Fear of tumour...

[sensei_deano]

I have been doing my utmost to deal with this, so I am sorry to bother anyone with it but about a month ago I was on the phone to my now ex-girlfriend. In the middle of a totally regular chat I felt a small amount of numbness on my left hand, just below my little finger on outside of hand. This spread up my arm over the next few minutes and further up my neck until it finallly reached my head. Then very soon after my eyesight began to blur quite a bit, and simply has not been the same over 4 weeks later. I still get numb from time to time on both hands and arms, sometimes on both legs too. But my biggest concern is the numbness i seem to have right across the top of my head quite often, I notice it all the more because of the glasses I recently began to wear as I feel it behind my ears where the arms rest, and occasionally on my nose too. I feel a lot of tension inside my head and my sinuses sometimes feel blocked, as do my ears, my eyes sometimes hurt and there is often a feeling of pressure behind them. I am so anxious about it all and i'm at my wits end, as even though I visited my GP and started on Cipramil last week, I am not sure if he has misdiagnosed me or something. My vision is also a constant reminder of how I feel , as is the numbness, which makes it difficult to concentrate on anything else. I asked my GP if he would refer me for an MRI scan on the NHS as this may have helped to ease my mind, but he said he didn't think they would do it considering what I have told him. I apologise for the long post, but I would really appreciate any advice as I am really stressing my poor parents out by mentioning the fact that I think I may have a Brain Tumour, im actually pretty convinced that I do I admit :( I am not socially anxious at all, just extremely worried for my health. I also hate being alone now and have stayed with my cousin since this started. It is not simply short panic attacks, just a constant feeling of anxiousness and worry for my health.

Thanks so much for reading.

Dean x

[removed]

hi Dean
Sorry you feel so worried.
Its not nice and our imagination can really take off sometimes and link minor symptoms, until they become really scary- like a brain tumour.
Numbness in your finger reaching up to your neck and over your head sounds like tense nerves and muscles. Its probably coming from your neck. I get that all the time and I have had physio for it-that sounds more likely than a brain tumour especially if you have seen your doctor.
If you have recently got glasses you would have had a full check up of your eyes at the opticians. They can quite often see if there is anything amiss and obviously they didn't.
Perhaps the prescription for your glasses is too strong- that could account for the vision thing.
Why dont you go back to the optician and tell him of your worries.
It doesnt have to be a brain tumour!
try not to freak too much i'm sure it will be ok
best wishes
Janet c

[sensei_deano]

Well I do hunch my shoulders quite often. Once I notice and bring them back down again, they usually make a noise, probably to do with how tense I have been. Also my cousin noticed that when I walk around now, I tend to have my fists clenched too. And I know my body is tense. My vision actually seemed to become strange before I started wearing glasses, and when I went to see the optician and had my test after the problems, he just told me that nothing seemed to be medically wrong with my eyes. He said though that they were working much too hard when at close proximity to things, and that I would certainly need glasses. I would love this to be a simple problem, but I simply cannot stop fearing the worst, and have already lost a stone in weight in the month since this started :(

[Maddieg]

Hi Dean

I read your post and I can only say that I really understand where you are coming from. I have had numbness and pins and needles on and off in my neck and head for a long time. I have been diagnosed with sinusitus but this numbness feels different. I am also convinced that I have a brain tumour. I went to the doctors a while ago and was prescribed Citalopram (which I think is the same as Cipramil). Having read the possible side-effects I had a panic attack and haven't taken them.

I am obsessing about the numbness and fullness in my head (I've got it at the moment) and other days it just disappears. I've had a really bad day today i've experienced vertigo which has only made me worry about a brain tumour more.

I have got problems with my neck and I think this gives me vertigo, then I panic and this gives me numbness and tingling. Sorry if i'm rambling on but I hope this helps you, feel free to send me a PM if you want to.

Take care and I hope you are feeling better soon.

Love Maddie x
This site has really helped me and i've had lots of reassuring posts since I joined.

[removed]

HI Dean
the cipramil has all sorts of side effects.
I- like Maddie was prescribed it a few weeks ago, and never took it after reading of some of the horrible side effects.
I dont think its good for anyone who- like we seem to be - is so "body aware".
We are bound to interpret every new symptom as something to be worried about.
Maybe you should re-evaluate your treatment and go for some sort of therapy instead?
Janet

[sensei_deano]

I did take cipramil for a few years a while back and after initially finding it tough going, I managed to settle on it. However, this time around is the first time I have ever had any vision or numbness problems, and this really scares me beyond belief. I just feel like crying as I love my parents and family, and don't want them to have to deal with the hurt of losing me. They are fantastic people and it would just kill them, it's not what they deserve. :(

[removed]

Hi again Dean
If you are really convinced you have a brain tumour, nothing anyone will say is going to stop you worrying, because the anxiety has spun out of control.
20 years ago my father died, basically of heart trouble.
A careless remark by someone that heart disease could be hereditary, set me off on a long anxiety state that I too had heart trouble. I was having palpitations and giddy spells etc.
Although the doctor reassurred me and even did an ECG I still believed I was going to die.
In the end, I was in such a state that he sent me to the hospital where i was wired up to a portable machine and sent home for 24 hours to record every moment.
When i went back the next day they took one look at the readings and said I was OK.
It was the best thing my doctor could have done. He knew there was nothing wrong with me but that I needed proof. Needless to say after that I stopped worrying.
What I am trying to say is-although your doctor is being somewhat dismissive,if the only way to stop you worrying is to send you for tests then he should.
If I was you I would make a pest of myself until he refers you on.
You say you love your parents a lot. They must be worried about the state you are in.
Maybe you should try to bring the matter to a head with your GP?
Janet x

[sensei_deano]

I agree, I really do think I need to have the scan. I would literally jump up and hug the doctor if the scan came back clear!! I just need some relief from this and if only the numbness would maybe stop, or my vision clear up, then I might feel a little better. I love my parents so much yeah, and it is hurting them badly to see this. I want to give them happiness and not grief, doom and gloom. I hope I will be alright.

Dean x

[removed]

trust me every thing will be ok
Good luck- thinking of you
Janet x

[sensei_deano]

Thank you Janet, will do my best to manage. The numbness has eased off a bit this morning, but my problem is that I can't stop worrying that it will come back again, and part of me is waiting for it to happen :( Also had quite a lot of pressure on my sinuses last night too.

Dean x