Hi all I have noticed over the last few weeks I have become a terrible hypochondriac; literally worry about every ache, pain, bruise ....... has anyone else developed this ?
Kate x
Only nearly every woman on this forum. Including me. But mine is better now. Not completely, but better.
Me. I was always a worrier about health. The last two years, I have been through so many screenings and not because of me going in to complain about an ache, and three biopsies and it left me a wreck. I have very bad health anxiety. A backache is kidneys, etc...I do meditation and mindfulness. It helps a bit, but when I have to do any test, even blood, I freak out.
Have it everyday of my life ! Right now I am scared of possibility having breast cancer , leukemia , and vaginal infection I have ocd of health issues and am trying lexapro
Hi Kate
Oh yes!! It isn't new for me, I've had it for about 15 years but I've always been hormonally challenged 
it's still a working progress to unpick it tbh, so the sooner you can find a way to manage it and keep it in perspective the better. Health anxiety has a habit of sticking around. Bhrt has helped with anxiety, but the best I've found is any kind of cardio exercise, yoga and mindful. Xx
Oh yes, but mine was last year. Better now with that part ...1000 tests later and on AD. I come on here now, no more looking stuff up! 😊
My health anxiety is through the roof!! I have been having a lot of lower back and bilateral hip pain and I’m so freaked out and worried about it!! I am so anxious of going to the doctors!! Sorry you are going through this!! Your not alone xo
Oh yes! That Was the very first symptom last year I drove my has been absolutely insane… And of course me! I had a lot of test done at that point when it was really bad… I’ll came back fine but I still worry about something daily and it rotates as to what it is. I’ve learned through this forum that I am not alone and that helps a lot. Hang in there and do not Google everything LOL I promise you that makes it worse.
That’s what I’m on...hope it helps you! I’m still on the fence about it...does help with the worrying and crying though!
Dear Kate
Unfortunately it is one of the many menopausal symptoms, I am three years post menopause, I had health anxiety terrible, I had gastitis which inturn made me lose weight and appetite which kick started the health anxiety which in turn escalated it to other anxieties (the weight loss made my bones in certain parts protrude) not much but in my eyes without realising it, I thought they were lumps and bumps and I obsessed about them, this is how menopause affects the mind. Ihad other symptoms too but glad to say I am better now (touch wood!) I might still have the odd flush and sleep patterns can be good then I will still have a bout of waking in the night. I didn't take anything, just some good vitamins x
Hi Kate - welcome to the club..... Yes this has been a comment feature of the change for me but my anxiety has settled as I know its part of the course. Its all very frightening to begin with but this forum has been a wonderful place for many women to come and share. God bless ladies in the past that were sent to asylums for this!
Hang tight. you ain't alone
CK
I started having health anxiety last year when all my other peri symptoms started going wacko. It was at an all time frenzy last July-November when I'd decide several times per week I had something that was going to put me in an early grave! I rarely went to doctors before last July. I was never sick, always busy and had no reason. I have lost count, but I think I've been to 15-20 dr appointments in the last 13 months! Out of all those appointments- the only things found were a frozen shoulder and I had a small basal cell carcinoma removed. I decided enough was enough and just decided to stop going to the dr. I made it through June and July not seeing any doctor but ended up going just yesterday because my anxiety had gotten to a point where I was " moving around like a zombie" according to my husband! My illness de jour was a white mass I found behind my tonsil. I found it a couple months ago. Kept a eye on it. It never went away. My throat started with a warm sensation as well. I zeroed in on that and googled ( I know, I know!!) and was convinced it was a tumor! Of course, I was too scared to actually go to the dr to have the actual diagnosis, so I just kept worrying about it daily! Last week, my husband finally said just go in and get it looked at! I knew I was becoming withdrawn and "zombie like" because of it, so I went in yesterday. I was so scared! I made my husband go with me! I even made him go in the exam room with me! My bp was high ( I don't have high bp normally) and my pulse was through the roof at 114 bpm. The nurse was all up on me as to why I was so anxious. I'm thinking, " because you're about to tell me I've got cancer!" Ugh!! Turns out it is tonsillitis... 😑 When I told her I've had it for several months she tell me it's chronic tonsillitis and if it bothers me too much or becomes a problem eating, painful, etc that we can remove my tonsils. I was happy for about 2 hrs. Then I looked up tonsillectomy after ago 50...😑😷😑😷 now I'm upset that I might have to get that done and endure the recovery! Even the dr was saying we don't want to go that route unless we absolutely must as it's a rough recovery for my age. So now I'm hyper aware of my tonsil! The warm sensation and the fact that I have a "chronic" condition. Husband has moved on and thinks it's no big deal. I want to punch him. So here I am, once again, trying to climb off the health anxiety ledge I dwell on far too often! The pathetic part of this is my brother has terminal cancer and I feel awful acting like such an ass over every little twinge when he is truly very ill and in a lot of pain. I don't ever mention my issues- since I don't really have any other than being a peri psycho - but I feel upset with myself for being like I am when I'm really fine and I know my brother would do anything to be healthy like me. I can't wait for this part of my life to be done!!
Wow Audra, my health anxiety issues started Jul-Nov 2017 too! Same ever other day either at drs or hospital. After hundreds of tests, I only have BPPV (inner ear vertigo) and of course anxiety. I just got over strep throat recently...never had it before. Also, I seem to get frequent sore throats. I THOUGHT I had tonsillitis...yes, a tonsillectomy at this age is a sucky recovery. I’m so sorry about your brother 🙏
I’ve not really had that and right now I’m just so pathetic don’t care ..... but I do worry about my family my money my cat ... constant worry it’s becone a job ! I wake up worried as I just got divorced and wonder what’s going to happen with my new life ?
My mom told me to put the worry on a back burner right now but it’s tough to do that ...
You sound like me ! Except all my fears are happening suddenly ! Anemia I convinced myself is due to cancer! They found cells in breast that means I am higher risk but not tons hire and not genetic so I check my breasts 20-30 times a day ! I am out of control
I did all the tests too . Ended up at emergency one day at the beginning as I thought ‘this can’t be normal’ . All healthy so now I know exactly what it is hormones ! Coupled with depression fatigue anxiety.
The mental health is the most important for us ladies right now ... the meno takes over your mind your being .
Thank you Lou. Sometimes I think since my brother is so ill and going to die it makes me even more fearful of the same thing happening to me! Isn't that selfish... but it's the truth. My dad died right before my brother got diagnosed. His death was a long drawn out painful process ( 26 months) and that has added to my fear of illness as well. I really hate aging. It scares me!
Today is my dads birthday and so I'm feeling sad and just wish things were different. Dad still here and healthy, brother not dying and my mom not lonely without my dad. And of course, wishing I still felt like I did prior to all this peri crap! I know tomorrow will be better but today I'm going to wallow in my sorrows and cry and isolate myself from everyone and be selfish. Today is awful. Tomorrow will be better.
I I’ve been diagnosed with OCD of health anxiety and it sucks
It's just awful, isn't it! I have had so many blood tests run! I've even paid for private ones as my GP couldn't order that many with no reason! I have dissected every test and tried to come up with reasons why I started feeling dreadful all of a sudden! I've been iron deficient and very low in range B-12. Like you, what's the root cause of them being low? ..... cancer? Pernicious anemia? Big time stuff! I made my Dr order more tests! Nothing ever found! He even congratulated me for being so healthy and fit! HA!! Ahhhh.... I'm sure he thinks I'm just plain ol crazy hypochondriac!
Hi Kate health anxiety is my worst symptom of perimenopause, I have had so many tests and drs appointments, I convince myself I have a terrible illness at least 1x per day it goes from one thing to another in the space of 10 mins x