pb's Health anxiety worries thread

[Fishmanpa]

I have episodes of unexplained pain from my thirties.

Pain is relative and very personal in how severe you feel it is. Typically, if you're at the doctor or hospital, they'll ask how severe your pain is. They have a chart with various smiley to frown faces on a scale from 1-10. They ask, you tell them.

I'd like to think, as a two time heart attack, triple bypass, stents, Stage IVa cancer survivor with gout and neuropathy that I have a pretty good handle on what pain is. I've experienced 10 on a scale of 10 and everything in between. BTW... That 10 out of 10? They gave me a shot and I really don't remember much after that

Anyway... In all honesty, I'd say I live with pain on a scale of 2-4 daily. Not debilitating but a 4 makes it challenging to get comfortable for sure. Usually, 3 ibuprofen do the trick but sometimes I just need to deal with it. Occasionally, I have a rough day or two and I need prescription meds to get comfortable.

What I'm getting at is just how real is the level of pain is vs. what you perceive it to be? How is it truly affecting your daily life? When I have those 5-7+ pain days like with a gout attack, I'm pretty worthless :(

As Antsy said, there are meds that can help both with the pain and the mental issues. I had been on Gabapentin for neuropathy for years. It was losing its effectiveness and my doctor suggested Lyrica which is good for pain as well as anxiety and depression. Ultimately, I decided against it and have since weaned off Gabapentin. At this point, I just deal with the pain. It's just part of the new normal after what I've been through but meds like Lyrica are definitely worth discussing.

Positive thoughts

[Eng76]

This is my first post on this site. I have been reading about a number of people and their various symptoms, aches and pains and so on. A number of years ago I was absolutely convinced I had MS or ALS. I had every test in the book, even went to the Mayo Clinic. There, they told me it was nothing but stress and anxiety. I just couldn't buy the fact that my brain could do this to my body. I had burning and numbness in my hands, feet, and legs. Burning and prickly feelings down my right leg and felt like my right leg was going to go out on me. Other symptoms as well I won't get into. After all the tests were reviewed I went home but was never really convinced about anxiety and stress being the problem. However i did have enough confidence in the doctors at the Mayo Clinic to accept the fact that I didn't have MS or ALS. Years have gone by and i have struggled with a number of issues I thought were life threatening only to find out there was nothing physically wrong with me. I am now 62 and have finally accepted the fact that I have Health Anxiety. I have come here for help and have read some wonderful posts from some very caring people. I thank you all for that. Soooo... I am tired, tired of blaming my physical symptoms on my body when they are in my head. PB I hope you will get there soon. I have wasted time worrying, running to doctors, looking up things on WebMD, and so on. Please consider all the suggestions these veteran members are telling you. I have been way down in the "rabbit hole" and it is hard, very hard to get out. I am so happy to have found this site and the resources available. I think it's time we both got started!! God is good...

[Flapj]

Hey Eng76 - welcome to the forum!

[pulisa]

Welcome Eng76 and what an insightful and wonderful first post! It's never too late to recognise and acknowledge that you have HA and that it can be managed successfully. Yes there will be blips along the way but you learn enough to be able to steer yourself back onto the right track. It takes discipline and determination and initially an avoidance of all things which are unhelpful and counter productive..but you can get to a point where you feel much more in control again and much more liberated. Being shackled to HA's demands is a miserable existence but recovery can only begin when you're ready to acknowledge that you just can't carry on like this if you want and need a better quality of life which is out there waiting for you.

[pb]

My chest spasms are much better today, but I have a pain in my right groin and have gone to appendicitis.
I know I jump from symptom to symptom, I will explain this all to the psychiatrist on Friday.
I know this will not be a miracle cure and I will have to put in the effort and work, but my life is a nightmare and I want more, maybe even deserve a bit more.
My sister is coming today , so I will try not to focus on the pain , as it will probably go , as do all of the other symptoms I have daily.
This morning alone, I have already had leg, arm and now groin pain.

[pb]

Just had an argument with my sister, I said I was worried about appendicitis, because of groin pain, which I have had before.
She said it wasn’t appendicitis and that I was worrying everyone and that I need help.
I know I need help, I said that she didn’t realise how difficult it is for me.
Feel really upset and my groin is hurting..

[pulisa]

My chest spasms are much better today, but I have a pain in my right groin and have gone to appendicitis.
I know I jump from symptom to symptom, I will explain this all to the psychiatrist on Friday.
I know this will not be a miracle cure and I will have to put in the effort and work, but my life is a nightmare and I want more, maybe even deserve a bit more.
My sister is coming today , so I will try not to focus on the pain , as it will probably go , as do all of the other symptoms I have daily.
This morning alone, I have already had leg, arm and now groin pain.

The pain doesn't matter. It's not significant or indicative of deadly disease. It could well be a physical manifestation of your distress and frustration at the life you find yourself leading.

I hope you are able to enjoy your sister's visit and yes, you do deserve a better quality of life. It will be hard work but so worthwhile if you can achieve some degree of liberation from HA. I hope the psychiatrist can advise re potential medication but also refer you to a psychologist who is trained in HA management..if you want this of course? xx

[pb]

The pain doesn't matter. It's not significant or indicative of deadly disease. It could well be a physical manifestation of your distress and frustration at the life you find yourself leading.

I hope you are able to enjoy your sister's visit and yes, you do deserve a better quality of life. It will be hard work but so worthwhile if you can achieve some degree of liberation from HA. I hope the psychiatrist can advise re potential medication but also refer you to a psychologist who is trained in HA management..if you want this of course? xx

I have still got the pain in my right groin, I’ve had it most of the day, I’m sure it will go eventually, I have had it before. Keep thinking I should go to AnE , but I know it’s not the answer.
Really upset about argument with my sister, I tried to say how difficult it is to live with elderly parents, her answer was “ GO OUT THEN “, and then Proceeded to tell me that I need help with my “MENTAL ILLNESS “.
She really wasn’t understanding.
My brother said that my niece was very quiet after I had complained about my arm pain on Wednesday , saying that I thought I was going to have a heart attack, he also said that she adored me. I said that I was really sorry and that I would never do this again, this was a one off, I love my nieces and nephew and would never want to do anything that would cause them distress.
I know that my anxiety and focus on physical symptoms is probably causing the pain.
I had a panic attack this morning and constantly checked my pulse for about 2 hours with a monitor, maybe holding that so tightly has caused the groin pain.
Friends and my aunt have all said I could stay with them, maybe the break would do me good, but I’m sčared of getting corona' they do not know about my HA.
I feel so trapped .

[Eng76]

Welcome Eng76 and what an insightful and wonderful first post! It's never too late to recognise and acknowledge that you have HA and that it can be managed successfully. Yes there will be blips along the way but you learn enough to be able to steer yourself back onto the right track. It takes discipline and determination and initially an avoidance of all things which are unhelpful and counter productive..but you can get to a point where you feel much more in control again and much more liberated. Being shackled to HA's demands is a miserable existence but recovery can only begin when you're ready to acknowledge that you just can't carry on like this if you want and need a better quality of life which is out there waiting for you.

Thank you pulisa, I appreciate that. Nice to meet you. Scott

[BlueIris]

Do you think you have a mental illness, Pb?