Need reassurance, gals only please.....

[lindzanne]

So, I'm sure all of you know how hard it is to differentiate between "real" symptoms and anxiety symptoms, I have been having some serious panic over a bladder infection i had a little bit ago, that took awhile to heal, I got convinced it was ovarian cancer, I was at the ER once and my doctor 5 times and he was very sympathetic, did everything he thought was necessary and probably more because he really did understand my health anxiety and helped me with some meds for that....
Anyway, my bladder irritation continued, GP said i the severity of my infection and a few other factors caused me to take awhile to heal, and I am getting better......
BUT....my doctor put me on birth control because he and my psychologist were both concerned about me getting pregnant on antidepressants, and since then, I have had a lot of tenderness, kind of in my pubic bone, pelvic bone area, not my pelvis or abdomen, sometimes in one spot like a bruise (and of course I pushed on it really hard to "self-check" and made it way worse), I can feel it when I move once in a while, I had what felt like bad ovulation pain 5 days into my pill pack. I've had cramps, intermittent nausea, fatigue, loss of appetite, wierd bowel movements. I've always been really sensitive to hormonal bc, but all these things are just making me feel like I have a huge list of symptoms I have been adding up. I told my doctor about any wierdness I had been having in my cycle, my ovulation pain which can sometimes be quite severe, and he said everything falls into the category of normal.
I'm on citalopram, clonazepam 3 mg per day (makes me feel wierd but definitely stops the severe panic attacks) and the birth control. My doctor did a very thorough pelvic exam and said he is absolutely sure I could not have cancer (also had a normal pap and exam three months prior). None of these later symptoms started until i started the bc.
Sorry to go on and on....somebody just tell me my body is going through a lot right now with meds and severe anxiety and I'm ok????:wacko:

[jessieblue]

Hi there. Did you actually have a uti? Did it show up on dipstick or lab tests? I ask because I have a severe bout of bladder probs last year, as if I had an infection but nothing showing on tests. They then said it could be interstitial cystitis, or painful bladder syndrome and I was treated for that. Symptoms cleared up but very slowly, but last couple of weeks they have been back! I am pretty sure its caused by anxiety in the main and I get bowel problems and bloating and lots of pelvic symptoms. I have been afraid of cancer etc but doctors keep saying there is nothing wrong, just a slight irritation down there! Maybe you have a similar problem to me, but anxiety exaggerates everything.

[chocoholic]

hi
its so easy to get worked up about things (im the queen of it!) but your doc seems to have done lots. Mine has too but sometimes I just need that reassurance again. See your doc for a chat always makes me feel better. I suufer with my bowels all of a sudden and am worried its something awful but keep getting told its anxiety.
choco x

[lindzanne]

Jessieblue-
It did show up on dipsticks but they could never get the cultures to grow in the lab, which was so wierd, i had two rounds of antibiotics and the second cleared up everything except I just feel sore in my urethra area alot. I had horrible horrible pelvic pain and that went away within a day on the second round of antibiotics. so it was a weird one.....I actually have been trying to follow the IC diet and do things like that, I do seem to be a lot better, just these damn birth control pills making me feel so blah! I've gone from panic attacks to crying all the time!
Thanks you girls, I just needed someone to say, hey, your'e ok, hope I can return the favor sometime.

[jessieblue]

Lindzanne, are you sure the birth control pills are helping? If not surely you would be better without them. Has your doc tried amitriptyline low dose? This helped me tons and is a great treatment for mild IC and urethral syndrome. You could have urethral syndrome from the infection. This can sometimes narrow the tube a little and cause a little irritation. It is also made worse by stress and anxiety and hormonal changes. Amitriptyline is also a great treatment for this and it settles with time. Urethral syndrome is usually not severe enough to interrupt sleep whilst IC will normally cause broken nights with irritation and the need to pee.