View Full Version : Coughing up blood
I don't usually suffer from health anxiety but because my general anxiety is heightened at the moment it's affecting everything.
A couple of months ago I caught a cough/chest infection that lasted around 9 weeks (the cough has finally started fading) around halfway through I starting coughing up a little blood mixed in with the phlegm. It wasn't often, I'd maybe cough up blood a couple of time over the space of two/three days then nothing for a week, but the amount of blood got progressively worse until I started coughing pure blood and relatively large clots. Over the last few weeks I have also vomited blood on two occasions, it was around 50/50 blood/sick, and for about a week I had a constant low flow of rectal bleeding almost like a light period from my bum. I'm agoraphobic and can't leave the house at all for physical tests but I've spoken to doctors on the phone and yesterday they managed to send someone out to take blood for testing. I've been a smoker for around 10 years, recently significantly cut down but still smoking a few times a day for stress. I don't know what's causing it and looking online just makes me to worry about C. By big worry here though is if the blood tests turn up something I won't be able to go to the hospital for further tests or treatment so finding out what it is might be worse than not knowing if I have something big and will never be able to access medical care for it. Can anyone tell me if it sounds like I'm worrying for nothing or if I'm well and truly screwed?
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Can anyone tell me if it sounds like I'm worrying for nothing or if I'm well and truly screwed?
We can't answer this, we aren't medics and it would be irresponsible to form any sort of judgement on your state of health from your descriptor here. I am presuming that your Doctor knows the full set of conditions that you have described here ? Have they just asked for blood tests - or has somebody done a home visit and full medical check and assessement ? Have they given any indication, or has there been any discussion about why they think you are experiencing blood loss in a variety of ways ?
If there was something that needed treating if I was you I think I would need to find a way to get myself for treatment and checks, as surely you wouldn't want to be very ill and know that you could actually get something that could make you better. There are discussions you could have with the GP about how you can achieve overcoming your agorophobia in order to get some medical help. Do you never ever leave the house, are you working on combatting your anxiety state with anything currently? Fear of leaving your house, however severe it is, shouldn't be a reason to not have medical intervention if its necessary, surely ?
Sorry, a lot of questions here - but I did find your post hard to answer and it did raise many questions in my mind :)
We can't answer this, we aren't medics and it would be irresponsible to form any sort of judgement on your state of health from your descriptor here. I am presuming that your Doctor knows the full set of conditions that you have described here ? Have they just asked for blood tests - or has somebody done a home visit and full medical check and assessement ? Have they given any indication, or has there been any discussion about why they think you are experiencing blood loss in a variety of ways ?
If there was something that needed treating if I was you I think I would need to find a way to get myself for treatment and checks, as surely you wouldn't want to be very ill and know that you could actually get something that could make you better. There are discussions you could have with the GP about how you can achieve overcoming your agorophobia in order to get some medical help. Do you never ever leave the house, are you working on combatting your anxiety state with anything currently? Fear of leaving your house, however severe it is, shouldn't be a reason to not have medical intervention if its necessary, surely ?
Sorry, a lot of questions here - but I did find your post hard to answer and it did raise many questions in my mind :)
Hi, thank you for your response. Sorry, I know you can't offer any medical opinion, I guess I was just wondering if anyone had ever had any experience with this combination of symptoms.
Yes the doctor is aware of everything but they've only taken blood, they haven't sent anyone to do a physical exam and haven't given me any information on what they're looking for or their initial thoughts on what it might be.
In terms of the anxiety I never (ever) leave the house. If I try to walk out the front door, sometimes even just answering the door or going in the garden, the panic attacks always cause my ears to ring increasingly loud until I can't hear anything and my vision gets increasingly blurry until everything goes black. So I'm still conscious but essentially deaf and blind, kind of hidden inside myself until I get back to a 'safe' location, if that makes sense. I want to be able to go and get treatment but I feel it would be pretty much useless if I quite literally lose my senses and am unable to communicate or respond. I'm not currently on any PRN anxiety medication and I'm between mental health services so there's not really anything to help in that sense. With the previous service we were only just starting to work on controlling the anxiety I struggle with inside the house. We weren't even close to discussing getting out of the house yet.
Xx
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I see, I understand, ok you are in quite a difficult position regarding dealing with the agorophobia. I guess you have either moved house or are between the child/adult services ? I think you might be hard pressed to find anyone here who has had those combination of symptoms, as they are actual symptoms and not just anxiety sensations or random fears, is it possible that in your incredibly heightened anxiety state that the blood from coughing and your bottom have become something larger than they actually are in reality ? The description you have given above, I'll be honest, I find quite scary - and if I was 'having a period' from my bottom or vomiting blood, I'd be calling an ambulance and getting paramedics on site. I'm not quite understanding why the Doctors aren't acting on your words above, and I'm tentatively wondering (and I mean this as no way rudely to you) if they are thinking that your anxiety has made things worse in your head.
Are you living with someone, like your parents who support you ?
I see, I understand, ok you are in quite a difficult position regarding dealing with the agorophobia. I guess you have either moved house or are between the child/adult services ? I think you might be hard pressed to find anyone here who has had those combination of symptoms, as they are actual symptoms and not just anxiety sensations or random fears, is it possible that in your incredibly heightened anxiety state that the blood from coughing and your bottom have become something larger than they actually are in reality ? The description you have given above, I'll be honest, I find quite scary - and if I was 'having a period' from my bottom or vomiting blood, I'd be calling an ambulance and getting paramedics on site. I'm not quite understanding why the Doctors aren't acting on your words above, and I'm tentatively wondering (and I mean this as no way rudely to you) if they are thinking that your anxiety has made things worse in your head.
Are you living with someone, like your parents who support you ?
I have moved house quite recently and it caused a big misunderstanding which lead to me being discharged (long story) so I'm waiting for my re-referral to go through.
I think the way I've described the issues are pretty accurate. I don't usually suffer from health anxiety specifically but as you can imagine those symptoms are causing a lot of anxiety.
I'm not sure why the doctor isn't doing more about the symptoms either to be honest. The only things I can think of is maybe they believe I'm just being difficult in saying I'm not able to come in for a physical exam or maybe feeling anxious when talking to them I'm not getting my point across as well as I think I am. I have told them pretty much word for word the symptoms I described in my original post but maybe they think I'm exaggerating or overreacting. I get anxious about talking to them, especially if I'm having to push to get them to do more to help, because I don't want them to get annoyed with me. I can't handle conflict.
Now I feel like I'd just be bothering them for no reason if they don't think it's serious enough to do more than a blood test.
I live with my sister but I don't really talk to her about my mental problems/health. We really don't have that kind of relationship. I have one friend I can talk to but I already put him through so much and I don't want him to worry if it is nothing.
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I do feel very sorry for you, this sounds like a very difficult situation. You wouldn't be bothering them for no reason...at all.....will they not do a home visit if your sister explains the situation with your mental health ? I know that might be asking a lot of her, but I can see that you are struggling to navigate the interactions necessary here and I do think you really need a better examination.
I agree with Carys that your symptoms as described seem worrisome. I would see if your sister can talk with someone to explain the situation more thoroughly. It's the job of healthcare workers to tend to people in need of healthcare, so you're not annoying or bothering them when you seek help. I hope you can find a way to get the care you need within your comfort zone.
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