Tired of spending my life in terror - eye issue

[scarethewolves]

I've had health anxiety since I was a little kid - I remember reading about rare diseases in a health book my family has at eight or so and spending weeks being terrified I had one of them.

It's gotten a lot worse in the past year, though, (I'm 21) and right now I'm convinced I have MS.

My right eye has been aching for months, now. I can't tell if it's blurry or not, but I think it is, a little bit. It doesn't usually hurt a lot, just a dull ache, though tonight I felt this horrible piercing pain in it for a few seconds. Terrifying.

I have other issues too - numb hands when I laugh, stabbing pains in my stomach, an incredibly sore lower back that my GP has no idea what to do about, nausea.

I was supposed to go get my eye checked out by a specialist in September, but I ended up away because of a family emergency, and now I feel too guilty that I missed it to go back to my GP (who has horrible bedside manner anyway). I'm probably going to go to my campus health services to see if they can refer me, but that will take forever. I've been worried sick about MS for months now, and I'm tired of it.

Wolf

[annabanana]

Hey there. I have had similar concerns about MS after having a nasty virus that knocked me way down. Part of the virus was a strange rash on my hands which may not have been linked to the virus (may have been form of dermatitis) but it made my hands tingle. I freaked out, convincing myself it was MS. My nasty GP (have swapped to a nicer one now - you have every right to do the same) was totally unsympathetic and gave me no reassurance what so ever.

The tingles settled more or less, but not without the help of this site - it's been a god send and while I know we people with HA feed on reassurance, it's good to know I'm not alone. Read the section on the left about symptoms...it helped me. Also remember that anxiety is nasty - it has horrible effects on your body...visual disturbances, headaches, strange aches and pains. And i think you can pretty much 'think' you've got any disease going but misreading your symptoms!

My advice, find another GP (at the same practice as the mean one maybe), explain why you missed your previous referral appointment and ask him to re-refer BUT stress how worried you are and whether he/she can push it through faster for you. If you have still got the appointment letter...you may be able to contact them direct, explain and get new appointment without having to go back via GP. This will give you some reassurance. Have you had an eye test recently...might be worth considering?

Feel free to send me private message. Most of my HA worries are about MS...but all the symptoms of MS can be same as those for anxiety. My theory is, if the numbness goes away and only comes when you laugh then it's not MS...it might just be something to do with adrenalin being realised when you laugh. Pain in your eye might be more like a headache behind your eye rather than in the eye itself.

Hope that helps a little. Just remember you're not alone...we're all in the same boat on this site and it's good we can help each other.

x