Bowel / colon cancer fear

Hi all, it’s been a while since I’ve posted on here but i have thankfully been getting better with my Health OCD and haven’t felt the need to come on here, however I’ve fallen back into the trap and can’t even function without panicking and worrying at the minute! I was very stressed a few weeks ago over life scenarios when I started seeing a lot of signs and symptoms of colon cancer in young people on social media, I didn’t think too much of it. However of course a few days later I start having the symptoms! Sore stomachs, constipation etc. I have been so worried, I went to my doctor and got constipation medication for a week which I took but since stopping I have the same symptoms and more and I am worried so much everyday I’ve been hyper aware of my bowel movements! I have even been trying to force myself to go when I feel like I don’t really need to which in turn has caused haemorrhoids and some blood, which has made me even more anxious!! (Note: my partner actually thinks I’m going to the bathroom a normal amount and am not even really constipated anymore but I’m convinced I am) I feel like I’m going crazy and no one seems to think my worries are rational - can OCD/ anxiety impact your bowel movements and stomach? I’ve never really had this and I’m petrified of it, I hope someone else has had this scenario before and has came out the other side (edited)

777Q

Date posted: 15w

Personally I find me testing my stool at home once a year with a home kit , that I buy online , results and testing all done at home to be worthwhile from a physical wellness vantage point.

Obsessive_mind

Date posted: 15w

I’ve been dealing with almost the same thing. I started getting gut symptoms and I would google it and then be convinced I had an infection, parasites, cancer, thyroid issues, diabetes, you name it I was thinking it. I felt the symptoms of nausea, feeling full and hungry at the same time, diarrhea, constipation, dizzy spells and the like. You’re not alone in it. I did lab work and test and everything came out normal and now knowing that, my symptoms have stopped. According to the internet yes our anxiety can most definitely affect our digestion symptoms or our gut health. They are tied together. Our brain can make our bodies hyper sensitive and hyper aware of every little thing. Your brain is telling your body that it’s in danger it’s sending chemicals to your body to fight “something”. Get what you need to get done for a peace of mind but if you find that you are normal and healthy then maybe it’s time to consider coming to terms with your mental health and what that means you need to start doing for better mental health. (Diet, therapy, meditation, medication, etc)

Anonymous💌

Date posted: 15w

I had this exact same thing/fear with health ocd a few years ago, I have celiac disease but I knew something about my symptoms was different it actually turned out because of my anxiety/stress I had anxiety induced IBS which is common but obviously with the ocd I had the exact same fear of omg it’s cancer or it’s an infection, see a doctor if it’s bothering you (I bet it’s nothing though) but my mind actually made me have toilet anxiety where I was more afraid of going because I always anticipated something bad happening when I went to the toilet and a new ‘symptom’ would appear, everything you’ve said in your post is exactly what I had during my health OCD episode with the same bowel problems you’ve mentioned.

ChaoticCatte...

Date posted: 24w

Contamination/health OCD struggles

Recently, I’ve been struggling a ton with what I eat/put into my body? I’m a first year college student with a few different health issues (including IBS), and lately it’s been hard for me to find food on campus that doesn’t upset my stomach. I also have pretty severe emetophobia, and feel extremely anxious when I feel sick. The ironic thing is that being anxious makes me feel even worse, so I end up sticking myself in an impossible loophole. My OCD has taken hold of these fears over the past few months, and it’s been such a struggle. Especially since people have been getting food poisoning from various dining halls on my campus lately. My OCD has gotten so bad that sometimes I’m too afraid to eat food other than what I buy myself. I feel so trapped. I don’t want my OCD to affect my physical health or prevent me from eating, bc I love eating!! It’s the fear of getting sick that’s the problem. And it’s even harder when everything is so unfamiliar. Just wondering if anyone could relate. Advice is appreciated!

erinp05

Date posted: 12w

Somatic OCD relapse- peeing/bladder

Hi I’m new to this group. I’ve had ocd and very bad anxiety disorder since I was a kid and only got progressively worse as I grew up. I’m 26 now. I had some somatic/sensorimotor ocd while growing up and feeling or worrying about health concerns that aren’t actually there… anyway about 5 weeks ago I randomly started feeling like I had to go pee all the time? I don’t have any pain or anything just the horrible constant feeling like I need to go pee. I’ve gotten checked for a uti multiple times. My pcp suspects it could be being exacerbated by the anxiety because it’s so distressing to me it’s almost all I think about. My ocd has convinced myself that I now have some chronic bladder problem. I notice it’s not as bad at night when I’m relaxed (thanks to medication) and about to fall asleep. I just am so scared that it’s never going to go away and I’m going to have to deal with this for the rest of my life and I can’t do that…. Was just wondering if anyone else ever dealt with this symptom? I know our brains are powerful but sometimes it just feels so real. 😣😣

suzie90

Date posted: 7w

Health OCD/anxiety stomach cancer fears

Hi, I have been under extreme stress since about March this year, and from that started suffering from very bad health anxiety which has caused panic attacks etc. I’m in the middle of a spiral right now though because I am certain I have stomach cancer. I am 31 and female. Last week I had a very good few days anxiety wise and almost felt like myself. But on Sunday morning I woke up having to rush to the bathroom (TMI sorry) and felt very nauseous. I am emetophobic so this scared me too. Since then I have been having bad stomach cramps, had to rush to the toilet once a day, and some nausea. I have no appetite at all (last week I had a very good appetite but this week I am having to force myself to eat). I am thinking about my symptoms constantly which I think might be making them worse. I have had a bowel screening done which was clear so no blood, and a calprotectin which was very slightly raised at 53, but my GP said she wasn’t concerned about it but would refer me for further testing if I wanted. So I do have more tests booked but not for some months yet. I’m just really scared because of the stomach cramps, nausea, and having to rush to the bathroom once a day for five days now. I have also had bad acid reflux but that only tends to happen when I have taken propranolol. I also have IBS so maybe my anxiety has flared it up but I’m not convinced. I’m just so scared to the point I can’t leave the house and I have been lay in bed for five days thinking about my symptoms and that I could have stomach cancer. I have also been referred for CBT in the near future to help deal with this, but I’m scared that I’m brushing something off as anxiety and giving time for the illness to spread. I just feel constantly scared. I thought I’d had a breakthrough last week but this has just hit me like a tonne of bricks. Has anyone else dealt with anything like this? I just want to feel okay again I am freaking out so bad

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Bowel / colon cancer fear

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