Hi Dino, I've ended up lurking around here for the same reasons as you... health anxiety/hypochondria. I know it's hard, but i recommend you at least consider the fact that there may be nothing PHYSICALLY wrong with you. Hypochondria is a very complex and difficult mental disorder, and sadly it is very under researched and there are few if any curative treatments for it. Some have had success with anti-depressants like Zoloft because it is theorized that health anxiety is a form of OCD and those drugs help OCD sufferers. Personally, Zoloft did nothing for me, but you should at least consider trying it for 3 months to see if it helps. Cognitive therapy has also worked for some, so you may consider contacting a psychologist. I know it's difficult, because you feel you have a PHYSICAL problem and going to a doctor for a MENTAL problem is like ignoring what you feel is really happening to your body... but you have to at least consider it as a rational human.

Also, the people of this forum have helped you all they can, obviously they have problems of their own. With all that you have asked and all the tests you have had done, no one here can tell you much more, and you know that. Resist the temptation. May I recommend this forum , a place much like this, but for health anxiety sufferers. You will notice a lot of people with the exact same problems you are facing. It's not a cure, but it helps to talk to others that feel the same way. Plus it's reassuring. May I also recommend the book "Phantom Illness" for more insite into health anxiety (why not buy it through the OCF link to support the foundation?). And here is a brilliant artcile from the New Yorker about hypochondria: Sick With Worry .

On a final note, to the sufferers of oral cancer and the founders of the oral cancer foundation... with increased awareness will invariably come increased fear, especially for those with an inclination towards health anxiety. So the push for early detection can be a double edged sword, and you must be prepared to deal with the hypochondriacs, but with a similar tact that you might a fellow cancer patient. Although certainly not life threatening, hypochondria is dibilitating and a serious illness, and much like oral cancer, it is somewhat ignored in the medical world when compared to other diseases (depression, OCD, etc.). Hopefully some of you will find interest in the above posted articles/books/forums. My hope is that this post will help everyone on the forum, those who are lurking because of their health anxiety, and those who actually suffer from cancer and are having to deal with those who don't actually have the disease but feel they do.

Thanks and good luck to all of you.

Frederick