Coughing - lung cancer concerns

[scalise530]

Hi All,
I am new to this forum and from what I have seen am glad to have found it as it does help to see there are so many others that seem to share the same concerns. I should begin by explaining a little about myself. I am a 32 y/o male, from what my family tells me in pretty good shape (I try and workout 4-5x a week and eat pretty healthy) - yet for about 7 years now I have been struggling badly with anxiety related to my health. I have seen counselors and psychiatrists off and on for many years. My current psychologist has helped me tremendously, yet he moved to Pakistan a few months ago to be with his ailing parents and I have been without therapy since he departed. I apparently suffer anxiety-related physical symptoms, yet I have always been skeptical that the symptoms I feel are truly caused by anxiety alone. I have had a wide range of symptoms over the 7 year period, mainly headaches, dizziness, bloating/belching, lump in throat feeling, and now - coughing. Before this last symptom appeared, I had been relatively symptom free for a few years as I was talking to my therapist weekly and I thought making real progress at solving my problems. Around a month after ending therapy with my psychologist (timed with his move to Pakistan), however, I began to develop a dry cough. At first, it was very occasional - once or twice a day. Slowly, however, I began to notice myself "putting the magnifying glass" to it, and it began to intensify and become more frequent. Within a few days, I was google-ing my symptoms and then...within no time...I had CONVINCED myself that I was dying of lung cancer. The week before-during-and after Christmas this year were completely ruined by my excessive worrying. I visited my GP 3 times within the first 2 weeks it appeared. 1st visit he gave me a Z-pack which did not help, 2nd visit he did chest X-Ray which showed a POSSIBLE minor pneumonia (there was a small squiggly line the size of a piece of rice) so he prescribed antibiotics and instructed me to come back in 1 week for follow up chest X-ray. Around this time was when I really began to lose it. I found several stories during my google searching that led me to forums and chat sites with people telling how their lung cancer was mistaken early on for pneumonia - so of course this further led me to believe my doctor was mistaken and that the antibiotics would be no help. At the follow-up chest X-ray, the spot had shown about 75% reduction but I told my doctor I was having extreme anxiety and convinced I had lung cancer so he gave me an option of taking a chest CT to ease my concerns. Perhaps regrettably (as I feel it further fanned the flames of my anxiety), I took the CT scan which came back crystal clear (even no signs of pneumonia). About a month has passed now since the test and I will admit the symptoms have improved, but they are still there. I am not giving them nearly as much attention as I was, and normally they seem to only come on at times when I previously was feeling them at the worst, if that makes sense. My GP has sent me to a Ear/Nose/Throat doctor who stuck a scope down my throat and found a little evidence of reflux but no signs of anything serious (I briefly thought perhaps I had throat cancer...I know, its crazy). They gave me a PPI to take for 2 weeks to see if it helps. Other than that, it sounds to me like he is basically out of options. The CT showed no reason for me to have this cough - so he is pretty much chalking it up to anxiety if the reflux medicine doesn't help. I know at this point I have written an extensive background - but just to throw one more tidbit in - my father passed away from lung cancer when I was 14 years old.
I guess my question for this community is, has anyone else suffered similar physical symptoms such as dry cough and done test after test after test with no answers? It just seems so odd to me that there is no physical reason for me to be coughing - yet it is there. I've talked about these issues with my mom and she doesn't recall any other relatives that have suffered from similar psychological issues - which further makes it hard for me to digest sometimes. Thanks in advance for taking time to read my story, and I look forward to your comments/advice.
Matt

[tasha87]

Hi Matt,

Welcome to the forum I am sure you will find relief and support here. I am also quite new here and I find it so helpful.

This is actually what trigged my HA. I had a chronic cough for about two months after a nasty case of bronchitis. Anyway I was extremely run down and very stressed so my immune system was shot. I went back and forth to the doctors so many times, no meds were working at all. Then one day in work I had a huge panic attack. It scared the life out of me, this was only 2 months ago. So a colleague brought me to my gp who just put it down to my chest being out of whack. More antibiotics and I was sent home. I continued to have extreme shortness of breath for that week so decided to go to the ER. I had bloods ekg chest xray, all fine except for a slightly elevated white count. And my heart was going like the clappers! Of course on hearing this lung cancer went out the Window and I became obsessed with something else.
Anyway to this day im still coughing slightly its just something I have learned to ignore. I have had several extensive blood tests and everything was fine. I don't know if its related, but I imagine we are magnifying it, as I do with everything else.

Just wanted to share my story with you so you don't feel alone!

Take care xx

[Justinf]

I never cough. But this winter I developed a cough that did not go away. I had the same lung cancer fears and 4 GPs all said it was a virus that would go away eventually, but itcould take weeks or even months. Eventually, after 2 months it went.
Maybe that bug has reared its ugly head in the northern hemispheres winter because heaps people got it down here.
Coughing can also be a sign of nerves. I know when i play cricket I get nervous and I seem to let out these pathetic little dry coughs during the game.

[scalise530]

Thanks for both of your responses. I have pretty much accepted the fact that it can't be anything pathological. According to my doctor I had the best possible test done (high res chest CT) which showed perfectly healthy lungs. It just seems so strange to me that the mind can play such games on the body.