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Tongue issues & questions

Discussion in 'General Discussion Subforum' started by CarlPanzram, Apr 21, 2022.

  1. CarlPanzram

    CarlPanzram New Member

    (If you don't want to read my story, the questions are at the end.)
    Alright, I've dealt with every TMS related symptoms with a modicum of grace and rationality but this one is driving me insane.

    I've cultivated a heavy, borderline hypochondriac, fear of oral cancer ever since I swore off drinking. Its only been a month or so, but in that time, I have a new symptom that's driving me insane.

    A tongue patch I've been told is called "geographic tongue." I've seen other posts here and in the TMS facebook group about geographic/map tongue and mine comes with quite a bit of fluctuating pain. The pain rarely (but it does) move and the patch rarely spreads.

    There's a constant low-key sensation/tingling/burning/swollen feeling when there's no jolt of pain. There is no other weird looking lesion or sign of inflammation. In fact, aside from the supposedly common, non-threatening "geographic tongue" patch, it looks JUST like the other side of my tongue.

    My problem is basically this
    One - I've seen my doctor 100 times in 2020/2021 when I was dealing with post viral TMS bullshit before I knew it was TMS. So much so that she has somewhat written me off as a hard-to-deal-with, nothing-is-wrong-with-him kind of patient and I can't quickly jump doctor to doctor at this time and my insurance situation is precarious. I feel lost. I know sooner or later I should (and will) get it checked out but for now Im mostly posting this looking for relatable stories and some assurance in the meantime so I dont go off the rails.

    Two- Its chicken-or-the-egg. I cannot remember if I had the fear of oral cancer BECAUSE of the geographic tongue or if the fear came first and its absolutely wracking my brain. Scared, anxious, etc. I've only had a problem with alcohol less than 7 years and I'm still in my 20's and I know it's a slightly irrational fear/thoguht to jump to the conclusion that all of a sudden I have some super fast spreading oral cancer but that anxious thought pops up and punches me in my brain from time to time.

    My two questions are these
    1) Did anyone else have geographic tongue AND pain? Did it turn out to be TMS? If not, how'd you address it?

    2) Any sound strategies to STOP such awful, intrusive thoughts about fears of cancer etc that can manifest itself as fake but cancer-like symptoms that turn out to be TMS? Anyone else borderline hypochondriac?

    Thanks
     

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