Terrified that my chronic itching could be cancer…

[GrahamB8]

Hello there

 

I am a 67 year old male who has been suffering from all over the body itching for 9 weeks now. I also suffer from long standing health anxiety, and have a terrible habit of always imaging the worst outcome in almost every situation. 
 

I have 3 separate appointments at my GP practice, and have tried to explain my fears, but have been sent home on every occasion with little more than suggestions that I try various moisturising creams - one of which was prescribed by my GP - and antihistamine tablets, none of which have worked.

 

One of the doctors set up a series of blood tests, but these were returned as ‘normal’ with no further action being required.

 

My father died of cancer around 25 years ago, and ever since that time I’ve had to deal with terrible fears that I’d eventually suffer a similar fate myself.

 

I’ve had a CT scan 7 years ago over fears that I had cirrhosis as aid been drinking quite heavily at that time,  and then 3 years ago I had further blood tests and an Ultrasound, and once again nothing sinister was found.

 

I had no other symptoms but the itching up to a week or so ago, but since then I’ve noticed a few slight ‘twinges’ around where I think my pancreas would be, and this has only served to amplify my fears to a previously unknown level.

 

Are you able to advise me, please, whether there are many cases of the itching being an opening symptom of Pancreatic cancer, or would some of the other stated symptoms of the disease having come to the fore by now? 
 

I apologise if you in any way consider my anxieties to be silly, but I’ve reached the stage now where I’m losing interesting in almost everything else in life, and my health anxieties are now progressing into full depression in which I’m no longer able to enjoy life in any way, such is the all encompassing level of my fears. 

[Nadia - Support Team]

Hello Graham,

 

Sorry to hear about your anxieties and health issues.

 

Please reach out to our nurses on nurse@pancreaticcancer.org.uk or you can call Freephone 0808 801 0707. 

 

Best wishes.

 

Support Team.