Health Anxiety & Bronchitis

[44Max44]

Hi guys,

A short backstory: For the past month I've been on several different sets of antibiotics for several different things, which has really been stressing me out. The main one I've been worried about is bronchitis, which all started when I coughed up some grey/black phlegm which I knew wasn't right, I've been on 2 sets of antibiotics for it already.

Which brings me to this point. I'm still noticing little bits of black phlegm here and there even after all these antibiotics. I'm trying my hardest to convince myself that it's probably just remnants of the infection and that it'll probably clear up soon and the doctor even said it should clear up within a week, but I'm still stressing over it almost constantly. I'm coughing on purpose every so often just to check if there's any black phlegm, and 99% of the time there isn't but then I'll cough up a tiny bit and get thrown right back into the loop. There have been at least 4 times in the past few weeks where I've gone "I'm finally getting better!" only to see more black phlegm and get worried again.

The thought that keeps popping up in my head is "what if it's lung cancer?" because I stupidly googled the symptoms, and of course one of the things that popped up about black phlegm is that it could be a sign of lung cancer. I smoked weed pretty often for around two years or so but stopped smoking it a few weeks before the black phlegm popped up and haven't touched it since, so now I'm worried sick that maybe the smoking has lead to lung cancer. I'm regretting ever smoking anything at all and am pretty confident that even if it ends up just being bronchitis I will never smoke again or at the very least very very occasionally.
On my last visit to the doctors, they also took my pulse and my blood pressure, both of which they said were high, which has got me worrying about that stuff too which isn't helping.

I've had Health Anxiety for over a year now, but this time it's different. Before I'd have imagined symptoms that I couldn't actually see, but this time with the black phlegm I can actually see the symptom, which stresses me out even more.

If there is anyone with any knowledge of bronchitis (nurses, doctors, people who have had bronchitis before) and could shed some light on what might be happening or maybe share similar experiences they've had, that could really help me out. I think at this point I'll wait maybe 1 or 2 more days and if I still see black phlegm I'll go in for the chest x-ray.

Thankyou

[Guest_9462]

Please excuse the wrong spelling..this here is really bad for over correcting and wrong spelling...I've had really serious lung infections myself..hope all goes well for you.

[Guest_9462]

Sure Max...i had multiple blood clots in my lung seven years ago with pneumonia..that cause lung nodules and further lung infections..but thats all cleared up now..so, i know about lung problems...if you can try pool aerobics, i know that helps with lung problems.

[44Max44]

I've decided I'm going to go in for the chest x-ray tomorrow even though I'm on more antibiotics. This time around I'm going to try and go into as much detail with the doctor as I can about what's been happening, ask questions about what might be happening, and ask for the chest x-ray even if they don't think it's necessary.
Even if it just ends up being dust in my phlegm, at least I'll know and can stop going on the antibiotics. If it ends up being something worse, at least I stopped putting it off and can actually get something done about it.

I'll post back with updates once it's all said and done.

[Guest_9462]

Good Max, my sister passed away with small cell lung cancer...early signs where coughing up dark phlegm..etc..but she was a heavy smoker she lasted only a year at 45 yo..a mother of 4 kids too..it's probably not for you but I just wouldn't feel right ignoring what you've said ..you'll be fine.

[44Max44]

I'm so sorry to hear about your sister, that's awful. Cancer is so cruel.

~
I went in for the x-ray today. The doctor was pretty adamant that it was probably nothing or maybe allergies causing it and was actually laughing quite a lot about the whole situation which I didn't exactly appreciate because of how worried I was but it did help ease my mind in hindsight, because if he's laughing about it, it must not be that serious (at least in his mind). He also claims that people 'my age (20)' just don't get lung cancer, which I didn't exactly believe but maybe he's right. Maybe this whole time it has been allergies that I never knew about causing this.
Regardless, I asked for the x-ray and had it done, and I get the results back tomorrow. The next 24 hours are probably going to be the longest in my life, and I am going to be so damn nervous tomorrow, but if everything comes back clean I can finally close this chapter of my life and get on with things.

I guess this whole experience (assuming it's nothing serious) could be seen as positive in a way because it's scared me off of smoking and I highly doubt that I'll get back into it after all of this. It just isn't worth it anymore in my mind.

[monkey_magic]

Hi 44Max44,

That doctor sounds insensitive. Coughing up black phlegm in my opinion should be taken seriously and he should have the decency not to laugh considering how worried you were.

I would be worried too if I were in your situation. I too dont agree that people in their 20's dont get lung cancer. It would be rare though and probably unlikely. I hope I'm not adding to your worries. It's just an opinion and I'm no doctor.

Hope you can find things to distract yourself with and good luck for tomorrow.

All the best, take care

MM

[44Max44]

Yeah, I definitely don't like that doctor at all and he seems really insensitive. I've been worrying so much about this stuff and he seems to put it off like he already knows without a doubt that it's nothing to worry about even though I've had no tests done until today.

The problem is I always just ask for the 'next available doctor' so it's luck of the draw whether or not I get one I like or not. I would ask for specific doctors but that usually means I have to book appointments or wait a very long time, and I usually just want to get whatever I'm worried about checked ASAP.

Thanks for the good luck, I feel like I need as much of that as I can get right now.

[monkey_magic]

Hi again 44Max44,

I used to do the same- see the next available doc until I found one I can relate to and trust. It's easy to book him as I do it online.

It takes these scares to change unhealthy habits for most of us.

Ive smoked pot here and there and smoked here and there so I'm just as guilty.

My mum has a lung condition ( never smoked) and ppl get lung cancer that don't even smoke. It's the luck of the draw sometimes.

MM

[44Max44]

I know I can book for my local GP online too, I've just never done it so I'm not really sure how to do it.
I might have to figure out how to do it and start booking appointments with only the doctors I trust, which at the moment is only really two or three of them at my GP out of over a dozen.
The doctor I saw today could see me within 5 minutes of me sitting down, so my guess is that other people don't really like him that much either and I can definitely see why they might feel that way.

In other news today has been the first day in over a month where I've actually been productive. I went down and got my haircut which I desperately needed, I listed some stuff to sell online (how I get most of my money), and I reconnected with my best mate and went for a bike ride with him after way too long of not seeing him.
The bike ride was actually pretty intense, but there was no coughing or sore throat or anything like that for me which gives me hope and confidence that the x-ray will come back clean.

Alright, I'll post back with results tomorrow, or maybe not. I guess it depends on how it turns out.

Thanks for all the replies, they've helped out a lot.

[Ukgirl]

Hi I too suffer from health anxiety and have had respiratory bronchitis for 5 weeks coughing up yellow and grey phlegm Had two lots of antibiotics coughed up a little red blood in sputum and freaked Saw Gp and he assured me if it was lung cancer i would be coughing lots of black blood I am thinking maybe you have a virus as so much around at the moment I am still checking constantly Do hope you feel better soon