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MAJOR Hypocondriac at 24 years old!

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Posted 2/22/2007 4:04 PM (GMT 0)
I appear to be a normal, well adjusted, succesful 24 year old.  I have a pretty decent job a nice home and a fabulous partner.  That is all on the outside.  On the inside, I CONSTANTLY fear for my life.  If I feel a slight twitch i am sure it is the sign of a chronic and deadly disease that will rob me of my life.

I am in constant fear that i am going to die, or that my partner will get in a car accident or other random things.

Most recently ( what i like to call my "death of the day") I have been consumed and convinced that i have a brain tomor AND i have a blood clot in my brain...I think was brought on by my partners aunt recently dieing of a brain hemmorage..she woke up one morning had a HORRIBLE headache and it got worse and worse, and ended up telling my partners cousin ( her daughter) to call the amulance...by the time she got to the hospital she was brain dead ...P.S. this was 1 day after Thansgiving

What brought my problem on you ask?

I have now been on antibiotics for 1 month for a sinus infection that woudl JUST NOT go away.  so my doctor prescribed biaxin for the first two runs and now has me on bactrim,which really seems to be working ( no more headaches which I am sure are a stroke, and no more facial pain or jaw pain..which i am sure is a heart attack)..good right....

well these last couple of days i have been feeling a pain in the left upper shoulder, similiar to a pinched nerve feeling.  well last ngiht I noticed the pain was not there, I had NO syptoms of ANYTHING and everythign was going great!  All ofa sudden when i was removing my head band, I touch the base of my slukk on the leftside ( behind my left ear) and it hurt..so ofcourse I kept touching it, and it got worse. I tried to brush it off and actually ended up being able to fall asleep.  Well this mornign I woke up and found the pain DID NOT go away and in fact worsened, and is now more tender.  So i am now sure of one of two thigs....I ahve a pinched nerve, or a blod clot.

This is sick, and I feel so alone.  My family tries to soothe me, and bless my partners heart, she has no clue what to do.  I feel lost.

These past two years i have been to the emergency room 3 times.

1). shortness of breath..which i still get now and then( not near as bad)

2). Chest pain...where an EKG was performed and came back negative..now when i ave chest pain I have to remind myself I already had the EKG and I end up calming down

3). dizziness and disorientation( turned out by glasses prescription needed updating).

More recently ( which was part of the sinus infection) I had tingly feelings on both sides of my head which I was sure was a lack of oxygen getting to my brain...

I am just tired, I am soo tired, PLEASE HELP ME, I just want to be normal.  what can I do..do I need a physciatrist?

Posted 2/22/2007 4:31 PM (GMT 0)
I don't know whether anxiety is causing your symptoms or your symptoms are being made worse by it, but from reading your post I think it's safe to say you are having anxiety to some extent.

Go on over to the Anxiety/Panic forum. There's some great people over there. I'm not saying you have it, but it's a very real disorder. If you do have it, you're not a hypochondriac. Panic can cause a wide variety of very real physical symptoms.
Posted 2/22/2007 4:52 PM (GMT 0)
I definintley suffer from anxiety to some degree. i am very high strung, and do get nervous when I experience ANY symptom..which in turns makes it worse.

Update: I just got off of the phone with my doctor ( he asked that I call him when i was half way through with my meds) so i thought I woudl kill two birds with one stone and i asked him about the pain at the base fo my skull..he said it sound like a muscular skeletal thing,a nd I should apply a warm or cold compress and take an ibuprohin ( did I mention I HATE pills) and often fell like my throat is clogged.....

In any event, I know somethign in my brain is causing all of this, whether it is depression, anxietly, or what...I fell like a loser.....I do nto know any other people my age sufferign from this, and I do nto knwo what to do. I was on lexapro which my insurance did nto cover so my doc switched me to a lower generic. Then I relocated ( for work) and got a new doc ( which he is wonderful) and we have not dicsussed anti-depressants....I really do nto know..
Posted 2/24/2007 2:59 AM (GMT 0)
Well, truth be told, I think you and I have some things in common. I don't really fear for my life or anything, but I can empathize with a lot of what you write about it. The pills thing...I'm with you. I hate pills. I've always had an aversion to them but it's gotten worse as I've gotten older (I'm 30). I think sometimes that's not a bad thing as a lot of people probably over-medicate themselves. It can, however, be a bad thing if you're suffering and a pill can help you get through it.

But, yeah, I know what you're talking about feeling like a "loser", too. I moved to my town for work and have nobody. You, at least, have a partner so that's good. Honestly, I think I could use some sort of mental help to get over the hump. It's clear to me that I have anxiety and depression, but I'm cynical concerning the mental health profession. I need to get over that because it's definitely worth a shot. Maybe it's something that you should consider, too? There's no shame in it or anything. If it helps, who cares what others think? If it doesn't work you can just stop.

When I was 24 I didn't have many of these problems at all, but in retrospect I think that's about the time it all started. For what it's worth, I'm six years older and think I'm way too young to be dealing with all this, too! Anyway, you're definitely not alone. I'm not alone. Nobody is. No matter who you are, somebody somewhere is suffering even more. Well, that's the odds, at least. I think a lot of what we're going through is one of those unintended byproducts of living in a modern society...but now's probably not the time to get into a discussion about anthropology, haha.
Posted 2/26/2007 2:29 PM (GMT 0)
Thanks :)

As horrible as this may sound, i really think just knowing, I am not the only one has helped me. This weekend I had a nice relaxing weekend. I had my moments ( my latest fear is that my throat is closing) And everytime I have to take my horse pill( sinus infection meds) It exaserbates my issues.

Again, just knowing we all have the same fears ( heart attacks, brain tumor, blood clot traveling through our bodies from the slightest tremor, etc..) has helped me come to relaize it MUST be a brain thing. In any event, the next time I see my doc, I am goign to DEFININTLEY see if i need to get back on what my partner and I fondly refer to as" The Happy Pill"...if that does'nt work I will have to sucumb to the eveolution of modern medicine and see a shrink...Noone deserves this, especially the kind people on here ( and myself) But we must turn to faith, and realize that God only gives us challenges that he knows we can handle. Have a healthy day everyone, I am going to try too!
Posted 3/6/2007 11:00 AM (GMT 0)
I can totally relate. Please join us in the anxiety room. There are quite a few of us in the same boat.

God bless.
Posted 3/6/2007 7:45 PM (GMT 0)
This is almost how I feel too - so, don't worry you are not alone. I am in almost consant fear that something terribly is going wrong with me - everything

got trigerred by chest pain 3-4 months ago - doctors could not find anything until one month back - an endoscopy showed inflammed esophagus and hiatal

hernia. I am on Prevacid and things did get better - my sleep was completely screwed and doctor gave me Trazodone 9helps me with sleep) and Clonazepam

(helps with anxiety). Any chest discomfort triggers a wave of worries which I have difficulties to control. Maybe anxiety forum can help - good luck to you. Hope

you feel better.

 

Posted 3/12/2007 5:53 PM (GMT 0)
I wonder if the link between GERD and generalized anxiety disorder (or even panic disorder) has ever been studied?

It seems like a LOT of people have both, myself included. I think the symptoms of GERD can be so weird and vary so much over time that it just gradually freaks a person out. I mean, seriously: heartburn, pain in the chest, dyspepsia, nausea, all experienced together or separately at different times. That's bound to get in anybody's head. Some people only have the heartburn, and that's good, but some of us have all the other symptoms and combinations. It's not always evident it's GERD, either. Plus, the medicines can cause other other side effects that are hard to deal with (funny stools, dyspepsia, etc).

Abos -- I have a question for you regarding your particular symptoms, and how Clonazepam has affected them (if at all).
Posted 3/13/2007 6:59 PM (GMT 0)
At times, I can't beleive that only GERD is making me this miserable and I start thinking that sympoms are associated with other diseases that

doctors/medical tests did not discover. I have no idea whether my symptoms are caused by GERD, medicinies or something else going on.

Clonazepam/Trazodone combination helps me to get to sleep at night; in general, Clonazepam helps me cope better with anxious thoughts when

I get them (i.e. this can't be GERD only!). Not sure if and how the medicines I am taking impact GERD.

(see original post: https://www.healingwell.com/community/default.aspx?f=45&m=716568)

 

Posted 3/13/2007 7:04 PM (GMT 0)

debaser, check this posting for more info on how people feel after taking Clonazepam:

https://www.healingwell.com/community/default.aspx?f=9&m=742070

Posted 3/13/2007 10:05 PM (GMT 0)

Abos said...
debaser, check this posting for more info on how people feel after taking Clonazepam:

https://www.healingwell.com/community/default.aspx?f=9&m=742070

Yep, that post you linked to is actually mine.

I was just wondering if the Clonazepam affect the GERD at all for the better or for the worse.
Posted 3/15/2007 3:18 PM (GMT 0)
I can totally relate... I'm 26 and feel like I'm becoming a hypochondriac too. Over the course of the last 3 months I've had everything from a heart attack to brain tumors to broken ribs. It's nuts. I went to an acute care center in December and she told me I had acute bronchitis and sinusitis. I took some antibiotics but it didn't really help. I still have shortness of breath and scattered chest pains as well as a sinus infection. My throat always feels heavy and my upper chest. I get strange airy or fuzzy feelings below my left breast and near the bottom of my rib cage all the way from my left side to my right. It's the strangest thing.

I went back to the doctor a couple of weeks ago and she told me that my heart and lungs sounded okay, but if things didn't get better she'd do a heart work up. She said it sounded like costochondritis to her and that I also had some sinus problems. I went back to the doc again a couple days ago and she put me on some meds for the sinus infection. She said the sinus infection could be causing some of my chest problems too. I really want to get better soon.

I am soooo afraid of death. I have 4 kids to raise and the thought of leaving them behind tears me apart inside. I think I have a lot of anxiety issues too.

Anyone have any thoughts for me?
Posted 3/16/2007 6:37 PM (GMT 0)

kitty061203 said...


Anyone have any thoughts for me?

Yes.

Sinus infections can be notoriously stubborn, but the shortness of breath and chest pains? I suppose that could be something else but when you say you worry a lot and are afraid of death, that sure sounds like a panic attack to me. You don't have to have all the "classic" symptoms of a panic attack to be having one, although chest pain, health anxiety, and shortness of breath definitely fit. Believe me, I know what this is like.

And you're posting in the GERD forum so I imagine you have that, too. Anxiety will make GERD a lot worse.

Panic and anxiety can cause you to worry yourself sick. It causes REAL physical symptoms and can make a person's life a living hell. Talk this over with your doctor and see what he or she has to say about it. If they think you have that, treating it could make your life a LOT better.

Good luck.
Posted 3/20/2007 2:45 PM (GMT 0)
Hi,

I can sympathise with your condition Sicntired....

I'm 23, until recently I was in a very good state of fitness and very self reliant. I have a well paid, low (arguably too low) stress job, a fantastic relationship and great friends. In theory it should be pretty good being me.

Over christmas I started feeling tired and spaced out for no apparent reason. I started to wonder if it was diabetes and went to my doctor who comissioned some blood tests and did a quick examination. As part of that she looked at the back of my eye for signs of pressure (brain tumour) and hesitated part way through. In reality this was just to adjust the lense, but in my mind she'd found something and needed a closer look. Got myself massively worked up fearing I had a brain tumour (couldn't believe now I'd got everything I wanted it 'was' all about to come crashing down!) That turned out to be nothing. Next up, I became utterly convinced I had MS as my anxiety was producing all sorts of weird sensations, twicthes, tremors etc. After going back to the doctor again I relaxed and gradually those symptoms eased. I was left feeling very tired and had a tickly cough, so I eventually began to obsess about HIV. I'm now having chest pains (this is what brought me onto the GERD forum) and (to be blunt) I'm trying to find something it could be that isn't any sort of heart condition!

Logically I know based on my good phsyical condition and anxiety history that it's almost certainly brought on by the stress in one way or another. This doesn't stop me getting very gloomy and morbid at regular intervals.

The moral is... my current 'heart condition' isn't the first thing I've been dying of this year by a long way. If in doubt, speak to a doctor, but in your mid twenties anxiety (or a relatively harmless complaint aggrevated by it) is still far more likely than any of these horrible diseases.

Post Edited (Chris711) : 3/20/2007 9:24:12 AM (GMT-6)

Posted 3/21/2007 6:21 PM (GMT 0)

debaser said...
I wonder if the link between GERD and generalized anxiety disorder (or even panic disorder) has ever been studied?

It seems like a LOT of people have both, myself included.

Yeah, I definitely think it is a traumatic enough experience that it brings out panic disorder. I had the "mysterious" chest pain for about 3 months before finally starting to crack and have panic attacks, including 2 trips to the ER because my upper left chest was in so much pain that I thought I was having heart attacks. None of the ER doctors even suggested acid reflux. Thank god my GP eventually put me on Prevacid. Even though it causes some discomfort in my stomach it has completely eliminated all the anxiety and panic attacks I was getting. So although I'm not 100% fixed and have to take a pill everyday, it sure beats the 3 months of hell I had to live through before diagnosis.
Posted 3/23/2007 5:30 PM (GMT 0)

Lokk said...

debaser said...
I wonder if the link between GERD and generalized anxiety disorder (or even panic disorder) has ever been studied?

It seems like a LOT of people have both, myself included.

Yeah, I definitely think it is a traumatic enough experience that it brings out panic disorder. I had the "mysterious" chest pain for about 3 months before finally starting to crack and have panic attacks, including 2 trips to the ER because my upper left chest was in so much pain that I thought I was having heart attacks. None of the ER doctors even suggested acid reflux. Thank god my GP eventually put me on Prevacid. Even though it causes some discomfort in my stomach it has completely eliminated all the anxiety and panic attacks I was getting. So although I'm not 100% fixed and have to take a pill everyday, it sure beats the 3 months of hell I had to live through before diagnosis.

A lot has changed for me since I last posted in this thread. Head over to the Anxiety forum here at Healing Well and look through the "medications" thread.
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