Health anxiety

[kayla1986]

Hi it's been a while since I've been on here but I'm looking for some advice and people have been so nice on here before. I've always had a bit of anxiety and can usually deal with it but this week it has gone off the scale, I've had a niggley pain in my right ribs since Christmas, had my gallbladder removed 4 years ago so I knowits not that. It doesn't really hurt just aches and feels a bit crampy sometimes. It had been worrying me for a while and last weekend I spent ages googling and convinced myself it was my liver. I went to the hospital and saw a nurse because I felt so awful he seemed to think this pain is muscular and it was my anxiety making me feel so ill. On Monday I went to the Drs who gave me antidepressants because I'm feeling so down and again she said it's probably muscular take paracetamol and see how I am in a month. I'm so down and can't eat because of how worried I am I'm hungry and just can't swallow any food or even fancy it. Has anyone had this before? I would have thought of it was a pulled muscle it would hurt to move but it just randomly hurts and sometimes feels like a lump under my ribs which if I change how I sit it goes but I wonder how much of this is down to my anxiety as it doesn't hurt enough to take paracetamol and goes away with a hot water bottle

 

[misspriss]

I suffer from anxiety I feel bad for you. Anxiety can cause muscle tension and then your brain takes off from it, I agree that could be it. You may want to consider ibuprofen rather than paracetamol as it is an anti-inflammatory, which could help with muscle pain more than paracetamol. I find paracetamol ineffective for most muscle pains.

You may also want to see a mental health professional if you have not already, although antidepressants can be used to treat anxiety they are not always the most effective choice. Even if they are they do take time to work, so you may not see relief for a few weeks. I have anxiety and have been given SSRI and SNRI antidepressants and neither have worked well for me. I was not depressed, I was anxious.

Anyway I won't say "try and relax" because It annoys the CRAP out of me when people tell me that when I'm anxious. It's like, if I COULD relax, don't you think I would have? Do you think I relish feeling like this?!....anyway, what I will say is try and find something that distracts you. I find that some things can distract me and keep the anxiety at bay, playing some small game on my phone or playing DH's video games. Something to keep you busy until your medicine kicks in or just gets you past this rough patch.

 

[kayla1986]

Thank you so much for replying. I've started taking my tablets 3 days ago and it says not to take ibuprofen if you have liver problems so I'm worried to take them Incase that's what this pain is, I feel like I can't win I've got another appointment on Tuesday so I will ask about that then. I agree with trying to keep busy I took last week off work as I was feeling so low and being at home on my own all day was not a good idea I spent hours on Google then what I read made me feel worse

 

[misspriss]

Iburprofen is considered much safer for the liver than paracematol. Paracematol is hard on the liver:

Ibuprofen and other NSAIDS rarely affect the liver. Unlike acetaminophen (paracematol) most NSAIDs are absorbed completely and have negligible first-pass hepatic (liver) metabolism. In other words, the way NSAIDS are metabolized makes liver toxicity (hepatotoxicity) very rare. Estimates are that 1 in 100,000 NSAID prescriptions result in acute liver injury. Generally NSAIDs are very liver-safe.

 

[kayla1986]

Iburprofen is considered much safer for the liver than paracematol. Paracematol is hard on the liver:

Ibuprofen and other NSAIDS rarely affect the liver. Unlike acetaminophen (paracematol) most NSAIDs are absorbed completely and have negligible first-pass hepatic (liver) metabolism. In other words, the way NSAIDS are metabolized makes liver toxicity (hepatotoxicity) very rare. Estimates are that 1 in 100,000 NSAID prescriptions result in acute liver injury. Generally NSAIDs are very liver-safe.

Thank you again that means that if the dr thought there was anything wrong with my liver they wouldn't tell me to take paracetamol makes me feel much better

 

[misspriss]

Anything I can do to help, I know how it feels.

 

[adrie]

I have had issues with health anxiety, on and off, since I was 10 or 11 years old. My anxiety actually manifests physical symptoms related to whatever it is I am convinced I am afflicted with, it's just so, so nuts.

I am going to make another appointment with the doctor before the end of this month to address this, because, like I said to my mom 'it's always going to resurface and be something else.'

 

[kayla1986]

I have had issues with health anxiety, on and off, since I was 10 or 11 years old. My anxiety actually manifests physical symptoms related to whatever it is I am convinced I am afflicted with, it's just so, so nuts.

I am going to make another appointment with the doctor before the end of this month to address this, because, like I said to my mom 'it's always going to resurface and be something else.'

It's so horrible that's how mine is I'm laying here now at 5.30am thinking "has my side hurt? Is that why I'm awake?" I've got to the point that I'm not sure if it's real or all in my mind. I hope your dr can help

 

[adrie]

I have had issues with health anxiety, on and off, since I was 10 or 11 years old. My anxiety actually manifests physical symptoms related to whatever it is I am convinced I am afflicted with, it's just so, so nuts.

I am going to make another appointment with the doctor before the end of this month to address this, because, like I said to my mom 'it's always going to resurface and be something else.'

It's so horrible that's how mine is I'm laying here now at 5.30am thinking "has my side hurt? Is that why I'm awake?" I've got to the point that I'm not sure if it's real or all in my mind. I hope your dr can help

I've heard that CBT can really help with health anxiety. I've got a book that I purchased forever ago and I think I'm going to dig it out of my book bin and give it a real shot this time. CBT helps to put things into a more rational perspective, and to re-frame the thoughts in our minds to other potential outcomes rather than the utmost horrible.

I know what you mean! I wake up at least 1-2x per night, usually to use the restroom, and immediately, I assess for any symptoms! I've had reflux symptoms that have never occurred since pregnancy, but suffice it to say that I was treating my body like a literal trash bin (eating wise). But I've also had a mild ache in my neck, which I had convinced myself was cancer. It's just too much. I've seen two doctors and am following up with my GP; I'm not going to see 30 others. You know?

 

[kayla1986]

I'm struggling so bad today I'm convinced my side pain is worse and when I go to the Drs later today she will tell me I'm right and will send me off for tests to confirm I have liver cancer and will die. I had to come home from work early yesterday as I felt awful I've been given a phone number to set up cbt but im thinking what's the point? If it's my liver talking to a therapist isn't gonna help