Hi. Looking back over the years, I have suffered with health anxiety from around 8 years old, my mum used to cry as she was terrified of dying of cancer and my dad thought he was a doctor in his former life so guess as a child I grew up being very aware of every ache and pain ! Sadly they both died of heart attacks in their 40’s and 50’s so this added fuel to the fire !
I’m now in my 50’s and have struggled with health anxiety over the years although I’ve been pretty healthy with no major health concerns. One health worry came and passed until a new ache or pain surfaced and the cycle went on and on.
To keep it as brief as I can I started having tummy troubles in nov 2020 with diahrorea and gas etc so paid for a private stool test which came back with a low presence of blood. I had a colonoscopy and they found I had significant diverticulosis but nothing else and diagnosed IBS.
It’s been a rollercoaster since then trying to work out what foods cause the wind, bloating pain and diahroea.
I’ve got pressure in my upper right rib which I have had since 2020 . I had an ultrasound in June 2021 of abdomen and pelvis and it showed nothing. I have had numerous rounds of blood tests and they are all fine but over the last 3 months the pressure in my upper abdomen is present a lot, most days all day and spreads into my breast, it’s not too painful but more of a nagging, pulling sensation. I had a mammogram 14 months ago and it was fine and I can’t see any changes or feel any lumps in my breast.
I am at my wits end as if I have had a couple of glasses of wine or out with friends I often don’t feel this pressure in my upper rib and breast but bingo the next morning it’s there and I am wondering if my brain is now so tired snd wired onto all of this that I am imagining it all !!
I did see my doctor in sept and she said thst I have had some extensive tests and that it was anxiety and stress causing the symptoms and gave me anti depressants and beta blockers I tried the anti depressants for a few days but felt so sick and didn’t eat for a few days and they made my IBS worse so gave up on them.
I feel like there’s so much pressure in my upper chest that it could explode and thst I have a tight band going around my upper abdomen making me feel awful .
Sorry for the long message, I just don’t know if anxiety can cause such symptoms and feel like I am going mad and can’t control my mind. I’m not losing weight and have a good appetite and am not in great pain just this horrible pressure. My husband had been good but I can’t really talk to him about it now as he says all the tests have come back ok and he can’t handle me being how I am now as I’ve always been so strong and I think he wants to fix me and doesn’t know how too. I’ve also got shoulder pain not constant but stiff and hurts in certain position and am seeing a chiropractor for this, although after 3 visits it’s not a lot better !!!
Every day is a struggle with symptoms now and I’m considering going back to the doctors this week if I can get an appointment to ask for another mammogram or maybe a chest X-ray . The whole getting an appointment and the screening with the receptionist at the doctors puts me off and adds to the whole stress of it all.
Surely it can’t all be in my mind !
Thank you for reading and any feedback would be most welcome x
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