C.T Scan......Terrified !!!!

[Annie1705]

So i have been back to the G.P this morning to discuss my anxiety and getting some help and she said because my main worry is a Brain Tumour she wants me to have a C.T scan, as you can imagine i am now in a right state... Surely she cant just send me for a scan just for the sake of it, she must think there is something to look for i am now terrified... i now have to wait till after Christmas for the appointment how am i supposed to enjoy christmas with this hanging over me .....help !!

[countrygirl]

Personally I would not have a Ct scan unless there was no other alternative test as the radiation dose is high from one of these but they are cheap to the nhs so this is why they are first port of call.

The best scan for your brain is mri but usually only a hospital consultant can arrange one of these for your brain, most health trusts will not let a gp arrange one because they are more expensive than cT

If you can pay aprox £275 then you can get a private mri scan, one company charging this amount if you are happy to wait a couple of weeks is alliance medical ( mod can delete this if I am not allowed to say this).

It sounds as if your GP is only sending you because of your fear if she did think you had a brain tumour you would be off to the neurologist faster than you could blink! Have you had an eye test recently as most brain tumours would be flagged up in a routine eye test.

The reason I am against the CT scan is that this test is purely to put your mind at rest and not because a neurologist thinks you do have a brain tumour and if a neuro did they would order an mri anyway plus this is just one ct scan that gives you alot of radiation but next year you might have another one for something else and so on and so on until in a few years you have had a huge dose of radiation so as I said I would only have a ct scan if there was no alternative at all.

[Electric Blue]

I've convinced myself I've had a brain tumour before...although my GP never ordered a CT scan.

Although one thing my GP said to me one time which really helped me put my mind at rest was that a headache is NOT a sign of a brain tumour.

Signs doctors look out for are muscle spasms, poor vision and headaches which WAKE YOU at night.

I would recommend getting an eye test done, optometries are able to look behind your eye and see if there's any pressure build up from a suspected brain tumour. They will shine a light into the corners of your eyes and will be able to see.

Hope this helps

[Annie1705]

Hi
So if i didnt want the C.T scan can i say this to the GP.
Do you think if she really thought there was something wrong she wouldnt be making me wait till after Christmas for the scan.
I dont know anything about scans etc but because she suggested it i just said "ok".
Yes i only had an eye test last week all was fine with that !!!
Im so confused and scared !!

[Electric Blue]

Why do you think you have a brain tumour? Do you have reoccurring headaches? If so, do they wake you at night? Are you having muscle spasms? Poor vision?

I suspect she might be ordering a CT scan to reassure you. A GP once said to me "A negative result is just as important as a positive"
I'm fairly confident she knows nothing is wrong, and I assume she suspects a negative result will put your mind at rest.

[Annie1705]

I experienced some "odd" headaches which have now gone and i had jelly legs which was worse on my right side, kind of a weak at the knees feeling she sent me for blood tests all came back clear, she wanted me to go back today to discuss the anxiety and arrange some help for it but said because my main worry was a brain tumour she would organise a scan to put my mind at rest!!!
However as a HA sufferer of course its made my anxiety a million times worse, im terrified of having the scan done and of what might be found.
Also like i said i have had an eye exam last week and that was fine!!!

[amandaj]

i think if she suspected something bad she would of sent u asap, not after christmas i had a ct scan last year and unless you have loads and loads radiation dose it low will it reassure you if you have it ? xx

[Annie1705]

I dont know, i'll probably still come away thinking have they missed something etc, thats if they dont find anything!!
I was feeling a little better after the blood results but this has sent me back again, i really dont want to spend all of christmas worrying and ruin it for my children and husband.!!!

[Electric Blue]

I really think you have nothing to worry about. If the eye test has come back clear and you're not waking up at night with headaches then it's highly unlikely to be a brain tumour.

Sounds like your odd headaches and jelly legs may be due to stress and anxiety.

Please enjoy Christmas and have a wonderful time with your husband and children; sounds like you have a lot to look forward to.

[mikewales]

An MRI is very safe, and the doc has probably just suggested it to rule out a tumour and to put your mind at rest. Once you get the all clear, then you can work on why you are convincing yourself you have one, and go from there.

An eye test will normally show if there are any problems though, although it isnt as definite as an MRI

[jade1978]

I've had a tension type headache with tingling/numbness of my face for 6 weeks now. The doctor told be 3 times he doubts its anything bad and its anxiety turning an innocent headache into something more and making it worse plus causing the other symptoms. I was ok at first and started to come to terms that it was just tension etc, however once the diazepam ran out I was out of my mind with worry again as the headache is still there. Ive now been refered to a neurologist after Christmas with a view to getting an MRI. This has made me 10 x worse and I feel anxious constantly, my legs and arms have been going numb all day, my headache feels worse and I can't sleep! I still feel I need to go through with this though as I can't help feel somthing isn't right. It is spoiling the run up to christmas for me :(

[Annie1705]

Hey i know exactly how your feeling, i went today with the hope i would be getting help with the anxiety and have come away feeling a million times worse.... Im sure she would only send me for a ct scan if she thought there was something wrong and the thought of the scan terrifys me.....and i have to wait till after Christmas for it so i will now be anxious and worried all over christmas which i really dont want, i want to enjoy it for my children!!!

[Neuroticgal]

Try not to worry they will send you just to reassure you, otherwise the know you would probably keep going back worried. My doctor reffered me for a scan with no reason other then because I was worried and insisted I need one.

I also had headaches and an MRI done, while I was waiting for the MRI I felt awful had headache plus stabbing pains on my head, numbness tingling, chest pains it was awful, the scan was all clear. I do still get the headaches but have possible tmj so could be the cause.


As others have said if the doctor was that worried you would be sent sooner rather then later