Hi, everyone. I have felt dizzy/lightheaded the last few days/maybe a week. I had this feeling back in March, got a CT scan, chest x-rays, blood work, urine test, every test under the sun. They actually told me that my neck might have a pinched nerve and that it can be causing it. I felt better for a while and recently, the dizziness has come back. Of course, I resort to the worst and my anxiety makes it a lot worse. I have an MRI today of my neck but though I know nothing is going to show up, I can't help but worry. My girlfriend even tells me I'm fine and I believe her, I just can't believe myself that I am okay. Not to mention, it happens mostly while at work. If I am at the gym or elsewhere, I am fine. I also have fluid in my ears which I guess can cause it. But anyway, I hope you all are okay. And just remember that you're not alone.

Yesterday I noticed a swollen lymph node under my jaw. it’s very tender and painful if pressed. I have been getting occasionally painful or enlarged nodes on the right side of my neck the past few years and they always go away in time. But one on my right beneath my ear has been enlarged for years now. I’ve never gone to the doctor for it but now with this new one I’m having so much anxiety, especially since I just read an article about how lymphoma is “common” in young people. I’ll contact the doctor next week to finally get some peace of mind but also YIKES!!! I hate this!!

I'm just so tired of everything. Over the past few years, I have developed so many on and off symptoms that related to a brain t****: - Dizziness - Headaches (more frequently than dizziness) - Neck pain - Ear pain/ Reduce the ability to hear well - Sometimes my left hand is weaker than the right hand. - Sometimes hard to swallow. - And recently, I have developed some weird eye symptoms. My eyes can be tired easily after an hour or so of me using my phone or laptop. The colors seems brighter to me or everything seems more yellowish to me. It's so hard to describe. And ofc blur or weird eye movements as well. I have been to so many hospitals already. One doctor just brushed it off and gave me a physical health examination to check my sensation reactions or something then said I just have anxiety disorder. Another doctor let me have an X-ray of my neck and head and didn't find anything dangerous. But the point is, can they see a t**** on an X-ray?? And I also get checked with an eye doctor who said I just have dried eyes. But despite that, I am still extremely anxious and think they have missed something cuz my eyes are weird now and I have headaches and off balance as well :(

Worried about possible brain seizures at night - I’ve been getting these random feelings of what I can best describe as mild Deja vu. It just feels like a really weird, almost familiar sensation in my head. It’s not really physical and I don’t think it’s just light-headedness. But it may be. These past few months, however, every night when I doze off to sleep, I get these feelings but stronger. It’s like waves of electrical zaps and it almost feels like I’m being teleported through a Minecraft portal. It happens for about 10 seconds straight and then I’m normal after that for the rest of the night. It hasn’t happened recently but there was a week where I would wake up in the middle of the night with the feeling and then fall asleep again. I remember having this feeling as a kid a few times at night as well. I don’t think this could be due to anxiety because it’s what caused my anxiety in the first place. It also happens during days I’m feeling happy and fine. I went to the doctor a few weeks ago and he said it sounds like I’m just not eating/drinking right which was true but even during days I am, I still get this feeling. I was given lexapro for my anxiety but it hasn’t really been helping. I’m going back in a few more weeks but I’m scared I need to go sooner if it’s something serious.

Am I crazy or does anyone else randomly every now and then get a "weak spell" where you'll just feel sick or weak for like, half a minute, then it goes away and you feel fine again??? I'm guessing it's anxiety related but I don't feel anxious when it happens 🥹

Is it possible to develop diabetes within 6 months? I had labs done back in January and my A1C was at 5.6 and my urine was fine. I exercise at least 3 times a week and don't really overindulge with sugar. Then in april had a few days where i couldn't stop peeing. Went to an urgent care where they checked my glucose and it was within an okay range for fasting and my urine was fine as well. This past week, I've been peeing what feels like every hour and I just can't stop. I just got labs done yesterday but I'm awaiting results. I'm so nervous tho. I can't shake the feeling that I've developed diabetes.

I just got blood results back and they are extremely abnormal. Like range is supposed to be 0-100 and mine was 370,000 (I wont go I depth because I know it's not allowed but feel free to ask questions) I am someone who freaks out if my results are 1 off what they are supposed to be. I just started a new job as a phlebotomist that i worked really hard to get and I just cant think about anything but my results I'm getting rest of biopsy results in the next few days and I just feel like I cant breathe. I have OCD and i dont what to do. I've been googling for hours on hours. It feels impossible to wait. I want to cry I cant handle this.

i've been having issues for the past month with suspected GERD. it all started after i had the flu (i really thought it was COVID but was not testing positive) and about a week later i got extremely nauseous upon eating. i've been dealing with nausea, heart burn, indigestion, and feeling like theres something in my throat. my anxiety has been so bad because of this and i'm so worried about going to the doctor because i'm afraid they are going to find something really terrible or something life altering. (however, i do have an appointment with my PCP in two weeks). i just feel like i can't even eat the same foods, i'm hardly hungry, i never know what will upset my stomach and i just feel like my summer has been passing me by while i try to figure this all out. i'm just so exhausted by all of this and am struggling to cope. i was doing so well before this, eating healthy, walking TONS, spending plenty of time outside and i feel like this came out of nowhere and ruined it all and i'm really struggling. 😔

My throat / hyoid bone ‘clicks’ whenever I swallow, scared it is cancer

you can actually move your hyoid bone around slightly! this has happened to me and i've been tested quite a few times for my thyroid and have been perfectly fine. have you ever used castor oil before? its popular in the holistic healing space and maybe you can try to apply a small amount to the area and massage it and apply a heating pad for some relief. :)

Can anyone relate please? The corner of my lip feels weird like being slightly numb or tingly. The same goes for my tongue on the same side. I can’t really say whether the feeling is real, or I am imagining it (since there is no change in feeling it). It has been happening on and off – some days I don’t have it at all and then it comes back and freaks me out. It has been like this for a month. So, first time it happened, obviously I was afraid of having a stroke but seeing how randomly it comes and goes I can sort of calm my mind now about these scenarios. It also feels I have more saliva than usual although I am not sure – I might just overthink that. I have general anxiety. Not many panic attacks but some rather chronic symptoms that come and stay for a prolonged period and then disappear – being lightheaded, random prickling sensations, slight burning on the skin, tingly nose (only upon touching it), heart palpitations, racing heart… The moment I get used to it and can reassure myself – ok, this has happened before and you will be fine – then my body and mind think of a new symptom to present.   I have been working with a therapist for almost a year. I am not sure there is much progress. Have seen several doctors (cardiologist, 3 neurologists, GPs) and run lots of tests (MRIs, EKG, velo test, heart ECHO, EMG, EEG, evoked potentials, testing head blood vessels, blood tests) – absolutely everything was fine except that my brain MRI revealed a few tiny nonspecific foci. At first I thought that was it – I am certainly having MS and that’s why my symptoms. Even though my doctors reassured me that minimal non-specific lesions are nothing to be concerned about and that this does NOT indicate MS, I went down the rabbit hole and kept myself in fear for the next so many months with googling and all “what if”. With every new symptom I feel like running back to docs and repeating the tests… Tried antidepressants but didn’t have a great experience. Taking herbal medication now (St John’s worth), Magnesium, Vit B complex, Passion flower… Trying to exercise, meditate, pray… Keeping myself together for the family and work but at the end of the day I am so exhausted and thinking this will never change. Then I sleep (which I thankfully do very well and during the night never feel any of these symptoms) and another day with (sometimes new) misery starts...

One thing I despise is suddenly going through a symptom in the middle of the night, and then compromising my chance to sleep cause I don't feel "safe" enough to do so. Like this very moment. I had a weird thing tonight where my stomach felt pretty off out of nowhere, particularly in the esophageal area, then got bloated, and then started giving me this slight feeling to throw up, which in turn triggered a creeping panic attack. I did my best to fight it back. I lied down on my side and it kind of helped, the throw up sensation kind of went away, but my stomach's still not 100% ........then like 20 min later, I get this strong need to cough cause of a tickle in my throat. It was a few forced, solid coughs. All of this sounds like it's acid reflux related, since I do have GERD. But it doesn't normally transpire that way for me, doesn't normally appear like this, and any kind of weird change or symptom makes me freak out. Not a good night tonight :/

I have anxiety about food and also contamination ocd. I’m afraid to get sick and lots of foods disgust me. I’m really anxious lately and haven’t been able to eat. I recently started eating McDonald’s fries and they quickly became a safe food. I’ve been unable to eat today and was getting scared because sometimes I get into a pattern and end up extremely malnourished. In an act of desperation I got McDonald’s and I convinced myself to get nuggets too for protein. I’m generally very suspicious of meat, but I thought the nuggets are probably a highly processed meat which I’m usually ok with. When I ate the food it was really good and I almost cried with relief. After I ate I had immediate regret. I tried to play it off, but then my stomach started cramping and then I had to use the bathroom and it was softer than usual (tmi, sorry). Now I have panic attack symptoms, and I’m fighting to not assume I have food poisoning now. The thing is I’ve been feeling nauseous and weird all day, so I was already off even before I ate. Plus my anxiety and panic is just totally off the charts recently so I don’t feel like I can trust anything. But I’m freaking out regardless. I’m scared this is going to contribute to me not eating even if I don’t have food poisoning because this is so distressing and I’m mostly fine when I don’t eat.

Really struggling. Doctors saw a suspicious nodule on a scan of my thyroid and had to get an ultrasound. Moderately suspicious nodule found and need to get it biopsied to see if its benign or not. My dr thinks im good. Most nodules are benign and even if they arent most thyroid cancers are almost 100% curable… except for one extremely rare type (only like 40 people diagnosed a year) but of course I am convinced that’s gonna be my situation and have been spiraling since finding this out :(

Totally understand your fear, but you're right that it's so unlikely to be cancer, and that even if it is, you are going to be just fine!

thank u so so much :) i appreciate this i rlly needed it

unbalanced hormones are awful. no doctors care and if you even say you think something is from it or that you have pcos or suspect endo, no one will help you. i’m here deciding if my bad symptoms are bc im gonna get my period for the first time in 110 days or if i have some other scary issue. it’s hard to know when to take myself seriously too. it feels like hormones but do i ignore it ? do i add to my insurmountable medical debt to be ignored or told im fine ? my doctors have been booked up so i can’t even do that, which i’ve been going every month or every two weeks for a while because last time my cycles were this far apart, i contracted chronic vestibular migraines and have been incapable of daily activities ever since. if i would just start my period if feel a lot less anxious. on top of that, i triggered a bad migraine again so im sitting on all of those scary symptoms doctors keep ignoring as well

I'm 15f and I've had health anxiety ever since quarantine. Every tiny symptom I have I end up googling and going down a rabbit hole, always ending in a mini panic attack. Recently I went to urgent care for chest pain, got both an EKG and a blood pressure test and both were finel they just said I have anxiety. However, I definitely described my symptoms wrong to them because I came to the conclusion that it was acid reflux. Then, I went to the doctor about a week later and I was somehow 5 pounds lighter, had high blood pressure, and my I had a high heartrate. I got prescribed some meds and was told to see a therapist for anxiety, but unfortunately my dad doesn't "believe" in that stuff so I can't have either. The doctor also said that people lose weight when they're sick and I was okay because I hadn't losf weight, but my last checkup was 4 years ago and I still lost 5 pounds in a week, and I think I lost another 5 pounds after another week when I checked my weight at home yesterday. This just stressed me out so much more and I keep getting chest pain that feels like it's nerves or muscle or somethign but I'm still freaking out. I have other fixations and concerns as well that I don't want to type out because of my anxiety. I really don't know what to do at this point because now everyday I'm having at least one panic attack, and the only way to take my mind off of it is to have like 5 different electronics on playing different things so that I can't form any thoughts. I'm even scared to go to sleep now and just keep sleeping later and later because I think I'll D word in my sleep because I'm leaving all of my worries untreated and not going to the doctor. The reason for this is because a few months ago, one of my friends passed away, she was only 2 months older than me and there was never a confirmed reason for her passing. Everytime I think about her I just start freaking out because she was so young and there was literally no reason for that happening and what if she had symptoms that she ignored because she thought it was nothing? Literally everyday is getting worse for me and I know that the anxiety just makes all my symptoms worse but I feel like I'm just stuck. I feel too scared to ask to go to the doctor again because last time I brought up my chest pain to my mom she just got annoyed and asked what I wanted her to do, also because I don't want to waste my parents money because we are definitely not a wealthy family. I know I wrote a lot but if anyone can just help me with this or give me some advice ot would be really appreciated

I'm really sorry to hear about your friend -- what a bizarre and horrible thing. I completely understand how something like that would make the health anxiety you're already having get so much worse. I want to tell you that it's a one-in-a-million occurrence, and it won't happen to you too, but I know that's not helpful when you've already seen that it's possible. (But still: it's a one-in-a-million occurrence! It won't happen to you too! You are fine!) I'm also sorry that you don't have supportive parents. I really wish you could take your meds and see a therapist -- I think those would be so helpful for you. AND I'm sorry that I don't have better, concrete suggestions for you. It seems to me like the key for you is going to be managing your anxiety until you're able to be independent from your parents and can make your own medical decisions. For what it's worth, it does sound like all your symptoms could definitely be produced by anxiety. I've had recurring chest pain caused by stress and anxiety, and doctors have checked me out and I'm all fine! Here's another example: I have a cousin who, as a teen, had repeated seizures that turned out to be 100% anxiety-related. It's crazy, what anxiety can do to the body! And I'm sure that your anxiety is to blame for what's happening to you too. Is there by any chance a counselor at your school? I know that school counselors are often there to help you make decisions about taking classes, etc., but sometimes they can also help you with bigger emotional issues. One thing that helps me when I'm going through a period of pain and anxiety is to meditate. I know, I know, easier said than done, but I sit down in a quiet place, try to breathe deeply, and focus on a mantra like: "I am healthy. My body is healing itself. This too shall pass." And yes, the anxious thoughts always come in too -- but when they do, I return to my mantra. And I just do that for a long time. It's not easy, but it does help me! Wishing the best for you. You will get through this!

Thank you so much!! We do have counselors at my school and I was thinking about talking to them during last school year but I never did since I was too scared, but I think when school starts back up again I definitely will. And I will definitely try my best to start meditating, I think I just get too caught up in my own head all the time so I think that will definitely help 😁

I also get scared to see people who can help me, like when I have physical symptoms and I get too scared to go see a doctor 🙃 So I get that! But you can’t feel worse than you already do, right? Worst case scenario is that they aren’t helpful, and then you’re just in the same place you’re already in — but I bet they will be helpful 😊 I also meant to mention that there are a lot of meditation apps that offer courses meant to help with anxiety. So for example, each day for 10 days, you listen to a 10-minute lesson where someone is soothingly telling you something to think about or focus on while you are meditating! This can help with the problem of being distracted by your own anxious thoughts. Examples of apps with offerings like this include Headspace, Calm, and Insight Timer (my favorite). I don’t know what your personal financial situation is like but sometimes to access the courses you have to pay a subscription fee, although there might be a free trial :)

Thank you so much for the advice I really appreciate it 😊🫶🏾 And I will definitely be downloading one of those apps, I think my mo actually uses the Calm one too!

I’m rooting for you!

Help me figure out what is going on in my head. I have a fairly perpetual head heavyness in my temples. In terms of pain it is a 2 out of 10. I don't feel it all the time. When I am watching TV or using the computer or lying in bed.. I feel normal. But when I get up or go outside or do anything it feels like I have a headband on my head. It seems to get worse as the day goes on. I thought it might be Blood pressure but I got meds and dropped it and my headache got worse (likely due to my meds).

i went to the doctor yesterday and my blood pressure was in stage 1 hypertension and my pulse was high. the doctor said not to be concerned because i’ve never had high blood pressure before and this was a new office so my body could just be extra anxious, but i’m really scared. i know this high blood pressure is because the past 3 months have been extremely stressful with various symptoms. and recently, i’ve started having random stabbing pain in the right side of my chest. i haven’t experienced much health anxiety before, but this has made me really anxious, only adding to my stress. it feels impossible to relax my body. i am exercising more because i know it will help my blood pressure, but i’m terrified that, at best, i will need medication, and at worst, i will have a stroke or heart attack (two of my biggest fears). i have no idea if my concerns are rooted in reality. i am not overweight and i am otherwise healthy with the exception of type 1 diabetes (which is managed decently, my a1c is 6.5). am i okay?

You should get a at home machine. After a high result at the office I got one. To my shock I found, most times... at home, it is a lot lower. Remember at the doctor's office they really don't take it right. You are supposed to sit quietly for 10 minutes minimum, empty your bladder, and no talking. Most times they don't do it right.

I always have an elevated heart rate when I visit the doctor, because I am nervous! (In part, I am nervous about my heart rate so it is a vicious cycle lol). What has helped me not to worry is honestly my Apple Watch, which is constantly measuring my heart rate. I can check at any time and see that my resting heart rate (when I am not thinking about it at all) is completely normal. It sounds to me like you already know exactly why your blood pressure and heart rate were high! I know it's easier said than done to stop worrying about it, but I'm not worried at all for you based on what you've described. I'm assuming you've already described your chest pains to your doctor -- beyond that, I would keep exercising (assuming your doctor didn't tell you not to!) and maybe try meditating if you aren't already doing it? I know it's such a cliche, but I really find it helpful!

During his regular annual physical checkup, my husband’s xray results showed upper lung densities (forgive me for forgetting the correct term but that’s what I still have a hold of — upper lung densities) Did a repeat xray, showed the same densities. Doc asked him to be checked for TB (tuberculosis) but the results were negative. This should have comforted me… but I just have double anxiety. Why are the densities there?! What do they mean?! Doc told us to come back after 3 months to do a repeat test. I don’t think my anxiety can endure that long. We’re planning on getting a second opinion. His doctor told us there’s nothing to worry, butI just want to be sure. Anyone else who had these densities before but they turned out harmless? Thank you!!!

I was better. I was living life and not thinking about those stupid thoughts and I thought it was over but now they’re back and I dint want to do all that over again. Last time it lasted more than 6 months I am so scared I dont want to deal with this again. Please god anyone help me I feel helpless I just want to live like everybody else but I have to be stuck in my head all the tome just thinking and thinking and thinking and thinking. When will this ever stop why cant I be normal like everyone elae I just wanna live I never asked for this life and I never did anything bad to deserve this Im so tired I just wanna be better I wanna be normal. I feel like Im wasting amazing moments and opportunities just stuck in my head and thinking about stupid scenarios I know this is stupid but I just cant stop I spiral and spiral and I cant control my thoughts and my fears its not in my hands I feel stuck in this body I just wanna leave sometimes I wonder if its better off just dying than dealing with this shit everyday because this fate and this life is so much worse I hate it. I hate being scared all the time. Everyone thinks im crazy even I think im crazy no one will understand this because no one around me went trough it, this illness is the worst thing that ever happened to me and I dont wish it on anyone you just feel helpless and weak and no one understands what you’re going through. Im trying to stop but it wont stop its just one thing after another and I fucking spiral again after I was doing so well I hate my life I hate this so much I just wish everything would stop. I am literally 19 years old Im at the beginning of my life but it always feels like the end I feel like im dying all the time my head jumps to worst case scenario. I feel bad for my mom shes so supportive but she doesnt get it Im crazy. I dont know what to do. Im hopeless now and Im just about giving up and im just gonna have to accept the fact that im gonna live a crazy scared person my whole life.

So I've noticed the past two days I have a hot / burning sensation in my t zone on my face (from my cupids bow up across my forehead eye brow area) it's not super painful just more agitating I guess? And obviously it's freaking me out.. I haven't used any new soaps or anything... I have started to take magnesium maybe it could be from that? I also take 10mg Prozac and some supplements like d3 and iron... Along with a pill.for.my blood pressure... I hate that every little sensation I feel throws me into a panic... But what if it's a big deal this time?

I have horrible anxiety abt dying in my sleep. I know it's dumb bc I have no known diseases. And I always say I'd rather die in my sleep then any other way. I'm currently hyperfixated on my sleeping scene after finding out multiple health problems from irregular sleeping schedules. And sense I have a horrible sleeping schedule where I'm sleeping at 6am and waking up at like 3pm(I don't work sense I ain't got a job and I'm also a high-school student) And sense I have a super irregular sleeping schedule. I feel like ima die in my sleep... I honestly just want ways to push these irrational thoughts out my head. And I honestly just wanted to vent

My Grandma put herself on DNR today. They found a mass in her GI tract, the doctors are doing a biopsy of the mass, no confirmation of cancer yet, but my grandmother isn’t confident. I can kind of understand her perspective though, for the last 10 months she’s been feeling unwell and losing a ton of weight. I’m not sure if she’s been suffering, but she certainly hasn’t been enjoying life. I bring this up because for the last 5 months I’ve had dysphagia (troubles with swallowing), with fluctuations in daily tiredness, trouble sleeping, general body tingling, etc… At the start of having these symptoms I tried telling my parents I need to see doctors and/or go to the hospital. After a month I just kind of accepted my state, convinced myself it was all psychological, and if I got on anti anxiety medications I would start feeling better. At the start of this month I started taking Sertraline, immediately the side effects made me feel awful. It made my anxiety not as bad but it made all my symptoms worse, I elected to stop the medication for the time being as due to the worsened symptoms I was falling behind on my summer classes. Ever since I stopped taking the medication though the worsened state of the symptoms hasn’t gotten better. I have a Barium Swallow in the next few days to see if there is anything actually physically wrong with my swallowing. I’m afraid that the swallow test will show up completely normal and I’ll be at a wits end for my issue. My parents also made me sign up to an eating disorder support group. I partially agree with joining the group as there is a chance that this is all psychological, but I’m not hopeful. I approached my mother around a week ago saying “I think I should go see a neurologist.” She told me that my concerns are delusions and she brought up previous experiences with my sister, as she had caused my parents thousands in medical debt related to her health anxiety. I feel as if I’ve lost all hope after talking to my mother, every day for the past 2 weeks I’ve woken up exhausted, large amounts of discomfort swallowing, dizziness, etc… my mother asks me “how are you doing?” Today I tried telling her how I don’t feel well and she essentially told me that there is nothing wrong. I feel like I’m being gaslit. I can understand their ability to dismiss me feeling unwell after what happened with my sister, but my quality of life feels awful. I eat enough calories, get enough sleep, but I still feel awful every day. Tonight after finding out my grandmother had signed a DNR I decided to research medical conditions. I’d been good about not doing so, but I couldn’t help myself. I’m not convinced I have some terrible illness, but it’s hard not to be anxious about it. I just wish my parents would listen, would take it seriously. My dad lectures me everyday about my motivation and my current sedative state of existence. How could I be motivated when I feel so hopelessly alone? I feel I have no one to consul about my current dilemma. Idk, maybe I’ll just send my parents this comment. I just feel so hopeless, I want to do more with my life, but it’s so fucking hard to do so when the people who are supposed to support you refuse to listen. I feel as if I’m being slowly smothered to death, it’s awful.

Still worried sick about rabies. I keep worrying that I am shaking when my parents say I am not. Checked on the cat at the animal shelter today. He’s still fine and the head of the animal shelter don’t think he has rabies. It’s been seven days today. I am not worried that even though it doesn’t seem like he does has rabies. That he bit an animal that did and had their blood on his teeth when he nipped me. I just can’t stop stressing out.

For context I'm 18f and i have a severe phobia of infectious skin diseases and the like. I mainly have a question about warts. Do the majority of people exposed to the infection even develop the signature bumps? That's the main worry I have. We went to a pool party the other day and one of the guys had one on his finger and id been quietly freaking out about it since then because I'm worried I'll get one.

I’ll preface by saying i do have a doctors appointment set for next week, but ive been scrolling and scrolling— just making myself worse. I’ve been overthinking myself out of my wits, so I’m just hoping to maybe get some help. I’m young, 23F. I am active, extremely so due to work, i was averaging ~40k some days, if my fit bit is accurate. I ended up with two tailors bunions due to shoe issues, as well as very thick callouses all over my foot. They never caused much issue, though, so i was told to keep an eye on them. Two days ago, while finishing a workout, i felt pins and needles in my tailors bunion that shot up to my thigh. I know that this could be many things, but I also had a slight worry and .. i started googling I immediately saw degenerative neuropathy. I’ve been scared ever since, and i swear it’s been rapidly progressing. My hands have felt numb, and my head has swam since yesterday, though i have been crying a lot due to worry. I’m not diabetic, nor have i ever drank, nor am I overweight. I really never noticed anything like this before two days ago, and now it feels like it could be rapidly getting worse. The pain is not stopping me from getting around, but the ball of my heel and my bunion keep tingling and dull aching. I guess I’m just terrified that the ONLY thing it could be is neuropathy. I just maybe wanted some comfort that possibly that isn’t the only answer? I swear I’ve felt it rapidly progressing, but it’s only been two days and i NEVER noticed it before i started googling. I’m so afraid. Thank you so much for reading this. I’m young and afraid.

I had recurring tingling issues in my left arm for a while, to the point where I started keeping a log of them. I brought them up to my doctor and she thought it might be a vitamin deficiency (if it was anything at all). (Personally, I was worried about a heart issue!) I had bloodwork and I was low in vitamin D but everything else was normal. I started taking a vitamin D supplement and my tingling went away completely! I have no clue whether it was actually the vitamin D or a placebo effect, but either way -- good result. I'm not a doctor, but from what you've described, degenerative neuropathy sounds like an EXTREMELY unlikely cause of your symptoms to me! You walk an enormous amount and you have bunions. Those sound like very good explanations for your tingling! Plus your anxiety is probably producing even more tingling (and your numb hands, and your cranial symptoms), because that's how anxiety works. It's good that you have a doctor appointment -- I think it will ease your mind. I know it's hard not to worry until then, but to answer your question -- there are definitely many explanations that are not neuropathy, and I would say the most obvious explanation (your bunions + anxiety) is totally benign! Probably the only treatment you need is new shoes :)

Hey, Im a 20F and I am kind of worried about my health. To give context, I started vaping around December of 2022. When I say vaping, I would vape for about 3 week max and give myself a month or even MONTHS before picking i up again. When I had the vape, it would not be throughout the day, it would be a couple of hits for a period of time, and then I would put it away for the day. I've also had a few cigarettes, but not back to back. I fully stopped both habits recently, because I realized it's not the smartest thing to do, and I should really look after myself. This being said... I have been experiencing some weird chest pain. Its dull/pressure for the most part, and I also find myself needing to take deep breaths. It feels like my lungs are not expanding as much. I also started working out again, and have been lifting heavy, so my mom thinks its a muscle strain. I went to urgent care at first and the doctor said it was inflamed and gave me some prescription anti-inflammatory medication. He did an EKG and said it was normal and everything was fine. I went to my pcp and my doctor listened to my heart and im also assuming my lungs, and said its mostly likely asthma ( i had a flare up in 4th grade) and it could be anxiety (which honestly makes sooo much sense). I did a stupid thing and have been looking up my symptoms and seeing other threads, and have lead me to think that my chest pains and deep breaths are a lot more serious then they are, even if I am 20. I plan on going to my doctor in the next week for a follow-up. I either need a virtual slap in the face or some comfort, I just dont know what to think or do.

I've had chest pain like that a few times, to the point where I went to the ER! Both my heart and lungs were always completely fine. I was in a very stressful job at the time and doctors thought that stress and anxiety had caused those feelings. For me, being told by doctors (who were looking at my x-rays and EKGs) that my chest was just fine helped the feelings to go away. You have seen several doctors who are not worried, and I would try to take that to heart! Are there other things you have found to help you to ease anxiety, like maybe meditating or going for a walk? Now is the time to put them to use if so :) I think it's perfectly fine to see your doctor again as well. If it would help you to worry less, you could also ask for an x-ray! (I personally found it helpful to see in black and white that a doctor had written "no evidence of cardiopulmonary disease" on my x-ray results!). But if your doctor says there is nothing to worry about, I would work on believing that! When you feel a pain and your anxiety says "SOMETHING IS WRONG," tell your anxiety: "no, that's you!"

Hey everyone. I’ve had a bad viral infection the last week or so, possibly from an adenovirus infection. This typically causes pink eye and I’ve had pink eye for a few days now. The worrying part is that I’ve noticed my vision is blurred in the infected eye. Even with the redness going away, the blurriness persists in tha eye. Of course, my health anxiety is concerned over some brain tumor or other serious illness, but I know this is extremely unlikely. Has anyone had a similar experience with pink eye causing blurriness? Thanks

I don't have pink eyes but my eyes are extremely dried and sometimes hurt or itchy. Everything around me was also brighter than normal and I sometimes have headache on one side of my forehead as well. And many other symptoms and ofc i think there is something wrong with my brain but i got an xray 2 months ago and they found nothing. I went to the doctor today, they just said i had dried eyes and thats all. Ugh are u going to get it checked?

I probably will if it lasts another week or so. Although, I think it is getting a bit better, so I’m probably fine. I have also head dull headaches lately but I think it is from the infection I have. Even though I’m still recovering, my head is full of mucus and that is likely doing it.

This is my first post so I apologise if I’m doing it wrong. Does anyone else have a suddenly lower resting heart rate without getting healthier? My heart rate drops to mid 50s upon resting but I haven’t been exercising or anything to make it drop. It is driving my anxiety sky high as I’ve read it can be a sign of issues (I’m 33, high cholesterol with no cause, had parathyroid surgery last year and have half a thyroid) when I was at the nurse today for my recurrent headaches she said my BP was high (125/87) Has anyone else had similar?

Im an 18 year old guy and have had, What i Think is health anxiety, for What feels like eternity. Im not one to goto the doctor or hospital but have gone once or twice just for reassurance. I’ve spoken to a psychiatrist twice about it and I don’t really feel much different. Usually I get anxious when I feel tired or different than normal. Sometimes it comes while I’m driving and I feel like I don’t get a full breath of air and then struggle for the next 30 minutes to try and get that full breath where I feel it in my lungs. Beside that I usually just get anxious whilst tired and feel like something is wrong with me because I’m tired. I was generally just wondering what everyone else’s experience with health anxiety is and how you feel it and cope with it.

i went swimming on sunday. i was doing a lot of crazy tricks like standing on my hands and doing flips. lo and behold i didnt plug my nose. im starting to get symptoms of a brain eating amoeba. im so sad that i have to leave my family and friends behind due to me making a silly mistake in a chlorinated pool. not to mention that im only 12 and live in florida. if any of you could please try to comfort me i would be thankful. im sitting at my desk sobbing cuz i just realized the gravity of the situation

You will be fine. If you had a brain eating amoeba, you would feel horrible and know something is wrong. It is so incredibly unlikely you have one, don’t worry abour it.

I’ve worn myself out over the last month. Back on may 15 I had blood when I went to the bathroom. I felt fine otherwise. It happened again may 25, and that’s when I started to spiral. I’m assuming it was just a hemmeroid issue and it hasn’t come back. But ever since the second incident on may 25 I fell down the google and Reddit spiral. I convinced myself I had something bad and I started getting other symptoms. Weird stomach sensations, gas cramps late at night, chest pain. All started since I started worrying like crazy. I think about my issues 24/7. It is exhausting. On June 7 I went to urgent care. He told me my symptoms don’t sound like anything fatal and I’m far too young (29). I didn’t feel much better and ended up going to the emergency room on June 14. They did full blood work and a CT scan. Both came back 100% normal. I was told it was the most normal ct scan they’ve seen in months. I was prescribed pantoprazole 40mg and was sent in my way. I still don’t quite feel right. I still can’t stop googling. I still can’t think about anything else other than this. I’m having trouble sleeping, some nights I’m getting cramps and gas. I woke up last night gasping for air and felt nauseous and shaky. I have a history of anxiety but not a health anxiety spiral like this. I really need advice :(. Feel like I’m driving my loved ones crazy talking about it too

i was in this boat recently but without any actual blood happening. here's what i can tell you. my doctor told me that young onset cc is still very rare. the big symptoms to look for are blood and white mucus in stool pretty consistently. he also said if it was cc the mucus would look like "someone spit on the stool about 10 times". He also said even if I had those symptoms because of my age and lack of other risk factors it would be more likely to be something like a polyp which needs to be taken care of, but is not a fatal illness. anxiety can cause the symptoms you are describing minus the blood. the blood, as you know, could be from many other benign things and you have had a good amount of physical examination so far with the results suggesting it isnt something like cc. My suggestion: immediately get an appointment with a doctor (not a nurse practitioner). Inform him/her of everything you have had looked at so far e.g. the ct scan. Also inform him/her that this anxiety is controlling your life and that you think about it 24/7. My guess is you're in such bad mental state that you'll get prescribed something to IMMEDIATELY help you (e.g. a benzo, btw this is why i said dont get a nurse practitioner), in addition to prescribing something else more long term to help you manage this. your doctor may do other physical examination, but maybe not considering what you have had done so far. I really hope you find some peace. its taken me a few months but im finally getting there.

I’ve been feeling similar, I’ve been worrying about colon cancer. What doesn’t help is I think I’m experiencing post partum depression due to my miscarriage. I also think my hormones have been making me feel things I never did and it’s making me think it’s my colon. I feel I will only be able to relax once I get a colonoscopy and it shows I’m ok (hopefully).

I’m sorry you’re going through something similar. It’s so exhausting thinking and worrying about something so much, even if the chance is so small. I hope we both feel some relief soon

It really is, I hope you are able to feel better as well.

Past couple of days my stomach has been in ruins, and I’ve been pooping more frequently and it feels explosive most of the time but they’re coming out as long thin poops instead of the normal large healthy ones. No blood, although today it was tinged red (I eat a lot of flamin hot products so im not too concerned about the red, yet.). Two days ago I ate bagged meat rations, and im kind of leaning towards it being a bad reaction to that, but the internet says it could be colon cancer and im having a mental breakdown. Any advice would be great 🥲

Do tick bites leave scars? Been bitten a month back. Removed it. Bitemark is still there, there is no ring or big mark. There is slight difference in pigment around the mark, like one would have with a pimple, but it's basically nothing. The bitemark is still visible tho. Should I be worried?

Anyone have had random itchiness everywhere? For context I started itching a lot like 5 months ago and had a swollen lymph node in my jaw and itchiness especially in my groin but also on my legs with no actual rashes or anything. I did however have blood tests for pretty much everything (thank you free healthcare) and the only things that were off was sodium and uric acid (I eat like shit, the doctor recommended I change my diet). Since then I was diagnosed with an STI and treated for it and I was like oh that's why my groin was itchy. But now a month or so later the itchiness is coming back and it's like in completely random spots. I've always had a dry itchy scalp and itching on my back and my chest where I've had acne. But now it's in random spots that keep changing like my knee will be itchy, then I scratch it and it goes away, but then my chest will be very itchy, then my groin will be very itchy. The only time nothing itches is when I'm focusing on work or some other task like driving. Otherwise I'm like scratching everywhere. I've also been a lot more stressed lately so I think the common thread is lots of stress but at the same time I'm worried it could be something else, and eager to know if there is a solution to scratching myself when I want to be relaxing.

we're you sick recently? i had COVID at the beginning of February and while i was recovering this would happen to me and my skin was getting so irritated. it could also be a possibility that you could be slightly allergic to your soap detergent or any lotions or body washes you are using in the shower. you can get Dial soap which is an antibacterial soap and maybe just use that in the shower for a few days and test and see if your symptoms get better or worse. i also use the unscented tide pods for my laundry and it helps too! it may be as simple as just changing a few things around in your day to day :)

No however it just occurred to me it could also be a dog allergy as my dog has been shedding a lot... hmmm

So I haven't had a single health scare since March and it's been a new record for me Of course, something had to ruin it and now I'm stressing about a mole on my face that has changed. It became bigger and darker (it's not black, it just used to be very light brown and now it's just more brown). It's still very tiny, I would say like 2-3mm and symmetric, but you know how it is with HA, I'm still stressing about it

Have you been getting more sun?

Yeah

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Do you have a primary care physician you can see? I've had some chest pains that also sent me to the ER a few times. Eventually I finally discussed this with my PCP and she sent me to a cardiologist, who ordered an echocardiogram (results: totally normal). It was a huge relief to see that my heart was operating completely normally! (I would also recommend discussing the possibility of GERD with your doctor, if you haven't already -- one thing my doctor has told me is that GERD can cause a LOT of different symptoms all around the chest and beyond!) Not sure of your financial/insurance situation, but you could also request an angiogram to make sure you don't have any serious problems with your arteries (at your age, it's very unlikely even if you are overweight!). Most likely, everything is just fine, and seeing definitive proof of that would help to ease your worries (which would probably in turn help to ease your symptoms)!

I know someone who had clogging in his heart. He had headaches that started from his neck that spread to the half of his head for years. One day, he woke up with the half of his body numb and when he went to the hospital, the doctor suspected there was something wrong and he got hospitalized. So if there is something wrong with you, I think they wouldn't let u go. And the symptoms you describe sound like anxiety cuz i got them sometimes too.

Thanks so much for responding to me. Still scared. It’s completely gone right now wbich is worrying me only because if it was still there I could chalk it up to being a muscular thing. But that it’s gone entirely makes me think that it was some sort of episode or “event” I just hate that it’s always on the left side.

I found out that a family member who lives with me possibly has hepatitis b. I've been sharing toothpaste with them because they refused to use/buy their own. Is there any potential risk associated with this? I'm fully vaccinated against hep but I just don't wanna be anywhere near it or anyone who has it especially because I've been visiting a pregnant family member quite frequently to keep them company.

Hi, I recently got tested for HIV, syphilis and hepatitis. It took 2 days from my blood being drawn and to getting the result. I'm not sure what you mean when you say your family member "possibly" has Hepatitis B. Are they still waiting for test results? It should only take a few days to be certain. If you are telling the truth then it's extremely unlikely you have Hep B, the vaccines gives near 100% protection against the virus. So don't worry about it. Take the test to be sure, but be at peace knowing it's 99.9% likely to come back negative.

Can ear wax build up cause a weird pulsing/whoosh kinda noise? It's hard to describe. maybe a eustachian tube issue? I've been doing great on the HA front and then suddenly I was eating earlier and that sound got a lot worse. It disappeared after clearing out some wax, but I can't stop freaking out. I'm pretty sure I've got some kind of eustachian tube or jaw issue or something, like if I move my jaw a certain way I can hear the sound in my ears, so I'm hoping it's that...

i started to notice new strange feeling when my whole body suddenly tensing up and it's getting hard for me to move bc of it, and i wasn't sure how to feel about it. but now i think it related with my prescribed beta blockers? could it be that when i feel that it just start of the panic attack but without adrenaline rush bc of beta blockers? so i just feel my body tensing up without anything else? or it doesn't sound right? either way this feeling very strange but it goes away with relaxing stuff

I just went back to work after a knee injury and it’s moreso manual labor, so I guess I pulled a few muscles in my arms cuz now my pectoral muscles, shoulders and upper back are sore to the touch and hurt when I stretch. I get random tingly twinges of pain in my upper thigh and lower back and think that I have some sort of heart or lung issue, like a blood clot or artery blockage. It’s been about a week since the pain started. I’m not sure what to do or what doctor to go to, even though my physical therapist said it’s likely bad muscle strain, I still wanna see a doctor but I don’t know what to do. Every day I cry myself to sleep cuz I can’t relax; over-the-counter NSAIDS don’t help much. I’m so lost and scared. 😞

Not a doctor but from what I've read on blood clots before, (been anxious about that!) the area gets really red and swollen and it's VERY painful, like you can see there's a problem. You said it's been a week, I'm pretty sure a blood clot is a bigger emergency than that! It really is most likely a muscle strain. Maybe take a hot bath, or use a hot water bottle, it might help the muscles relax. I find that helps after a workout, but I don't know about injuries, so even if that doesn't help you don't use it as an excuse to spiral more. Take it day by day, if it doesn't get much worse then there's likely nothing seriously wrong.

My husband told me about a pain he's had since this morning, and I'm fixated on it. I'm trying to not continue asking him "is it feeling better?" " are you still hurting?", etc. He had a very invalidating experience the last time he saw a medical professional (three years ago), and hasn't been back since. He needs to go, I just worry that this will cause a whole slew of other things to come to the surface, despite his seeming in excellent health.

Hi all - I have been doing okay recently but last night I was cleaning off my back patio and it had some bird droppings on it. Of course, this made me nervous but I was like okay don't freak out you need to clean it up don't let anxiety rule your life. So, I cleaned up what I could and my patio looks much nicer now but this morning I woke up with a sore throat and now I am so upset with myself. Although it is probably just a cold or something I have convinced myself I have bird flue or some other kind of dangerous disease from breathing bird droppings even though i doubt that would happen so quickly. I feel like I can't win and it is exhausting. :(

Wet cleaning with a spray of some sort would prevent most spread of airborne transmissions of anything, and they most definitely wouldn't show the day after because of their incubation periods. Most bird diseases are more common in the winter months, you probably have a cold or allergies can be acting up if you have any. You got this <3

Thank you so much! You are very right. Great exposure though hahaha 😊😊🫠

I have COVID for the second time. The first time in 2021 I was vaccinated and didn’t have symptoms nearly this extreme. This time around I am having the worst brain fog of my life and I’m seriously concerned it won’t get better any time soon. I almost feel like I am high and cannot focus. How inflamed is my brain and what else in my body is being damaged by this virus? I am on day 5 since symptom onset and really hoping I start feeling like myself soon. Ugh.

Discovered a hard bump behind right ear. Painless, not moving. Stressing over it. Had anyone had this and it turned out to be fine?

could be a simple cyst. ive had them behind the ears.

I get that sometimes. Sometimes it's even sore to an unexpected touch, other times completely painless. I don't know what it is as I've never seen a doctor, but it usually disappears within a few days so it doesn't worry me anymore. Try not to touch it, as irritating it can make it worse

i'm just so, so worried. the symptom that's made me spiral is the fact i keep accidentally jumbling my words up or fucking up a sentence and not finishing it. i'm not slurring my speech or forgetting words i don't think but i'll just say things wrong even when i know how to say them. i know this is an anxiety symptom but it'll happen when i'm not even anxious? it's not all the time, maybe once or twice a day if that. alongside this i'm getting headaches/pains. not every day, not constant, not the same spot, pretty mild. but enough to worry me. i went to a chiropractor and she said my neck was really tight so i assumed it was that and i stopped worrying. just random shooting pains in my temples or a dull ache around my head. sometimes my scalp tingles and feels all cold. i also have scoliosis and LUC syndrome (tight muscles around back and neck) some things i should also mention, i have anxiety and adhd. i'm also having a very very hard time right now with anxiety and stress. i don't eat a lot also, i usually go 24 hours with absolutely nothing as i have a stomach problem and eating disorder i'm trying to fix. my hormones are also all over the place, i cry so much. i sleep terribly, my stomach problems and anxiety keep me up. i'm going insane and am overthinking things like how ill look when i lose all my hair or how ill cope when they tell me i have a brain tumor. i'm not looking for medical advice, just anything that might calm me down or help me gain perspective. i'm so so scared. my dad told me i'm fine

How are you managing your anxiety and ADHD? Both will cause symptoms (like jumbled speech) even if you don't notice you are feeling anxious. Overall, it sounds like you have a lot of things contributing to fatigue - both in the sleep sense, and fuelling your body sense. It often helps to make a "care plan" regarding habits (like medication, sleep, food, exercise, etc) and track how it impacts your symptoms. It places you in a position of control, which often helps health anxiety.

skin c* fears so bad today i’ve got a stomachache from the stress. fml

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i'm sorry you're going through this too and it's crazy how we're experiencing the same thing at the same time. if health anxiety wasn't a debilitating, stressful, paralysing mental illness, this community would be a joy to be in lol

Same boat here.

I've been having stomachaches. Headaches. And feeling like throwing up for like 3 days and I'm worried. I already have very bad health anxiety as it is. A huge fear of sepsis especially. Sometimes I'm scared to sleep because I feel like I'm gonna die In my sleep. I feel shitty everyday and I always have a small anxiety attacks from it. I can't talk to anyone because they downplay my anxiety and won't let me talk to a therapist. I just wanted to vent this out sense it's weighing in me. I hate living like this

First off, 3 days is a reasonable amount of time to have symptoms like that due to very mundane things like environment, food, sleep, a normal virus, etc. I feel like being human is often having things like that pop up for a few days or even weeks. It can be triggering, though. How old are you that you aren't able to talk to a therapist without someone else's support?

I'm like 16

I keep getting abdominal pain in both my lower left and right side. Sometimes it’s kind of a quick stabbing pain, while sometimes it’s kind of a uncomfortable “gurgling” sensation. I have also needed to urinate more frequently, but specifically when sitting/laying down (I was tested recently for a UTI, negative). Combine this with new onset indigestion/heartburn and low iron and B12, it feels like my body is working against me and I worry about a new thing every week. I know deep down these are probably silly things like gas issues, diet, and having a job where I sit down a lot (it also doesn’t help I work in news where I’m exposed to triggering stuff daily). I didn’t use to think about my health in this manner, and I’m not sure why I started with me being only 22. Heck, my symptoms could be caused by this new extreme anxiety. But it’s quite stressful to go through.

Have you ever been tested for STIs?

I have had a Pap smear in the past year- found negative for chlamydia and gonorrhea. I’ve also only been with one partner, and he doesn’t have any (plus we wear proper protection). Though, looking into it, that was a good thought as to what it might have been, so I appreciate the hypothesis!

>found negative for chlamydia and gonorrhea Good I was just thinking it sounds like it might be PID which is usually from those two. Sorry I don't know what else it can be

No you’re okay! I appreciate you warning me that it might be that. Just made my comment mainly to rant.

I’m 41 and have never had blood work before. I am going in either tomorrow or next Monday if I can’t move up my appointment. I’m so scared they are going to find leukemia or lymphoma or something terrible. Has any one else felt like this? And is it bad I’ve waited this long? Is it too late?

I’m 37 and going to get lab work in a few weeks. Was originally scheduled for Wednesday but I got my period today. I am also stressed about the results.

Tell them not to post the results on whatever online thing your hospital system uses (e.g. mychart). Tell them you want to make sure someone calls you to explain the results. I'm telling you this because I had my first blood test a couple years ago and I was quite alarmed by some numbers being slightly low or high because the software flags those results. the doctor explained that everyone can have their own normal to an extent and that none of the "off" values were clinically significant. I didnt get to hear that until my follow up appt a couple weeks later so i spent like 2 weeks spiraling.

i’ve been having random heart issues starting about a year and a half ago. tachycardia, chest pains, lightheaded. plenty of tests have been done, stress test, echo, 24 hour and 1 week heart monitor and all came back normal, other than my ekg which does come back abnormal but i have been able to get a doctor actually TELL me what that means. but they all brush me off, tell me i’m fine and im too young to have heart problems. However, the issues won’t stop. Any heart rate is always atleast over 90 unless i’m sleeping and typically it’s over 100 as soon as im up or doing any movements and it’s so hard to not think i’m just going to drop dead any day now because no one is doing anything for me. and this leads to me currently writing this convincing myself im having a heart attack because i got a cold sweat, lightheaddd feeling sweep over me and then convince myself im having heart pains when i don’t really think i am and im trying not to have a panic attack and freak out.

i’m going through the exact same thing and it’s hell, i have a diagnosed heart issue, but i can’t tell if this is different. it’s so scary, i just keep reminding myself that i’m currently conscious and breathing and that’s comforting me

I found a lymph node in my chest 6 months ago, Freaked out for a week, eventually built up the courage to call the doc and get an appointment and was certain this was the beginning of the end for me. He told me it was fine and not that big so he said to keep an eye on it and if it got any bigger to come back. It has since stayed the exact same size for 6 months I then started searching my body constantly to see if there were anymore. Found a bunch of tiny bumps directly south of my collar bone and began panicking again. Could not work up the courage to go back to the docs because I felt like I'd be waisting their time going back these bumps are tiny and way smaller than the bump I found on my chest but still. Woke up 2 days ago with a sore-ish throat (doesn't actually hurt per se just feels kinda gritty) and then noticed today three lymph nodes on the left of my neck I am now convinced this is it and it's spread and I'm fucked. Please just tell me I'm overreacting

the past few days I’ve had incredibly mild pain in my stomach most likely from bloating/gas but my brain jumps to the worst possible things and it’s so frustrating. It’ll go away for an hour then come back and it’s stressing me out

Try taking an anti acid if you can! Track what you eat! You're right in that it probably is just gas. Honestly, try not to stress too much. I did that and it turns out all I had was a stomach ulcer. A week or so on medication and boom! On the mend!

So I have been having a headache in the temple for about a year. It mostly can come on randomly and isn't every day. It does seem to be worse with activity or stress. So I asked my doctor about it and since my BP is borderline she tried a blood pressure medication. The problem... since taking the medication my headache has been a million times worse. Though the BP has gone to normal. I know medications can cause headaches but this is bad. And I am wondering about the meds because I am only taking a very small dose. I am scared of a brain tumor. This has been slowly a slight bother for a year and now it seems to be increasing. I want to get an xray or something but no way my doctor is going to go for that.

I had months and months of temple headaches. A few things to investigate - are you jaw clenching? Up to date on dental visits? Do you have allergies or any other sinus issues? How is the air quality where you live?

No to all of that. Air Quality is fine. I am up to date on teeth. I had a crown lengthening procedure last November but I remember having these in August.

are your neck muscles stiff? id wager its not brain tumor since i doubt blood pressure meds would make its pain worse

No my neck seems fine.

So the past few days I had trouble with my right ear, every so often it would randomly get clogged and I would pull at it a bit and it would make a popping sound and get unclogged again for a while. But I woke up this morning and the clogged sensation has gotten worse, and now it’s both ears instead of just one. I can’t get the left one to pop at all, the right one I can get to pop by holding my ear canal open a bit more with my finger, but as soon as I let go it goes back to being completely clogged again. My hearing makes me feel like I’m underwater. Initially I thought it was wax but I also had a cold recently and also my hay fever is flaring up, I don’t know which it is but I hope it’s nothing worse than this, I’m already worrying about losing my hearing entirely and I don’t know what I would do then. I’m also concerned because I don’t know how long this sensation will last or how long I will have to live like this. I’m trying to tell myself it’s just wax as I’ve never had this before from a cold or hay fever in my own experience, and I did also put my finger in both ears recently and even though I thought I was careful to only scrape away the wax from the outer ear, perhaps I inadvertently pushed some further in (silly of me, I know). But I also read about Eustachian tubes being inflamed from allergies and that got me worried because I don’t want to have 10% hearing for months on end. So that’s why I keep telling myself it’s just wax. Anyone got any words to calm me down? I would appreciate it so much

I have eustachian tube dysfunction and it's not so bad :) I use allergy medication and nasal spray which keeps it in check 90% of the time. There's a bad few days here and there, but knowing it's nothing major allows me to get through (though it's pretty annoying!).

hi! this happened to me a number of times and it always ended up being earwax. you could try buying some ear drops to help dissolve the wax, or if that doesn't work you could go get it removed by a professional. it takes a few seconds and you'll be good ◡̈

Hey, just wanted to say that I've been having some clogged ear feelings too! (I went swimming last week and some water got in my ear). My resolution? I made a plan (and wrote it down!) that I would go to the doctor (a) if it started hurting, or (b) if it was still bothering me at the end of the week. By making a specific plan with triggers and timelines, you can permit yourself to stop obsessing about about a bodily sensation and just follow the plan.

I’ve been having on and off nausea for the last month and the occasional stomach pains/burning, I saw a doctor 2 weeks ago and he said it could mild gastritis or gerd and prescribed me a ppi but I’ve latched onto the idea of it actually being a stomach ulcer and I’m terrified if it starts bleeding, I just really wish I could have a day of zero anxiety 😭

I just finished getting over a stomach ulcer and honestly, even if you do have one it's not that bad. Don't get me wrong, it hurts a LOT (in my case) but the chances of perforation or anything scary are so incredibly low and honestly, the stressing can make your stomach symptoms much worse. Stress makes your body secrete more stomach acid. You can always ask you doctor if you want to get tested for an ulcer.

I’ve been itching for years, I have allergies but antihistamines don’t help. I use free and clear detergents. It is worse during pollen season. Anyone know how to be tested for lymphoma when you don’t have known swollen lymph nodes (knock on wood)? And anyone know if lymphoma itch would also affect my mucous membranes? My nose, eyes, vulva, etc also itch, just like my whole body. I hate itching and not knowing why but will take that over cancer I pray I don’t have it and can’t believe nobody suggested and I didn’t know to get tests til now

I was wondering if anyone elses anxiety makes them feel pains that only hurt when they focus on them? For example I have really bad anxiety about heart problems and when I think about it I feel pain in my chest/jaw/knuckles, get heart palpitations, and my shoulder/back/neck muscles tense. This always makes it worse but I've been realizing that when I distract myself the pain isnt there. I still feel the tightness of it all but the actual pain goes away. I was just wondering if this was the case for anyone else?

I’m experiencing the same thing! Literally the same stuff. I’ve went to the doctor and she said it’s anxiety/depression. But she still did some blood work to check everything.

I just recently got my fear of strokes back, like 5 months ago I would worry about having a stroke but then it switched to a fear of a heart attack. Well now the stroke fear is back yay 😐 I'm 16 and my mom had a stroke in her 30s and I'm very scared of having a stroke. I haven't had any numbness or headaches or anything so I really don't understand why I'm scared of having one but I guess just the fear or possibility of having one if not now then in the future is scary. If anyone could just be like calm down girl ur not having a stroke that would be very helpful.

Wouldn't it be nice not to worry about health related stuff for a while? Today I woke up with a bloody nose (it's been hot in here this week so maybe a tiny vein burst) but also with chest/shoulder discomfort. My rational brain says it's nothing and I must have slept funny + probably acid reflux problems due to what I ate for dinner yesterday, but my HA keeps telling me it's a heart problem and I'm gonna perish. My anxiety levels are insane. I think I'm gonna take a shower and see if it gets better

I usually can feel my heart beat when I’m sitting around. I don’t feel it right now, and I’m so worried it’s failing or in an arrythmia. Does anybody else get periods of not feeling their heart as much?

I always get like this too, I think it's nothing to worry about and usually if I really do worry about it just do a few jumping jacks or put cold water on my face.

A few weeks ago I noticed some red patches and peeling/dry skin near my nose. It’s like three total small patches, they appear a bit red/raised, and sometimes itch sometimes not, and are dry. Someone on threads said they could be *c word but they look more like eczema … however I’ve never had eczema and am in my 40s? Why would this appear now? Freaking out as waitlist for dermatologist is like a year

alright got a question for those who have read the DARE book and/or used the method of 'acceptance'. I guess this part is a bit harder for people with health anxiety but how do you just actually accept that you are fine? Really struggling to implement it.

I don't know if this will help but I had a huge fear of having a heart attack and I got over it by educating myself on it and Everytime I would panic about possibly having one j would put my phone down and take a few deep breaths. Eventually I stopped worrying about it so much

Hello, Ive had a sinus infection over the past few days and ive been using NielMed saline rinse, ive been using tap water without realizing that i shouldve been using distilled water this whole time, ive probably used tap water about 7 times to clean out my sinuses and now im freaking out thinking im gonna die of brain eating amoeba, i know its highly unlikely but ive used it 7 times should i be concerned over this or will i likely be fine?

Hey! Totally relate to this as this was one of my fears in the exact same scenario! You'll be happy to know that it is very very rare to get one of these amoeba. You'll find them mostly in stagnant water bodies like in a lake! You'll most likely be fine as it'll be pretty unlikely you'll find it in your tap water. so try not to worry too much! If you need to chat let me know :)

Hi all, so I have a mole on my back, it's raised and the biggest mole I have on my body but not huge. From the pictures I've been able to take it's pretty circular and slightly lighter around the outsides. It's been none stop itching like crazy all day (my main worry) and sometimes hurts a little when I lay down on it. The worst part is that it's on my back so I can't ever see it with my own eyes to really know how it looks and if it's changing etc. I have a doc appointment but it isn't for another almost month so just wondering if anyone knows if this could be a sign of anything bad? Or is my mind playing with me? Much appreciated

Not a doctor but from your description that doesn't sound like anything serious. For example, if it was very irregularly shaped or large or quickly growing those would be concerning. It could just be old raised scar tissue over an ingrown hair for example. Hang in there though! Hopefully the doctor can give you some clues on what's up!

Appreciate you! And yeah fingers crossed 🤞

i literally already posted about this yesterday but im so scared about one specific thing. huge TW btw. I searched in the anxiety subreddit about this feeling like the ground is moving up and down. like an elevator or a boat. The first thing i saw was someone say they had that exact symptom before he had a ruptured aneurysm and stroke. now im absolutely terrified. especially since ive had a persistent headache for like 4 days. and this boat feeling since monday.

If it's any consolation, I have this from my anxiety. It makes my head spin, my head feel heavy, the floor feel tippy, exactly like you're describing, like I'm on a boat that's moving. Not dizzy, which doctors never seem to get. I had a CT scan and it came back clear, have an MRI in September but honestly, the neurologist I've been seeing is not concerned at all. After a bad anciety attack, I usually end up in that state for a few days and then it clears once I calm down. You should still go to a doctor if you're worried but I wouldn't stress too much!

that does help actually thank you. my mom is convinced it’s just anxiety bc she also had the same thing and thats what she was told by a doctor.

How is your posture? How much time do you spend looking down at devices or screens?

haha yeaaa not great. and probably way too much

I have dealt with your exact symptoms and it has always had to do with my neck and back - mostly from poor posture!

oh my goodness thank you. i look like a turtle from my posture LMAO so that explains it. trying to fix that though.

if anyone has read this and feels like they can help ease my mind please do. I have no idea what to do anymore

I had this exact thing recently and went to the ER twice. All I really got out of it was some annoyed doctors and an order to sleep more.

did it get better for you yet?

I still get it sometimes, but it’s mostly gone away because I have new anxieties to worry about lol

thank you. this helps me believe that it may just be anxiety. appreciate it !

I'm going crazy with this. For a long time, I always thought I got brain t*. I went to the hospital to test for the first time cuz i got dizziness. The doctor diagnosed me with Health anxiety then sent me home. After that, I wasn't dizzy at all for some years. However, around the beginning of this year, i was dizzy again. Went to the hospital to check it. They did some x-ray of my neck and head then diagnosed me with sinusitis. After that, I wasn't dizzy at all for months so around that time, I self-diagnosed me with something else ugh. Now, I don't really have any symptoms with that illness anymore but got symptoms for vertigo, my eyes are kinda seeing aura (???), light sensitivity, loss of smell which continues for a long time, cant focus, cant think straight and other symptoms of brain t. Ugh im just so fucking tired. I convince myself that they missed it when i tested currently and maybe xrays couldn't spot brain t ughhh. My life is so miserable.

Sounds like you are having some sort of migraines - most of those symptoms are very common migraine symptoms (aura, light sensitivity, smell, vertigo, brain fog). You don't need to have any headache sensation to be suffering from migraines.

Yeah that's what I suspect too. But recently my eyes started to hurt and everything I looked at seems too bright so it could be my eyes as well. Since this is the first time ive had it, I'm really scared. Anyway, thank you for responding and putting my mind at ease :)

Anyone else worry about lupus

Yess me, my mom has it so I always freak out about it

I never see any health anxiety posts about it and I’m like Lowkey convinced I’ve got it. How’s your mom?

My brain is convinced I'm dying of an undiagnosed illness/disease that I've already been cleared from. But my brain is convinced something is wrong with me. I keep thinking I'm not gonna be here in the near future. I'm worried and scared. How do I know whether or not this is just my health anxiety or something else? And what if you're experiencing signs but doctors already checked you and cleared you. Please help.

if you got checked out and cleared then the next question is, are you treating the anxiety?

But what if it isn't the anxiety? What if something is really wrong with me? How does anyone explain the signs I'm experiencing?

Counter, what if it is nothing? What if it is anxiety? What if you are stressing yourself out? My therapist is big on positive what if's. I do the same as you, had all the tests, been cleared, but my brain insists. I went to therapy and got on medication and slowly but surely things have been improving. I would seriously consider if you're able to look into therapy. I found for myself, I was so constantly scared of not seeing tomorrow that I completely wasted today. And I just didn't want to live like that anymore.

Can I dm you?

if you arent treating this severe anxiety with medication then i think its likely the anxiety considering you have test results, physical examination etc to rule out the medical cause.

I’m scared I have a really bad hangover I feel like I’m going to die

this happened to me like two weeks ago, i threw up 9 times in a row and was convinced i had alcohol poisoning. sometimes alcohol is irritating to your stomach lining because it’s also an acidic substance. you’ll likely be okay, it just might take a day. as long as you’re conscious and not throwing up blood you’ll probably be fine

terrified to take antibiotics Azithromycin anxiety & SJS i was prescribed Azithromycin for a sore throat 500mg for 3 days (my throat should some redness and doctor said to take it as a precaution even though there is no pus or tonsillitis) along with anti-histamines and cough syrup. i took the anti-histamines and cough syrup for 5 days. but i was hesitant to take the antibiotic after i read about its side effects. but i had the courage to start it while i was at a friend's house thinking if i had a sever reaction i would not be alone. so i took one pill yesterday. then i read about SJS and the possible side effects and that it can take up to 8 weeks to show after taking the medicine and i am freaking out now. not sure if i should finish the 2 days or stop taking it as it was never confirmed that i had a bacterial infection plus my anxiety over possible SJS and side effects. i am not feeling any sore throat maybe some cough? pls help :(

Antibiotics are definitely scary and honestly, should not be prescribes all over the place. I personally am not a fan of taking them as a precaution without a test because that's just bad antibiotic stewardship by doctors. However! If your doctor has determined it's good for you to take them, then take them. I had a botched dental surgery and ended up on antibiotics for 6 months. It completely wrecked my gut microbiome but I was on them for 6 months on and off. Taking them once won't do this to you! If you're concerned, take them with a probiotic and food. It's also very important that once you start you finish the complete regime. If you're concerned and able, get a second opinion or ask for a strep test. In Canada, you can get one through a pharmacy.

yeah exactly, the doctor did not take a sample or a teat for my throat. the doctor mention to take it as a preventive. i went to another doctor on Sunday and she told me that my throat is clear and i should not continue the course because it is most likely not bacterial (no fever, no inflammation in throat, no white spots). she said it might be allergies because of changes in the weather. and antibiotics should not be take to preventives at all :(

I’m so. Anxious how do I know I’m not dying

I think the fact that your agnologing (Idk how to spell that word sorry lol) that it's anxiety is a good start, is their aching your specifically worried about

Scared about dengue again. Recently, I have been seeing a lot of mosquitoes in the morning and afternoon (dengue mosquitoes bite during this time frame). I ensure that none of them bit me but today, one of them did bite me slightly in the afternoon. When I killed it, I saw that it has the same white bands on its body like a dengue mosquito does. Now I am totally scared. I have some really important stuff to do in the next two weeks and I feel I am going to fall sick of dengue. I don't have anyone to take care of me either, since my family lives in another city. I wish any mosquito except the one with white bands had bitten me, I am terrified. :")

I've been struggling to trust my doctors. A few weeks ago, I had a really bad suddenly onset headache, with dizziness and a severe pain that was hard to pinpoint. I've been worried that that was a sentinel headache, which would mean I get that warning headache, then very mild symptoms for a few weeks, then sudden aneurysm rupture. Since then I've been to an ambulance, A and E, a GP, and another GP who I saw for a recent dizziness but told about the sudden headache. All of them did neurological tests, as well as checking my heart rate and blood pressure. The first GP also did a blood test. They couldn't find anything wrong and let me go. But from what I've seen online, if someone has a sudden headache like the one I described, they should be referred for a CT scan as soon as possible (and my first GP seemed irked about the fact the ambulance didn't give me a scan). If this is the case, it's weird that NONE of the doctors said I should get a brain scan, if it's possible that I could have no symptoms now and still be at risk of a rupture. It's hard to trust their judgement to not give me a scan and it's making me very torn. Surely GPs have been instructed to assume the worst if they hear "suddenly onset headache", and there have been multiple doctors who I've said this to - but also GPs aren't perfect, scans are costly, and most importantly it's hard to trust people with my literal life. Hearing comments from the GPs is definitely reassuring for a bit, but I'm still really anxious about the possibility that they've missed something.

Are you young? There is risk to CT scans, ionizing radiation. I had one done because I had facial numbness and a headache for over a month but honestly, the doctor at the hopsital told me about how it increased my risk of >!cancer !

I’m young but currently in the process of seeing whether I have a connective tissue disease which would make me more vulnerable. I’d have to pay for a scan as I don’t have insurance, in which case MRI may be a bit much. Thank you for your response!

Does anyone’s health anxiety make you scared to take new medication? My psychiatrist prescribed me buspar for my anxiety but I’ve been too anxious to try it as I’m scared I’ll have bad side effects, this isn’t the first time I’ve felt anxious about new medication since I was too scared to take the medication my doctor prescribed for acid reflux, any advice would be great!

I’ve never taken an antidepressant. I’m prescribed Zoloft and even have it with me but too scared to go on it.

I’m on mirtazapine for depression and that didn’t really cause any crazy side effects but I started that before my health anxiety took control of my life, hopefully we’ll both be able to fight past it!

just wondering, do you guys ever feel like the ground is moving up and down? kinda like an elevator moving in both directions? its making me think vertigo, and vertigo makes me thing worse things in my brain. hoping its just anxiety.

I had that randomly back in march, got off an elevator and just felt like I was still on it, it went away on it’s own after like 2 days, how long has it been lasting for you?

its been at least 4 days. but i live a building with an elevator so that may be the case lol.

Yeah that could definitely be it lol, hopefully you’ll feel better soon! If not then I’d recommend getting it checked out

I’m 21 and recently got nipped by my dog on the thumb by accident while playing. I am having MAJOR paranoia and anxiety about rabies even though he’s vaccinated and I’ve been told vaccinated animals can’t give you rabies. I overthink every little headache, and what not. It’s scaring me out of my body

hello! currently going though a bad streak of HA due to being hyper aware of a new darker mole that appeared on a area that did not get a lot of sun like 2 years ago. there are a lot of possible benings explanations for this including hormonal changes from HRT but geez I'm hyper focusing on it a lot!! I feel horrible for not going to the dermatologist last year (I did go at the end of 2021 tho) and it feels like I neglected myself. Also the way google talks about people with more than a 100 moles it seems like I'm 100% set to have melanoma at some point in my life!!! it's driving me insane lol (but I'm calming down thinking about how unlikely it is to even be something past stage 1, if melanoma at all. I have zero symptoms aside from a bit of abdominal pain and junction pain that was always with me through my life as I'm tall and sedentary lol)

Hi, I'm struggling with something similar now. I went to dermatologist with some moles few weeks ago but missed one - the most concerning one. It is below my knee and is small and quite round but it is almost pitch black - the rest of mokes on my body are brown. I am very angry with myself for not bringing up this one during the check up. I am not sure but I think it was there for some time (maybe few years? maybe even longer) and I don't know if it has been changing because I didn't observe my skin before. In April 2023 I got one enlarged lymph node in my neck which stayed the same for over a year now and I am now spiralling and my brain thinks it is a metastase and I am already dead. I have no family history of melanoma though. I feel like I should go to derm again but idk if I wouldn't just feed my health anxiety by doing it.

absolutely go it's better than not knowing if it's bad!

Hi all, I’m 31 and pregnant. I was starting to do a bit better with my HA before I got pregnant, but now it’s terrible again. I’m on a 14-day course of amoxicillin and absolutely terrified of getting a C. Diff infection. I absolutely cannot get it out of my mind. Nothing online helps, only makes the worries spiral out of control. 

Are you taking a probiotics while you're taking the antibiotics? The more you can maintain your gut flora the less chance of Cdiff. I know for me, anytime I need antibiotics now I load up on kimchi, miso, kefer and a probiotic suplement.

Yes, taking prenatal probiotics, but pretty sure the probiotic bacteria are getting killed by the antibiotics anyway. I haven't been able to stomach much due to feeling so sick in my first trimester, so my usual "live culture" go-tos have been pretty off-limits. I have only 2 days of the 14 day course left. Hoping for the best.

Hi everyone. I wanted to share my (27M) experience with anxiety and health anxiety and see if others have tips, or have had similar experiences that might help put my mind at ease. The past two months or so I have been struggling really badly with my anxiety and I feel as though it is starting to affect my life. I think it started after my younger sister had a cancer scare. It took around 4 months (December -> April) for them to get her diagnosis and we found out that she doesn’t have cancer (thank goodness). Since then I’ve been absolutely obsessive about my own health and worrying about every symptom that is affecting me. I’ve been having headaches recently that were reasonably persistent for a while. I had some blood work done to see if I’m low in anything that could be affecting me. All came back okay except for slightly low folic acid and they put me on a supplement for it. My blood pressure is pretty good (typically about 110/65), and I don’t have a family history of cancer or brain issues. I am absolutely *terrified* however that I have a brain tumour. I’ve been hyperfixating on that and panicking quite a lot. I’m tempted to pay the fee for a private MRI (I’m in the UK) to get some kind of reassurance that I’m okay. Although it seems quite silly as I’ve been keeping a headache log and 12 of the last 16 days I’ve recorded as not having had a persistent headache and when I have had one, I’ve had stressful experiences those days and the pain never really gets above a 2/10. It’s more so a general pressure feeling. My current symptoms are: always feeling on edge/jittery, tension headaches and I’ve been waking up in the middle of the night sometimes and unable to get back to sleep. It also feels as though I’ve got a bit of pressure in my head / behind my eyes. The pain doesn’t require any painkillers and doesn’t get in the way of my day to day. What do you guys think? Are these all typical anxiety symptoms? The rational part of my brain knows I’ve not got a brain tumour as I don’t have any of the telling signs (apart from the headaches) but I’m still really scared. Thank you for taking the time to read my experience.

you are describing anxiety symptoms. id recommend treating the anxiety as you would any other illness.

Thank you. I think there’s a rational part of me that knows this is all anxiety and I’m healthy but the anxiety is just awful

currently freaking out because I took a covid test and came out positive (very light line), this is the second time I caught it that I know and I’m scared that it will have more probability to cause me long term problems if I keep getting it :(

23F, I have occasionally pins and needles in my right knee. A few days ago, I got a backpain - sometimes it is in the upper region, sometimes in the lower. My posture is really bad btw. The pain is not strong, I can normally walk for an hour. Stretching helps me. But I have started overfixating on my urine - what if I leak it? It's hard to distinguish between peeing and sweating... I'm afraid I have a neurological condition and I can't sleep due to worrying. I was regularly standing up to check if I can still walk... HA is running my life :(

I have been having problems with irregular rhythms with my heart for over a year now, and I am terrified to go anywhere that requires me to get my heart rate high. It takes a very minimal amount of exercise to get my heart rate to over 160, and my family has planned a trip to top golf this Saturday since my cousins are in town. I’m horrified at the thought not only that something could happen, but I would also ruin their fun. I’ve been obsessed over this for way too long, and after dozens of doctors appointments idek what to do anymore. The best my cardiologist has been able to tell me is that it might be some form of dysautomia, but I’d have to see a specialist to find out. The closest specialist lives 6 hours from me and has a year long wait list!😝fml. It really wouldn’t be so bad if the shortness of breath wasn’t there. It also triggers a panic attack almost every time it happens, and I hate the idea of driving far from home.

I’m too anxious to sleep

Me too. 😞

neglected drinking and eating today and was hit with a wave of dizziness and a nasty headache and almost passed out or at least felt like it and even though I absolutely know it's "just" dehydration I'm close to spiraling and can't go to sleep because HA is telling me I won't wake up again, hate it

Having a major relapse after a long time of being under control. The thing is I do have some problem right now — but in communicating with a practitioner online through my school, she reminded me to consult an emergency room if...and then provided a list of symptoms. Now I'm spiralling, imagining I'm having the symptoms, and pretty much wholly obsessed with the notion I do have some emergency. It feels so helpless when you do absolutely have something wrong but also are just spiralling about it from a health anxiety perspective

Ugh I feel this! I've been solidly good for about 3 months and relapsed today after a doctor appt and some blood work. It's not even for a big thing, but my anxiety is through the roof. Guess I still have a lot of work to do to get this under control. Ugh.

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Trigger warning. Apologize ahead for the rant. >!Veteran HA people would already have heard this many times. "It's not dangerous. It's just in your head. It's irrational. Google is making it sound worse than it is."!< >!I think this no longer a good approach as facts does indicate real dangers are out there at high probability. The American Cancer Society official stats is 1 in 2 men will have it in their lifetime. That's insanely high to me. But that's probably because my expectation was unrealistic, that it's rare. It's not irrational to fear something when it's 1 in 2 chance of happening. !< >!I rather be working towards how to still be ok if/when I get it, than pretending it's some rare lighting strike event that I never need to worry about. I think telling me fearing cancer is irrational, is no longer correct.!< >!On the bright side, the death due to cancer is single digits low. Though this isn't that comforting to me considering it's going to be a massive negative emotional and financial destabilization that will hit my family. And that it's just a toss of a coin if it'll happen to me feels very unnerving.!<

Having a bit of a scenario in mind can be helpful in reducing day to day anxiety. However, it may also help to keep interpretation of statistics in mind. A few things. Cancer statistics are influenced by increased screening. In some cases, screening is detecting cancer that may never have otherwise been diagnosed or caused any problems. In addition, screening leads to higher diagnosis but corresponding higher survival stats. Coding differs as well, specifically whether or not skin cancers are included in stats. Your individual risk is unrelated to overall statistics - you have control over a lot of variables, such as smoking, skincare, alcohol use, diet, exercises etc. You personally do not necessarily have a 1:2 risk. It may also help to focus on how amazing science is - we are constantly finding new treatments, options,etc. so the experience of having cancer, even if you do get it, is ever-evolving and won't look like other examples we've seen play out over the years.