Scared of pancreatic cancer

[JustJoe25]

Anyone who has read my posts here knows some of what I've been going through for the last few weeks, closer to 2 months now. Back in early February I noticed my veins seemed more prominent everywhere. I know some say this can happen from working out but they aren't buldging. Only in my forarms they are like that, but everywhere else it's just blue prominent veins that I can see but not feel. Anyways for the first week or two my appitiate seemed fine. Then it decreased and I started experiencing alternating bouts of constapation and diarrhea. I upped my fiber intake and my stools became more regular (still some diarrhea though at times) but I had an increase in gas and bloating so I cut back some. Also I was experiencing sharp pains in both sides of my stomsch near the rib cage and sharp pain in the chest on both sides along with indegestion and increased gas. The pains has went away over the past few days or so, the gas has calmed some but is still there, especially after dinner. Yesterday I did 30 mins of cardio at the gym which felt good. However last night I started experiencing some back pain on the left side and I notice this ususlly happens during or after a workout. I've been working out for a few years now so I consider myself to have good form. The palms pf my hands also seem redder to me. My fiancée and my mom both say its normal and my mom has red palms too. I am 27 male and consider myself to be in pretty decent shape. I workout regularly. My diet is usually pretty good for the most part. My fiancée and my mom keep telling me the veins are nothing to worry about and my palms are normal, but along with the bowel movements I've been having I can't help but worry if this could all be connected some how. Especially since some days I'll have clear mucus in my stool. I've been so worried and I feel like it's affecting me both mentally and physically. I've been trying to stay off google but everytime I say no more google I feel like I experience a new symptom. I feel like everyone is annoyed with me and tired of hearing about this. My mom and fiancee both think it's anxiety and I feel like my brother sometimes thinks I'm faking. I even feel like people on this board are probably tired of reading my posts.

[Gary A]

Why would any of this be related to pancreatic cancer? Have you spoken to your doctor about any of this? It's all well and good asking your family but I'm afraid nothing will beat what a doctor tells you. Personally I think you've got IBS or something equally benign but I really think you should take this concern to your doctor, for peace of mind, if nothing else.

[Fishmanpa]

Why would any of this be related to pancreatic cancer?

My thoughts too. Pancreatic cancer is a huge leap to make based on the symptoms. I have to disagree about running to the doctor for reassurance purposes. Most here see their doctor more than I do and I have real physical issues! A doctor will more than likely concur this is a gastrointestinal issue exasperated by anxiety. Treat the real illness and you treat the symptoms associated with it.

Positive thoughts

[JustJoe25]

I spoke to a doctor in the ER about my visable veins and she said they were nothing to worry about but didn't take a good look really. Though she didn't seem concerned. I went there to get a sebecus cyst drained that kept reoccurring. I have not made an appointment with a doctor yet. I was convienced I have IBS as well and still kind of am but then I think about why my veins seem so prominent (once again but not bulldging) and why my palms seem red. I know that get palms can be a sign of liver damage, and not sure about veins I know veins in the stomach can be that. I have one tiny vein I can see in my stomach which I've posted here. Once again the few replies said it didn't look concerning but I question then why is it there?

[Gary A]

Prominent veins seem to be a bit of a strange thing to concern yourself with. My suggestion to you is to stop trying to find something to scare yourself over.

[JustJoe25]

I've been trying not to worry about my veins being visable, but because my digestive issues haven't seemed to improve it just makes me more scared that they could be related. I've always had a good appitate and lately I feel like I eat like a young child. Everyone tells me how silly it is to be worried about veins being visable but I question why they would suddenly be visable. I am fair skinned but never noticed them before, and I'm pretty sure I would of noticed them especially in my legs as when I wear shorts it's so noticable to me. While no one has told me they are noticable, I know I would of noticed them considering up until recently I would live on shorts especially when around the house lol.

[Gary A]

I can understand your concern over digestive issues but there is absolutely no reason whatsoever to think that prominent veins are somehow linked. Perhaps your anxiety is giving you decreased hunger. In fact, gastrointestinal symptoms are a very common symptom of anxiety. Two things I would do. Number 1, try to relax more. If you're a constant bag of nerves your stomach will be one of the first things to feel it. Second thing to do is try peppermint supplements and maybe some over the counter antacids. Try this for a week or so and if no improvement then see your doctor.

I honestly wouldn't give the veins thing a second thought, you're a relatively young and fit person so there's absolutely no reason to think anything of it, other than it being a normal body change. Your body is a living, functioning evolving machine, changes like this are not unusual, and while it's sensible to keep an eye on your health, there is such a thing as taking it too far.

[worrywart29]

Your veins can be more prominent from working out perhaps? It really doesn't sound like an issue and even with the accompanied digestive issues I would have never thought of pancreatic cancer.if the red palms post I previously read came from you if I recall you mentioned you wash your hands frequently perhaps That's the reason? I must say when my anxiety is at a high I find myself eating small meals and even feeling like I'm choking while eating it it's the mind That's causing this not a physical problem. When I don't have anxiety I can eat as I always did which tells me it's the anxiety because a real physical issue of not being able to swallow wouldn't clear up on it's own. Try to relax I know it's easier said than done but I seriously doubt you have any thing to worry about

[Yorkshire born]

Hi Joe. I know you have spoken to a doctor about some of your symptoms but have you told your doctor how your symptoms make you feel?

Your anexiety is far in excess of what your symptoms should warrant at present. I know that I made the mistake of not telling my doctor how I was really feeling about my symptoms becasue I was worried they would dismiss me if I told them about my anxieties. This is not the case. All I ended up doing was prolonging, and possibly worsening, my anexiety by delaying getting help.

Getting help for something like anexiety isn't always a smooth ride but you'll never get anywhere unless your honest with your doctor about the fears and distress your symptoms are causing you.

[JustJoe25]

Gary,

I tried the antacids thing a few weeks ago when I was still experiencing stomach pains after dinner and some quick stabbing pain in my chest. They helped some days, others they didn't but that might depend on what I ate. I was diagnosed with GERD a few years back but before this all started I could eat nearly anything without it upsetting my GERD except for dairy and even that I could handle outside of regular milk or heavy creams. Cheese was ususlly fine unless I ate a lot of it. My point is I could eat pizza, have a soda, spicy foods etc and really no issues at all, aside from some bloating after eating which is normal for me since I was diagnosed with GERD. I tried the peppermint tea experiment. It seemed to ease my digestive issues some but at the time I was still getting the sharp chest pain. I wasn't sure if the peppermint was upsetting my GERD or not.

Worrywart,

That's what a lot of people are telling me about the veins but I always assumed those ones bulge? The only ones that bulge are on my forarms and hands. The rest can't be felt. Not sure if this can still be a sign of working out or not but I did have a month off from the gym and right before I returned to the gym is when I noticed them. So that's one of the reasons I wasbt unsure if it was working out related.

Yorkshire born,

At this time I don't have a primary doctor which I know I should but I changed doctors back in June and I didn't like a few things they did. The one nurse had trouble drawing blood and seemed amateur because when I went to the lab they had no issue drawing blood and said I had "good veins". Fast forward to November I went back because I had a cold and it wasn't until then they told me my blood test results. She said my ALT was a little over the normal range but didn't tell me how much. It freightened me and this was the official start of my HA I believe. I went home and googled everything, nervous, couldn't eat, and feeling shaky. Well I found out this can be related to muscular excercise. I remembered the day before I got blood tests done I did leg day and my legs were so sore I could barely walk. They hurt just getting in and out of the car. I was never advised to not excercise before bloods were drawn. This eased my anxiety but then I always thought "but what if". I only drink socially or on holidays which isn't very often at all. When I went to the ER the one night for the sebecus cyst drain my heart rate was a little high (like 135) and I did mention to the doctor I had felt very anxious all week. She said it's likely just anxiety but suggested I follow up with my doctor. Since I've been checking my heart rate at home which has been normal. Same with the gym I did cardio yesterday and my heart rate was within the normal range for excercise. I use to take anxiety Meds from my teen years until I was 21. I got tired of talking to therapists and felt I was being bullied and told to do things I wasn't comfortable with or would make my anxiety worse. I got off them and had been fine for years until just recently.