goater31
18-04-09, 09:08
Is this common for health anxiety sufferers?
I lurch from one health catastrophe to the next. Some problems are chronic, some come and go. Here's what I mean:
Heart palpitations/flutters/extra beats
I've had these for around 6 years now. They started off slowly, maybe one every few days. I started to obsess about them, and now I have at least 20 episodes a day. Sometimes just a single skipped beat feeling, other more scary times my heart flips out for a few seconds, and I have a run of the weird beats. Sometimes they give me a head rush.
When they happen I just flip out, I want to run away but there's nowhere to run. This has caused some social anxiety, because I am terrified i'll have a bad episode when I'm in a meeting, in a restaurant, crowded place etc.
I'm convinced that one day these funny beats will kill me. Some days are better than others, but I've not had a palpitation-free day for about 2 years.
I've been checked out about 2 years ago by a cardio, had numerous ecgs, an echo, stress test - cardiologist said they're benign and I should just get on with my life - easy for him to say!
Droopy eyelid/headache one side in the morning
I frequently wake up with a stuffy left-side of my head. My left eyelid is always slightly droopy in the morning, this goes away after an hour or so. I almost always wake up with a headache on that left side, and often a nosebleed from the left nostril.
I am convinced this is a brain tumour, or high blood pressure in my head which means an imminent stroke. Maybe this is connected to my heart problem, I don't know.
Chest pain
I've been having chest pains which can be squeezing, sharp, localised, generalised - all types.
I'm convinced it's an impending heart attack related to my funny palpitations somehow, but I'm not sure, because the pain never seems to last more than 10 seconds or so. Sometimes it can be so severe I feel about to pass out, and it actually makes me sweat.
It seems to be coming from my lower chest, upper stomach, which makes me think that if its not a heart attack, it must be something like barretts esophagus or esophageal cancer.
Ear ache
I get these stinging pains sometimes in my left ear, which I think is related to the whole left sided headaches/droopy eyelid thing and I think it's either a tumour or impending stroke.
Dizziness
I often have dizzy spells which usually only last for a few seconds but are scary, and I think its again due to the tumour or about to burst blood vessel in the left of my head
Colds
I've been getting a few viruses recently. I think this is because I have cancer (ive heard getting regular colds is a symptom). The viruses make my heart palpitations worse and this makes me think I've definitely got CHF or cardiomyopathy or something sinister with my heart.
Shortness of breath
I've had episodes of this recently. It's either the heart failure manifesting itself, or if not its acid reflux, caused by barretts esophagus or esophageal cancer.
I won't have an endoscopy because I'm terrified it will set off a fatal heart arrythmia.
Aching leg
My left leg ached a bit the last couple of days, could it be cancer spreading?
High blood pressure
I'm 28 but I was told a few years back by an ENT specialist that my blood pressure was normal for a 50 YR OLD. My father and his father had HBP, so I think its hereditary, and I'm worried about an impending stroke or aneurysm.
Muscle twitching
Quite often my muscles seem to twitch involuntarily. Is this the onset of early parkinsons or MS?
Panic attacks
I've had a few of these but none touch wood for around 6 months. Maybe its a brain tumour that is causing them. I've got a real dizziness problem when standing in any queue.
At the moment I never feel NORMAL, there's always some sinister symptom going on. Please help!
I lurch from one health catastrophe to the next. Some problems are chronic, some come and go. Here's what I mean:
Heart palpitations/flutters/extra beats
I've had these for around 6 years now. They started off slowly, maybe one every few days. I started to obsess about them, and now I have at least 20 episodes a day. Sometimes just a single skipped beat feeling, other more scary times my heart flips out for a few seconds, and I have a run of the weird beats. Sometimes they give me a head rush.
When they happen I just flip out, I want to run away but there's nowhere to run. This has caused some social anxiety, because I am terrified i'll have a bad episode when I'm in a meeting, in a restaurant, crowded place etc.
I'm convinced that one day these funny beats will kill me. Some days are better than others, but I've not had a palpitation-free day for about 2 years.
I've been checked out about 2 years ago by a cardio, had numerous ecgs, an echo, stress test - cardiologist said they're benign and I should just get on with my life - easy for him to say!
Droopy eyelid/headache one side in the morning
I frequently wake up with a stuffy left-side of my head. My left eyelid is always slightly droopy in the morning, this goes away after an hour or so. I almost always wake up with a headache on that left side, and often a nosebleed from the left nostril.
I am convinced this is a brain tumour, or high blood pressure in my head which means an imminent stroke. Maybe this is connected to my heart problem, I don't know.
Chest pain
I've been having chest pains which can be squeezing, sharp, localised, generalised - all types.
I'm convinced it's an impending heart attack related to my funny palpitations somehow, but I'm not sure, because the pain never seems to last more than 10 seconds or so. Sometimes it can be so severe I feel about to pass out, and it actually makes me sweat.
It seems to be coming from my lower chest, upper stomach, which makes me think that if its not a heart attack, it must be something like barretts esophagus or esophageal cancer.
Ear ache
I get these stinging pains sometimes in my left ear, which I think is related to the whole left sided headaches/droopy eyelid thing and I think it's either a tumour or impending stroke.
Dizziness
I often have dizzy spells which usually only last for a few seconds but are scary, and I think its again due to the tumour or about to burst blood vessel in the left of my head
Colds
I've been getting a few viruses recently. I think this is because I have cancer (ive heard getting regular colds is a symptom). The viruses make my heart palpitations worse and this makes me think I've definitely got CHF or cardiomyopathy or something sinister with my heart.
Shortness of breath
I've had episodes of this recently. It's either the heart failure manifesting itself, or if not its acid reflux, caused by barretts esophagus or esophageal cancer.
I won't have an endoscopy because I'm terrified it will set off a fatal heart arrythmia.
Aching leg
My left leg ached a bit the last couple of days, could it be cancer spreading?
High blood pressure
I'm 28 but I was told a few years back by an ENT specialist that my blood pressure was normal for a 50 YR OLD. My father and his father had HBP, so I think its hereditary, and I'm worried about an impending stroke or aneurysm.
Muscle twitching
Quite often my muscles seem to twitch involuntarily. Is this the onset of early parkinsons or MS?
Panic attacks
I've had a few of these but none touch wood for around 6 months. Maybe its a brain tumour that is causing them. I've got a real dizziness problem when standing in any queue.
At the moment I never feel NORMAL, there's always some sinister symptom going on. Please help!