suddenly scaredy
16-05-11, 13:39
Hi all
I wonder if you kind people (and you do seem a kind bunch from reading this site!) can offer me some reassurance. First, I’ll set the background (please bear with me – I’ve got a lot to get through). I’m a 41 year old male former smoker (quit for over a month having smoked intermittently for the last 16 years). I was (so I thought) in pretty decent shape, running regularly and going to the gym but a few week back after a run I developed a sudden throbbing pain in the right side of my chest. Of course I did the worst possible thing and ran my symptoms through Google and inevitably I focused on the possibility of lung cancer. Now I’ve never been too anxious about my health but this worry has turned into a full blown obsession so much so that after only a couple of days I couldn’t sleep, was shaking like a leaf and sucked on my gums so hard that they started to bleed (and imagined I was coughing up blood!). And all this the night before starting a new job! Anyway, I went to see the local (locum) GP who checked my breathing/blood pressure and assured me that this was likely a minor strain and much reassured I felt absolutely fine the following week but on returning to work (and certainly I do think this new job is contributing to my stress levels) I felt anxious again and the throbbing in the chest started again. I was so wound up I phoned the NHS out of hours service, was referred again to a GP who once more listened to my symptoms, checked blood pressure/breathing and temperature and again reassured me that this was likely a combination of anxiety, indigestion and muscular strain. But I’m still worried. I should say that I am still staying active - I ran a 10k race the other week – and the chest pain while still coming and going isn’t too bad though I’m occasionally feeling what I think is slight burning/stinging in the centre/left side as well. But I can’t get these negative thoughts out of my mind and my imagination is running riot! The thing is I really don’t have any other symptoms. I’m not coughing unless I make myself and when I do nothing’s really coming up (there’s certainly no blood) but I am so stressed that I feel as if I’m going to be sick, I can’t concentrate and I am totally dwelling on the slightest twitch in my body (I’m now convinced that a slight twinge on my right side is serious – again this was as symptom I read up on and I’m wondering how much my mind is playing tricks on me). Anyway, I finally got an appointment with my regular GP the other week (yes 3 docs in 3 weeks!) and he ran all the tests as before and reassured me that this was likely costochondritis. He also asked about how I was coping with my new job and if anyone I knew had received rather grim news about the big C (which they have and I know this is playing on my mind). Anyway, my GP did not feel that I needed an X-ray but referred me anyway to put my mind at rest. He assured me that if he were a betting man he’d put money on the x-ray coming up clear. I trust my GP and I know three doctors have all said the same thing (and not one of them even considered lung cancer) but I’m still a nervous wreck waiting on the results. I’ve pestered the surgery and am driving my girlfriend mad with my constant worry and need to unload! Fortunately I’ve discovered this site so I’m wondering have any of you experienced similar fears and can you offer any advice on how to cope? Am I a classic case of someone with serious health anxiety? Sorry for the long post and look forward to reading replies.
I wonder if you kind people (and you do seem a kind bunch from reading this site!) can offer me some reassurance. First, I’ll set the background (please bear with me – I’ve got a lot to get through). I’m a 41 year old male former smoker (quit for over a month having smoked intermittently for the last 16 years). I was (so I thought) in pretty decent shape, running regularly and going to the gym but a few week back after a run I developed a sudden throbbing pain in the right side of my chest. Of course I did the worst possible thing and ran my symptoms through Google and inevitably I focused on the possibility of lung cancer. Now I’ve never been too anxious about my health but this worry has turned into a full blown obsession so much so that after only a couple of days I couldn’t sleep, was shaking like a leaf and sucked on my gums so hard that they started to bleed (and imagined I was coughing up blood!). And all this the night before starting a new job! Anyway, I went to see the local (locum) GP who checked my breathing/blood pressure and assured me that this was likely a minor strain and much reassured I felt absolutely fine the following week but on returning to work (and certainly I do think this new job is contributing to my stress levels) I felt anxious again and the throbbing in the chest started again. I was so wound up I phoned the NHS out of hours service, was referred again to a GP who once more listened to my symptoms, checked blood pressure/breathing and temperature and again reassured me that this was likely a combination of anxiety, indigestion and muscular strain. But I’m still worried. I should say that I am still staying active - I ran a 10k race the other week – and the chest pain while still coming and going isn’t too bad though I’m occasionally feeling what I think is slight burning/stinging in the centre/left side as well. But I can’t get these negative thoughts out of my mind and my imagination is running riot! The thing is I really don’t have any other symptoms. I’m not coughing unless I make myself and when I do nothing’s really coming up (there’s certainly no blood) but I am so stressed that I feel as if I’m going to be sick, I can’t concentrate and I am totally dwelling on the slightest twitch in my body (I’m now convinced that a slight twinge on my right side is serious – again this was as symptom I read up on and I’m wondering how much my mind is playing tricks on me). Anyway, I finally got an appointment with my regular GP the other week (yes 3 docs in 3 weeks!) and he ran all the tests as before and reassured me that this was likely costochondritis. He also asked about how I was coping with my new job and if anyone I knew had received rather grim news about the big C (which they have and I know this is playing on my mind). Anyway, my GP did not feel that I needed an X-ray but referred me anyway to put my mind at rest. He assured me that if he were a betting man he’d put money on the x-ray coming up clear. I trust my GP and I know three doctors have all said the same thing (and not one of them even considered lung cancer) but I’m still a nervous wreck waiting on the results. I’ve pestered the surgery and am driving my girlfriend mad with my constant worry and need to unload! Fortunately I’ve discovered this site so I’m wondering have any of you experienced similar fears and can you offer any advice on how to cope? Am I a classic case of someone with serious health anxiety? Sorry for the long post and look forward to reading replies.