Does anyone come to this forum, look up a symptom they are having, read about some terrible diagnosis (as a result of someone else having the same symptoms), and become scared to death that they have the same fate?!

This morning's example of just that......I have been having a lot of tingling in my fingers, and some shooting pains as well (in my fingers), I go to the Pain and Join Forum. Someone had written about their mother that had the same symptoms and was diagnosed with Scleroderma. Immediately my mind went there, began shaking, anxiety, palps, etc., convinced that is what I have. It can't be anything less tramatic, it has to be Scleroderma and know that I will be calling my dr today regarding that!

I had been experiencing pain in my eye, looked that one up on the Forum and someone who was experiencing the same thing, was diagnosed with MS. Well, I thought for sure I had that as well, had an MRI of my brain, all is good for now (physically of the brain, that is!).

Of course heart palps can be the worst, looking those up can be very unnerving! I've self-diagnosed myself with everything from Atrial Fib, to a heart attack!

I am so sick and tired of myself!!! I am tired of driving myself crazy and everyone else around me. My husband asked me why I keep doing this to myself? I told him one of these days I will come back with a horrible diagnosis, it's just a matter of time! I can't always be the one that escapes these dreaded diseases, my time will come soon enough!

Does anyone else do this to themselves? It's so self-destructive, I just don't know how to stop.........
Karen

I was just going to post something along the lines of your post. At times I skip on by many posts just because I don't really want more information for me to deal with!

I want to know when you stop thinking that every ache/pain/symptom is going to make you feel like you are dying? I'm post now and there are times when I want to just get on with life and not worry so much.

That's exactly it! Every new symptom has me convinced that I am going to die a horrible death. That's the key....how do you quit the worrying and go on with life? Maybe someone will post the answer to that

I am doing exactly the same thing. Every day it seems like I have a new symptom. And each time I think it is a sign something horrible is wrong with me. Maybe this is just all part of the big MENO picture. I just want it to be over. I do the same thing with my heart palps. I have even been to the ER with them. They always tell me I am fine. But when do they end? I wish I had the answer for you. But believe me, I am feeling exactly the same way. I just want to go on with my life and quit worrying every single day. I have talked to women on here who have been through this for a while and they assure me it will get better. Try and have a good day. Patsy

Me too Karen

I stopped googling anything and as Tela said I also skip posts on here (which isn,t very kind of me) but am very suggestable to anything.
I only have to hear someone mention anything and can feel my stomach going into a nervous spasm and my brain starts...

Yes it,s awful, I wish I knew how to stop also

KathS

Hey,
I do the same thing. I know I make alot of my anxiety attacks worse because of all the focus I put on the sympton I'm having at that time. I just cant seem to stop. I really wish I had an answer for you. Maybe we can find some answers together.

hugs to you,
Daisy

Yes, yes and yes!! We have been in a heat wave...and I have been painting a lot. I ended up with a very sore back, chest & arms....then got a touch of heat stroke with the upset stomach. I fully convinced myself I was having a heart attack!! I resisted the urge to run to the ER, and whew, good thing. I was fine!!

This is why I keep saying that everything under the Sun is NOT hormones. Letting Mother Nature play a part in what
happens to your body and your life is what I believe God would want.

You know those studies - where they yell at one room of plants, and talk nice to the other room full.
One room full withers, the other flourishes. Not Sci-Fi, This is part of the nature of the Universe, and Quantum Physics.
It is provable.

Same goes for when someone says "just joking/you can't take a joke", or "you don't get my humor" after making fun of you,
which is different by far to laughing **with you when YOU are laughing. If it is only funny to the teller, it is not humor to the other -
and to then insult them on top of that is harmful to them, the scientific studies on your immune system show that.

A Very wise woman told me once - Just think about something else,
and when you can't,
DO something else - it rewires the brain..... :-D

XXOO
HUGS,
Mary Beth

oh yes these are my self diagnosis diseases of the month, - lung cancer ( really was a cold ) brain clot ( just a head ache ) scitzophenia (mood swings ) and many more that im too embarrassed to mention... oy vey

Don't do it!It's so much better to come here.There is a horrible disease for every symptom in peri I'm sure.If it gets worse and is persistant over a long period of time then see a doctor,but if I looked up every symptom I've had I'd be terrified most of the time.But if I wait what I worried about last week [or month]is usually something else the next.Make sure you have a good Multi Vitamin[low B12 or iron can cause tingling and numbness in hands and feet]I've had it come and go.If I look it up I put Peri/meno too and I feel better.Take cre Lumz

Great advise!!!!

And I would also like to add, use the Power of Suggestion to your advantage. With all the books I have been reading, (keeping your mind busy is a very very good thing), I have been reading how the mind is very very powerful. I have read many books like the Power of Now, The Secret, and now I am reading Your Best Life Ever (which is actually probably my favorite thus far for it fits more w/my Christian belief), but all of these books have shown to me how truly powerful our minds our. I am starting to honestly and truly believe, we become what we fear the most.

So put positive thoughts in yourself, by reading great positive books, even the Bible says a man becomes what he thinks. I am now to the point that any time a negative thought comes into my mind, if I can, I grab my book or my Bible and read positive passages to push my mind past holding onto these negative thoughts and emotions. Is it a quick and easy cure, no, but I now look at this way, one more minute of me not worrying about what might be wrong w/me, but believing in God, and believing in the power of my own thoughts, I try immediately to cast those thoughts out... If I am watching something, aka the news, and it brings a negative emotion, I immediately change the channel. And when I can not "change the channel in my own mind" I come here....

Yes the power of suggestion is very very strong, why do you think advertisers use it all the time. So make a decision to put more and more good stuff in, and the more good stuff in the less room for all that negative stuff....

Becca,

Do you ever look up Bible passages on line, or the Good Book only?

Mary Beth

Thank you all for your replies, and MaryBeth, I do understand what you're saying. It makes perfect sense, however; I can not see it or understand it that way. All I know is that I have the symptoms of MS or Scleroderma and nobody is taking me seriously! I need to be proatctive, I know my body better then anyone! If I'm not going to be an Advocate for myself, who will be?!!!

I'm having the Scleroderma test done today at the lab. I'm also set-up for an OTC scan of my eyes, to check for MS. The pain and tingling in my fingers, the weakness in my legs and arms, this can't all be contributed to hormones!

I've read and heard of too many stories where symptoms were chalked-up to Peri/Meno and turns out it was wrong! I know I'm probably taking this too far, but I would rather be safe then sorry! Not to mention, what we pay for medical insurance ($12,000/yr), it better start working for us!!!

Hugs,
Karen

Oh its horrible isn't it? I had hormonal inbalance for nearly all my adult life-estrogen dominance and I reckon that's what caused my hypochondria. After I had my surgical menopause the hypochondria stopped.
Interestingly- recently I have been trying a small estrogen replacement and I notice the hypochondria returning. I was watching Farrah's story the other day-it's just been screened in UK- and I was beside myself. Not only was I devastated at the film, I started thinking about cancer and what a ghastly way to die. I just feel so sensitive in every way with estrogen-mentally and physically. I had forgotten how my stomache could turn inside out!
Actually, I had endometrial cancer nearly four years ago which I self diagnosed by googling. I know we are advised to keep away but in my case it saved my life.
I am not sure if that is what I should be saying on this thread as you ladies are all into health anxiety but sometimes there can be a positive outcome from googling because I caught my cancer super-early and I have now had the all clear.

Anyway I can definitely say from my experience that hormonal inbalance in peri is dreadful for health anxiety but that it does go after menopause.

Karen-I think you are doing the right thing by getting yourself checked out. Sometimes we should go with our gut. That is what I did when I thought I had cancer and I was right.

Hopefully your tests will come out negative but it is better to be safe than sorry.

Good luck

janet c

Peri/menopause is difficult to deal with without the added burden of health anxiety. If you have symptoms for more than two weeks and they dont go away, go and see your doctor. Diagnostic procedures will rule out any underlying disease or other medical conditions and will give you peace of mind.

Hope you feel better soon, Karen.

(((hugs))

If you feel strongly about this it's better to get the tests than go online and read all the worst case outcomes.Many women on this site do and most of the time come back normal.But let us know the results and try not to own the disease until your sure you have it. Good Luck Lumz

Karen I do it all the time!
Like my mind always need some kind of weird symptom to dwell on.

My old psychiatrist told me she was doing the same thing. Patients came in with serious illness and she would start to have symptoms. She told me her Mother had a horrid menopause and since she was 45 it was hitting her hard. Do you know she left her private not long after me that and went to back to teaching. Menopause craziness?

Karen when I was 33 I had thyroid cancer, I never worried about dying I never thought of the cancer returning.
Fast forward 18 yrs and after many clear scans- ultrasounds later on the neck area, just this past week the right side of my neck has been hurting, feel swollen and now I’m worried!
I don’t know to laugh or cried! OR CALL THE DOCTOR!

I had almost everything test under the sun! I even had nerve and muscle testing> I still wonder if I don’t have MS! Heart pap you know about (stress test) MRI, what else? Adrenal testing (3hr one), a 3 hrs glucose test, colonscopy-upper gi, Brain MRI-Kidney MRI- Lung scan- sleep study- X-RAYS of almost every bone in my body! AND blood work > I have had gallons drawn! >>>>SHALL I GO ON?

I actually stopped going much to the doctor> MISTAKE you think?
Looking forward to moving and finding a new doctor and starting over> hate to admit that!!!!!
But I want to feel better! NORMAL!

janet c , I saw Farrah Fawcett's documentary too> so sad! I had never heard of anal cancer> I google!

Guess when your feeling bad you just won't answers> your so afraid to heard a doctor say> oh if we had only it found it sooner!

Read hypochondria's live longer because they have things check out so diseases are found early!

Karen,
I am feeling you girl, my health insurance for my family just went up to $1300.00 a month and we still have a deductable that adds anothe $2000.00. If it gives you peace of mind then do it. Just know that some new ache or pain will come up and drive us crazy. I have a rash on my left palm and right arch of my foot, you can't imagine what I have come up with. Went to the dermatalagist and she said "it is a rash" I knew that, but why !!!!
Take care and let us know how the test are.
Glenda

Hey Mary Beth, sorry didn't respond earlier, was out of town... The Good Book only... I have a favorite that I had that is just worn from cover to cover, with highlights, tags, notes, you name it....

But that is probably a good idea though, never thought about doing it online. I just usually have my ole trusty Bible not to far from me...

Blessings on ya...

Hi Becca,

Yes - I have so many copies - I love the Pink one a friend gave me. And a Small Black one.
In fact, I just realized that all the ones I have were given by friends.
I also read it on line where I can search by one word.
I love that, too.
I hear you about highlights, notes, worn pages and corners and covers.

Mary Beth

Karen,
How are your test results ?
I am having left shoulder pain and arm pain and jaw pain and wondering if I should go to the Dr !!!They have done a heart cath and said everything is ok but there is that, " what if thing". Being so far post I can't blame my stuff on menopause !!!
Take care and let us know how it goes.
Glenda