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Thread: In my mind... Chest pain = heart issues.

  1. #1

    Just Noticed a Spot on my Skin that's Years Old

    So... Panic time again... well, not quite.

    You know how sometimes you don't notice things that are right under your nose the whole time? Well, I've had a slightly raised red spot on my hairline for a long time. But since I had this before I became a hypochondriac, it never occurred to me that it was an issue until a couple of days ago when someone pointed it out to me.

    It suddenly clicked and I immediately scoured through my archives of selfies and managed to my horror, it had been there for at least 4 years!

    Yes, I did Google. Yes, my mind went straight to that C-word. But the one saving grace is from what I understand, BCCs are one of the safest and most benign of C-words. Of course, I don't even know if it is that yet. The frustrating thing is that BBCs look like every other skin lesion out there. Sigh... I get so paranoid whenever I notice a new skin mark...

    I have a dermatologist appointment in a month. A month of agonizing waiting. But I keep reminding myself that I've already waited 4 years. Looking at the pictures, it doesn't seem to have changed that much. One month is not going to do much difference.

    I guess my panic this time is not so much the anxiety... It's more to do with my fear of having waited too long to get something checked out, or not having done something when I had the chance to. And anything to do with the skin just makes me even more nervous because it's so observable, you know?

    Thanks for the support in advance. Just writing and posting on this board has helped calm me down...

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Aug 2013
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    24,661

    Re: Just Noticed a Spot on my Skin that's Years Old

    Quote Originally Posted by Dracom View Post
    Just writing and posting on this board has helped calm me down...
    Yes...This is a case where you basically reassured yourself

    Positive thoughts
    __________________
    "Eat. Drink. Enjoy the work you do. Be thankful for the blessings God gives you in this life. Live, love and seek out the things that bring your heart joy. The rest is meaningless... Like chasing the wind." King Solomon

    The best help is the help you give yourself! http://cbt4panic.org/

  3. #3
    Join Date
    Nov 2016
    Posts
    50

    Re: Just Noticed a Spot on my Skin that's Years Old

    Hey, the same thing has just happened to me! I've had a spot on my nose for years which for some reason or another, I just shrugged off and ignored. Now it seems a little bigger and I'm panicking. I have a doctor's appointment tomorrow so I'll see what they say, but I'm worrying like crazy. I wish I'd seen someone about it years ago.

    Did you find out what it was? I hope all is well!

  4. #4

    Brain Aneurysm/Hemorrhage Fears... It never ends...

    I'm only 28 and have had high blood pressure since my teens due to having a very poor diet (yes, I'm obese). I'm taking 10mg of Enalapril every day to keep it in check. Recently, I've been finally trying to do some serious dieting to lose weight (lost 2kg in 2 weeks) but have also been struggling with ectopic heartbeats. I was really anxious when I went to see my cardiologist and my blood pressure reading was 150. So, she increased the dosage of my medication but that seemed to cause the ectopic beats to worsen. Wondering if it was due to the change in dosage causing my blood pressure to become too low, I decided to miss a day of dosage to see if it would subside. Sure enough, the ectopic beats did not appear.

    However, the next day, after drinking a couple of glasses of ice water, I strained to reach for something off a shelf, I felt a tension headache come on suddenly. There was a pressure on my temples and a pressure behind my left eye. This lasted for only about 10-15 minutes before easing off. Needless to say, this scared the crap out of me and I did the unthinkable... I Googled... And of course, I found out that high blood pressure can lead to bleeding in the brain. The thing is, I also found out that migraines can also cause similar symptoms. Could this just be a migraine?

    For one, migraines are characterized by pressure/pain behind an eye, which is what I had. However, from what I understand, they aren't usually so sudden and last much longer than just a couple of minutes. The good news is that it wasn't that painful as I've heard that bleeding in the brain is extremely painful. In addition, I've had migraine auras a couple of times before without the headaches. However, I also read about sentinel bleeds... where a small bleed in the brain can signal a bigger bleed to come. Another piece of good news is that there were no neurological side effects that I could notice. No droopy eyelids, no weakness, numbness, paralysis or abnormalities with my vision or pupillary response.

    So... It's been 4 days after and I'm still feeling sleepy and fatigued, light sensitive and sore in my neck... sometimes, I can feel very slight pressure on my head at various areas when moving my neck. Could this be the migraine hangover? The anxiety I've been experiencing? Or could it still be bleeding? Urgh... I do have an appointment with my cardiologist later this week... Should I request for a CT scan or MRI?

    Before anyone asks... Yes, I know I was stupid to miss a dosage deliberately and should keep constant track of my blood pressure while at home. However, having health anxiety, I freak out when waiting for the numbers to pop up on screen making the readings unreliable.

    Thank you for listening to my story. If anything, typing it out here has made me calm down somewhat... ironically, the anxiety that I have about my brain has completely distracted from the worries I have regarding my heart.
    Last edited by Dracom; 12-08-18 at 11:56.

  5. #5
    Join Date
    Jul 2018
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    129

    Re: Brain Aneurysm/Hemorrhage Fears... It never ends...

    I am certainly not a medical professional, but I can certainly say that if you had bleeding in the brain, you would not be standing there trying to grab something off a shelf, you would probably be on the floor in sheer pain.

    Also, on another note, even sites like WebMD can describe symptoms inaccurately. I've had appendicitis (not even acute appendicitis), and the pain was debilitating (couldn't do much of anything besides lie on the couch trying to distract myself). WebMD? Ha, that's just regular old pain. Not even a single thing to describe pain that could be really bad. Here's a tip: if you suspect it's something like a heart attack or a brain aneurysm, and you're wondering "is this a heart attack or a brain aneurysm," then it's probably isn't.

  6. #6

    Re: Brain Aneurysm/Hemorrhage Fears... It never ends...

    Quote Originally Posted by LunarCoffee View Post
    I am certainly not a medical professional, but I can certainly say that if you had bleeding in the brain, you would not be standing there trying to grab something off a shelf, you would probably be on the floor in sheer pain.

    Also, on another note, even sites like WebMD can describe symptoms inaccurately. I've had appendicitis (not even acute appendicitis), and the pain was debilitating (couldn't do much of anything besides lie on the couch trying to distract myself). WebMD? Ha, that's just regular old pain. Not even a single thing to describe pain that could be really bad. Here's a tip: if you suspect it's something like a heart attack or a brain aneurysm, and you're wondering "is this a heart attack or a brain aneurysm," then it's probably isn't.
    Thank you for the reassurance... I used to be so carefree as a kid and teen. As I grew older, I've become aware of the many possible consequences of my bad habits. Being obease and having high blood pressure being some of my main concerns. I'm afraid that it's taking too long to lose weight and with this sudden headache and heart issues, I've been thinking it's too late and have been cursing myself.

    Hopefully my fatigue and discomfort with mild dizziness and nausea will clear up soon...

  7. #7
    Join Date
    Jul 2018
    Posts
    129

    Re: Brain Aneurysm/Hemorrhage Fears... It never ends...

    Quote Originally Posted by Dracom View Post
    Thank you for the reassurance... I used to be so carefree as a kid and teen. As I grew older, I've become aware of the many possible consequences of my bad habits. Being obease and having high blood pressure being some of my main concerns. I'm afraid that it's taking too long to lose weight and with this sudden headache and heart issues, I've been thinking it's too late and have been cursing myself.

    Hopefully my fatigue and discomfort with mild dizziness and nausea will clear up soon...
    Well, at least you weren't overly anxious. I'm worried about colorectal cancer right now, at the age of 13.

  8. #8

    Re: Brain Aneurysm/Hemorrhage Fears... It never ends...

    Do you get headaches related to the weather? I get terrible ones in the days leading up to s thunderstorm. Or it could be from exercising. Are you drinking enough water?

    Evrrything I've ever heard about bleeds indicates they are excruciating. The worst pain you've ever felt. And if have no asymmetrical pupil dilation or other symptoms then chances are its nothing serious. Of course mention it to your doctor to put your mind at ease if you would like. But I would wager that you're ok.

  9. #9

    Re: Brain Aneurysm/Hemorrhage Fears... It never ends...

    Just an update, it's been 10 days and I'm still feeling light-sensitive, brain fog and tired. I didn't manage to ask my cardiologist about my symptoms because I got too scared... Biggest regret of my life. Going to go to a GP in a couple of days to get this checked out.

  10. #10

    Hypertension Fears... Is it too late?

    I haven't been fat my entire life. However, due to a treatment that I was receiving throughout my middle school and high school life, I began to put on the pounds quick. By high school, I was morbidly obese and suffering from hypertension. At the time, the doctors didn't seem to think much of it and prescribed me Enalapril to help keep it in check. Of course, at that time, I wasn't in-tune with Google and did not fully comprehend the severity of the disease. While I did take my medication religiously, I didn't think much of it and didn't make much effort to shed the weight even after my treatment was over.

    Once I got older and more informed, I began to realize how much damage hypertension could do to my cardiovascular system. It frightened me. BAD. I began making a concerted effort to lose weight and in the past 4 of years, I have shed 20kg.

    Now, my blood pressure is still in the 140s to 160s throughout the day, even after taking my medication. The only time it will drop to the 120s is when I'm sleeping/immediately after taking the medication. However, the doctors don't seem worried at all. Is it because I'm still technically "young" at 28?

    Even though it's still considered "Mild Hypertension", I'm afraid that the medication is not doing enough to keep my blood pressure at bay. I'm worried about the damage that has already been done and the damage that will be done in the future. Every palpitation is a heart attack, every migraine is an aneurysm.

    The worst part is, worrying about my blood pressure will only make it worse. I'm in a vicious spiral, a negative feedback loop, where I get anxious about being anxious. I would appreciate your advice and support. :(

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