Health Anxiety

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I get it too twinkle..

I'm manic about taking my blood pressure , am I breathing right, and all the pains in the night !

You have really thrown cold water on my face though ( in a good way) I have been tapering quite fast towards the finish line and need to slow down ..I don't want to reinstate .. and don't want to take a huge rescue dose.. I'm just tired as well. Had a week or so of relatively good sleep and now I'm back to very little ... ho hum...

Of course that fatigue could be a sign of kidney failure as well !! Lol

Glad we've all got each other xxx

[[wa...]]

Blecch - back to chronic painful sore throat.  I had a bit of a reprieve yesterday but it returned with a vengeance.  I had to be out in the cold today for my son, too.  I am so miserable.  I yawn in the rearview mirror to see how red it it is over and over like a tic.  Yep - still red.  I swallow and this wave of hopelessness and depression washes over me.  Really not doing well.  It is never -ending.

 

I can't see the ENT until the 20th and there is probably nothing he can do except refer me to someone.  He is really no help there, either.  But since my sinuses ache, too - and he did the surgery on them in 2014 -- I have to see him anyway.  Back then he put me on Levoquin and I thought I was going to die.  When I later explained to him about Lunesta and quinolones he just shrugged.  So he'll just keep prescribing the stuff and make people more ill I guess.  Clueless

 

So after much fighting -- I got my IVIG scheduled.  I am praying it eventually helps. SO scared this will never go away.  W

[[Ir...]]

My health anxiety really kicked off whenever I started my journey of proper withdrawal symptoms - searched for months and months for answer. I unfortunately fell into a trap of believing it was Lyme disease. I quit my Citalopram Cold turkey August 2015 - then I had some shooting pains in my head, anxiety and stress was high for a few months, then after a night of drinking alcohol I woke up still drunk and then I had a huge panic attack - boom my main symptom started - rocking/swaying/undulating. I've had it ever since (13 months) So I had delayed withdrawal by 5 months, which made my doubt myself so much more.

 

The Lyme disease community made me believe it was Lyme due to the rocking/swaying. Thankfully I discovered antidepressantwithdrawal was a thing and some people had what I had. Still can't shake the doubt though of Lyme or that the simplest of things that I use to take can not kill me (Alcohol, AD's, Coffee)

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Cripes Monkey that must be awful knowing your symptons could be related to Lyme disease. I think those of us with HA can all relate to that. It gets tiring  but I try to console myself at times with the fact that others are experiencing the same thing. I never cease to amaze at the variety of sx that the withdrawal process can exacerbate ... I have heard of other folks with the rocking/swaying in withdrawal . And it doesn't seem to be related to the antidepressants.  For me being in remission from cancer it always brings up the fear that it's the cancer that's active again , so can totally relate to you on that level ... cheers BB

[[Ir...]]

What was it then that caused the rocking and swaying for them?

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I'd like to join, please. 😊 Health anxiety is what made me end up on Ativan and brought me here. It can be awful at times! I feel for all of you!

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I worry about a doctor taking my symptoms, not knowing about benzo withdrawal symptoms, and diagnosing me with diseases that I don't have.  We have to be so careful.

 

Exactly! That's the hard part.

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Last night every dam twinge and pain was potentially terminal !! Its just horrible . Always worse at night .. anyone else find that?

 

I am 100% always worse at night. No fun!

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Welcome Happy2Be! ☺

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@irishmonkey .. autocorrect ! That was meant to say it 'does' seem to be related to the anti depressant withdrawal. I think 'rocking ' is associated with all sorts of disorders to be honest ..  and it's a word that can mean different things to everybody .. I may be mis interpreting what you mean by rocking/ rolling .. either way withdrawal creates all sorts of issues. Sometimes I put in how I'm feeling in the search bar and it is reassuring to read of others with the same sympton .

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So scared this will never go away. 

[[Gr...]]

So scared this will never go away.

 

WB, that is a very common fear and given our circumstances it's easy to feel that way. BUT IT'S NOT THE TRUTH WB. We are healing even though it doesn't feel like it. And this will go away - it's just taking ever so long. But it is happening.

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Thanks gma D --  I had a gamma IV today but my throat is still killing me.  Like an anxious patient I looked in my throat again and still see white streaks in the back.  Maybe I was not on the amox. long enough.  Two opinions said not strep but not so sure. .  And I'm on low dose acyclovir since I have EBV since forever.  I don't know what the hell it is.  My fear is getting the better of me.  I guess I have to drag myself to another doc.  I have no motivation to really eat right anymore.  It doesn't seem to make a difference.  I thought the recent warmer temps would help but no.  Sorry (;  Hope you're doing better.  W

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I'm sorry you're having such a hard time WB. 

[Guest [Fu...]]

I've turned into such a hypochondriac during this process when I NEVER was like that before benzos. No matter how many CT scans or EKG's or blood tests I get the fact that I'm constantly so dizzy and can't remember what happened five seconds ago has me constantly CONVINCED that I'm going to have a heart attack or a stroke or a seizure even though I never have. I panic and none of my coping mechanisms work and I've developed the bad safety seeking behavior pattern of going to the ER a lot. I'm really trying to break it as it is really not a pleasant experience and they can't do anything to help me (and I am certain they are sick of seeing my face) but it's difficult when my mind is racing and I'm just thinking "How on Earth can I fill the hours in the day when none of my distractions work anymore?".

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Does anyone else have an overactive bladder? Especially in the evening / night.. honestly a shame if sleep isn't hard enough without having to go to the loo all night. Doesn't matter if .I cut back on flipuids or not in the evening I can go come and sit back down and I want to go again .. driving me crazy .. it's not an infection , just a dam nusience,,

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I have the bladder thing, too and it's very hard to keep hydrated when fluids seem to go right through you.

 

Apparently the low hydration thing is a problem for me.  I've had migraines since a gamma IV and developed what might be asceptic meningitis from the infusion.  I write about all this stuff since there may be others with my autoimmune stuff and will probably also cross post.  WHen my doc said I may have this and need an opiod for the migraines, I kind of flipped out.  My anxiety is pretty bad now and scared about what to do.  I had been taking imitrex but you can't do too much of that.  The migraines are incapacitating.  I haven't had one in many months.  Scared.  WBB

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So scared this will never go away.

 

It will go away , hang in there buddy. 

[[Ir...]]

Anyone never had much anxiety in relation to health prior to this? I've a huge fear of death and forever being ill now.

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Hiya monkey

Probably 90% of us !! I had mild anxiety around my health , but never this out of control anxiety about death and heart attack or stroke. Particularly death. So relieved when I wake up in the morning!! But to prove to myself how ridiculous this death anxiety is , why don't I think I could  die during the day ? Somehow my overactive brain only thinks  it's going to happen at night ... ( bit like the overactive bladder ! Only goes into overdrive at night !)

It will pass . We just gotta hang on until it does ..

Xx

 

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Anyone never had much anxiety in relation to health prior to this? I've a huge fear of death and forever being ill now.

 

This is normal for withdrawal Irish. We are healing - it's just taking every so long. And with the way we are learning about our bodies and trying to take better care of ourselves, plus getting off the drugs I think we'll have the opportunity to live longer than before. 

[Guest [Fu...]]

I was never worried about my health before benzos and now I CONSTANTLY am afraid I'm going to have a stroke/heart attack/seizure. I have an overwhelming sense of doom all the time and I'm such a hypochondriac. It's terrible.

[[Tr...]]

Hi. Please count me in . I have really bad health anxiety . Whenever I have bad chest pain I would think about heart attack . I got 3 EKgs and one chest X-ray and one ct scan for head they all normal . I will see cardiologist soon . I just can't stop worry about chest pain .

 

Tracy

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I've been suffering from a lot of health anxiety. I'm 4 months out now and I've only been feeling worse, so I've convinced myself something must be wrong. A blood test came back showing my lymphocytes were a little low, and that put my worry into overdrive. My doctor said the blood test was fine and that it happens sometimes.

 

I'm waiting for the results of a gastroscopy this week. It's so difficult to wait. I've been getting loads of reflux and nausea since I hit tolerance, and my doctor suggested I get a gastroscopy to make sure everything is okay. It's been difficult to eat, I've been losing weight. I was terrified about being sedated, and I was too scared to ask the anaesthesiologist to not give me any benzodiazepines. I didn't want to lie and say I was allergic, and I thought he wouldn't believe me if I said I was going through withdrawals after 4 months. Every doctor I've met has been convinced you can't still be suffering after 30 days. Luckily, the dose of midazolam didn't set me back too far. I've had a bit of increased anxiety since then and a return of a symptom that had healed, which was a burning scalp. But I can live with that if I get answers about my reflux. I've been getting some mild abdominal pain since the gastroscopy, but they did take a few biopsies. It concerns me, but I know a doctor can't do much about it unless it gets worse.

 

I've also had a chronic sore throat for months now. My doctor seems to think it might be the reflux. I'm not so sure. My tonsils get so red, I imagine I would feel the acid come up that high if it was the reflux. I sleep with my bed elevated so I don't reflux at night. I saw an ear/nose/throat doctor, and he was completely dismissive of my problem. Over the past week or two, I've been having tinnitus in my left ear, as well as huge pressure in my left sinus under my cheek. It's been giving me headaches and dizziness. I think I might have to see another ENT.

 

It's been a really tough journey getting off benzos. I'm so tired and lethargic. I'm telling myself it's all the worry and stress that I put myself through, but I don't truly believe it. I'm convinced that there's something wrong with me.

[[wa...]]

I've been suffering from a lot of health anxiety. I'm 4 months out now and I've only been feeling worse, so I've convinced myself something must be wrong. A blood test came back showing my lymphocytes were a little low, and that put my worry into overdrive. My doctor said the blood test was fine and that it happens sometimes.

 

I'm waiting for the results of a gastroscopy this week. It's so difficult to wait. I've been getting loads of reflux and nausea since I hit tolerance, and my doctor suggested I get a gastroscopy to make sure everything is okay. It's been difficult to eat, I've been losing weight. I was terrified about being sedated, and I was too scared to ask the anaesthesiologist to not give me any benzodiazepines. I didn't want to lie and say I was allergic, and I thought he wouldn't believe me if I said I was going through withdrawals after 4 months. Every doctor I've met has been convinced you can't still be suffering after 30 days. Luckily, the dose of midazolam didn't set me back too far. I've had a bit of increased anxiety since then and a return of a symptom that had healed, which was a burning scalp. But I can live with that if I get answers about my reflux. I've been getting some mild abdominal pain since the gastroscopy, but they did take a few biopsies. It concerns me, but I know a doctor can't do much about it unless it gets worse.

 

I've also had a chronic sore throat for months now. My doctor seems to think it might be the reflux. I'm not so sure. My tonsils get so red, I imagine I would feel the acid come up that high if it was the reflux. I sleep with my bed elevated so I don't reflux at night. I saw an ear/nose/throat doctor, and he was completely dismissive of my problem. Over the past week or two, I've been having tinnitus in my left ear, as well as huge pressure in my left sinus under my cheek. It's been giving me headaches and dizziness. I think I might have to see another ENT.

 

It's been a really tough journey getting off benzos. I'm so tired and lethargic. I'm telling myself it's all the worry and stress that I put myself through, but I don't truly believe it. I'm convinced that there's something wrong with me.

Yeah - I'm in a similar boat.  I've been complaining of a sore throat all over the place and finally saw my ENT today.  He does the scope down the sinus and down the throat.  A better ENT will do that if you have complaints that they can't see from just looking down your throat.  In my case, since my tonsils were removed when I was five -- this infection is stubbornly hanging out in my "vocal" tonsils and if it doesn't respond to another round of antibiotics they should come out, too.  Yikes.  Well at least it isn't all in my head and not cancerous.  Hah -- surgery.  THAT's something to look forward to.  WBB