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Rib lump and pain? Please help!!

Posted , 3 users are following.

Airisto
Airisto

I have bad health anxiety, and a month ago I really set it off after finding out my friends mom had breast cancer, the entire month I spent stressing about my health and her own. I started to notice a sharp pain in my left ribs that would radiate throughout depending on how stressed out I was. I've calmed down a lot since then but I still have sharp pain in this one section on the middle left of my rib cage. I felt it and I feel two little smooth and round lumps on my ribs. Of course I immediately thought I had cancer. But logically I think it could be a cyst or a knot.... is this possible and should I be concerned? 

I am 19 and due to my anxiety I have been sleeping a lot and eating less, Ive been skipping the gym a lot (but I recently started back up again) and I've had to carry this really heavy project back and forth from school.

Could any of the above have caused my problem? Thanks for the input.

0 likes, 4 replies

4 Replies

  • AlexandriaGizmo
    AlexandriaGizmo Airisto

    Posted

    First of the fear we feel with health anxiety is just that,it's the fear that makes us feel ill and unable to cope, it then becomes a visious circle which is really hard to get out of, stopping it requires help sometimes whether it be from a family member or your GP, we can't always do it alone.

    Talk to your mum or go see your GP, don't think your wasting there time, your not, do I think you have breast cancer, no I don't but health anxiety can make you feel just as ill and once you are on the treadmill it's hard to get off, telling you it's not one thing Will probably leave you open to something else that you see on TV, read on Google or another friend gets.

    Your young and can get this sorted before it takes over your life

  • jean11098
    jean11098 Airisto

    Posted

    Pay attention to what Alexandria wrote.  She's absolutely right and her advice is spot on.  Anxiety will only make anything worse.  Talk to someone - friend, mother, counselor, pastor - someone to help work through this fear.  And by all means get yourself checked out.  Most things are minor, as I am sure this is.  Things are seldom as bad as we think they may be.  So get checked for your peace of mind and just on the off chance that  it is important then you will be able to get treatment right away.  Don't dwell on what's the worst than can happen, focus on the best possible outcome and do all in your power to achieve that.  If you need help to achieve the positive attitude, counseling etc, then make sure you do that.

    Good luck, but I'm pretty sure you're going to be okay. 

    Keep us posted please.

    • Airisto
      Airisto jean11098

      Posted

      Hello, thank you both for your reply, I decided to go to patient first today and I told them I think anxiety caused the pain, the doctor felt the side it hurt and he said he felt nothing even though I clearly felt little lumps/knots. He told me not to worry and it was probably anxiety that caused this. I feel a little better but it still bothers me how he didn’t feel the lumps even though I clearly could, I even marked them with a pen.... 

      Thank you both for you reply I really appretate it. Hope you guys have a great day. 

    • AlexandriaGizmo
      AlexandriaGizmo Airisto

      Posted

      Sometimes our mind is so strong it can create symptoms that are real but not if you see what I mean, they are psychosomatic, no less painful or scary but to the sufferers they are anything but not real, the same as when we are poking around we can feel lumps and bumps, some maybe real some perceived again just as worrying, just remember your doctor does know what he is feeling for and knows if they are benign or not, please try not to fixate on them, believe me life is way too short to spend it looking for illness, trust me I know
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