Chronification of the symptoms

[MrRobot]

Is this a common thing? When I first fell into the Health Anxiety pit about 3 years ago, my symptoms would change as soon as I lost my fear of them (usually took more than one examination by more than one doctor) and then the symptoms would fade and new ones would pop up. For example, after weeks of dizziness and headaches a doctor would rule out a brain tumor and slowly but surely the headaches would fade, to be replaced by constant stabs in the chest or some other highly unpleasant sensation.

Long story short, the above cycle has been broken, but not in a good or relieving way. Instead of ever-changing symptoms, I have now been blessed with the same awful symptom/pain/issue for 1 and a half year! A chronification of a symptom so to speak. It goes without saying that once a symptom has stayed with you for that long, you do get used to it and don't really freak out anymore. On the flip side, it does make you wonder why the hell it won't go away if there's relatively little fear of it - so this time it must be the real deal (insert deadly disease here), right? The doctors couldn't find anything, but only minor examinations have been made (surely because I've been honest with the doctors and told them that I've had pains before that turned out to be nothing.

My question: Is this sort of chronification something that other health anxiety people have to deal with or am I one of the few lucky ones? Feedback very much appreciated.

[Clydesdale Epona]

I completely agree with everything you said, I myself am a victim of symptoms that come and go and also ones that have stuck.

I have had a weird pain in my side for about 2-3 years that I have been thoroughly investigated/examined for and even yes I'll admit ended up in hospital for.

Now it could be down to other things(possibly endometriosis) but it could also be down to nothing,

I do believe sometimes symptoms can stay there, especially as sometimes even though we feel the fear is gone its still in the background x

[MrRobot]

I completely agree with everything you said, I myself am a victim of symptoms that come and go and also ones that have stuck.

I have had a weird pain in my side for about 2-3 years that I have been thoroughly investigated/examined for and even yes I'll admit ended up in hospital for.

Now it could be down to other things(possibly endometriosis) but it could also be down to nothing,

I do believe sometimes symptoms can stay there, especially as sometimes even though we feel the fear is gone its still in the background x

Thanks for your reply. I'm sorry to hear that you've carried that pain in your side around for so long, seems like I'm not the only one after all. Could you maybe describe said pain for me? Did it come and go and could you evoke it with certain movements? Is it gone for good now? (I hope so!)

[Clydesdale Epona]

Thanks for your reply. I'm sorry to hear that you've carried that pain in your side around for so long, seems like I'm not the only one after all. Could you maybe describe said pain for me? Did it come and go and could you evoke it with certain movements? Is it gone for good now? (I hope so!)


It does come and go, in fact I spent most of last night doing a crossword because it was particularly bad and came on out of nowhere, but I slept in the end and yeah its still off and on today but I know its not bad and i'm rather calm.

Its not really provoked by movements it just comes and goes :)

[MrRobot]

It does come and go, in fact I spent most of last night doing a crossword because it was particularly bad and came on out of nowhere, but I slept in the end and yeah its still off and on today but I know its not bad and i'm rather calm.

Its not really provoked by movements it just comes and goes :)

From your description it sounds alot like my own issue that's been going on for 1 and a half year, which by the way, also affects my side. Comes and goes, sometimes better sometimes worse, but there pretty much every goddamn day. Always the left side, sometimes it's abdominal and sometimes I feel it in my back, but mostly the side. Weird pain, hard to describe. One doctor said it could be the nerves between the ribs or musculo-skeletal issue.

[goodman]

Symptom swapping... i think alot of us get it .. you get over one and another is there.. try to look at it as a reminder how powerful our anxious mind is... it tricks us into thinking the worst etc.. thats what my shrink says... best to try do something to take your mind off things.

[MrRobot]

Symptom swapping... i think alot of us get it .. you get over one and another is there.. try to look at it as a reminder how powerful our anxious mind is... it tricks us into thinking the worst etc.. thats what my shrink says... best to try do something to take your mind off things.

The swapping is a quite common occurence for a lot of HA sufferers. What I meant was a symptom becoming chronic and not going away at all, for more than a year or so...