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Posted 9/1/2014 3:06 AM (GMT 0)
Well I am back freaking out again over nothing. I lost about one or two pounds in a few days and I'm convinced I have cancer. I've been walking a lot lately. But I've been eating normally too. I probably haven't been eating as many snacks as I typically do and I've been sweating a lot when I walk outside. All reasons for me to lose a few pounds. But my mind always goes to cancer. I was googling pancreatic cancer as it had unintended weight loss as a symptom. What is wrong with me? Why does my health anxiety kick in at the slightest hint of something irregular occurring? I was going to try and eat a lot today and see if I lost weight tomorrow. That's just crazy. I was actually starting to feel better after having high anxiety for several months. Now I'm coming back around to square one again. I wish I could get out of this mindset. Thanks for listening to me carry on like a fool. But I know that there are many of you who understand how debilitating health anxiety is and understand what I'm going through.
Posted 9/1/2014 5:02 AM (GMT 0)
S.O.

You are not alone! Have you been following this thread?

Be sure and read my last response...it touches on a few things mentioned in your post.:)

https://www.healingwell.com/community/default.aspx?f=9&m=3168134


Use those coping skills that help to lower your overall anxiety!

S.C.

Posted 9/1/2014 7:58 AM (GMT 0)
The other thought is: If you're walking and being more active and not eating snack foods,....maybe the weight loss you're experience is because you're working it off!

Sometimes the answers don't have to be traumatic,....just something along more basic lines! :)












M.
Posted 9/1/2014 3:27 PM (GMT 0)
A non traumatic explanation would be great. I'm trying to not overreact. It's hard!!
Posted 9/1/2014 4:29 PM (GMT 0)
I am right where you are specialone. My problems started a few weeks ago when I thought I might be having a gastritis/ GERD flare up. My stomach was always burning and hungry feeling. I guess I started being more careful about what I eat. Then I felt like hurt my rib and had some other digestive issues and then started losing weight. I also have myself convinced that I have pancreatic cancer- the worst kind of course. My drs office things gallbladder but who knows. I've lost about 5lbs in the last week or so but I honestly don't know if it's dietary changes, stress, or I'm dying. Sleeping is impossible bc I dread getting on the scale in the morning. I am so overwhelmed right now and exhausted. Hopefully your weight loss is just due to being more active. That's certainly a very rational explanation. I wish I had one for mine!
Posted 9/1/2014 7:57 PM (GMT 0)
Hi. Yours could be GB as your doctor suspects. And mine could be nothing horrible. But our health anxiety takes over and all bets are off!!! I know anxiety is making our condition worse. Like you I'm at my wits end with fear and anxiety. How do others seem to handle it so well? Why do we always jump to the worst most fatal conclusion? I'm probably older than you so I'm always sure it's something bad. And I know that's silly. But I can't stop it. I hate feeling like this. But I completely understand where you're coming from. In our eyes pancreatic cancer is the only diagnosis. I want so badly to feel good mentally and physically. I know what you're going through. It's easy to say don't worry. Don't you wish we could ??
Posted 9/1/2014 8:48 PM (GMT 0)
I would love just a few minutes to not worry. I'm 37 and my biggest fear in the world is leaving my kids without a mom. Inthink that's why I always jump to the worst possible conclusion. They are my life and all I can imagine is them growing up and me not being here for them. I don't know how other people cope so well. Sometimes I am ok with stress but this is really killing me. If I wasn't losing weight it might be easier. Everyone knows that weight loss is a big red cancer flag and that's all I can thin about. For me it's a chicken and egg scenario. I don't know what started first.,. The anxiety or weight loss. I wish I hadn't cut out coffee and alcohol etc because now I don't know if that's what triggered the initial weight loss. And now I don't now if it's just because I'm so stressed or if I'm just getting really sick. I also tried to eat a lot yesterday in hope that is gain some weight back like I appeared to last week. I know it sounds crazy and I don't know if you're religious but I just prayed my very hardest a while ago that I could just feel some sort of peace and strangely I feel a bit of a sense of calm. I am not a huge church-goer but I have absolute faith that this is not in my hands - which makes it comforting and terrifying at the same time! All I can do is keep praying and getting through days until I find an answer. I'll pray that you do too.
Posted 9/1/2014 9:50 PM (GMT 0)
I'm praying as well. I know that whatever happens to us good or bad is in God's hands. I pray for the strength to handle what's wrong with me if anything. I'll pray for you too. I'm doing the same thing. I'm eating a lot hoping to not lose weight tomorrow. But I know I worked out today and was working in the yard sweating my butt off. So I could lose weight just due to that. I pray that we will be fine. Try to keep calm and know that we will be ok.
Posted 9/1/2014 10:19 PM (GMT 0)
Thanks! Same here. You could totally lose weight just being outside and sweating. I wouldn't worry too much! I'll keep my eye out to see how you're doing. :)
Posted 9/2/2014 12:55 AM (GMT 0)
I'll keep my eye on you too. We are all in this together. We will be fine. We must believe that.
Posted 9/2/2014 2:07 PM (GMT 0)
omg Im down another 1.5 lbs. Please send prayers my way. I don't know if its anxiety.I really don't know if I believe it can do that to you….its almost lbs I've lost in a week. I have had to force myself to eat this weekend. I pray that's why. I'm sooooooo scared.
Posted 9/2/2014 5:04 PM (GMT 0)
Thoughts and prayers!

Here is another thought...

Have you stopped exercising and doing your regular activities due to anxiety and the weight loss?

If so...you could be changing body composition...losing muscle, which would account for weight loss.

Women lose muscle quickly due to inactivity.

So, while the scale may show changes...this could be a simple matter of losing the weight of heavier muscle fiber...not due to what you are fearing.

How are you doing with your anxiety coping skills?

S.C.
Posted 9/2/2014 5:25 PM (GMT 0)
my coping skills are nonexistent at this point. I literally did nothing but worry and cry all weekend, so I can say that I haven't not exercised (which I'm not the best at doing regularly) or moved much in a week or so. I didn't want to go anywhere or do anything or even eat, but I tried to force myself. I know I really need to work on that but am too fixated. My Dr (yes,an actual Dr.) saw me this morning and truly tried to convince me that nothing is wrong. He did bloodwork and ordered a CT scan but said "WHEN your CT scan comes back normal, you need to figure out what to do about your anxiety" and is worried that I'm going to be still worrying about this. Hopefully not, as he assured me that if both come back clean, I can be 100% sure that I'm ok. So, now I wait. Thanks for all your support. :)
Posted 9/2/2014 5:45 PM (GMT 0)
Why don't you write down everything you are eating?  This will tell you how many calories you are actually taking in.  You may be eating much less than you think you are.  Your doctor doesn't believe you have cancer.  Granted, he could be wrong but most likely he's not.  Try to focus on that.  And again, you can say: "Wouldn't it be horrible and scary if I had pancreatic cancer?  But what is the chance of that actually being the case?"  Sometimes when you look at the statistics of you actually having the disease, it puts things in perspective.  I know that it's easier said than done.  I have the same fears as you - along with the same fear of pancreatic cancer.  But I'm trying to reassure myself that the chance I have it is slim - as it is for you. 
Posted 9/2/2014 5:51 PM (GMT 0)
Im sure you are okay. I've suffered with health anxiety for years now, and no matter what docs say, I figure they've missed something. But here I am, 40 years later and still kicking (but not as high). I'm currently going through the fear of cancer since I am older now and am SURE it MUST be something this time around It never ends.
Posted 9/2/2014 6:10 PM (GMT 0)
I did start keeping track of my food this weekend, and I figure I might be taking in around 1500 cal - I'm sure that's less than I normally do, so who knows. Right now I'm just trying to do as you suggested - remind myself that chances are rare and just try to be patient. I'm so thankful that I got into see my doc this morning tho. At least I feel like I"m actively doing something to try to figure it out, rather than JUST worrying. I hope that you all end up being healthy. It's hard to live every day in fear.
Posted 9/2/2014 6:18 PM (GMT 0)
I always lose weight when I have bouts of anxiety. Five years ago when I was beyond anxious, I dropped 10 pounds in 10 days. It took a long time to gain it back. A couple months ago, during another bout, I dropped 20 pounds in just less than a month. I kept that weight off, eating normal and NOT exercising, for months. I am just finally putting some back on, very slowly. Anxiety burns calories, no joke. You probably won't add weight (and even continue to lose it) until the anxiety is taken care of. It's part of the vicious panic cycle we all know too well:( Good luck on your test results. We are all rooting for you.
Posted 9/2/2014 9:00 PM (GMT 0)
1500 is low. That's typically what you consume when you want to lose weight. So it's no wonder that consuming only 1500 calories is resulting in weight loss. Add that to your anxiety and I think we have your answer. Hang in there. Things will work out.
Posted 9/2/2014 9:16 PM (GMT 0)
It is low and its my best guesstimate. Under normal circumstances it wouldn't be low enough for me to lose weight but with the anxiety added in, I guess its possible. I'm trying to be calm and distract myself with work today. The vicious cycle of anxiety makes me worry about why I've suddenly lost my appetite, as if I don't know the answer to that!!! I'm trying to take comfort in the fact that others have lost weight and they know that it was anxiety. It's interesting that some things you read say that anxiety makes you gain weight and others say you lose. The brain/body connection is an interesting one for sure. Just trying to keep calm, keep praying, and keep plugging away.
Posted 9/2/2014 9:35 PM (GMT 0)
When my anxiety was really peaking (well, one of the times, anyway,.....when I was in my 20-something years), I can definitely recall this connection.

I would be so anxious that time would fly by (or slow down, but life experiences would fly by), and my appetite was very suppressed.

It does create a cycle....the more we don't eat, the less hungry we get,...and then sometimes when we do try to eat, we can even feel nauseous.

Balance, and little steps at a time....

I second the idea of adding nutritional shakes, like Ensure, to your diet if need be....












M.
Posted 9/3/2014 1:14 AM (GMT 0)
Thank God you said that, because now I'm freaking out because I CAN'T eat. My dear hubby suggested we all go to dinner tonight, as its our anniversary and i could barely stand the thought or smell. I choked down my dinner but it was really hard. I keep worrying that I'm losing my appetite because I'm sick. Its crazy, I keep going through these different phases of anxiety. Every day its something new. I just need all this to end. I feel like something is killing me and I don't know if its anxiety or something horrible. I just which I knew the answer. The symptoms overlap so much that I totally see why so many of us freak out. I feel terrible because what if I really am sick and don't have forever to spend with my family? This isn't the way I want to spend it. I almost feel detached and depressed and scared of everything. Its all anxiety right? It has to be. I'm gonna have to get something else to put in my body for fuel or I'm going to starve. The crazy thing is that its all so blurred…when did the weight loss start….when did the loss of appetite start….when did the anxiety start? I can't even sort it out anymore. So sorry to keep posting and going on and on. I just need to get it out sometimes.
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