cant sleep because of rabies worries, PLEASE REPLY

[LavenderRain]

You really think in this day and age, with malpractice and lawsuits that drs would risk their careers and livelihood on.... you ?

If there was ANY chance you had rabies, you'd be getting the shots already.

Yeah, you're probably right. I'm just jittery because the nurse I talked to on the phone before going to the hospital told me that I should go to the hospital immediately and that there is no way I would have noticed a bat bit me because their teeth are so small. He also said I wouldn't be able to find a bat bite on my skin because it would be too small and basically told me I'd die if I didn't get the shots. I told the doctors at the hospital and they said he just probably had to say that because of liability reasons and that I definitely would have noticed if it bit me. But I don't know what to think and I can't stop freaking out.

[LavenderRain]

Now I've found two little pinprick bitemark looking things on my left leg. I don't think they were even there yesterday but they hurt and whatever caused it definitely broke skin, as there is blood in them. Now I'm worried that this bite has been there since the night of the bat incident and is becoming infected and slowly spreading rabies through my body or that I was bitten by a different animal entirely and got rabies from whatever that was. What if there is a bat in my house somewhere that I haven't noticed and it bit me in my sleep last night?? I need help.

---------- Post added at 02:56 ---------- Previous post was at 00:16 ----------

I now have a very itchy throat and a cough and it could be because my fiances sister who is staying with us right now is getting over a cold but I am thinking the worst

[paranoid-viking]

I mean, logically if I really do not have rabies and then I get the vaccine I am actually more likely to contract it from the shot, right?

WHAT? Getting rabies from a rabies vacine? Where in the world did you get that from? Or to put it another way: what on earth have you been reading online now?

---------- Post added at 14:42 ---------- Previous post was at 14:40 ----------

The hospital I went to won't give me the shots because the thing that I showed them didn't look like a bat bite to them, and they said "believe us, you don't want rabies shots if you don't really need them".

Perhaps you should try travelling to another state and lie up a story about a raccoon bite or something. Dont say anything about your health anxiety.

---------- Post added at 14:46 ---------- Previous post was at 14:42 ----------

What if there is a bat in my house somewhere that I haven't noticed and it bit me in my sleep last night?? I need help.

---------- Post added at 02:56 ---------- Previous post was at 00:16 ----------

I now have a very itchy throat and a cough and it could be because my fiances sister who is staying with us right now is getting over a cold but I am thinking the worst

Sorry, my friend, but NOW you fantasy is running crazy and you are acting completely irrational. What you really need now is pshyciatric help; and I mean it; take this from someone who also suffers from health anxiety;go and seek help from a profesiona;perhaps in this case hypnotic therapy could be needed. You.Do.Not.Have.Rabies.Period. You are now at an extreme high level of health anxiety. But at this stage you need help. Not for your imaginary "rabies"; but for you health hysteria.

You swallowing problem or your percieved swallowing problem is a symptom of panic attack. Same with the notion that you feel you have more fluid in your mouth than normal. You dont; believe me; I felt the same when I had my rabies scare. And another question; is your jaw shaking?

[LavenderRain]

I don't think I have noticed my jaw shaking.. Why? My throat is very itchy and sore now and I have been coughing a lot. I feel very sick and out of breath. I am extremely nauseous and I have no appetite. Thinking of eating is making my stomach turn. I will literally eat anything and I rarely ever have no appetite. I also have this unquenchable thirst that will not go away and all of these are rabies symptoms.. Also still having a lot of trouble swallowing

---------- Post added at 21:24 ---------- Previous post was at 19:09 ----------

My eyes are super bloodshot now as well, in strange bloodshot lines touching my irises and almost going into my pupils. I can't keep any food down and I feel like I'm going to pass out.

[Fishmanpa]

LRain.... with respect.... You don't have rabies. In my previous post on your thread, I stated that the symptoms you feel are most certainly real but they are symptoms and manifestations of anxiety, not rabies.

The scenario you originally presented was not only unrealistic, it was impossible! It's like a post I recall about "bat spit" dropping out of a tree and getting on someone. The reality was it had been raining and a drop of water fell off a leaf! Your scenario makes that one more plausible!

As has been stated, professional help and intervention from a mental health professional would be prudent.

Positive thoughts

[MyNameIsTerry]

But it doesn't have to be treatment by someone who had had HA at all, just someone suitably trained to help with it.

And let's be really clear here - no one should be telling others to purposely waste the time of medical professionals by lying to them. With a case like this they will quite easily prove the story a lie anyway.

Try and use some relaxation techniques to reduce your current anxiety levels. Therapy takes time so other than meds, and we are talking Benzodiazapenes for fast action, you will be dealing with this fear for the moment. Such OCD style fears are well known to be greatly increased in intensity due to overall higher levels of anxiety.

So, what can you do to try to relax yourself a bit? You may not relax but it is important to try to get your body to calm down so it is more likely to remain that way.

[paranoid-viking]

I don't think I have noticed my jaw shaking.. Why?

Just curious because that is common with panick attacks. At least with me that is. So dont panick even more than you already do if your jaw start shaking; it is your anxiety talking when that happens.

---------- Post added at 18:44 ---------- Previous post was at 18:42 ----------

But it doesn't have to be treatment by someone who had had HA at all, just someone suitably trained to help with it.

Sorry, that was a spelling error. What I meant was; take this from another one with HA: you need special treatment. Not from me of course.

---------- Post added at 18:50 ---------- Previous post was at 18:44 ----------

And let's be really clear here - no one should be telling others to purposely waste the time of medical professionals by lying to them. With a case like this they will quite easily prove the story a lie anyway.

.

You are right. But I was thinking that it might called the OP down; then again, maybe not.
But - there is a difference to what you may recieve at private than at public health services; note I know of course that the distinction between public and private health services are different in the US than in Europe where this distinction is clear.
Anyway - public health stations/clinics will not waste time on pople with HA for unrealistic fears, but the same does not apply to private clinics where money always plays a leading role. While a doc in public sector would say "no, you can`t have the vacine and you dont have rabies" one at a private clinic would say something like "I really do not believe you have rabies; the chanches are extremely low; but if you really can not stop worrying we CAN provide you the vaccine"(for money of course). This is my impressions from experiences with private clinics at least. Of course; it will cost a lot of money, but for some it might be worth it; I dont know.

[LavenderRain]

I tried to get the doctors to give me the tests to check for rabies at least, but they would rather focus on my anxiety instead. I have an appointment on the 3rd to talk about my health anxiety with some mental health doctors but I sincerely don't think I will be alive by then. My symptoms have gotten even worse. I have a huge swollen enlarged tastebud on the back of my tongue and its giving me a dry sore throat that is making it difficult for me to swallow and of course I think its because of rabies.. My eyes are extremely bloodshot and the skin around them is red and inflamed looking too. I don't want to die.

[Mercime]

You're not going to die. You don't have rabies, as already pointed out, you would be in hospital extremely ill by now, and certainly not worrying about the possibility of having it. You do have health anxiety, all thee symptoms you mention - which you must be checking - have everything to do with being in a highly anxious state, and nothing to do with what you fear. You will be around for your appt, please go and get yourself the help you need x

[paranoid-viking]

I tried to get the doctors to give me the tests to check for rabies at least, but they would rather focus on my anxiety instead. I have an appointment on the 3rd to talk about my health anxiety with some mental health doctors but I sincerely don't think I will be alive by then. My symptoms have gotten even worse. I have a huge swollen enlarged tastebud on the back of my tongue and its giving me a dry sore throat that is making it difficult for me to swallow and of course I think its because of rabies.. My eyes are extremely bloodshot and the skin around them is red and inflamed looking too. I don't want to die.

I allready told you; there is no such thing as a "rabies test". Rabies is only detected at the last stage of the disease when the patient is allready dying.

And I sincerely believe you will be alive to Monday. Now you have allready been ill; as you claim for about 8 days; it was on the 22nd you wrote this first right? If you had developed rabie at that time you would have already been dead by now OR you would have been lying in the hospital constantly foaming at the mouth; being kept alive by a machine not to choke yourself and with constant convulsions. You would most certainly not be sitting in front of your computer writing that you are worrying you might die from rabies.

As for your symptoms: HA certainly creates pain in the body. But I read in newspaper that this last months have seen quite many innciidences of a hard flu like virus ilness affecting the repiratory organs. I know quite a few whose been ill for weeks this summer. It is not dangerous; dont worry; but quite annonying and unpleasant. The docs are encouraging people to take influenza vacine. Well, this was over in Norway. I have no idea if it is a similar outbreak of this flu virus in the United States or whatever region of the US you live in; perhaps it is everywhere; but it sounds like you could have been infected with some sort of flu virus. But flu viruses will not kill you; but if that is the case you should relax as musch as possible. And stop worrying abut rabies which you do not have.
I am not sure; but I think it is possible to test yourself to see if you have a flu virus. If you have; will you stop worrying about rabies then or will you go on for month and years with it?
Anyway; I think you should go see your doc about the symptoms you got now. But dont talk to them about rabies. That should be reserved for the psychologist. Dont mean to be rude; sorry if taken that way; I do care for you; I had the same fear myself but you need to understand that you do not have rabies.