Terrified I have a blood clot/PE

[Maxin503]

For the past three weeks ever since having an excruciating pain in my left calf and subsequent chest tightness/pain/trouble breathing I’ve been having serious anxiety about having a blood clot/pulmonary embolism. I know I have severe health anxiety and a major fear of death, but the symptoms feel so real and are scaring me so bad I can’t tell if it’s all in my head or not. I’m a 17 year old female, and I know this kind of stuff is more rare for younger people but I’ve read so many stories of kids my age and younger developing blood clots and PE and it’s sent me into a tail spin. I don’t really have a lot of risk factors other than I will admit I am very sedentary and spend most of my time sitting down or laying in bed, which is why I’m so scared of this because sedentary lifestyles pose such a great risk for blood clots. I’ve been having leg pains and aches and just weird feelings there for the past three weeks that come and go and move all over my left leg from my shin to my calf to my thigh, but it’s mostly centered around the back left side of my calf. I’ve also been having a weird bubbling and rippling feeling in my left calf that I can’t explain and is scaring me. The reason I’m so scared of a PE is because of these odd leg symptoms but also the chest pain I’ve been experiencing, sharp and mostly in the center of my chest, and bouts of chest tightness and trouble breathing especially when I get up and do things, plus I am very very dizzy all of the time no matter how much I drink. I’ve begged my parents multiple times to take me to the doctor/ER since this started but they tell me it’s all anxiety and in my head and have refused to take me anywhere every time. I am supposed to have a well check up sometime soon, but they haven’t called my mom back and I don’t know when it’ll be so I’m stuck here waiting. I really just want to go somewhere so I can make sure everything is okay, because you can never truly know until you get checked out, but no one will take me no matter how bad or scary the symptoms get and it’s already been so long since they started, I’m so scared of something serious happening that everyone just passes off as anxiety or dropping dead randomly, I don’t know what to do.

 

[RobbyH]

I seriously doubt that you have either because if you had a PE and it started three weeks ago, you would know it by now - there would be no doubt. I have dealt with anxiety for 30 years - chest tightness is VERY common symptoms. Do some deep breathing exercises adn that will help a lot.

 

[randd]

Please know that the feelings in the calf are very normal. Our bodies are always getting some sort of feeling that we turn into a symptom and subsequently into a disease... I agree with the last post also, anxiety will cause trouble breathing along with a bunch of other symptoms---not one of which will hurt us. Try and relax..youtube has many meditations; or just write, or work out, or play a game on your phone--A hard game that takes focus. I understand how you feel I have dealt with health anxiety for a long time. And right now I need to take my own advice ...good luck. relax..