Lung Cancer Anxiety

[Angler88]

Hi all,

I seem to be suffering terribly with this at the moment. I'm a 29 year old ex-smoker clean for 7 years now and over the last few weeks all I can think about is my lungs and fearing the worst. It started by thinking about my breathing like I was manually controlling it and I felt a small pain on a really deep breath in. Then that was it boom anxiety kicked in. I went to see my GP who is really understanding and really listens to me. She did a full in depth examination listened, tapped etc and checked my oxygen which was 99 so perfect and she said all was fine. I assume if she really had any concern she would have sent me for a x-ray maybe? I have just registered for CBT to try and combat this demon now so hopefully start getting my life back together.

I also had some neck and shoulder pain which I no is from my poor posture but I regrettably consulted Dr Google whichsaid shoulder pain can be a symptom of lung C.

I think what scared me the most is when it says it doesn't show any symptoms until later on.

Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks in advance

Angler88

[snowflake293]

It is horrible worrying about the c-word and I totally understand where you are coming from.

When we are suffering with anxieties around our health, it can sometimes be really hard to 'take in' what the doctor tells us when they tell us we are ok. One of the biggest turning points can be learning to trust your doctor.

You are very young for lung c-word too. Your symptoms sound like anxiety to me. I was experiencing chest pain last night cause I was anxious and also my asthma is bad at the moment.

I think we 'hold' a lot of our tension and anxiety physically in our neck and shoulders and often this can cause tight, painful sensations.

Sounds odd, but have you tried putting something warm on your shoulders like a hot water bottle?

Hope you feel better soon

[Angler88]

Hi Snowflake thanks for the reply.

No I've not tried the hot water bottle but will certainly give it a go. I used to have physiotherapy for my neck and shoulders but I was only allowed 4 sessions and they said I will have to pay for it in future. It's very expensive £50 for half an hour!

Do you have anxiety about your lungs too?

[snowflake293]

Hi Snowflake thanks for the reply.

No I've not tried the hot water bottle but will certainly give it a go. I used to have physiotherapy for my neck and shoulders but I was only allowed 4 sessions and they said I will have to pay for it in future. It's very expensive £50 for half an hour!

Do you have anxiety about your lungs too?

You have my sympathy here, I suffer with horrendous shoulder and neck tension... I have had physio and they recommended some exercises to do daily and they do help, if I bother to do them

My husband bought me a massage pillow that you plug in and it is pretty good for easing the knots!

I do get anxiety around my lungs as three people in my family have had lung c-word and I used to be a smoker I am able to rationalise my fears though, I always think the following when I am worried about lungs:

1. I am only 33 - very young for lung c-word
2. I am not coughing up blood (and even if I was, there are other causes!)
3. Anxiety makes my chest tight and can make me home-in more on physical symptoms.
4. I have seen a dr who says I am ok, so I need trust them.

Hope this helps

[NervUs]

I have been in a lung cancer panic myself! I am 46 and a never smoker but I know I have had (and possibly still do have) exposure to radon.

For the past year, I have had a persistent cough after each and every mild virus. The cough lasts months. I have been to the GP each time, given inhalers or steroids, and that has usually gotten rid of the cough. However, this last time was different!!!! I have had a cough for 3 months, initial meds did nothing, gulp!

I have the same vitals as you, although the NP could hear wheezing in my lungs with stethoscope. I got an xray, which was normal. She ordered spirometry which was normal, then I was referred to a pulmonologist.

THe pulmonologist asked me a ton of questions, listened to my lungs which, by that time, were not wheezy, saw my pulse ox was 98, and determined I have asthma. I am 46 and never had asthma before but, maybe! He upped my Symbicort script, and I am noticing less coughing, but I do still cough. I also think I have silent reflux, as my throat constantly needs clearing. I was also prescribed omezaprole.

OK, that's my lung saga, lol!

It sounds to me like your lung problems started when you started hyperfocusing on breathing, is that correct?

If that is the case, I think you need to take your aches and pains with a grain of salt. I have been there, done that so many times with giving myself pain by hyperfocusing.

You are very young for lung cancer, and your smoking history seems short. That they didn't give you an xray indicates that your lungs appeared normal by physical exam, and they would only xray if there was something off (like in my case, wheezing and one lung seeming quieter, gulp!)

I know it is hard, especially when you're aware that you have risk factors, but try to stay calm. The unfortunate reality of cancer is that it often DOESN'T show symptoms until it is advanced, and that is just the cruel fact that we with HA have to find a way to accept. I am in the same boat as you- trying to figure out a way to handle the uncertainty and trust that doctors are treating me properly. It's a struggle and HA feels like a curse, but we have to work to overcome. CBT sounds like a good idea!

[Angler88]

You have my sympathy here, I suffer with horrendous shoulder and neck tension... I have had physio and they recommended some exercises to do daily and they do help, if I bother to do them

My husband bought me a massage pillow that you plug in and it is pretty good for easing the knots!

I do get anxiety around my lungs as three people in my family have had lung c-word and I used to be a smoker I am able to rationalise my fears though, I always think the following when I am worried about lungs:

1. I am only 33 - very young for lung c-word
2. I am not coughing up blood (and even if I was, there are other causes!)
3. Anxiety makes my chest tight and can make me home-in more on physical symptoms.
4. I have seen a dr who says I am ok, so I need trust them.

Hope this helps

It has helped thank you very much. I am going to try and rationalise my thoughts and I registered for CBT so officially on the waiting list. I will beat this! Thanks again

[snowflake293]

Glad it helped and hope you are feeling better soon, health anxiety is horrible and our minds are powerful things! hope you find a way through all this. Good luck!

[Angler88]

Thank you very much for your reply NervUs.

Yes the latest episode started from taking a deep breath and I felt a small pain in my chest, which is now gone. But from that deep breath I was then doing it more and more to check on the pain and then hyperfocusing on my breathing and prodding myself and feeling my chest all the time. I tried to manage through it myself but this time I struggled so I went to the doctor for support. I'm very lucky to have a great gp who is understanding. I broke down in front of her and she was very supportive, she then said she was going to perform a full exam which involved a visual inspection of my chest and symmetry check. All fine.tapped my chest to ensure all sounds the same which it did. Listened all over my chest and back all clear and checked heart rate and oxygen which was spot on. So an x-ray wasn't even mentioned at all so I should be re assured that all is ok as she's not worried.

I work in a busy and stressful job and work late shifts so I don't have a regular sleep pattern which I don't think helps with anxiety anyway.

Thank you for sharing your lung story with me, how do you cope with your anxieties? Do you have CBT to?

[Fishmanpa]

Congrats for quitting! I think you can take cancer off the table tbh. Check out this chart. Your getting to the point of having as much risk of smoking related illnesses as someone who never smoked

Positive thoughts

[Angler88]

Thank you for posting the link it certainly has helped me rationalise my thoughts. Sometimes I forget im only 29 most people my age thoughts like what I have never even enter peoples minds. But im now in the mindset of if I can quit smoking I can beat health anxiety! Thanks for all of the support and reassuring comments