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Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
bob@dr-bob.orgShown: posts 1 to 6 of 6. This is the beginning of the thread.
Posted by Rigby on April 6, 2005, at 16:48:25
I would be so curious to get other people's opinions on this.
I took a spill running maybe two months ago. I had to get a tooth repaired--not a huge deal *but* it triggered me. I was super, super anxious. I was also increasingly sensitive physically with this tooth and in pain but kept attributing this to my psychological triggering.
This was going on for **weeks** up until last Friday when the pain was pounding so bad I had to go to the dentist for an emergency root canal.
Now I'm just concerned that I can't tell what's anxiety and what's real physical pain *except* at maybe the more extreme levels. This, of course, makes me anxious and feeling like I can't trust myself to gauge the difference.
Does anyone have any experience with this? It's like am I hypochondriac? Or the oppposite: do I write everything off to anxiety and am I not in proper contact with my body?
*Any* insight would be really appreciated.
Rigby
Posted by mair on April 6, 2005, at 19:56:08
In reply to Pain/Anxiety/Trusting Yourself, posted by Rigby on April 6, 2005, at 16:48:25
I raised this with an internist once during the course of an annual physical. I was describing some things that i thought might be physical problems and I told her, a little defensively, that they could also just be symptoms of depression. Her response was so validating - something like we have to look at each of them carefully to make sure that we know whether they depression related or not. This was so much better that just passing off everything to your mental illness.
I think because our illnesses have trigger physical sensations, it's tough to sort through things and our tendency is probably to worry that we're just being hypochondriacal. And i'm sure that there are plenty of docs who encourage the notion that we're making too much of something.
I don't have great insight. I think you're better off checking things out and just explaining to the doctor that while you know it might just be anxiety, it is very painful and you want to make sure it's not something more organic.
Teeth are particularly tough. I spent 10 months one year going through the gamut of antibiotic treatments, CT scans (2), allergy testing and an appointment with a neurologist to treat severe facial pain that turned out to be a bad tooth. I had had some teeth xrays shortly before the pain started and the dentist never called me up to tell me the results. I assumed the xrays came out ok, and I went into every appointment with various doctors after that telling them off the bat that I knew it wasn't a tooth problem. My dentist's refusal to take any responsibility for a true traumatic ordeal still steams me.
mair
Posted by Rigby on April 7, 2005, at 12:06:18
In reply to Re: Pain/Anxiety/Trusting Yourself » Rigby, posted by mair on April 6, 2005, at 19:56:08
Hi Mair,
Thanks so much for your note. I guess when it's severe I "get it" but the more minor pain I sometimes wonder about. Most of the time it's been nothing--I'm crazy healthy but sometimes, like this one, turns out the sensitivity *was* something and eventually blossomed into an infection. I guess there was nothing I could have done anyway until the infection clearly presented itself as such. And I did call the dentist once to get some flouride stuff and then again went in to get things checked (neither time had we concluded infection.)
Did your x-rays confirm a tooth problem? I'm so sorry to hear what you went through.
Right now I've basically got like zero pain (no pressure, no sensitivity, no throbbing) but at times I focus alot on maybe a teeeeny tiny bit of inflammation--I strongly believe there's no infection due to the procedure and Penicillun but my gosh I'm so touchy. And incredibly insecure.
I sure hope this feeling on edge goes away.
Rigby
> I raised this with an internist once during the course of an annual physical. I was describing some things that i thought might be physical problems and I told her, a little defensively, that they could also just be symptoms of depression. Her response was so validating - something like we have to look at each of them carefully to make sure that we know whether they depression related or not. This was so much better that just passing off everything to your mental illness.
>
> I think because our illnesses have trigger physical sensations, it's tough to sort through things and our tendency is probably to worry that we're just being hypochondriacal. And i'm sure that there are plenty of docs who encourage the notion that we're making too much of something.
>
> I don't have great insight. I think you're better off checking things out and just explaining to the doctor that while you know it might just be anxiety, it is very painful and you want to make sure it's not something more organic.
>
> Teeth are particularly tough. I spent 10 months one year going through the gamut of antibiotic treatments, CT scans (2), allergy testing and an appointment with a neurologist to treat severe facial pain that turned out to be a bad tooth. I had had some teeth xrays shortly before the pain started and the dentist never called me up to tell me the results. I assumed the xrays came out ok, and I went into every appointment with various doctors after that telling them off the bat that I knew it wasn't a tooth problem. My dentist's refusal to take any responsibility for a true traumatic ordeal still steams me.
>
> mair
Posted by daisym on April 8, 2005, at 0:12:07
In reply to Pain/Anxiety/Trusting Yourself, posted by Rigby on April 6, 2005, at 16:48:25
It is hard to sort out the two, isn't it? My son gets really bad stomach aches when he is anxious. He tends to think he is sick, or ate something, and he discounts the anxiety. When I point out that "possibly" this or that could be making him anxious, he usually agrees and then works on the anxiety. If the anxiety doesn't go down, then we work on the stomach ache.
I think if you determine that your anxiety is under control and you feel sick or hurt, then you should go see the MD. Too many times are serious conditions chalked up to depression or anxiety. Better to rule out things first, I think.
And...anxiety *CAN* make you sick. So it might be both. Now there is a cheery thought, isn't it?
sorry...I hope you feel better soon.
Posted by Rigby on April 8, 2005, at 19:19:53
In reply to Re: Pain/Anxiety/Trusting Yourself » Rigby, posted by daisym on April 8, 2005, at 0:12:07
Thanks Daisy. It *is* difficult to sort things out. I do know that, finally, I feel no anxiety and no pain. At least I've got *that* right. I wish it would last forever! In the meantime, plenty of sleep and lots of food!
> It is hard to sort out the two, isn't it? My son gets really bad stomach aches when he is anxious. He tends to think he is sick, or ate something, and he discounts the anxiety. When I point out that "possibly" this or that could be making him anxious, he usually agrees and then works on the anxiety. If the anxiety doesn't go down, then we work on the stomach ache.
>
> I think if you determine that your anxiety is under control and you feel sick or hurt, then you should go see the MD. Too many times are serious conditions chalked up to depression or anxiety. Better to rule out things first, I think.
>
> And...anxiety *CAN* make you sick. So it might be both. Now there is a cheery thought, isn't it?
>
> sorry...I hope you feel better soon.
>
Posted by daisym on April 8, 2005, at 19:39:08
In reply to Re: Pain/Anxiety/Trusting Yourself » daisym, posted by Rigby on April 8, 2005, at 19:19:53
This is the end of the thread.
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