Health anxiety - I can hardly function

Greetings, all.

I used to "lurk" on this board two yeras ago when I first started having some shortness of breath and throat tightening symptoms.  After my doctors convinced me that it was only stress and anxiety, I was able to pretty much ignore it and get back to not obsessing over my health.

But in the past couple of months, I've had some real set-backs that have made me unbearably anxious again.  It's the same old symptoms, but this time I listened to an ENT who suggested GERD, and when his treatment seemed to be working, I thought "whew - it was never just anxiety at all!"  However, at my followup appointment with him last month, he was unable to answer several questions I had - didn't even seem to know what I was asking about.  Now I'm completely freaked out again, thinking that my throat is going to close up and stop me from breathing.

I should point out that I've had lots of allergy tests (all fine), EKG, EGD, stress test, sleep study, echocardiogram, and they've ALL come back fine.  Tomorrow, I see another ENT to address this issue, and I'm seeing a pulmonologist next week.  I'm terrified that there's something genuinely physical going on, but that I'm not describing it well enough to these doctors for them to be able to diagnose it correctly.  Obviously, anxiety has itself become a big issue again, to the point where I can barely function in my job.

Please help!

percycat

Kitt,

Thanks so much for the welcome.  I found the forum to be very helpful even during my long ago "lurking" days.

I do have a therapist.  Fortunately, one of the outcomes of my earlier bout with anxiety was that I linked up with a cognitive behavioral therapist.  I think I did have some success working with her, but took a hiatus for about two months recently while chasing around to doctors about the resurgence of physical symptoms - and their new diagnoses.

I am back to seeing her once a week, but I feel like we're having to start over, and also that I'm stretching her patience.

percycat

I am confused about the term "health anxiety". Is health anxiety an overexaggerated concern of health with no apparent symptoms or is it something that health symptoms appear but test results come back negative and you can't buy into the results. For instance, when I get my yearly bout with bronchitis I am a basket case thinking surely it will progress to a horrible disease and no one could possibly feel as awful as me. I get several brain zaps to my head each day thinking a stroke is around the corner with each one. I get the feeling of skipped heartbeats and throat flutters and think I am going to have a heart attack or cancer. Obviously, I was under dr care each time I have had bronchitis. It runs its course and is gone. I recently had yet another holtor monitor test on the heart and all checked out fine. Drs do not even address the zaps in my head or the throat flutters. Hmmm, maybe an ENT is next on my visitation list LOL. Anyway, just wondering about this term health anxiety. Anyone in their "right mind" would be concerned and seek medical help if their brain felt like a cattle prod was being applied to it, their heart was turning summersaults, and their throat felt like they swallowed a butterfly DAILY.

I try to blow the symptoms off, but sometimes rather than thinking enough is enough (on testing) I find myself questioning when is it really enough? I don't want the apitaph on my gravestone to read "I told you so".

-Soul

Percy, welcome to HW.  It sounds like you are having a yucko time of it right now.  When things start to interfere with work and life and everyting in between, life starts to, well, yuck!

I'm glad you've come back to post with us...all those tests must have set you on edge (they would with me)...sometimes it's just anxiety (a really powerful force).

I'm sure your therapist doesn't feel like you are starting over, maybe just coming from a new place..I feel like a constant burden to those around me and I haven't yet come up with any good advice for that one...just know that you are not alone, that we really value what you have to say and hope you keep posting (yeah!!)..xxx m

Soul..I get that, I really do..get major things checked with your doc but let.the.rest.go....I'm such a catastrophiser I've had every disease/disorder and I've imagined every death, in the end it just started ruining my life, use you beautiful imagination for something more special xxx

Liz..ahh the cure..that's me lol!!

Welcome, Percy!     (I can say that even though I'm brand new myself, right?)

I'm so glad you had the endoscopy! As I read this thread, I wondered why your original doc never ordered that. I think it's pretty standard and pretty reliable to diagnose GERD and similar problems.

Now you can get some treatment and then reduce the symptoms and then -- I hope! -- the anxiety will diminish too.

Sometimes I think docs just go deaf if (a) they can't figure out what's wrong and can blame it on anxiety, or (b) hear the word "anxiety" and pretty much assume every symptom that comes after that is no more than a manifestation of the anxiety.

Docs are human too, of course, but over the years I have had to become rather good at making a pest of myself until I get answers. And I'm afraid I've learned not to bring up the anxiety unless I have to/need to.

Anxious Soul,

My doctor prescribed Nexium 40 mg once a day (before dinner) and Zantac before bedtime (I'm not sure of the dosage).  From what I've read online, this is fairly standard treatment for LPR (acid reflux in the throat).  However, I've also read that just the Nexium twice a day is the "gold standard."  I don't know where Prilosec fits into the scheme of things.

My doctor didn't indicate that my larynx inflammation was very far along at all, so that may be why she's taking it easy on the Nexium.  At any rate, I think I can deal with waiting a bit to see how well this works for me.

I'm sure my main difficulty will still be the anxiety I feel when my throat feels squeezed or lopsided.  I can put in a plug for cognitive behavioral therapy.  That was helping me some before this latest bout of intense fear over my health kicked back in.  Now that I have some plan of attack for the symptoms that weren't from anxiety, I can concentrate better on all the ones (many more, it seems!) that are.

percycat

Percycat,   Although having a health problem isn't great, at least you now know what the problem is and it can be treated.  As you said, knowing what the problem is will help with the scary feeling of wondering if this is going to kill you.  Now you know that it won't, hopefully you'll feel a little better.  Please keep us up to date on how you are doing.   Take care, Wen