Back pain - OC, perimenopause or pulled muscle

[NewYorkgirl]

I have managed to stay away from here for so long but I feel like I've fallen down a hole again. I got Covid at the beginning of April and although it wasn't pleasant it was bearable. But since then I feel like I've just not been right. It started with a pain in my right arm. I convinced myself I had breast cancer and was an absolute state for nearly 2 weeks. It turned out to be bicep tendonitis. Then a week ago I literally stretched on my sofa. I felt something click or pop in my back. It's been agony for about 5 days and I have to take ibuprofen and co-codamol. Although it's easing slightly now I feel like I'm bloated and have pains in my hips and lower abdomen. So of course I'm thinking this back pain is OC and it's advanced. After all the non illnesses I always think that this is going to be the one time I'm right. My rational mind is very quiet at the moment and I'm struggling.

[anxietybegone]

Hey try not to worry , I know this is easier said than done but when you have Health Anxiety (try make this is your default self diagnosis " I have health anxiety and its highly highly likely I am blowing this out of all sensible proportion ") you tend to get hyper sensitive to every single bodily sensation. I'm doing it just now with a twinge under my ribs and I think I might have stretched out as well in bed my rational mind knows this. I know how you feel. A good exercise to do is write two columns evidence for and against your OC fear. Already the against is pretty strong evidence ie you stretched and felt something pop. It is easing off. Anything sinister I think would get worse with each day. So one helpful thing a doctor told me is that if you are very ill , you tend to have a whole host of symptoms and not just one. A doctor looks at the whole picture of your health. I think with health anxiety we tend to focus on one or two minor ones and come to catastrophic conclusion. Why don't you wait a couple of weeks , or one week if that's too long but try two, take time out for yourself and exercise , buy yourself something nice , plan things for your wedding etc and only after that If you are still as nervous about it , still experiencing symptoms make an appt to see a doc but tell them you have anxiety so they don't word things wrong. Best of luck xx

[NewYorkgirl]

Thank you so much for your reply. I took time away from all social media (my phone in general!) as this tends to stop me googling and checking. I feel better for it. I have to deal with being in the midst of a particularly bad phase of HA and work on that. I'm trying my best but as we all know it's sometimes a rocky road.
Thank you again xx