Convinced it's a brain tumour, scared!

[New17]

I know I really am! My anxiety just grips me I go to phone and I can’t talk, my heart beats like crazy and my legs go like jelly I hate this so much

[Puddleglum]

I also was convinced I had a brain tumour. About 18 months ago I started getting severe headaches which would wake me in the early hours of the morning and would stay with me all day. My life was a misery of constant pain and dread of waking up to yet another headache. My doctor diagnosed them as stress headaches as I have suffered almost all my life with anxiety, IBS, panic attacks and other stress-related conditions. I tried relaxation tapes, different painkillers which hardly touched the headaches, and was unable to leave the house on some days when they were particularly bad. I was afraid to make appointments or arrange visits to or from friends in case I was having a particularly bad day. I stopped going out shopping and had to rely on on-line grocery deliveries. I had my teeth checked, my eyes checked and kept up with physiotherapy treatment for arthritis in the neck and shoulders. My doctor prescribed amitriptyline for chronic pain. I was unable to take anti-inflammatories because I had an ulcer about 30 years ago. I tried anti-inflammatory cream with my doctor's agreement. Nothing helped. On my last visit to my doctor, about three months ago, she took my blood pressure, which has been high but successfully controlled with medication for some years. She commented that the past couple of readings had been up a little, and prescribed me another tablet to add in - amlodipine. During the first week of taking these I noticed a decrease in the severity of headaches, and after a couple of weeks a minor miracle - they stopped ! I'm not sure whether it was higher blood pressure causing the headaches or headaches causing the higher blood pressure. Whatever, I am now free of them, and feel my life has been given back to me. I told my doctor about the miraculous transformation and she was at a loss to understand how the amlodipine had had this effect. Needless to say, she was delighted and said I had 'made her week'. I'm not headache-free, but they are now mild, infrequent and controllable with paracetamol.

[Rishabh]

Ok..New 17, well, I am 16yo currently in the same boat as you..Though my anxiety came up with a fall. You know whats the real issue, it's not tumour, it's not bleeding, not any other sinister thing. It is anxiety, severe anxiety. Now also, if i google anything i start developing symptoms to an extent that i convince myself that i m about to die. I know its worse, but believe me it can be overcome. And yes, do go for vacations and explore new destinations, it really helps..Thank you!!

[New17]

Hi everyone,
I wanted to pop back on to tell you the result of my story as when I was using this site I always wanted to know the end and it was very rarely there and I used to come up with my own conclusions!

I had my mri results after weeks of avoiding it and it was..........CLEAR! Dr had marked it “no action needed”

So there you have it clear CT scan, clear MRI scan! Nearly a year of my life wasted over anxiety.

I just want to try to reach out to everyone to say as bad as you think it is in your head 9.5 times outa 10 it’s not! You may think it’s different for you, you have different symptoms or worse than anything you’ve read, but honestly I was that person, go to the doctor listen to them even have the test if u have to but then put it to bed and move on with your life! I have made mine hell these past 12 months and for what!!

Do I still have pain .... yes practically everyday
Do I still tingle .... yes often
Am I still dizzy ... sometimes
Do my ears still ring .... yes

So yes I’m am living proof that even though I have all the right symptoms for a brain tumour I do NOT Have one!

I still have the what if it was a mistake, what if the MRI wasn’t the right one etc and I’m accept that these thoughts will probably never leave but I am not letting them effect my life! I am going to look for now dealing with the pain in my head and issue with acupuncture and maybe physio as recommended by my gp! I think maybe the issue is my neck or nerves whatever but I didn’t have the brain tumour that was gonna end my life a couple of months ago!

Thank you to everyone that took time to chat to me it did help me and it’s nice to know this community is there! I am now gonna take some time to heal, get on a plan to reduce my headaches, and try for a baby that I have longed for the past year!

Best wishes to you all and I hope you find some peace in my story xx

[IzzyScot]

Are you still on this forum? I really need to speak to someone who’s going through what I am. Your posts resonate.