If a hypochondriac thought that they could have a variety if stds because of a big increase in vaginal discharge can that person actually make themselves have symptoms of herpes, syphillis, HIV, chlamydia, gonorrhea, etc. especially after obssessively looking on information about all kinds of stds? Or could they really be having symptoms from the actual diseases? your help is very much appreciated.

Conversion disorder: a psychiatric disorder where a person has physical symptoms but no medical explaination. Secondary gains are present, usually the person needs to get attention or check out of life for a bit due to stress.
In the hospital, I see pts with conversion d/o frequently, usually with stroke symptoms. Hysterical pregnancy is possible to. I'm not sure why you would want to have symptoms of an infection, but it is possible.
"medical student's disease" is another one, a form of hypochindria, where excessively looking up diagnoses and seeing pts with then makes you think you have it too. Common with GI problems.
Basically a little bit of knowledge can be dangerous. the body is designed to run and maintains itself pretty well.
If you're concerned about something, go get tested.

Yes. Hypochondria can make a person go crazy, and after a while symptoms can actually appear!
Also remember cyberchondria – hypochondria induced by obsessive web searches. Unfortunately looking online for information about a disease can have us all convinced that we have cancer. In most cases a web search escalates fears and does more damage than good.

Here is a helpful article about Cyberchondria. myvoice.mygofer.com/mission_possi…

Hopefully you don't obsess over your ailments. Stay off the internet!

Here is my link of a question…

answers.yahoo.com/question/index;_ylt=AvPpx27uy6BnP70aFPXcBXDsy6IX;_ylv=3?qid=20110103081501AAx3Ind

People have even said I am worrying too much, and I actually have(don't know if I still do I got to the doctor today to see if it's still in me) Chlamydia… I have done the post a lot and one girl even said I should stop posting it. One guy said that he felt bad for my bf and that I was sick and that's what I get, so, I don't know… I am STILL worried, but if you read my post tell me what you think…

I recently had a colonoscopy and this is what they found. it wasn't fun. I also have a gallbladder with a "0" percentage refraction(?), a heital hernia, acid reflux and a hyperactive small bowel. I am a slender, young, attractive female with terrible gastro issues! I currently take no medications of any kind. Can anybody help?

All that I know about it is that it usually results in problems with constipation. I have never known anyone to have it though. Your probably overwhelmed with all these GI problems but you are blessed to not have to take any medicine right now. good luck with everything!!

You don't take any meds? Wow! I'm on plenty, two for my gastro issues if you don't include the prune juice;). I've been on other things for my gastro issues, too. (At least you're slender with it. I don't even get THAT out of it.lol) I know you can fix the hernia and take Nexium or something for the reflux but I've not heard of the others. I'm sorry you've got to go through all that.

I'm a 45-yr-old female who lost 25 lbs. within 6 wks. before I became completely unable to eat. I'm post-menopausal; no period in over 2 yrs. sometimes I can tolerate fresh broccoli & frozen French fries, but I usually live on Ensure. I've had 2 CT scans, every GI test available, including colonoscopy, endoscopy, & small bowel follow through. I've also had complete blood work. no one knows what's wrong with me. I had a normal annual Gyn exam 1 month before my other problems started, so the GI doctor didn't consider any gyn problems. However, I've recently begun spotting. Now I'm very scared. I'll be scheduling an appointment with my gynecologist tomorrow.
Does anyone know what may be wrong with me? I know my gynecologist will do blood work (again!) along with biopsies and an ultrasound. But I'd really like to know what may be going on, so any advice is greatly appreciated! thank you.

I have nothing to help, Hon.
Just good luck!
Let us know how it turns out.

You just lost 25 lbs. I lost 25 kg in 2 years with GI problems. I have IBS like symptoms with diarrhea, gastritis which is mild but even tomatoes causes havoc. I can eat only bland food. the doctors says look ibs but the weight loss doesnt make sense. I have gone for all the tests you can imagine including cancer marker test. all negative. Well, i`m lost here myself.

Have you eliminated foods that are known to cause GI distress? like dairy, gluten.

Latest Cancer News

TUESDAY, Oct. 26 (HealthDay News) — Children who survive cancer face an increased risk for gastrointestinal complications later on, a new study suggests.

The findings highlight the increased need for long-term surveillance of GI problems among childhood cancer survivors, the researchers said.

“Current treatments have dramatically increased survival rates for children with cancer, but we know that many cancer therapies — including surgery, radiation, and chemotherapy — can cause significant gastrointestinal complications for patients,” study senior author Dr. Lisa Diller, director of the Perini Family Survivors Center at the Dana-Farber/Children’s Hospital Cancer Center, said in a Dana-Farber news release.

“Little is known, however, about the long-term GI consequences for childhood cancer survivors,” she added.

The authors examined data on nearly 14,400 childhood cancer survivors. All had been diagnosed with cancer between 1970 and 1986, and all had survived at least five years post-treatment.

Most had undergone chemotherapy, and about one-third radiation, sometimes in combination with chemotherapy.

Patients faced a higher risk for liver complications, such as cirrhosis, gallstones, and jaundice as well. lower GI problems — including colitis, constipation, diarrhea, and intestinal polyps or blockage — also occurred among survivors at a higher rate.

The risks were higher among patients diagnosed with cancer at an older age and who were exposed to more aggressive radiation and/or chemotherapy treatment or more extensive surgery.

The findings prompted the research team to advise physicians to review all GI problems in childhood cancer survivors to see if they could be symptoms of a serious disease. They also encouraged patients to discuss their childhood cancer treatment with doctors when seeking care for GI complications.

Diller and her colleagues were to present the results of their investigation, funded by the National Cancer Institute, at this week’s meeting of the International Society of Paediatric Oncology in Boston.

– Alan Mozes

Copyright © 2010 HealthDay. All rights reserved.

SOURCE: Dana-Farber/Children’s Hospital Cancer Center, news release, Oct. 21, 2010