Please help me!! I am so confused!

L

Libbles1233

New member
About three times now in four years I have gone to the doctors with stomach pains, which have changed in how regular they are and how much they hurt. The first time, she said it was IBS so I tried a lactose-free diet, which didn't help. The second and third time they said it was pulled muscle, so even though it has come since my last visit I have started to ignore it as best I can, for the simple reason I am paranoid of what the doctors will begin to think. I felt stupid when doctor number three said "You came awhile back with the same problem?".

But now that I have got more problems aside from the pain I am still worried about going to the doctors. :(

The problems this time are that my chest keeps feeling tight, I have dizzy spells when sitting and last week I got chest pains too.

Am I totally insane for being scared of going to see the doctor because of what they might think???
 
:blob_fire Go to your doc right away. Chest pain and dizziness associated with a history of stomach trouble might be from a bleeding ulcer.

I've never known a doctor who took chest pains lightly. (although they can be terribly sexist, there's an old saying, "men have symptoms, women have complaints" :p you'd think in this day and age those stupid prejudices would be gone by now) If you don't like the doctor your seeing, find another one if you can.
 
When she said I had IBS, my nurse told me to avoid all foods containing lactose.:confused:


But I will just make the appointment. I figure it's better to miss one day of college to go there rather than miss weeks because it was something serious.:)


Is it a good idea to write down all symptoms I have noticed?
 
Ulcer?! That doesn't sound good....

The fact that the symptoms for ulcers have matched up with my symptoms almost perfectly scares me now!!!:eek::eek::eek::eek::eek:

I would still be too nervous (almost ashamed) to make the appointment, because I am afraid the doctors are thinking "hypochondriac alert!"

Jeez I am stupid aren't I!
 
Hopefully you've gone to see the doctor by now. But in case you haven't, yes... it is always a good idea to write down your symptoms and any questions that you have before going in to see the doctor. We often forget to ask important questions because we're distracted or nervous.
 
No, you're not stupid to be nervous... but you need to do it. Just go to the appointment and tell them what's up. It's better to know than not to know (especially if it's something treatable).

Also- not sure what your connection between IBS and a lactose-free diet is. Most people with IBS are not lactose intolerant.
 
Yeah, it's not stupid at all. Doctor-anxiety is very common. My dad had what they call "white coat syndrome" - he had normal blood pressure till he saw the doctor's white coat - they his bp skyrocketed!:p
 
Take a friend with you. Preferably someone with experience with the health care system. If that's not possible find someone not too old, not too young, give them a notepad, tell the doctor they are family. Tell the physician that you are nervous and that they are there to make sure you get the information down correctly. This will force the health provider to treat you more seriously and give you better information and possibly order more tests.
 
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