I’m 67, and I’ve suffered from severe health anxiety for most of my adult life - and that could qualify for a post in its own right - but as I’m also someone who likes to drink alcohol, too, I thought I’d post on here.
I stopped drinking completely at one time, albeit only for a short while, and now drink around 9-10 pints per week, I never drink spirits, and I only very rarely drink wine or anything stronger than beer.
I had a full panel of alcohol related blood tests around 3 years ago, and also had Ultrasound scans and X-rays on my liver and my pancreas. I also had a full panel of similar blood tests and a CT scan 7 years ago, and each and every test came back totally normal though the CT scan showed I had a very slightly fatty liver which I was told could be reversed by a careful diet.
All the above tests were carried out because I had a crippling fear of having cancer, and had seen my father - who wasn’t a drinker - suffer a truly horrible death from secondary cancer of the liver. This, coupled with the fact that I suffered from health anxiety anyway, meant that I was terrified that it was almost certain that the same fate would fall on me.
in the past three years my life has progressed fairly smoothly - for me, and by my standards - but the last week has seen life my health anxiety heightened immensely by the onset of an over body itching for which, as you might imagine, I am attributing to to either cancer of the liver or cancer of the kidneys even though no other symptoms are present in any way,
On the advice of NHS111 I am planning to go to see a pharmacist today to see if they can help, and fully expect that I’ll be back at my GP’s shortly for another frightening round of scans and tests.
I have no other symptoms of either of the two cancers mentioned - or cirrhosis - at all, so might I be right in thinking that it would be unlikely to be any of those if the itching was indeed the only possible symptom I have, or would all the other symptoms fall in suit along the line?
I hope you won’t judge me too harshly, and I can imagine what people might say, but I’d be very grateful if you could help me with any help or reassurance you could offer me at this time.
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Kellan38
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Hi Graham, firstly welcome to the forum and well done for seeking out help and support when you felt you needed it. It’s not an easy thing to do, but when you feel you may be judged for your anxiety it’s even harder.
Secondly, anxiety is such a hard thing to deal with, and often people don’t understand just how crippling it can be unless they’ve lived it. I find that often times of stress (whether we realise we are stressed or not) or worry for others makes it worse too.
NHS 111 have given you good advice, and if you feel the pharmacist hasn’t been able to help, then just go ahead and book a gp appointment. They are there to help, and you are entitled to access that help if and when you need it, just like anyone else. As I’m sure you know, itching could literally be anything or nothing. If you were severely ill I'm sure more would be going on, but that’s just my opinion as I'm not medically trained.
Hopefully this reply has helped a bit, and don’t be afraid to reach out if you have anymore questions! I’ve found that this forum is so so helpful!
I saw a pharmacist this afternoon, and have been given some Benzadryl, which I’m sure you know is an antihistamine that might hopefully address the itching, and calm me down a bit as it’s also been found to be able to reduce anxiety.
I’m a little calmer than I was this morning, but I know I’m far from being ‘sorted’, and I think my torment continues, at least for now.
hi I suffer from extreme health anxiety as well. My liver enzymes started going up after having my first child and having a bout of Hep A now they hover at a few points elevated scans have been normal. Have you been scanned to make sure the fatty liver is going away? I would start there. Diet exercise alcohol can cause fatty liver
‘Anxiety can cause itching’? I’ve heard that said before, and for my own part, the itching seems to largely disappear when I’m not thinking too much about it, and is definitely far more noticeable when I’m stressed or when I’m actively thinking about it. I’ll be Googling for more information on this tonight.
I agree about the 9 pints not helping anxiety. I don't say this in a judgemental way but if you could stop drinking you'd have the benefit of knowing you were protecting your liver whilst also reducing your anxiety.I stopped drinking over 2 years ago and the difference I've felt in my anxiety levels is off the charts. The other great thing is your sleep improves and this coupled with taking away the alcohol really does help to put the things you are anxious about into perspective. I'm not suggesting it is a miracle cure for health anxiety which I do have experience of myself so am not minimising it, but removing some underlying contributors to anxiety can only be a good thing.
Hopefully the antihistamines have helped, if not your GP can advise further and obviously I'm not advising you medically but itching can be caused by so many things not just your liver playing up.
Thank you for your very helpful reply, LemonMeringue15
I’ve reduced my alcohol consumption by so much in the past couple of weeks, that I already have very little desire to go back to even the (arguably) fairly modest levels at which I drank before . Those levels already feel to much for me, so I think there’s a very, very good chance that I’ll be following the advice you’ve given.
One other hopeful sign is that I’ve just realised that I’ve had several bottles of wine in the house for weeks as Christmas presenters, but I’ve never once moved a muscle in their direction. I hope that a little sign that I’m back on the right track…
hi graham I totally understand medical anxiety, please try stopping Dr Google, try typing NHS……… to check out any symptoms, I do think you should talk to your doctor about how your feeling. Good luck and I’m glad that the pharmacist has been able to help, keep posting we are all here and happy to help
Thank you for your very kind reply, Cat-B. Intend to go to the NHS a site more than others, and I do think I’ll have to speak to my GP again as the the slightest little thing can send me off course into worry all over again. The itching tends to large,y disappear when I’m relaxed, but the relaxation is so hard to find sometimes…
Hi, sorry you're suffering with health anxiety. I'd suggest googling your local iapt team for help with this. In the meantime, Google CCI health anxiety for some excellent self help booklets. Stay away from any website, NHS or otherwise about any illness related issues! Good luck.
Hello GrahamI had severe itching for a long time for no apparent reason. I saw a dermatologist who said it was a rash caused by "chemicals and poisons in the air we breathe, the food we eat, what we drink and the clothes we wear." Lot of it about apparently. I was given an injection in the bum, plus moisturiser and antihistamines. Did the trick. Some years later I still take an antihistamine 3 or 4 times a week. Never thought it could possibly be anything else. I was also told to use chemical free soap, forget the name.
Many thanks for this, Norman, and apologies for the delay in getting back to you, but I’ve only just seen your post.
I’ve had mine for over 2 weeks now, and I’m still no nearer getting sorted, so I think I just need to take my courage in both hands and go to see my GP.
As I’ve previously mentioned, I suffer from severe health anxiety, and this has pretty much ‘stopped ‘ my life in its tracks as well as making me very depressed.
I’d love to think mine could turn out to be as benign a condition as yours, but my mind just won’t allow me to believe that.
Hello Graham,It depends on your definition of serious drinker. But probably yes, since my late teens I have been a regular social drinker. Funny I am having almost the same conversation somewhere else on here. Currently almost off it, down to once a week and only a few then. Old age means my system can't deal with it anymore.
Are you the same.?
Get yourself to the doctor, if there is a problem it will take forever to get to a hospital anyway, not much happens quickly.
I have been a moderate drinker, and after various scans 6 years agai and then 3 years ago, nothing bad was found other than a very slightly fatty liver.
My concerns have been raised in the past couple of weeks by the presence of itching around my body, hence, my new concerns.
I called into my GP surgery today and have an appointment next week, so I am hoping to get something clarified either way very soon.
Hi GrahamB8, have you been to the doctors to discuss this itching symptom? Itching can indeed arise as a result of liver ill health and it would be wise to get some bloods done to see if this is an issue in your case.
With an earlier diagnosis of fatty change in your liver - which could be reversed with better diet you should have also been advised not to only lower your alcohol intake but take steps to cut it out all together.
Lowering to only 10 pints of beer a week means you are still drinking in excess of the so called guideline units of only 14 units per week. Depending on the strength of the beer you are consuming then each pint is either calculated as 2 units per pint or even 3 units per pint so in effect 20 units or 30 units for higher strength beers.
Alcohol is alcohol regardless of whether it being wine, spirits, lager or beers. Alcohol as well as being toxic for your liver is toxic to other body systems and is a depressant drug so rather than helping your anxiety it will have been worsening it.
It would be wise to get some medical follow up to see if your liver is indeed playing some role in your current itch issue - the itching can arise at all stages of liver damage - even fatty liver and without alcohol that initial fatty build up you had may have reversed but continuing to pour petrol on the bonfire it may potentially have worsened. No good just fretting about it, best to get to your GP and get some tests done and see what more you can do to work down to zero alcohol in your system (your liver obviously doesn't like it!).
Sorry to be so blunt but you need to do something about the issue rather than just being frightened about it.
I AM very frightened about what might now be wrong, and am so frightened and depressed that I am going to bed every day between 4 and 5pm. I know that’s doesn’t change anything, but at least it carries a feeling of being a safe place to hide, even though it very obviously isn’t.
All that said, I called into my GP surgery today and have an appointment booked to see my GP next Tuesday. It would be nice if I could have got in earlier, but that was apparently the next available appointment date I could have.
I feel ‘dirty’ because of my silly affection for drink, and I’m ashamed at this horrible new dilemma I’ve managed to land myself in.
Thank you again for your advice, and for all your attempts to help.
The last thing I’m trying to do is to gain any sympathy, but I only started to have the itching symptoms after I’d started to try to make some efforts to reduce my drink to way down below 10 pints a week. I realise now it was probably too late, but I had at least tried to sort things out,
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