Yes absolutely! It's like an anti-placebo effect.
Phantom pregnancy is the most common one and for those who convince themselves enough, their hormones will start to behave as if they're pregnant and physical signs will occur.
Perimenopause causes higher stress hormones due to the hormonal volatility so any anxiety becomes magnified.
I'm attempting to desensitise myself to all of the research I've spent full time daily on for a month.
I avoid anything that may lead me down the road of the health issue that scared thr bejesus out of me.
I'm also reducing the progesterone I've been using as I had no oestrogen to balance with it as well as starting Oestrogel and 10 days on Vagifem to address any early VA.
I've had a very good pelvic floor examination done by a lady I head hunted and my pudendal nerve was checked for entrapment. Normally if the nerve is irritated or trapped, pushing down on the nerve in the pelvis will cause tingling, pain or something, I felt nothing after she tried three times..
There are no other trigger points found upon examination and my pelvis is not hypertonic or slack nor was my pelvis misaligned.
This had a huge impact on my anxiety once told there was no pudendal nerve entrapment. I was confused but relieved with a touch of doubt.
It does not appear to get worse when sitting which is classic for pudendal nerve issues, if there is any pattern it tends to happen late afternoon early evening regardless of the daily activity. It never as yet appears when I'm in bed at night or asleep nor do I wake up with it.
My anxiety is 80% better but I'm still hyper aware of my body and still nervous of the symptoms appearing. The symptoms alternate from vaginal pain to sensations of arousal whivh could be in or out and anywhere within those areas.
Pain to my lower back and hypersensitive or restless type feelings to spine, buttocks and legs. It presents as restless leg syndrome or more skin related such as sensitive to clothing brushing against the skin.
It would appear the severity of symptoms seems to be slowly declining and I'm wondering if that is due to my reducing anxiety as I've come to accept the symptoms are there whether I like it or not. It does appear to be morphing into more pain than arousal. But not severe pain just mild stabbing inside or outside of the vagina.
I am aware of a hand full of women here on these forums who had the same symptoms (arousal outside the context of desire) some very acute, that either went away with time or once they got on HRT or balanced their oestrogen from it being very low as mine is.
Yesterday was the first day since this nightmare started that I had almost no arousal and only pain with no skin or restless leg back issue.
If I do indeed come through this it will forever change me bc I have never had health anxiety to this extent in my life, I've had “scares†and even had cancer but never in my life has anxiety over a health related issue taken hold of me like this has. I think bc it's such a horrible torturous disorder with no cure or treatment and very little understanding by the medical establishment in general.
I'm glad I never started taking nerve drugs which was what I begged the doctor for on my first visit.
I've been refered to a gynaecologist with s request to scan my lower spine for cysts. Once that's been ruled out then I guess I'll be at peace totally and can accept fully this is one of many strange and uncommon symptoms of declining hormones.
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Topic: Health Anxiety - can you MAKE symptoms happen? (Read 6114 times)