Hi all
Hope everyone is as well as can be. I have a few issues which I wanted to see if anybody else has experienced.
First of all I suffer quite badly with health anxiety and have done since I was diagnosed almost 2 years ago. i seem to be able to ‘forget’ that I have MS and blame all my symptoms on cancer of some description. I have ‘had’ in my head ovarian cancer, liver cancer etc etc. I have had an abdo scan and blood tests etc but nothing has showed up. My latest worry is that I have stomach cancer or throat cancer. I am only 29 with two young children and spend all day worrying that I may die.
Anyway for the past couple of months I get a metallic taste in my mouth daily and on a coup;le of ocassions I have actually spat blood out. My Dr. seems to think the blood could be my gums although a recent dentist visit did not point to gum problems. I do however suffer at the moment from indigestion and acid reflux. Also diarreah (sp) and nausea. Also have quite a few tummy upsets where I am sick for a couple of days. I have been given meds for the acid reflux which don’t seem to help at all.
I think many of my problems may be down to anxiety but can anybody else relate to any of these issues. I would really like to know what is going on in my stomach but Dr. is reluctant to do this due to my age and the fact that I am not anaemic. Also probably because they know I am so anxious.
Trouble is this is worry is taking over my life and my family are suffering because of it. I am on anti Depressants but they don’t seem to help very much.
Does anybody else experience any of these things as a result of MS? I felt fine before I was diagnosed and only ever went to the dr. once every few months for a prescription of the pill!
Any opionions or comments would be very much appreciated.
Sarah x
Dear Sarah,if you post a comprehensive list of the pills+potions you induldge in, I feel sure that the assembled throng will give you the benefit of their experience
Wb x
Thanks for your reply.
Yes sorry I forgot about that bit. I’m on Rebif injection 3 times a week and have been since last November. I was on Sertraline for anxiety but came off of it about a month ago. Have just started it again today and I was put on a Proton Pump Inhibotor(PPI) to reduce the amount of acid in my stomach but this just caused me to have more IBS Symptoms and indigestion. I havfe also been given domperidine for indigestion. I take evening primrose oil and vits D and B. Think that is all.
Hi there, I think a lot of your problems are definitely anxiety related. I’ve been diagnosed approx 2 hrs and still not quite grasped it all, still need beta blockers for anxiety and to prevent panic, still imagine every ache n pain is either ms progression related or down to something even more sinister, however they seem to subside when you stop worrying excessively about them. Am hoping that I’m finally adjusting to living with ms now and can honestly say that I see a light at the end of the tunnel. I can highly recommend CBT it helps so much with the psychological side of health anxiety and I do believe time is needed to heal or improve to a coping level. It also gives you a coping strategy for when you have anxiety blips in the future. A lot of symptoms that are put down to ms can definitely be caused by anxiety, it’s an equally wicked curse!! I hope you very soon become more emotionally confident and start to control your health anxiety, it’s a major hurdle but when you’re over it you feel hopeful again. This is my latest example: - for last year or so have been convinced something seriously wrong with my throat/nose/sinus , choking, coughing, catarrh, lump, irritation, acid, burning, tightness, feel like can’t swallow, wake up panicky, . Lately realise it’s always worse when fatigued or anxious/stressed. Accept that I may never know if it’s ms or anxiety that’s the cause or if there’s permanent damage or if it might eventually just disappear! Main thing is that either way, I’ve already learned to live with it, it’s stopping affecting my life as such and the less I fret the less I notice it. Hope I’ve been of some help to you. PM me if you want to talk further anytime. I wish you the very best of luck and a speedy recovery from the curse of anxiety, it’s terrible.
Thank you for your thoughts. I have dug myself in to a big hole and I am constantly thinking I have stomach cancer. I have constant indigestion and I can’t concentrate on anything other than that.
I did do a course of talking therapy which was done with a workbook and fortnightly conversations with a therapist. this seemed to work for a very short time. Just wish I could give the MS more of my thoughts as that is what is actually wrong with me!!
Sarah