HCV

[jcblandino84]

Hello I am a dentist from brazil. I have always been a bit of a hypochondriac.  Since I was a Kid I had people wash the pates in front of me to avoid getting cholera, then with the H1n1 pandemic I took my temperature every 30 minutes to make sure i wasnt with fever... sometimes i felt symptoms... but then again.. this is my story.... I recently had a patient with HCV in my office... first time a patient tells me they have a blood borne pathogen..... I did not have a needle stick or blood splatter... but ever since that day I have been very anxious, trying to see if I have pains in the liver area... pressing on my liver area and in my right side of the chest..... I viisted my physician and he said im stressed out because I move to spain in 3 months to specialize and I also have many issues... he put me on Rivotril.... I keep on feeling pain in my legs. and that gets me freaked out as it is a symptom of hcv.. and i am scared of getting HCV testing.. I did a complete blood count, everything was in order, and I did a Globular sedimentation velocity, ordered by my physician.. everything was good.... I dont know... do people with anxiety actually feel symptoms.... or am I just going crazy>???

[jcblandino84]

Thank you for your comment nursegirl. I know, I think its just so much things are going on with me moving, that adds up extra stress.  As I told you I am currently on Clonazepam.... to reduce my anxiety, I did visit a psychiatrist, and he told me to live day a day... not to think so much of tomorrow.... all your help is great because sometimes I need someone to talk to, and this makes me feel physically better. thank you

[nursegirl6572]

As you've already discovered, anxiety can be debilitating.  You don't have any illness, certainly not from the pt you describe, you had no exposure!  You're a medical professional, you KNOW how transmission for different diseases occur!

You need to seek help from a mental health professional who can help you formulate a treatment plan to get past this.  With your profession, there simply IS no other option, or you will torture yourself all the time, going from one disease to another.  And, just judging from your description of taking your temp every 30 min while fearing h1n1...I'd say that your obssessive thoughts are quite severe, b/c you have let them go for so long without trying to get them under control.

You absolutely can overcome this with some professional help and some work and patience on your part!  Hang in there!

[jcblandino84]

I know, you know sometimes I wake up in the middle of the night, with pain in my legs... it freaks me out, THERE IS NOT ONE SINGLE DAY I DONT THINK OF THE DISEASE!.... ive gotten to the point of checking the color of my poop every time I go.... yet im afraid to test myself..... it is mind disturbing.

[whitecat78]

Yes, what you are describing sounds like ocd and anxiety.  You are obsessing over a disease so that causes anxiety.  I have the same problem, I obsess over things until it drains my energy. Anxiety causes all kinds horrible symptoms.  You need to learn to stop obsessing and it would go away.