Those that suffer from health anxiety, what has helped you?

[eight_gregorys]

I am having the worst time lately with diagnosing myself over the internet with all sorts of uncurable diseases. From HIV, cancer, and now ALS. I thought it was getting better, but the other day I googled something and ALS came up, so now of course I'm obsessed with feelings that I could have this now, too.

 

I have lupus and have had vague neurological symptoms lately. Tingling and pins and needles sensations in my legs, dizziness, fatigue, etc. I've seen the neurologist and his initial examination was good. Now I waiting to have an MRI and EMG done later this month by the neurologist. I had these same tests done two years ago and everything was fine. Why do I become so distraught over these things? It is really making me feel crazy!

 

What has helped you if you suffer from health anxiety? For now I have a script for Xanax which is helping, but what about long term?

 

Thanks!

[datgh]

You sound like me over the last thirty years or so. I sooooo know what you are going through. :grouphug: I saw so many doctors and ERs. It really made my pregnancies not the happy time they should have been. Counciling helped me recognize my thought patterns when I am trying to "kill myself off" with some horrible disease. Now when I realize I am starting to go down this path, I make a conscious decision to get my mind onto other things. I step away from the computer, medical manual, etc. and try to focus elsewhere. I used to have to really work at it but with practice it gets easier. I actually have been dealing with some on going medical issues over the last couple of years and my husband commented on how well I handled it all compared to ten years ago. Maybe now he will believe me when I tell him I think I have a problem. :glare: If you look for a councilor try and find one that specializes in Cognitive Behavior Therapy. It helped me tremendously.

 

I also have experienced the tingling, pins and needles, dizziness and fatigue. Turned out I had so stressed myself out that it was stress causing the symptoms. I so hope that is what is happening to you. Not that it isn't tough to have these symptoms but it is amazing how quickly they disappear when you realize they can't hurt you. Just a warning that the body can find new ways to exhibit symptoms of stress. I have found that if I get my mind off onto something else for a while I will find that the symptoms have gone away but the minute I think about them boom! they are back. That tells me they are caused by stress. Once I recognize them as being caused by stress and not a disease they disappear because I acknowledge they can't hurt me.

 

I hope you can find some relief.

[Legomom]

I have severe health anxiety and have finally concluded that antidepressants (Celexa now) are the only thing that help me on a consistent long-term basis. Cognitive Behavior Therapy has also helped -- it is very important to find a good therapist though. I also take Xanax as needed but you have to be careful about taking it too frequently or for very long at one time. It is addictive but also causes side effects which then exacerabate the anxiety. (trust me, I have experienced this).

 

Regarding your symptoms, is there any chance that it is a side effect of medication that you are taking, even the Xanax? I have a friend with the same type of anxiety who was taking Benadryl to help him sleep and he ended up with weird symptoms which were a result of the long-term use of the Benadryl (they disappeared as soon as he stopped the Benadryl).

 

You absolutely have to stop researching medical stuff on the internet (sorry to be so adamant -- again speaking from experience). I can't even read medical articles in magazines. If you really feel like you need to look something up, I think it is better to have someone such as a spouse do it for you. Hope this helps -- I feel for you!

[*~Tina~*]

I have no answers but appreciate your post and honesty in sharing. I'm a bit OCD and I think that lends to this type of thinking. I read a book a couple years back - Change Your Brain, Change Your Life that had some useful ideas in it. One technique was something about stopping or stomping the ANTS (Automatic Negative Thoughts) or something like that. The right med's can certainly help too if you can find the right doctor who knows which ones fit your needs.

 

I also KNOW as was already mentioned...stress makes things like this worse. I just learned an old friend has throat cancer, another friend had his young sister recently pass away, my Mom is in the hospital and I'm afraid of what they are looking for, plus I just made some changes (albeit positive change - change can be hard) SO when you pull that all together it equals unbelievable stress - can't sleep, anxiety that feels like an elephant sitting on my chest, nightmares, headaches - it can be awful! Thankfully, I don't search the internet for symptoms, but the mind still goes to those scary places like that.

 

I pray you find peace! :grouphug:

[Pamela H in Texas]

I think that not knowing *is* stressful. However, we exasperate the issues and symptoms when we let it consume us. I have spent the last couple years using Mindfulness/meditation as part of my behavioral therapy to help me come to accept what issues I do have as well as not have more issues. It wasn't easy. It still isn't.

 

And trusting your professionals or finding a miracle working doctor helps too. I just didn't trust the professionals because they weren't finding me relief. And I seriously didn't agree that I had 17 different things (not counting the reproductive issues) with me rather than something causing those things. But I did find an awesome doc who gave me a considerable amount of relief with most issues. It only took 18 years and traveling several states over to find him though.

 

Seriously, I think your best deal will be if you can deal with the anxiety behaviorally.

[texasmama]

I live with some unexplained symptoms. After years and a lot of money and invasive testing and only a lot of things ruled out, I finally let go of the need to know "what is wrong with me". I don't think I will ever know. I've lived with symptoms for years now, and they dont' really get any worse. They aren't disabling. I will occasionally go through a time when I must google to try to find those elusive answers, but mostly I have let it go. How? I ran to the end of the process and about four doctors said, "I don't know." I gave myself permission to not know if they didn't.

 

:grouphug:

[Perry]

The only thing that has been useful for me is SSRIs. Exercise helps enormously, but by itself it isn't enough. Counseling, books, and diets were not helpful.

[LibraryLover]

Exercise.

[sarah1615]

I also have health anxiety. I went through a very tough time with it after my last baby. It hit very hard and I was thoroughly convinced that I had multiple sclerosis. I had so many symptoms plus my maternal aunt and grandmother have/had it so I was certain that I did too! I had twitches all over my body, numness, tingling, brain fog, visual disturbances and the list goes on. I would search the internet for hours and hours looking for both things to confirm or dispute the diagnosis. I ended up going for all of the testing through a neurologist and he found absolutely nothing wrong with me. I was still in disbelief thinking that maybe I was that very small percentage of people that don't get diagnosed through the usually testing methods. I tried taking zoloft, but unfortunately it only made my anxiety worse. I know it was at least partially related to my hormones postpartum, but I still go through bouts of it. Now that I'm not in the midst of that scare anymore I can look back and see that it probably was just my anxiety messing with me. I also can take a step back and realize that MS probably wouldn't have been the end of the world anyhow, but I was so sure at that time that I'd be the worst case.

 

I'm currently dealing with some anxiety right now over skin cancer. Sure, it's possible that it really is something, but no matter how much I try to convince myself that I'm most likely fine, the doubt still creeps in and I start thinking irrationally.

 

I don't have any advice. I wish I knew how to stop it from escalating too. Luckily, it has been so much better since my hormones have regulated a bit more. I'll be watching this thread to see how others have dealt with health anxiety in the long-term. I'm sorry you have to deal with this problem too. It's tough! :grouphug: