Have I got rectal cancer?

[Toby2000]

Over the past few days I’ve been extremely concerned about my memory. I keep forgetting small things like what I was planning to do, for instance if I leave an app on my phone to open another one I’ll be like “Which app was I gonna go on?” and I’ll manage to remember a few minutes later. Or small details about things like random names or general everyday things. Earlier on my alarm went off at 12 am to tell me to take my medication, and then I got up, got distracted on my phone and then an hour later I remembered about the tablet but was wondering if I took it or not, and when I counted them, it seemed I did have it because today’s was gone I think but I literally don’t remember taking it

I remember long term things and I’ve tested my memory by naming every one of the like 100 episodes of TV shows that Im a fan of and I did it successfully, but it’s just short term things like forgetting what I was gonna do next or occasionally a name.

I did read that Sertraline can cause memory problems but what if it gets worse and worse? Or it’s not even the Sertraline and it’s something like early onset dementia? I imagine that’s really rare for my age, I haven’t googled and don’t plan on it, but this keeps happening and I’m getting concerned

[KK77]

I think it's because your mind is being distracted, Toby. Sertraline could be exacerbating short-term memory problems, but if it is, it's temporary and will pass in time.

Have a look at this recent thread too: https://www.nomorepanic.co.uk/showth...04#post1866304

[MyNameIsTerry]

Try never to judge tbings that just appear. See how they go. Let them go.

Whilst antidepresants do things like this so do mental health problems themselves.

Think about it this way, if you are very tired do you forget things or find mental skills suffer? Is it harder to make decisions, analyse data or perferm mathematic calculations. It's just part of being tired.

Imagine someone with a migraine, are they likely to be feeling off and their head not in these things.

Same thing with us, Toby. Bust minds tire out like exercise does to the body

And notice another thing in anxiety...the rare and most unlikely, and scary, of things is blurted out by the subconscious. Try not react to it.

[MrsEd]

I often forget things in the way you describe toby, dont panic

[Toby2000]

Thank you everyone, I'm more chilled out about the memory thing now, I can still remember things long term and everyone forgets small things now and then I guess

The meds are working wonders though... I'm still living with a few different problems and I'm not in a good place generally but I feel as though I can now disregard negative thinking and obsessive thoughts easier and feel more relaxed and get on with things. I'm assuming that's because of the meds anyway

Also my BMs seem to be back to normal.. normally formed, regular, no diarrhoea unless I go out of my way to eat junk and no sense of incomplete evacuation.. at least not while I've been distracted over the past few days. Still thin sometimes but I think that's natural for me because I remember having the same problem 4-5 years ago

One thing I am scared about kind of though is metastatic CRC that's spread to my lungs because I have a sore throat/throaty cough and sometimes when I cough hard I feel like a stitch like pain on the left side of my chest.. not every time but sometimes. The main problem is a sore throat.. I think because me and my sister for some reason wanted to see who could shout/scream the loudest and I screamed/shouted really loud (not sure why we did this..) so I probably damaged my throat or something and also my other sister has a sore throat too so it could be a cold

And the pain isn't even in my chest (discounting the one in my chest when I cough), it's my throat.. like it's a sore throaty cough, not a chesty one so that can't be lung cancer can it? I know logically it isn't but I'm still nervous

I'm also not looking forward to the eventual tests probably in May/June because everything may be going smoothly now in terms of symptoms but you still never know what they may find

[Toby2000]

Now I’ve noticed small, tiny traces of blood in what I’ve coughed up numerous times. It’s like there’s the common yellow green stuff separate from the tiny traces of blood in the saliva

I’ve seen it like 5 times over the past 2-3 days, my throat is obviously sore but it’s getting better and I saw it this morning after not coughing since I woke up, so idk how it can be caused by prolonged coughing

Also I’ve noticed a slight wheeze in the past week even before this started and again, the problem is more around my throat area than around my lungs but I’m not ruling a lung problem out since phlegm obviously comes from the lungs and Ive been seeing green/yellow phlegm

Could this be metastatic CRC?

[BlueIris]

Could this be metastatic CRC?

No.

[Toby2000]

I checked again and there was a larger trace of blood :( I was doing so well before this

[BlueIris]

Do your best to stop checking? I know it's hard, but it's not helping you at all.

[glittery]

Hi Toby,

Afaik blood in cough can come from infections or bronchitis. Unless you are coughing up a lot of blood alone and for a long time, you should not worry at all. You are overthinking.