted the issues were probably just anxiety related, although he did not run any tests on me to rule anything else out. He prescribed me valium since I explained that these issues were happening constantly throughout the day, and after meals. He told me to buy some Gas-X and give that a shot.

Well, I have been taking the Gas-X for a few days and the bloating has gone down, but I am still burping quite a bit after eating. It also seems as if the shortness of breath was related to having gas trapped in my stomach. However, I still believe that something else is going on. The medicine helps mask the symptoms, but they always return after every meal (and even drinking water). I am particularly worried about having pancreatic cancer, or some other underlying issue. I feel like doctors dismiss my symptoms because I am a "young 24 year old". Does anyone have any advice for what could possibly explain my symptoms?


ONE QUESTION; based on recent excperiences from myself: have you tested your vitamin B12 level?

---------- Post added at 00:56 ---------- Previous post was at 00:49 ----------


To me it was like a tightness in the upper part of my stomach (where your ribcage V's) that made taking a deep breath more difficult. I would always describe it as if I felt like I could only take 80% of a breath. I think because of trapped gas in my stomach, my diaphragm was unable to expand fully when I took a breath. Do you think this is something I should be worried about? Every doctor I have spoken with has dismissed it without even doing any test to rule out other causes other than anxiety.


One question I would like to ask: WHY do you think you have the worst and deadliest of cancers at the young age of 24? I am suffering with the same anxiety too, so I wonder what has triggered of this fear? Where did you even hear about this cancer in the first place?
I it is reassuring, virtually no one at your age have that cancer. It is aporximately 0% of everyone with that cancer. Have you read nighmtare stories online?

[Walmart Boss]

I've been under a lot of stress from moving away from home which I think might have caused a lot of anxiety in my life. And of course i've gone down the rabbit hole of Dr. Google when trying to figure out my symptoms. And yeah, i've read too many nightmare stories online of people in their 20's getting such a horrible disease.

But other than all of that, I definitely do have some issue going on with my back (so maybe the CT might have some merit to help figure that out).

[PanickyGuy]

So, I went to go speak with a GI. He ran a bunch of blood work to check my pancreas, liver, and kidney function. Everything came back normal. He is sending me out for a CT and and ultrasound. Since my last post, I have had extremely bad pain in my lower to middle back (right on my spine). I have also had a loss of appetite, and I have lost some wait (although this may be stress related). I have been unable to sleep at night, and I am constantly waking up in the middle of night with terrible back pain. The pain started off as just a dull ache that progressively worsened each day. Any ideas what is causing this, I am obviously worried about having pancreatic cancer?


Well reading your posts, you just described a lot of crap I went through for the past 6 years so I can relate. Some of the same symptoms, some of the same problems. And it came down to two things for me, although one of them didn't get diagnosed until just recently a couple of months ago.

For me the first cause is GERD\acid reflux diagnosed 6 years ago, which creates all the extra gas, indigestion, bloating, limited breathing capacity until you get rid of the gas, probably brought on by stress, anxiety and panic attacks or if not, it at least makes it worse in my experience. Seems like both issues go hand in hand and make you think you're having frigin' heart attacks a lot of times. :mad: Irritating to say the least.

The second recent diagnoses came for me when they used a scan with barium, in which they found gallstones. My doctor told me they had been there a long time, probably from the beginning when this all started for me 6 years ago and they probably missed the stones checking with their EKG\abdominal ultrasound\physical test testing my heart valves and looking over my gallbladder back then. But the thing about gallstones is they usually only occur in people who are in their late 30's and older (I'm 45). But your in your 20's, so I don't know about that in your case.

Still, it couldn't hurt to get your gallbladder check out too, since they're checking out the other organs as well. Because according to my doctor, gallstones can cause back pain like your describing and he said he's even seen those things cause pain, waist to shoulder blades, all over the back and front in other patients; which was what was happening to me at the time and that's how they recently found them.

So I don't know, because I always thought gall stones only caused right side pains - under the ribs, side of the ribs, under the right shoulder blade, midway\center of the back, etc. But you might keep that in mind if they haven't scanned your gallbladder yet. Like I said, even though you're quite young, couldn't hurt just to rule that out as well. And note abdominal ultrasounds don't seem to find them, as in my case they didn't.

[Walmart Boss]

Thank you for all of the advice! I am glad to see that I am not the only one with these issues.For some reason though it is just so hard for me to convince myself that its not pancreatic cancer. Everyone I have spoken with has all told me the same thing... "you're way to young for that/that's incredibly rare". However, I always seem to find several stories of people in their 20's and 30's coming down with it.

The pain in my back has definitely become more severe. It started out gradually in the middle (almost directly around the spine). After a day or two I noticed more pain in the lower part of my back (near the pelvis). Now, the pain is intense and on the left side of my back by the lower ribs. I also have one vertebrae in my spine (in the upper middle where it all started) that is tender when pressed.

Obviously looking up pancreatic cancer, one of the only symptoms that is mentioned is this vague "abdominal/back pain". I know that the chances of me having this horrible disease is extremely rare, but I seem to just get fixated on trying to figure out what is wrong with me, especially since most doctors have dismissed my symptoms from the start.

Also, I was on a PPI for roughly a month with no help to my bloating/indigestion. The bloating gets really bad at night before I go to bed, and then in the morning I end up having some bad stomach cramps that result in me having to use the restroom multiple times.

[Thelegend27]

Well to me it sounds like a digestive issue rather than cancer, im no doctor but i too suffer from digestive issues such as heart burn etc so your symptoms sound familiar to me. and the anxiety could be to blame for the breathing issues especially if youre having panic attacks. listen to your doctor, if you cant do that find another one but if they tell you the same you just need to accept it and move on because the further you go down the road of anxiety the harder it is to come back.

[Walmart Boss]

Well to me it sounds like a digestive issue rather than cancer, im no doctor but i too suffer from digestive issues such as heart burn etc so your symptoms sound familiar to me. and the anxiety could be to blame for the breathing issues especially if youre having panic attacks. listen to your doctor, if you cant do that find another one but if they tell you the same you just need to accept it and move on because the further you go down the road of anxiety the harder it is to come back.

What about the intense back pain that I am having? I'm having trouble sleeping at night because of this severe middle back pain on my spine that started out of nowhere a week ago.

[paranoid-viking]

I've been under a lot of stress from moving away from home which I think might have caused a lot of anxiety in my life. And of course i've gone down the rabbit hole of Dr. Google when trying to figure out my symptoms. And yeah, i've read too many nightmare stories online of people in their 20's getting such a horrible disease.


O you read the horror stories. I think I sort of figured that out. I guess that also those HA sufferers in their 20s who creates profiles on cancer forum and begs cancer victims and their reassurance have read those nighmtare stories aswell.
The tabloid media loves such horror stories. It sells. Clickbait money. Even if it is a very very rer and unusual story. Bit one thing that I sort of figured out is that there are a lot of, let us say, holes in those stories. Something is missing. Remember; what you read are not of any medical value. Such storie are not written by MDs. People with a cancer and their family can claim anything; like "he/she had a stomach pain that came and went for years and no doctors took it seriously" as if the cancer started allready 10 years before the diagnosis, which is uhm, to be frankly, rubbish. I think some of them likes to blame the health system for what happened and then blend previous pre-cancerous health condition into the cancer story. If you absolutely need to read about ilness you should stick to the respectable and authoritative sources, like NHS website and the websites of respectable clinics. Dont read tabloid media horror stories. And dont read patient stories on patient advocay sites either; as they tend to come up woth the same unusual and unlikely tales as the tabloid media for the purpose of scaremongering.

---------- Post added at 12:47 ---------- Previous post was at 12:45 ----------


What about the intense back pain that I am having? I'm having trouble sleeping at night because of this severe middle back pain on my spine that started out of nowhere a week ago.


Perhaps...perhaps it is because you are not sleeping well? Du to anxiety? Back pains are really easy to get. Are you sitting still a lot? Like in a office chair. Back pains have many reasons and ususally harmless ones.

[Walmart Boss]

Perhaps...perhaps it is because you are not sleeping well? Du to anxiety? Back pains are really easy to get. Are you sitting still a lot? Like in a office chair. Back pains have many reasons and ususally harmless ones.

I do sit a lot at work since I work in an office. But wouldn't you expect that pain to be more tender on the surface of your back (muscular)? My pain feels deep in my back, with the exception of the one tender vertebrae right where my pancreas is.

More than anything I really need reassurance that everything is going to be okay.

[paranoid-viking]

I do sit a lot at work since I work in an office. But wouldn't you expect that pain to be more tender on the surface of your back (muscular)? My pain feels deep in my back, with the exception of the one tender vertebrae right where my pancreas is.




Now, hold on, hold on. Your pancreas is NOT right under your skin. It is deep inside your stomach. You would not be able to feel it even if you pushed your stomach with a baseball bat.

I am not going to telle you not to google, cause that would make me a hypocrite. And frankly, I have been told so and did it anyway. We all know that and no one needs to tell us something so obvious. But I can tell you that googling will never ever give you the reassurance you are looking for; it will only make your fear worse.
Us hypocondriacs are like a hypocondriac Alice in Googleland and find other things than we were looking for down the rabbit hole.
Makes me think of this song:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h0JvF9vpqx8

Imagine this: The Mad Hatter is Dr. Google telling us not to come around here no more, whatever we are looking for. And then eat us alive.:ohmy:

[Walmart Boss]

I agree, and I know that I am not pressing on my pancreas, but my vertebrae is tender for some reason, and it is causing some significant back pain in that region (left/middle). Obviously with my worries, I am paranoid that I have a tumor pushing against my spine. Obviously, I don't know if that is possible, but it's definitely making me more worried about hearing bad news after my CT.

[Walmart Boss]

Anyone know how rare it would be for someone my age to come down with this cancer? Also, will a CT definitely rule this out/confirm it?

[paranoid-viking]

Anyone know how rare it would be for someone my age to come down with this cancer? Also, will a CT definitely rule this out/confirm it?

I just wrote that; it is aproximately 0%. Now there are a few unfortunate cases in your age; from what I read about 4 cases in the UK per year, and I guess some more in the US as they have more people but the chances are still closer to zero than to one percent.
There are people as young as 17 whoose been diagnosed with Alzheimer, and there are about 15 families in the world who get children with progaria; the rapid ageing syndrome. Bit it is not common and it is not likely.
I can of course not gurantee that you will not get pancreatic cancer at your age, but I can not guanrantee that you will not be hit by a meteor tomorrow or not winning the billion dollar lottery tomorrow either; which is just as likely - I mean unlikely.

[Walmart Boss]

That's what I keep trying to tell myself, but it's just so hard for me to not be pessimistic about this. I know that I haven't received a diagnosis, so I shouldn't worry, but I can't help it. I've tried some of the anxiety meds to calm me down, but they don't really seem to work.

I really just wish I knew why my back was hurting so much in the center of my back on my spine. It has progressively gotten worse everyday for 7 days.

[Thelegend27]

Well the back pain may not even be related to any of this, so i wouldnt jump the gun on that one. are you overweight? do you do any sort of work that could contribute to the back pain? because it could just simply be a pulled muscle. The best thing to do is see a doctor to sort all this out and bring you some peace in mind.

[PanickyGuy]

Yeah but thing is - you've not mentioned one time in any of your posts about another main symptom like jaundice (yellow skin and eyes), which is usually one of the major symptoms of pancreatic cancer. It spreads pretty damn rapidly and most of the time, that is one of the first symptoms of pancreatic cancer. And then you might get the abdominal\back problem either at the same time or soon after.

How about a swollen belly? You got to try and think logically about this and not just focus on one related symptom that could or could not be a indicator of pancreatic cancer.

How do you know it couldn't be something else like a Herniated disc or just a simple strained back? There are other things that can cause that problem you know? Why focus on the worse of the worse right off the bat?

[Walmart Boss]

Well the back pain may not even be related to any of this, so i wouldnt jump the gun on that one. are you overweight? do you do any sort of work that could contribute to the back pain? because it could just simply be a pulled muscle. The best thing to do is see a doctor to sort all this out and bring you some peace in mind.

No. If anything I am probably considered underweight. And I have an office job at work so I don't do anything strenuous.


Yeah but thing is - you've not mentioned one time in any of your posts about another main symptom like jaundice (yellow skin and eyes), which is usually one of the major symptoms of pancreatic cancer. It spreads pretty damn rapidly and most of the time, that is one of the first symptoms of pancreatic cancer. And then you might get the abdominal\back problem either at the same time or soon after.

How about a swollen belly? You got to try and think logically about this and not just focus on one related symptom that could or could not be a indicator of pancreatic cancer.

How do you know it couldn't be something else like a Herniated disc or just a simple strained back? There are other things that can cause that problem you know? Why focus on the worse of the worse right off the bat?

I do get bloating after I eat. But yeah, definitely no jaundice. So far it has just been a lot of GI issues such as diarrhea, stomach cramping, pain in the middle back on the spine that wakes me up at night, loss of appetite, and weight loss.

[paranoid-viking]

No. If anything I am probably considered underweight. And I have an office job at work so I don't do anything strenuous.



I do get bloating after I eat. But yeah, definitely no jaundice. So far it has just been a lot of GI issues such as diarrhea, stomach cramping, pain in the middle back on the spine that wakes me up at night, loss of appetite, and weight loss.

There was one thing you forgot to answer me about: have you tested yourself for B12?

[Walmart Boss]

I have not. The GI doctor tested me for a CBC, liver function, pancreas function, and kidney function. After the CT and ultrasound, he is going to test my thyroid as well. So unless B12 is tested in the CBC, I don't think he did.

[paranoid-viking]

I had a test confirming this week that I have low levels of B12 which may be the cause of unwell feeling I have had for a while. I am going to my GP tomorrow for firther testings and try to sort it out.

[Walmart Boss]

I had a test confirming this week that I have low levels of B12 which may be the cause of unwell feeling I have had for a while. I am going to my GP tomorrow for firther testings and try to sort it out.

Is that the reason why you are feeling unwell, or is there something that is causing that B12 deficiency?

[Walmart Boss]

Well my CT was postponed for tomorrow. I am still having bad back pain that is waking me up at night. Hoping for good news.

[paranoid-viking]

Is that the reason why you are feeling unwell, or is there something that is causing that B12 deficiency?

Dont know so far. Still waiting for the next blood testes:scared15:

---------- Post added at 01:06 ---------- Previous post was at 01:05 ----------


Well my CT was postponed for tomorrow. I am still having bad back pain that is waking me up at night. Hoping for good news.

I wish you the best of luck.

[Walmart Boss]

Dont know so far. Still waiting for the next blood testes:scared15:

---------- Post added at 01:06 ---------- Previous post was at 01:05 ----------



I wish you the best of luck.

Well everything came back normal. Waiting on my next follow up with my doctor to see where we go from here. But this is definitely good news.

[Fishmanpa]

Well everything came back normal. Waiting on my next follow up with my doctor to see where we go from here. But this is definitely good news.

The "where" is professional help with your anxiety ;) Don't allow the dragon to continue to hold you hostage.

Positive thoughts

[PanickyGuy]

Well everything came back normal. Waiting on my next follow up with my doctor to see where we go from here. But this is definitely good news.

:yesyes: Bet that was a mental monkey off of your mind's shoulders. Hey look into CBT or CB therapy man, it helps and goes a long way into beating your HA fears. It has for me. :winks: