On and off pain all day in back of head. Any one ever get this before?

[anxious_thoughts]

I've had head pains for 10+ years, they're usually located at the top of my head, forehead and sides. But it seems like all day today I've had it in the upper back of my head on and off. It also hurts more when I press in that area. I'm so scared about brain tumours :(

Any one else experience this before? The pain is very dull

[roxy90]

I do. I have pains in the back of my head, base of my neck, side of my head, top of my head and behind my eye, all on one side. On and off, day in and day out.

Funnily enough its not brain tumors that I fear :)x

[AnxietySufferer]

Brain tumours cause sudden very sharp pains over a short period �� if it's being going on for that length of time it's unlikely!

[Fishmanpa]

Brain tumours cause sudden very sharp pains over a short period �� if it's being going on for that length of time it's unlikely!

And you know this because? Actually not ever read about that one. There are varied symptoms, some or all of which can affect a person (NO ONE HERE!)

Positive thoughts.

[cpe1978]

What he says :). I think we should be very careful making assessments of symptoms on an Internet forum

[roxy90]

I don't think brain tumors cause sharp pains , lots and lots and lots of people have sharp head jolts and these are not symptomatic of a brain tumor at all! I can imagine lots of people with sharp pains being worried now, please don't!

Everyone associates headaches with tumors but this really isn't usually the case. You would have other neurological symptoms to go along with the headaches (Which are usually a later symptom anyway)x

[almamatters]

As you know Jen I have been getting weird head sensations for a long time, sharp stabbing pains, pressure, burning and tingling (amongst other things) I have also had a clear MRI of my brain. Brain tumours are relatively rare things, as anxiety sufferers I suppose any weird head sensation we go down the brain tumour route. Did you ever get your scan done? x

[anxious_thoughts]

Thank you everyone for the replies!

This is my last two weeks of college before the semester ends so I'm super stressed out :( this head pain makes every worse, I'm just hoping it's all related to the stress.

Alma, I haven't gotten an MRI, I'm way too scared :( I also still have the same head pain, all day today once again. Really scares me, so worried it's either a brain tumour or a vein will explode :weep:

[Fishmanpa]

Hi Jenn,

Sorry you're having stress and pain. I took a peek and saw you've had quite a few posts concerning your brain tumor/head pain fears. I also saw you are seeing a counselor and were going to try some group CBT. Just wondering how that's going as it seems it's not making much of a dent in your anxiety. It would seem to me, based on having these pains for 10 years, that if it were something sinister, your doctors would have found something by now.

I did a search here and found hundreds of similar posts. Obviously, there are a number of people who suffer with the same types of pain and I haven't found any that actually had a brain tumor. However, all suffered from anxiety. I don't know how reassuring that is for you but you're not alone.

I do hope you find a solution to both your anxiety and pain. It certainly seems to be holding you hostage :(

Positive thoughts

[nomorepanic]

Jen you have posted about this for a long time now

It is NOT a brain tumour but you refuse to accept this or get the MRi - not sure what else we can do for you until you sort this out

[anxious_thoughts]

Thank you so much Fishmanpa! Your words are so kind. During the summer I attended one on one CBT counselling, it worked well. Although I still got the head pains. I had to stop going because school started up again in September and the counsellor isn't open on the weekends so I had no time to go. I may go a couple times during my winter break which is coming up.
I have had these pains for 10 years, but I feel that my head pains have worsen since April :( and these back of head pains scare me so much. I didn't feel them at all today until I decided to lie down, when I got up and started walking I felt the back of head pain again :( it's sharp and sometimes worsens with movement. It hurts even more when I press on the area. Totally driving my crazy as I've never experienced it before :(

Thank you so much, take care

---------- Post added at 19:51 ---------- Previous post was at 19:49 ----------

Nicola, I try to believe it's not a tumour but then I get a symptom and my mind goes crazy again. I wouldn't be able to get an MRI as I'm too scared :(

[Fishmanpa]

Jenn,

There is a thread here that offers a free online CBT program.

Here's the link http://www.nomorepanic.co.uk/showthread.php?t=131664

It has worked for several members. It's certainly worth a try :)

Positive thoughts

[anxious_thoughts]

Thanks! I will give it a try :)

[nomorepanic]

How can it be a brain tumour after 10 years?

You need to address the HA part of your illness

[anxious_thoughts]

I think that at times. But then I wonder if it's slow growing. How would my symptoms get worse? Not the dizziness, feeling out of it ones because that's anxiety. But the head pains are getting worse.

It just worries me because this time last year I wasn't feeling this crappy :(

[HoneyLove]

Jenn you've been given a much more logical explanation for the head pains and dizziness in TMJ and muscle pain.

You need to trust that, work on it, and also get to work on your anxiety as the muscle tension it creates will only make you feel worse.

[anxious_thoughts]

Hello honeylove, I've actually started doing jaw exercises since you wrote to me the other week. I do notice they help a lot for the pain when I turn my head. But this back of head pain seems different and more painful :( could tmj even cause that type of pain in the back?

I googled and it said it can't do pain right in the back, so I'm not sure

[Fishmanpa]

Hello honeylove, I've actually started doing jaw exercises since you wrote to me the other week. I do notice they help a lot for the pain when I turn my head. But this back of head pain seems different and more painful :( could tmj even cause that type of pain in the back?

I googled and it said it can't do pain right in the back, so I'm not sure

A symptom of "Yeahbut's Disease" ;)

Seriously though... All logic points to no tumor.

Positive thoughts

[anxious_thoughts]

Hahaha! Damn anxiety. :doh:

Thank you for the positive thoughts!

[tigerlark]

As someone who has had TMJ and jaw-clenching issues for some time now, it can absolutely cause pains in your entire upper body. This is because all of your muscles and ligaments and such are connected to each other. It can also cause benign vertigo, nausea, sleeplessness, and eye trouble, among other things, if it becomes severe.

So please, please.. if this has been going on for a while, and you have been examined thoroughly by a doctor, the best thing you can do for it is to:

1) Stretch and exercise the muscles. Look up some isometric exercises for the neck and jaw muscles online and do them EVERY NIGHT before you go to sleep. This shouldn't take more than 5 minutes and is easily added to your routine. And also stretch the muscles first thing in the morning. The more sedentary you are, the worse it will get. Trust me!

2) Get a night guard to protect your teeth and jaws. I clench my jaws almost exclusively at night, so getting a mouth piece was one of the best things I've ever done. Of course, if you don't have a problem with clenching, this may not be particularly useful. However, you may also clench in your sleep and not know. I didn't know about it until I started having terrible neck pains, nausea, vertigo, and "ice-pick" headaches, which mostly occurred in the back of my head. Dr. Google is not always a reliable source of information.

I hope that helped! Blessings! :D

[anxious_thoughts]

Thanks for the advice tigerlack! Very helpful. :)
Did you get head pains daily?
I actually have a mouth guard but find it so hard to use so I rarely wear it. I'm definitely going to try again though.

Thanks again! Take care x

[laine2018]

I too was terrified to have an MRI. Confide in your Dr. Your scared of the MRI likely because of what could be.... however what if????? its nothing and after worrying about the unknown for all these years you could regain your life. Nobody on here can say what you do or dont have ... sluffing off symptoms as nothing serious never helped me. Because the fear to you and symptoms are very serious in your mind. In the last 2 months i have been through a whirlwind because i finally decided it was time to stop.assuming the worst and either face it straight on or move on.. because we as HA suferrers will believe what we want to anyway. This is what i learned ... after 8 years of being dizzy everyday and everone including drs sluffing it off as anxiety I KNEW this wasnt what my normal was going to become so i openly said to my Dr. " Listen ive convinced myself i have a brain tumor. She accepted my fear and explained a few things to me. Every human being has different symptoms for everythi.g I smrlt burnt toast... could be brain tumor ( which i assumed) could be post nasal drip. I suddenly developed headaches my Dr. faced my fears with me and said headaches are worrisome when they come outta nowhere. They with dizziness are the hardest things to diagnose why as they can be caused by millions of things. She then said to me headaches are a common sign of brain tumor .. brain tumors are very rare however and depending on their location and grade will present themselves with much more serious symptoms. She also then explained to me tumors are much more common in the younger and the older. Not our age group. Then being the anxiety fool i am.. I said to her so having these symptoms for this many years its unlikely to be anything serious. She did agree with me but honesty is what i wanted and its what i got. She informed me that benign lesions of the brain can be there for years and years while only causing nearly no symptoms. I then freaked... and this is where it hit home for me... i realized if iy was gr. 5 ide be dead by now haha. if it was low grade causing me this many years of hell lets get it dealt with before it does become high grade and fatal. If its something small and a cyst style lesion lets treat the symptoms. And best case scenario if its nothing like it likely is but im too dumb to accept let me have proof and live on with my life and rule out all worst case scenarios. If you want to discuss my exams and results ide be more than happy to. Negative comments on this board arent going to all of a sudden make u have a light bulb momrnt of what you need to do.. maybe some support from someone who understands is best. Your scares of what could be.. but not knowing is just as bad!!!!

[annrose]

i use to fell like that went to the er doctor examined me turn out it was nothing at all im guessing it was my anxiety after that visit didn't feel it again don't worry clam down breath and focus on something happy! hope this helps :) and don't goggle your symptoms make anxiety worse im guilty still of doing that but i have to remind myself to stop and relax!

[julia]

Jen to reassure you my brother has a terminal brain tumour and it never started with a headache,it was more neurological symptoms and also picked up by Dr immediately and fully diagnosed by consultant all within a week this should put an end to your fears.that said I have ha and understand your thinkingu but this you can now put to rest the consultant said my brother was following normal pattern for tumour
sending hugs