Aaargh! Why did I Google it?!

[barbie]

I've had an itchy mole for weeks now, if not a couple of months, and I've been to the doctors but always forgotten to mention it.

I just googled itchy mole and it says it is a sign of melanoma! I am now terrified and cant ring the docs until the morning and its highly unlikely they'll have an appointment tomorrow!

I want to cry :weep:

Does anyone have any experience of seeing the doc about a problem mole?

[shoegal]

Hi Carlabarbie,

Try to stay calm! I have googled and also convinced myself that I have all sorts of diseases, lol!

Right, you have had this itchy mole for about 2 months you say, so it won't hurt to wait until tomorrow to phone the Doctors. Also, not all itchy moles are cancerous, it's just that an itchy mole should be checked.

Please try to stay calm and go and see your Doctor about it in the next few days.

I hope you feel better soon. :flowers:

Love and hugs from shoegal xxx

[angiebaby]

I have helped many doctors to remove many itchy moles and they were fine, just annoying! I have one myself that started small and i never noticed it at all, then it started to itch and now it is four times the size it was! I asked one of the gp's i work with to check it for me and he said it was fine, nothing to worry about, even though it is on my shoulder and i am fair and freckly and that is where i catch the sun. He said i could have it removed if it was bothering me a lot. I said i'd live with it, lol.x

[anxious]

Hiya,

i've been three times to gp with the same itchy mole and all she says is it looks dry put some moisturiser on it. Strangely enough it then goes away until the next time i'm on a mole spotting expedition:D
It can itch for weeks at a time and then just stop, i think it might be normal skin changes. Mine just tickled really, not like a driving me mad itch.
hth, love anx xx

[erialc]

Hun,

This is one of main health anx worries

I was convinced my mole was itchy and because of my anxiety it felt even itchier (I know that now but at the time was convinced).

I saw four doctors and even went to hospital to be told it was ok.

While I was there he checked all my other moles too and said they looked ok and just to keep an eye out.

I still panic now and am convinced I will die of cancer of some description (don't you just hate health anxiety).

As long as you go and get it checked out as soon as you can.

I had to be told so many times though before I believed it, I kept going to the doctors about it and it wasn't until I saw the last one that he told me that it was not and that I should try and get on and enjoy my life just be aware of my skin and any changes!


Take Care


Claire xxxxxxx

[mirry]

i had a itchy mole when younger , and ignored it :blush: but Its still there today 15 years later and it doesnt itch anymore.

Dont google but to put your mind at rest see your gp.:hugs:

[shaznay]

Hi there i had one and had it removed when i was younger it was fibrous tissue the doctor actually said the itchy ones are the ones you dont worry about but took it out just because they performed that at the surgery.

Shaz x

[barbie]

You guys are the best! Thank you so so much. I put some Elemis muscle rub on it which is cooling, and it no longer itches! But I will still be ringing the docs and making an apppointment.

But I am going to try not going to worry about it for now.

Thank you so so very much x x x

[kittykat]

Hi there,

Been there, had a mole for years, it was itchy ,got bigger and even bled a bit. Went to the hospital consultant and he said it was fine but removed it for me anyway, still wasn't convinced until the results came back clear. I really made my summer a nightmare had my funeral and everything planned ( lol).
What I really want to say is an itchy mole is not necessarily dangerous, plus 2mths in ,if anything was changing you would have gotten it in time. The nurse also told me as you get older your body changes and can cause changes in the feel and texture of your moles. I would go to the docs and get it checked out, as it stops u from worrying and puts your mind at rest. I'm sure everything is as it should be , and you'll be fine.

shirley xx

[AmandaG]

Awww, no, I've done the dreaded Google thing so many times myself, they should put a warning on that website telling you to take EVERYTHING you read with a huge pinch of salt!
I mean...it's come up with pneumonia for a slight cough, meningitis for a PMS headache and even rabies for a strained arm muscle!
I believe I've even gone through a thorough mole inspection before too, I had an occassionally itchy one, but nothing has ever come of it and docs don't seem concerned by it

[Farrell]

Yeah, Google is horrible for looking up illnesses isn't it? Discovered that the hard way and no mistake... After reading pages and pages of descriptions of life-threatening diseases you just end up thinking, well how could I NOT have any of these? I really try to avoid it now; I actually wish it was possible to forget everything I've learned about this stuff and live in happy ignorance of all the things that can go wrong...

[skitty]

Ok all you health anxiety sufferers out there repeat after me... I will not Google...Google is evil...it is the devils instrument, sent to tempt and torture me...LOL
Seriously, as someone with HA I used to Google symptoms a lot and it never reassured me (when was the last time you got a result like "BACK PAIN - MOST LIKELY YOU NEED A NEW BED"; its always some rare and deadly disease you didnt even know you should be worried about until it turned up in a search!). So just dont go there people!
Moles. Being an Australian of Scottish descent I know about moles. I have had 4 or 5 of them removed myself because they looked dodgy but none of them turned out to be cancer. My Dad has had dozens of things cut out or burnt off him and only a few have been cancer - the slow spreading sort that take 5 or 10 years to cause problems and they didnt look like the kind of thing you would just forget about, they were angry looking weepy sores that wouldnt heal.
I have known 2 people who have had melanomas removed (they both survived) and there was no mistaking it in either case: melanomas are very fast growing and dont look like normal moles. You wouldnt be wondering if you had it if you did! It is also quite rare.
Its always a good idea to get these things checked out by a doctor, or even removed if its in a place where its constantly being rubbed or irritated, or it worries you a lot.
Its also a good idea to be aware of the general distribution and size, colour and shape of any moles youve got - but other than that I would try not to worry about it too much. If it was something scary you would know it by know. :)

[Elly 2]

Hi I too have hundreds of moles scattered about and I have had 4 removed which turned out to be non malignant. The things to look out for with moles is if they change colour ie become very dark, if they increase significantly in size but the most relevant sign is if they get a dark red ring around the outer part of the mole. Like you I worried myself sick but as I said I had 4 removed which looked suspicious but turned out to be perfectly harmless. It is always better to have them checked out if you are concerned but it is most unlikely that it is anything sinister. Hope I have helped a little bit, take care and try not to worry
Hugs
Elly x

[barbie]

Thanks again guys. Funny thing is - it hasnt itched at all today! For the first time in AGES!
But I'm off to the docs next week just for peace of mind. :hugs: