the reason you can't just let it go is because it's irrational fear. this needs to be dealt with from a cognitive standpoint. i would get a good cbt book that is specifically for hypochondriacs or find a good cbt therapist if you can afford it. you need to change the way you think and it is certainly possible. however just knowing that you're safe is not enough because once the new anxious thought pops up, you are fueled by anxiety and you can't be all that rational while you're anxious. the lack of a danger does not equal the lack of fear.

i agree with iloverabbits. She is correct. You need therapy in order to learn how to deal with this. I wonder why your doc hasn't given you that advice ( you did tell them this I'm assuming). If not, they may be able to refer you to a therapist. Only thing doc can do for now is give you meds to help the anxiety for now.

@iloverabbits- your so right. But i feel as if this fear is stronger than i am, do you recommend any cbt books?

@julski- i am terrified of meds. The reason i am like thisbis becauae of a med. I took reglan after i had ky baby and it gave me severe anxiety! To the point that i was scared to be alone. Ir was aweful. I have told my dr. But he prescribed me a pill that was an anti seizure pill!!

I know the feeling it is like a continuous cycle. One would think that we would be happy to hear that everything is okay especially after rigourous testing, but no people with HA are not like this. We have to create new problems. In the last week I have diagnosed myself with throat cancer and Tuberculosis. The crazy part is that I know this are irrational thoughts but I cannot control them. The Tuberculosis scare was by far one of my craziest manifestations because I just happened to cough after my cleaning my husbands cut that was bleeding. I apparently did not was my hands well enough or rubbed up against his hand with my thumb. Of course I coughed and swore that it was my blood. It took a while for my husband to talk me down from that one. Once I return to the states, I am planning on looking into a good cbt therapist because I think that I am in this for the long haul and want to find ways to improve my life without going off the deep end every few weeks. It will be okay. I understand what you mean about medication as that is a route I have tried and failed at. So I am looking into other options as well. If you find any good books let me know as I will be interested.

Anxiety is actually very treatable. Anxious people may suffer for a veery long time but that's only because not many of us get the help we we'd. Quite simply what is happening with you is you're feeling discomfort (I.e. Anxiety) and you are responding as though it's fear. Thats what makes the cycle persist. By desensitizing through cbt, you begin to react to the anxiety as discomfort and that takes the fear away eventually and you can reclaim your life. I don't know any good hypochondria cbt books but i have a favorite cbt book called "panic attacks workbook" by dr. Carbonell. It teaches you how to develop your own cbt plan. I got it on amazon.com for $12. I recommend you do some googling and find a good cbt book for what you're specifically dealing with and make sure to read reviews.

brytif01,
LOL, that reminds me of a simiar incident i had last month!

I woke up in the middle of the night felt like i had to cough and there was blood in my spit. Naturally, I freaked out! I was thinking oh no, blood from my lungs?? I kept trying to bring up saliva to try to figure out where the blood was comming fom. Then I figured, no it's not my lungs because I'm breathing well.

Then I thought, oh no, it's from my digestive tract, i probably have a really bad ulcer that ate through the stomach/esophagus wall lining, and now i'm bleeding inside. On top of that thinking, I had been feeling more drained of late, which of course fueled my panic ofthinking i was bleeding to death slowly internally and no one will catch it untill after i'm dead.

I woke up mom and she said it may just be your gums bleeding....so i drank some water, and took some antacid(just in case) and the bleeding stopped and I calmed down and went back to sleep.

Every once in a while at night my gums will bleed, I may be grinding my teeth. But I don't worry about it anymore cuz all I have to do is drink water and it stops and i go back to sleep.

Amazing how something so small can turn into a big irrational mess! The mind and the body never ceases to amaze me! :D

I just found this board today and so many people's stories are beyond familiar!! I do the symptom thing and the 'what-if's a lot too. Sending you hugs! Hang in there.