Pain in my side causing anxiety!

[Insomniac]

Hi all,

I have had a pain on my right side on and off for a couple of months now. It used to be when I lay on my right side in bed for a while it would start to hurt. I thought (hoped) it was just that I was very overweight putting strain on my body for ying on that side all the time..

I have lost 1 stone now and still have the pain. OK, so I need to lose more, but yesterday I was out in the snow playing with my daughter and our neighbours when I started to feel the pain in my right side again. Its half way down my right side in line with my shoulder.

I got really panicky and made an excuse to go in for a minute, I caught my breath and the pain eased. I avoided running around after that. That afternoon I was feeling/pressing my fingers down my side and found a really tender spot half way down. This made me feel more panicky again and I've convinced myself that I have some form of cancer and am both scared of it and scared to see a doctor.

I feel I should be calm and wait to see if it goes away or gets less after a week or so, also wait until I do not have PMS any more - which makes me really anxious anyway!

Am I being paraoid? My perception is so odd when I'm anxious I don't know whether my fears are reasonable or not.

I am now sitting with Rescue Remedy beside me (which I haven't touched for ages) and trying to distract myself. Any advice would be most appreciated!
:unsure: :wacko:

[Forrest Gump]

As I'm questioning my pains in the same way, I might not be the best to advice, but I had the same kind of pain in my side that you describe for a couple of days. Sometimes for a short time, sometimes for longer periods over a day. I had a tender spot just below the left rib cage. I went to the doctor to check it up, they said it was related to digestion and gave me Omeprazole that I took for about a week and a half. This was a couple of weeks ago and although my panic attacks and anxiety continue I haven't had this particular pain since. I'm overweight and have to lie on the side to breath right, but I didn't feel like that was affecting it for me.

I don't think you are being paranoid and I don't think it's anything serious, but I would still advice you to have your doctor check it up. If anything, it's probably something that easy to fix that you don't have to be worried about.

[Insomniac]

Thanks for your reply.

I talked with DH today. He reassured me, but also said I should see doc if worried. I said I didnt want to just in case its bad news (typical head in the sand approach from me), but he did say like you that its probably digestive related.

It does feel more like a tender spot when I press, but I will give it time (and diet!).

:)