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Health Anxiety

Posted , 5 users are following.

libralady13
libralady13

Hello Anyone out there suffer from health anxiety. I know there are people who are otherwise

healthy but due to anxiety think that every symptom is a serious disease. Most seem to be

younger people who most likely have no serious problem just anxiety. Not to make light of their

problems with anxiety which I know are horrible, but I am 66 years of age and suffer from some

health problems and are on medication. I do have general anxiety but anything medical really get

to me. At the moment I am having lots of diagestive issues and can't believe they are just due

to anxiety. I already have IBS, ASTHMA,OSTEOARTHRTIS IN KNEES NECK AND I SUSPECT

SPINE, OSTEOPENIA(FOUND AFTER A WRIST FRACTURE IN 2012) AND EYE PROBLEMS

(2 CATARACTS REMOVED, BLEPHARITIS/DRY EYE,PVD AND MILD GLAUCOMA AND UNDER

ACTIVE THYROID. I have to go to eye clinic tomorrow and am already thinking something else

will be wrong. I already suffer from Blepharitis/dry eye,2 cataracts removed,mild glaucoma and

recent DVD (where gel pulls away from back of eye normal part of ageing). I know tomorrow I will

be very anxious until the appointment is over. Anyone who can empathise and can offer any

help. Sorry to go on and on. Thanks

0 likes, 14 replies

14 Replies

  • bigmag
    bigmag

    Posted

    I'm the same hate anything wrong find it hard to deal with and also go to eye clinic which makes me very nervous. Unbelievable I know but I dread the thought. Try and be positive. You are frightening yourself with negative thoughts. Think beyond appointment time and plan something nice to do or meet with friends honestly the world will not stop. Be kind to yourself it all helps. Good luck (you won't need it)
  • Neil1981
    Neil1981

    Posted

    I can't comment on what I don't know about, but digestive trouble is probably one the most common symptoms of anxiety because all the oxygen is sent to your muscles when you are anxious ready to "fight or flight". Your body (clever as it is) basically shuts all none essential systems down, like the digestive system.

    Hope you feel better after appointment

  • sue86025
    sue86025

    Posted

    I can empathise. These clinics also seem to take so long even when you've got an appointment time!

    Think Big Mac has the right idea. Be positive and plan something nice. Have you got a close friend who'll go with you?

    Good luck. You can do this!

  • libralady13
    libralady13

    Posted

    Thank you Sue You are right about clinics I have been going for years so think I would be used to it, but

    way back I did not have anxiety and other health problems. Then a wait was just a nuisance. My husband

    will take me in the car only a short drive as I don't drive and my arthritis varies from day to day so don't

    chance the bus. Will let you know how it goes.

  • libralady13
    libralady13

    Posted

    Thank you Neil and Bigmag for replying and your king words.
  • libralady13
    libralady13

    Posted

    Hi Everyone, Back from eye hospital nearly 3 hours there in all. Saw another doctor, very nice but I wanted

    to speak to the doctor who did my surgery as I had some questions. Normally I would not ask, but this time

    I did and she went and got him for me and he answered most of my questions and took the stitch out from thesurgery. Learnt that my belpharitis is bad, oil glands blocked and lot of debri which I can't see, only visible

    under the slit lamp they use. Needless to say eye is very sore and gritty this evening. I will have to try better with my cleaning routine and have been given some advice. I feel a bit happier this evening. I have to go

    back in 6 weeks for field tests and see how they are going to treat glaucoma.

  • whywhy28
    whywhy28

    Posted

    Hi

    I have always suffered with HA from been young & as I have got older & now do have health problems it seems to make the HA escalate as I always imagine the worse !

    I suffer with IBS & have been told it is due to my anxiety as we tend not to digest our food as well as we are so anxious all the time , also some foods make it worse like spicy food or greasy so I avoid them

    I am pleased after your hospital appointment you felt a bit better

    Hope you have had a good day

    Take Care

    xxx

  • sue86025
    sue86025

    Posted

    Hi Libralady!

    Glad to hear you were able to get advice from the doctor who did the op. I'm sure it will clear up.

    Good luck!

  • Phoebe604
    Phoebe604

    Posted

    Hi I have had health anxiety for over 40 years and am very rarely free from it
  • libralady13
    libralady13

    Posted

    Hi I had my anxiety pretty well undercontrol having had cbt on a one to one basis.

    I was doing ok until September when my husband was admitted to A and E twice in a fortnight with breathing problems.  He is due to go back to hospital clinic next month which will confirm that he is probably suffering from COPD  He is on 3 types of inhalers and  coughs a lot.  Two weeks after that my 42 year old son had a minor stroke due to stress over work and not looking after his diabetes.  Thankfully he is recovering well and has just started back at work full time.  One of my daughters is pregant and ahving work problems.  As you can imagine all this has sent my anxiety soaring especially as a big part of my anxiety is health related.  In a addition to my many health conditions I am now finding is hard to sleep some nights better than others.  Last night I hardly slept.

    I find when I am laying there wide awake I sometimes have vision problems.  I have belpharitis,glaucoma and have had 2 cataracts removed so always focus a bit on my eyes.  I am sure this is all down to stress.  Dpes anyone else suffer this way.

    I am trying to deal with everything but all this plus Christmas coming fear that my husband will get ill again means I can't relax.  I always feel both physically and emotionally ill first thing in the morning.  I ache from head to foot although I do 

    have widespread arthritis.  I feel very anxious slightly sick and find it overwhelming thinking about what I have to do that particular day.  My ibs is playing up as well.

    I don't want to take pills and in fact my gp does not like giving them.  I am enough medication already,  Really just wanted to get it off my chest.   

    • libralady13
      libralady13

      Posted

      Hi, if you have read my post before this one then you will know that I was doing well with anxiety until Sept this is due to family illnesses.  I am still suffering anxiety.  Ibs playing, up lots of aches and pains. Never know whether they are caused by anxiety or by my arthritis Thyroid etc.  I take a lot of medication.  My latest thing is my ear now as I have rhinitis and asthma I do sometimes get itchy ears.  The last couple of days the left ear seems like there is a odd buzzing only last minutes and is not there all the time.  I do have neck arthritis which does affect the head and jaw as well.  Anyone get this sort of thing with anxiety.

      We are going way to my daughters for Christmas and as much as I looking forward to it I am also anxious about it.  Mainly because as I have often in pain I will find it all too much also having to sleep on sofa beds for over a week.  Plus we are having a big family party and I am afraid I will not last the evening usually by around 9.30 I am up on the sofa because my joints  are painful.  I know this sounds stupid but I know that the nearer to get to going the worse I will feel.  It's the what if thing.  I am very close to my daughter and son in law and lovely   grandchildren, also my daughter inlaws big family are all great.  There is also the worry that my husband with his copd will be ill and if I get a cold I  am normally ill for around a month.  I just don't want to be a nusiance and I want to enjoy Christmas.  Apart from general and health anxiety a lot of my worries and anxieties come from things which cannot be changed and I find this very hard.  Can anyone relate to this.

  • Phoebe604
    Phoebe604 libralady13

    Posted

    I can relate I have had HA for about 40 years and when I think everything is ok it all goes wrong.  I have tried all sorts of things to control it but nothing helps.

     

    • libralady13
      libralady13 Phoebe604

      Posted

      Hello Mary I am sorry to hear you have suffered for so long.  I can relate to what you say about when you think everything is ok it all goes wrong.  It is almost like you can't be positive because something alway happens.

      I just wish I could wake up in the morning feeling positive about the day ahead, and more importantly that I could feel well like I used to but I can't change my health problems.  I should be happy new grandchild next year, 4 lovely other grandchildren, 3 children all happily married

      and my husband will be 70 next year.  I find it so hard to accept getting older.  My husband does not really understand as he takes life as it comes even thought he has health problems as well.  I tend to always think about the future whilst he does not.

  • Phoebe604
    Phoebe604 libralady13

    Posted

    Unfortunately I am the same.  It doesn't take much to start me off.  People say "take life as it comes" and I wish I could.  I always seem to be dying of something.  I have a good GP bu even she must get fed up of me.
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