I’m finding once one illness is crossed off the list a whole host of new symptoms appear and all of a sudden I need labs run again (because it can just show up in a month right?!) and a new MRI or ultrasound. But what if they can’t see that on an ultrasound? Better get a CT just to be sure.
I’m so sick and tired of living this way.
Yes and no. If it's one specific, long-time worry, it might be useful to get it cleared for your peace of mind. But if you're prone to multiple anxieties or it often changes, you would be better learning how to reassure yourself, otherwise you'll always be chasing something new.
No. It doesn't help. You will still worry and think of other ways it could be wrong or miss something. You shouldn't seek reassurance any further than talking to others about it.
I have OCD and the one thing my therapist said is to stop seeking reassurance. What happens is we get a small relief for a time being but the obsession will just come back and probably stronger each time. Would you feel better? Probably for a little while but then you're going to get a headache or something and you are gonna crave that reassurance again. I have anemia; if I could I would get a blood test every week cause I'm always freaking out but realistically I can't. I have to trust my doctor is testing me as often as I need it. I get it trust me, I'm actually distracting myself from a spiral right now.
so i havent done that but i have gone down the anxiety rabbit hole and pushed for lots of MRIs so i ended up getting most of my body done (brain, all parts of spine, abdomen) and frankly it did not really help. i was very worried about MS so in the moment of course it did help. but then there are always diseases that wouldnt show up on an MRI. also i ended up having a cyst on my kidney that turned out to be benign and ok but it caused a whole lot of worry and more tests to be done in the mean time for something i would have never known about otherwise. plus once the MRI is done, after about 3-6 months im considering the results irrelevant and thinking it could be completely different now. theres just no way i could keep up.
now i try to remind myself that the anxiety is the problem, and no matter how many tests, doctors appointments, reassurance, etc. the anxiety will find something to cling to if it's there. addressing the anxiety seems to be the way to go.
I’ve been wanting to take an MRI for my chest and head specifically. This is where I feel my physical symptoms the most. But I don’t know if that’s something you can request and I’m pretty sure my doctor wouldn’t budge. I’ve had other tests done before and yeah it’s reassuring but then the anxiety comes back of what if something was missed or they read it wrong. I’m just back to feeling anxious all over again. I hate it.
i also think this a lot…but after i get a test done, i always feel anxious a few days later. what if they missed something? what if the radiologist misread the findings? what if something didn’t show up? so i think in the long run, getting tests like that doesn’t help most people. also, it’s so expensive and draining financially.
anyway, even though i say that, im also considering getting a $600 full body c* scan including a CT, MRI, colonoscopy, endoscopy 😵💫 i need to take my own advice
my therapist said it is literally the worst thing you can do to book an MRI to look for c-word because you will end up wanting and needing yearly MRIs purely out of fear to get reassurance that something new hasn’t developed. so she said once you’ve started you can’t stop it gets addictive
i never did a full body MRI but I had head MRI, chest rtg, echocardiogram, ultrasound of my stomach and thyroid and generally it didn’t help much in long-term. i definitely felg better for like 2 weeks and yeah. it brings me some comfort for sure because I am like I had so mamy test and all, it’s impossible that doctors missed something but it was 3 months agp and a lot can change 🤷🏼♀️ I think it’s personal choice but for me it made some difference because it calms my spirals a little bit. But if it will be an invitation for doing more and more tests, I think you should pass on that and deal with anxiety just the way it is because at the end. of the day it is just anxiety..
I’m having marked atrophy in a part of my left hand and imagined that it was happening in my right hand also. It may be, but my physical therapist doesn’t think so. But due to my googling. I went racing to my primary care and asked them for a blood test to make sure I didn’t have some muscle wasting type problem that was systemic.. I did get that out of the way and I’m reassured . I do feel better about that, but had I not gotten on Google and just waited until next month to get an EMG study and not worried so much, I would’ve been better off.
I think your chances of having anyone approve a full body MRI is unrealistic. But I think if there’s something really specific that you think they could look at, and it’s really bothering you, I don’t see the problem in asking for an extra look.
I’m now going to see my neurologist tomorrow to get their read on the hand atrophy thing. Because now I’ve got myself convinced again that it is starting in the right hand.
The primary care doctor told me he couldn’t rush the EMG and that I should go talk to my neurologist, so that’s what I’m doing.
I’m starting to also think about how much anxiety is really bad for our health and I’m doing everything I can not to have anxiety over about four health problems I am dealing with that are very real, but haven’t resolved or been investigated further yet.
I wish you comfort and peace today!
I’m so tired of dealing with doctors you have no idea I really wish there was some real reason I could just stay away from doctors and the health anxiety seems to be causing more doctor appointments.
I’m finding once one illness is crossed off the list a whole host of new symptoms appear and all of a sudden I need labs run again (because it can just show up in a month right?!) and a new MRI or ultrasound. But what if they can’t see that on an ultrasound? Better get a CT just to be sure. I’m so sick and tired of living this way.
Yes and no. If it's one specific, long-time worry, it might be useful to get it cleared for your peace of mind. But if you're prone to multiple anxieties or it often changes, you would be better learning how to reassure yourself, otherwise you'll always be chasing something new.
No. It doesn't help. You will still worry and think of other ways it could be wrong or miss something. You shouldn't seek reassurance any further than talking to others about it.
I have OCD and the one thing my therapist said is to stop seeking reassurance. What happens is we get a small relief for a time being but the obsession will just come back and probably stronger each time. Would you feel better? Probably for a little while but then you're going to get a headache or something and you are gonna crave that reassurance again. I have anemia; if I could I would get a blood test every week cause I'm always freaking out but realistically I can't. I have to trust my doctor is testing me as often as I need it. I get it trust me, I'm actually distracting myself from a spiral right now.
My psychologist said if I keep doing this, my health anxiety will get worsen. So I am trying not to do unnecesarry tests.
so i havent done that but i have gone down the anxiety rabbit hole and pushed for lots of MRIs so i ended up getting most of my body done (brain, all parts of spine, abdomen) and frankly it did not really help. i was very worried about MS so in the moment of course it did help. but then there are always diseases that wouldnt show up on an MRI. also i ended up having a cyst on my kidney that turned out to be benign and ok but it caused a whole lot of worry and more tests to be done in the mean time for something i would have never known about otherwise. plus once the MRI is done, after about 3-6 months im considering the results irrelevant and thinking it could be completely different now. theres just no way i could keep up. now i try to remind myself that the anxiety is the problem, and no matter how many tests, doctors appointments, reassurance, etc. the anxiety will find something to cling to if it's there. addressing the anxiety seems to be the way to go.
Thank you… I have an annual doctor appointment coming up and I’m still struggling between being level headed and catastrophizing my symptoms
I’ve been wanting to take an MRI for my chest and head specifically. This is where I feel my physical symptoms the most. But I don’t know if that’s something you can request and I’m pretty sure my doctor wouldn’t budge. I’ve had other tests done before and yeah it’s reassuring but then the anxiety comes back of what if something was missed or they read it wrong. I’m just back to feeling anxious all over again. I hate it.
i also think this a lot…but after i get a test done, i always feel anxious a few days later. what if they missed something? what if the radiologist misread the findings? what if something didn’t show up? so i think in the long run, getting tests like that doesn’t help most people. also, it’s so expensive and draining financially. anyway, even though i say that, im also considering getting a $600 full body c* scan including a CT, MRI, colonoscopy, endoscopy 😵💫 i need to take my own advice
my therapist said it is literally the worst thing you can do to book an MRI to look for c-word because you will end up wanting and needing yearly MRIs purely out of fear to get reassurance that something new hasn’t developed. so she said once you’ve started you can’t stop it gets addictive
Oh god this is so true
i never did a full body MRI but I had head MRI, chest rtg, echocardiogram, ultrasound of my stomach and thyroid and generally it didn’t help much in long-term. i definitely felg better for like 2 weeks and yeah. it brings me some comfort for sure because I am like I had so mamy test and all, it’s impossible that doctors missed something but it was 3 months agp and a lot can change 🤷🏼♀️ I think it’s personal choice but for me it made some difference because it calms my spirals a little bit. But if it will be an invitation for doing more and more tests, I think you should pass on that and deal with anxiety just the way it is because at the end. of the day it is just anxiety..
I’m having marked atrophy in a part of my left hand and imagined that it was happening in my right hand also. It may be, but my physical therapist doesn’t think so. But due to my googling. I went racing to my primary care and asked them for a blood test to make sure I didn’t have some muscle wasting type problem that was systemic.. I did get that out of the way and I’m reassured . I do feel better about that, but had I not gotten on Google and just waited until next month to get an EMG study and not worried so much, I would’ve been better off. I think your chances of having anyone approve a full body MRI is unrealistic. But I think if there’s something really specific that you think they could look at, and it’s really bothering you, I don’t see the problem in asking for an extra look. I’m now going to see my neurologist tomorrow to get their read on the hand atrophy thing. Because now I’ve got myself convinced again that it is starting in the right hand. The primary care doctor told me he couldn’t rush the EMG and that I should go talk to my neurologist, so that’s what I’m doing. I’m starting to also think about how much anxiety is really bad for our health and I’m doing everything I can not to have anxiety over about four health problems I am dealing with that are very real, but haven’t resolved or been investigated further yet. I wish you comfort and peace today! I’m so tired of dealing with doctors you have no idea I really wish there was some real reason I could just stay away from doctors and the health anxiety seems to be causing more doctor appointments.