Pancreatic cancer

[Jclay12]

I have been having a sharp pain that feels really deep between my shoulder blades for a few months, I assumed a pulled something but it won’t go away. Then, In the past few weeks, I’ve gotten horrible indigestion, lower and upper stomach pain, pressure in lower abdomen and nausea. I’ve lost a bunch of weight but I also have dysphagia, so it could be that. I happen to be be scrolling through my insta feed and saw a women younger than me (she is in her early 20s) with stage four pancreatic cancer and she had my same symptoms. She is terminal. Now, I’m worried that I’ve let these symptoms go on for too long.

[NoraB]

The thing to do is to get these symptoms checked out by your doctor instead of allowing your mind to diagnose you with a disease that you probably don't have.. There are much more likely conditions which create symptoms like this aside the one which you fear but you won't know unless you get yourself checked out, right?

Why haven't you seen a doctor?

[Jclay12]

Because, as someone with health anxiety, I try not to rush in at every moment so that my doctors won’t begin to brush me off. I was sure it was no big deal until I saw that video and realized it may be more serious than I thought. I am, obviously, going to make an appointment with a family doctor but wait times around here can take a bit. I was hoping someone may have had similar issues and was just anxiety!

[NoraB]

Because, as someone with health anxiety, I try not to rush in at every moment so that my doctors won’t begin to brush me off. I was sure it was no big deal until I saw that video and realized it may be more serious than I thought. I am, obviously, going to make an appointment with a family doctor but wait times around here can take a bit. I was hoping someone may have had similar issues and was just anxiety!

I had a breakdown due to health anxiety and I was controlled by the condition for over forty years. I hear you..

These days, I generally give myself a two week period with 'new' symptoms (depending on severity, obvs) More often than not, they bugger off within that time-frame or it turns out to be fibromyalgia throwing me another curve ball.

Any pain or discomfort that is new for you and lasts longer than a few weeks warrants a trip to the doctors. This is common sense. Anxiety can (and does) create hundreds of symptoms which mimic diseases but when something is new, painful, and is interfering with your life as your symptoms surely must be - it's necessary to get checked out before we can put things down to anxiety. I had symptoms similar to yours and it was acid reflux (extremely common with anxious people) and of course my HA gremlin had other thoughts rather than thinking' a common complaint that could be sorted with some dietary advice and some medication'..

While you're waiting to see your doctor, try and avoid Googling your symptoms. It's prime HA fodder and will send you hurtling down that rabbit hole in no time at all..

[kyllikki]

JClay, what happened after your neuro swallowing eval? Did anyone talk to you about how esophageal dysfunction can cause all sorts of digestive issues, since digestion begins *in the mouth* with chewing + saliva, bolus formation, and swallowing?

(....I also assume you don't have bulbar ALS after all? )

All the best -- I have had *exactly the same* symptoms as you, on and off, from age 20 onwards. Including the mild dysphagia (discoordination of the esophageal phase). It comes and goes. When it's visiting, it stays for MONTHS. When it goes, I am absolutely fine for months, if not years. And I'm still here!