Just putting it out there - I have suffered with health anxiety in the past but I'm so convinced I have something wrong this time.
For a month now I have had left side pain, in my back and stomach between ribs and hip bone. The pain is dull and persistent - not bad. I can continue as normal, working out, running, going to work, etc. It doesn't seem to get better or worse, just stays at around 2/10 in terms of pain. A hot water bottle numbs it. It's worth noting I cannot stop thinking about this pain so I don't know how much is in my head. The other symptoms I have is my stools are yellow and floating and I seem to be going a lot more than normal. My full blood test will come back tomorrow, they are checking liver function, blood count, coeliac disease (which my sister has) and ESR (?) I think that's what it's called anyway.
Other than the pain and my stools, I'm literally fine. Sleeping well, not losing weight and I feel hungrier than ever! No loss of appetite or anything. I'm not jaundiced or itchy, I don't feel sick, can keep food down, good mood except being anxious.
I also realise being a 21 year old vegetarian female (non smoke &a light drinker) who excercises regularly puts me at very low risk. I've looked at stats and only 23 females per year in my age group are diagnosed in the UK annually. All the same I'm so irrationally scared. Do you think I'm just anxious? I know the stomach pain could be just about anything and everything (ovarian cysts have been ruled out) - I'm also aware my yellow stools could be anxiety / coeliac.
What's everyone's thoughts?
Thank you in advance!
Forstår of all im truely sorry to hear about the things you're going trough. But with that bring said, im happy that you posted your concerns. The last three weeks i have been on this forum several times a day hoping to find someone who is going trough the same as me, but with no kick. But now it seems like i have.
Im 22 years old male and since xmas i have suffered with the same issues. Im am also terrified about possible pancreatic cancer. So i know how you feel and im right there with you. I have had a few regular blood test done, but so far nothing has come up remarkable.
- if i may ask, How is the colour of your urine and How is the shape and form of your stools?
Urine is completely normal - I've not noticed a difference and they did a urine test to rule out kidney infection which came back clear.
My stools have been floating and are solid ish but ragged edges that seem to break up in the toilet - toilet water has also been discolored from it at points.
Do you think it's just anxiety for us? I did read anxiety can cause yellow stools because of fight / flight mode and it passing through too quickly as blood is directed to other organs.
I truely hope it is caused by anxiety, but im really seeking some reinsurrance on that before i will be able to relax. I have also read a lot about anxiety, but i have never experienced anxiety in the past and i only started being anxious when my symptoms began, but the body is a weird instrument so who knows.
Can you desribe how your pain is like?
Mine is dull most of the times and almost all day, but sometimes i get a sharp/stabbing pain both in my stomach, side and back. Mostly back just feels achy.
Hiya. My pain is exactly the same as yours 100% word for word. It's reassuring you have the same symptoms - I'm sure a liver function test would show some sort of abnormality from what I've read in the biribulum / liapase (excuse my horrific spelling can't be bothered to find the right word) levels.
I've also been trying to reassure myself in the fact that I'm healthy otherwise. Are you going to return to the doctors? Thanks!
In my latest blood they tested CRP and Bilirubin, which in some cases of problems with the pancreas would be elevated, but not always, which kind a freaks me out. The thing that bugs me the most is that it is so hard to detect and find cancer in the pancreas because the usual bloodwork in many cases doesnt necessarily show anything suspicious and therefore by the time where you finally get a CT scan or another imaginary method it is too late. That really scares me.
The thing is that i initially went to my doctor after 2 weeks and told her all my issues and concern about cancer and she looked at me and said;''mh you are to young to have anything serious, come back if it keeps bothering you''. I went home just to realise over the next few days that the pain increased. Therefore i went back and said that her previous answer wasn't acceptable and i wanted a further investigation. She said ok and reffered me to a gastroscopy 14 days after (which actually is tommorow morning). So tommorow im having a gastroscopy and some more specific bloodwork done.
How about you?
Well I had my ovarian ultrasound which came back clear - I went back and she started speaking about IBS etc as they do. I explained I was concerned as I don't generally suffer with stomach pain which is when she sent me for bloods. Results should be in tomorrow afternoon - so I will ring and leave an update. If they come back clear (including coeliac) I will be returning. My problem is I am leaving to travel Asia for 10 months on 20th Feb and realistically want to solve it by then but with the NHS waiting times for tests and referrals I'm not holding out much hope. My parents aren't concerned but said they would be willing to pay for private investigation in a couple of weeks if I'm still concerned. I'm hoping I can wake up one day and the pain goes. Because it's in such a broad area I suppose it could be a number of different things. Have you read up on diverticulitis at all?
Bloods came back completely normal. Another doctors appointment Tuesday next week.
Anxiety coming and going... seem to be getting new symptoms now of lower back pain and acid reflux which is making me panic. I know if I got it aged 21 it would be so unlikely it's untrue!
Im glad to hear that your bloodwork came back normal. Thats always a good sign. Dont worry too much about the fact that the pain is spreading. Mine has also spread to all over my back both lower and upper.
I had my gastroscopy done yesterday, btw. the most uncomfortable thing i have ever tried. i was litterally gurgling in my own vomit seven minutes in a row. Anyhow, they didnt fint anything in my stomach og colon, but i actually wasnt really worried about that, because my concerns are my pancreas. That concern got even bigger when they told me that some om my liver levels were slightly increased. But im hoping to schedule an ultrasound of my abdomen as soon as possible.
Sorry to hear the gatroscopy didn't go well, I can't imagine it was pleasant! Just some more reassurance - in the age group 20-39, only 23 males get diagnosed per year, and most of them are around the 35+ mark.
The more I've been reading, the more I realise it could be anything in the endocrine system. Potentially problems with gallstones? Or like I said before, anxiety could be an issue. Where are you going from here?
I to am scared I have pancreatic cancer. It has consumed my life. My symptoms are as yours but come and go. I have normal stools and blood test came back normal I had a CT scan on my gallbladder and that was normal. I don't know what to think anymore I'm terrified 24/7
Hi Wayne, I'm sorry to hear you feel anxious. Please believe when I say I understand where you are coming from and have been / am still there myself.
As time goes on I try to focus on getting my anxiety under control before even thinking of my symptoms.
All I will say is pancreatic cancer is a extremely rare in anyone under 50 really. Most people who get it have no idea there's anything wrong until they turn yellow, and yes, some experience stomach pain but it is usually onset suddenly, randomly, quite severe and doesn't leave you.
Recently I have come to the conclusion that most of life will unfold in accordance with forces far outside your control, regardless of what your mind says about it. I believe genuinely and whole heartedly that our symptoms are being played out by our minds. Yes, there may be a slight pain, a niggle, a tension but our mind creates it into something so much worse.
You have had a CT scan too! The best possible thing to look for pancreatic cancer! I'm still on blood work &I under the diagnosis of IBS.
Your body is smarter than you give it credit for & I'm certain if you really did have anything the symptoms would be far worse. Weight loss, fatigue, prone to infection, lack of appetite, bruising, severe pain, jaundice. All we have is a mild ache in a place where the pancreas happens to be. I genuinely wouldn't even be worried if this pain was anywhere else in my body. Google is not my friend.
Hope this helps and all the best.
Lucy
Hi Lucy. I too am a 21 year old female in the same boat. I have had terrible health anxiety for a number of years now, and for this past year it's been revolving around pancreatic cancer. It has ruined my life. The fear and worry is more than I can handle and sometimes I wish I never existed in the first place. Sorry for throwing a pity party here. It's just hard to feel so powerless and out of control and to never have a single day go by without obsessing over dying a painful and horrible death soon.
I have also been having nagging pains like yours, and some random bouts of diarrhea. I wish you all the best with your health.
Luna I am sorry to hear about your anxiety. It's difficult to cope with, particularly when people get fed up of reassuring you!
Just an idea... I visited a chiropractor on Monday. She was very helpful, reassuring and I opened up about my health anxiety. She took down my whole medical history and then had a look at my back. She said I was very tense which can cause so many symptoms and gave me an adjustment (no bone cracking, just very subtle movements) - since then (touch wood) I have been almost pain free in my tummy. I also feel a lot less anxious - she used to be a nurse and was able to reassure me. Maybe worth a try for you as well?
Good luck xxx
Hi Lucy98147,
I hope your pain has subsided some or you have gotten answers to your medical questions. Although pancreatic cancer is quite scary and hard to diagnose … I would like to believe your body would show symptoms first. Your liver enzymes would be extremely elevated, you would be losing weight and as the cancer progresses you would develop jaundice. If they did a complete blood panel, then it would show something. You might just have IBS or you may have chronic pancreatitis, however your blood work would show something if your pancreas wasn't working correctly. I have atrophy of my pancreas … I've been suffering horrible upper left abdominal and mid back pain for the past eight months. I've had multiple tests, all of which came back normal until I had a CT Enterography. That type of CT shows everything. I'm currently waiting to see my GI specialist to find out why I have atrophy of my pancreas. I can tell you, I've lost a lot of weight, my skin does itch, I'm constantly nauseous, I get bloated after I eat … I have some symptoms of "cancer" according to the Internet, however I also have some symptoms of chronic pancreatitis. I can choose to let what I read take over my life or I can choose to live my life. I have many medical conditions and have been bedridden for the past two years. One thing I have learned is to be grateful for what you have while you have it. I no longer stress on the things I cannot control. I look for the positive in the negative. Anxiety can be very hard to overcome but it can also create symptoms. I truly hope the doctors are able to figure out your pain.
Hey Lucy. I'm 24 years old and I have been dealing with health anxiety aswell for some years now. I aswell fear pancreatic cancer, I've had very similar symptoms as you've been having. Slight discomfort in stomach and I noticed that my stools were floating aswell. Colour is normal though, but it sometimes looks a little greasy/fatty. Skin is normal, eyes normal, appitite normal and I haven't been throwing up.
I had a blood test and my doctor told me my Lipase levels were just slightly increased (very, very, very small increase, not even close to the "three times higher than normal" rate people talk about when they look for pancreatic cancer. I'm having an ultrasound next monday to check on my pancreas, really crossing my fingers (and biting my fingernails aswell!) I'm still very scared tho.
Do you guys think it's likely to be somekind of a tumour in the pancreas or a pancreatitis? Are they both life threatening?
Best wishes,
One pretty scared guy!
I had an ultrasound done back in October of 2016 but they didn't detect the atrophy of my pancreas because apparently I had gas obstructing the view. I have read when your stool floats that means you have gas in your stool … therefore the ultrasound may not show the pancreas that good. When you have pancreas issues and you eat high fat foods your stool will be greasy/oily. You can have chronic pancreatitis and not know it for many years. However I would keep track of your blood work. I had elevated liver enzymes and my doctors never checked into it and now I have atrophy of my pancreas which means irreversible degeneration of the pancreas. I'm not a drinker and I'm not obese. I've lost 38 pounds (I'm only 5 feet talk so that's a lot of weight for me) it hurts to eat solid foods, I have pain that radiates to my back, I'm constantly nauseous, my skin itches and some days I do vomit and now I have horrible acid reflux and bloating. I don't allow the symptoms to ruin my day because the stress only makes the pain worse. I find that staying on a liquid diet for a couple days and staying hydrated helps with the pain. If your ultrasound comes back normal I suggest you ask for a CT scan because I had blood work, regular endoscopy and ultrasound all come back normal until the CT Enterography. I hope you start to feel better soon. Best wishes to you!
Hi Lucy
Can't believe I have only just seen this thread after so long of researching into my symptoms and they match yours completely! Just wondering if you have been given any answers yet? It's so frustrating not knowing!
Thankyou!