u/Aromatic-Fan-5891

Since a teenager I have suffered with health anxiety - it would come and go.

For a few years now (I’m 54 ) I have been in distress every day, mental worries about certain symptoms and daily compulsions to check for lumps and bumps on skin. Checking stool etc etc.

Even when doctors have told me I’m okay, I wake up and think, well something might of changed over night. It’s daily and it’s never ending.

My brain tells me, “just check one last time, just in case you’ve missed something”
Does this sound familiar to anyone?

Can anyone relate to daily catastrophising?

The slightest new sensation, whatever you want to call it, if it’s in one of my ‘areas’ that I observe, my mind just goes into overdrive.

I’m so fed up with this, why do I always think the worst.

In fact my question is, do any of you feel really alone with HA?

I’ve got to the stage of not being able to even talk to my family about all this. It’s been going on way too long and I don’t want to wind them up!

Thanks

Hi there - any of you suffer with insomnia while on Sertraline and did it get better? Or is it still there?

I really need this drug to work and I’m only on day 9 (50mg) and my sleep is dreadful and therefore waking up with bad anxiety, like high cortisol feeling along with the tiredness.

Thanks so much!

I’m a week in on this for my HA and would just love to hear any positive stories if you have taken this particular SSRI. Thank you 🙏

I’ve been on Prozac for 6months in total and 3 weeks on 40mg.

GP wants me to stop the 40mg and go without anything (wash out period) for 5 days and then start my 50mg of Sertraline.

Is that a bit abrupt just stopping the 40 Prozac?
Was really hoping for a direct switch - feel scared to do the change now 😵‍💫any advice? Thanks i

So I was on Citalopram for a year at the highest dose.

Now been on Fluoxetine for 6months, went up to 60mg of this one and gave that high dose 8 week, no help. So now back on 40mg.

I don’t think I can rest until in try one more and then call it a day.

But I’m wondering if maybe my problem can’t be solved…. I’m always looking in the mirror comparing sides, intrusive thoughts about abnormalities, feeling around for things. I’m beginning to think I can’t be helped.

I want to come off Prozac, I’m on 40mg and really need to change asap and wondered if there is an option to finish Prozac one day and start sertraline the next?

I’m currently on Prozac 40mg and have been for six months. Next week (under my docs instructions) I will go down to 20mg for a couple of weeks.

Have any of you been on Prozac and changed to Zoloft? Just curious at this stage what the process is.. could I stop 20mg of Prozac one day and start say 25mg Zoloft the next? Thanks

Hi ladies,

If any of you have the time to read my post I would be very grateful.

Here goes….

54 Female - I know I need to get myself on some type of list to be assessed, in the meantime…. Because I’m pretty desperate to understand why I’m feeling like i do wonder if… to you guys this sounds like OCD?

Constantly worrying about certain areas of my body. Ive suffered with bad health anxiety for years, however the last 2 years have been debilitating affecting my daily life. Causing me to not want to socialise, go on holiday etc etc.

I have about 5 areas of my body that I fixate on.

Any sensation/lump/bump/blemish even an itch will draw my attention to that area. I then start feeling around in that area for abnormalities, looking in the mirror many times a day. I worry about cancer mainly.

It’s a strong compulsion to check over an over again. The sad thing is, if I think I’ve felt something, like really felt an abnormality, I have this absolutely stomach churning urge to get it checked immediately and I can’t focus on anything else until I know I’m okay.

Even if I’ve had said area checked by a pharmacist or my GP and told it’s all okay, I still keep feeling around. My brain tells me to check one more time in case THIS TIME there is something there.

I’m living on the edge albeit I’m a busy lady, working etc. I always have time to ruminate.

I’m on Fluoxetine/Prozac 60mg, although it has helped with general mood, it hasn’t stopped the awful thoughts and feeling around.

Thanks for reading x

If you don’t mind me asking, what dosage helped you?

I’m constantly body checking. Feeling around for lumps etc. Spiralling frequently.

When I find an abnormality my reaction is insane, panic mode to say the least.

So far I’ve tried Citalopram and now on 60mg of Prozac/Fluoxetine and I really don’t think it’s doing much. But do any of them?

Maybe it’s me that needs to do the work, and boy I have tried 🥹

Can anyone relate to this?

Its like an addiction/OCD.

I’ve been told by several GP’s everything in this particular area feels ‘normal’ BUT….. because I still feel sensations in this area, my attention is still fixed on it and still causing me to touch just to make sure there’s nothing going on that might need attention.

This has been the case for over a year now.

I’m asking for some words of wisdom please from somebody who has managed to overcome this checking/scanning a certain part of their bod? Comparing sides etc.

I’m going on holiday soon and I don’t want my HA to wreck it. It’s been years since I’ve been away.

The area I’m talking about causes sensations most days and I’ve had it checked many many times but my brain will not accept that I’m okay. I think it’s because I haven’t been given a definitive answer as to what’s causing it. Could be hormonal, could be muscular. All I know is, they say it feels normal.

I’ve had this sensation for over a year now. So if it was anything sinister, I would have had other issues pop up. That’s my logical brain talking. But 90% if the time I’m living in fear even though I’ve been told everything feels fine in that area.

Just upped Prozac from 40mg to 60mg a week ago.
Tried therapy, no help.
Thanks in advance

Any of you find that 200mg has helped with anxiety and low mood?

I’ve recently upped from 100 to 200 and hoping for some good feedback. I appreciate it can make a lot of ladies feel depressed.

Im also on 2 pumps of Gel every morning. Thanks

From time to time this comes along, like when I have tender breasts, like it radiates to my arm pits? No swelling or anything. Feels swollen but isn’t swollen if that makes sense. Anyone else?

Recent mammo and ultrasound all good. Many docs have checked my armpits and everything is normal in that area.

Hello ladies

Anybody out there get tender armpits from tender breasts? It’s not painful or anything and doesn’t really bother me as such, just wanted to see if others get this.?

Recent mammo and ultrasound all normal. Also been examined by a breast consultant and she says is due to menopause/HRT? In fact two breast consultants have checked me over and said I’m fine.

I have a habit that is destroying my life and that is body checking.

Just to give you an example I had a follow up ENT appt recently due to something benign in the back of my throat….. a small tonsil stone/cyst.

She said everything looks fine (not concerning) and I can just leave it alone if that suits me. Everything else looks normal in that area and I’m fine to come back in 6 months to check the benign cyst.

Here’s the thing….. when I got home I noticed something else in the same sort of area that was only a small white spot and it sent me off on a spiral again! Did she it, is she a reliable ENT?

What I’m saying is, I’m now doubting the specialists. And I’m a trusting person, I don’t want to go looking for problems but I just can’t help it.

I’m getting to the stage where I think I need to stop looking full stop. Because every time I go nosing around I find something that scares me.

Been on 40mg for months and was feeling ok.

Doctor changed my capsules to 1 40mg per day and I thought they were still 20’s so I was taking x 2 totalling 80 🙃 This was the case for about 6 days.

I wonder why I felt so bad, I was thinking they weren’t helping me anymore as I felt awfully down and anxious. Anyone else been through this?

Thanks