Terrified beuomd belief-- every symptom of brain tumor. Please please help!!!'

[Smkirby]

Hi everyone,
As I type this I'm completely beside myself with worry that I have a BT and am going to die. 😢 I just turned 37, have two little girls and just can't cope with this anymore. I am building up courage to go to dr, but just need somewhere to turn. I have had horrible health anxiety since I was a child thinking I've had everything from leukemia, ovarian Cancer, breast, colon, etc etc etc. the list is endless. Therefore, my family is brushing me off and I guess I can't blame them. Currently, I'm absolutely positive I have a brain tumor and am terrified. I have always had migraines on and off, but have been dizzy and nauseous for months on end pretty much constantly, memory issues, twitching all over with random jerking worse at night but happens in daytime, ( worried these are seizures), other night woke up in middle of night and smelled ancampfire( we sleep w windows open so don't know if it was really there or not.) I am positive its a tumor bc of all of these frightening symptoms. Prior to this, I thought I had colon cancer or ovarian vc of constant pelvic pain. Had a colonoscopy and pelvic u/s, bloodwork all normal. Then i was having sharp upper right pain so had an abdominal u/s which was normal. Then it moved to heart type stiptoes which have abated and now all these terrifying things. Please please someone talk to me, I don't know how much longer I can live this way. I am on sertraline 50 mg.

---------- Post added at 18:06 ---------- Previous post was at 17:40 ----------

Please can anyone talk to me? Is there anyone out there that understands what I'm going through?

[ItsNick]

Yep and it sounds like Health Anxiety to me. You've thought you've had multiple serious illnesses and now you've moved onto a Brain Tumor, which is something that keeps going through my mind as well.

I'm younger than you by 9 years and I believe it'd still be pretty rare for you to have it. I also think if you've been this way for months, it would be quite a bit worse for you by now. Sounds like a HA flare-up .

[Smkirby]

Thanks so much for responding to me. I know it's completely irrational to be on these boards bc no one can tell me if I do or I dont. Only a scan can do that. But the thought of having an MRI again just absolutely terrifies me. I had one about 3.5 years ago and no tumors but showed a hyper intense lesion ??? That pathologist said could be due to migraines. Well, that's comforting!! I know it sounds crazy how it's jumped from one things to the next, but my symptoms are VERY REAL!! There's no way I could be or would want to be making them up. It's no life to be constantly terrified and planning on sickness and death and not seeingn my little girls grow up. And what scares me so much is that when I was going through these other health scares the last few months some of these symptoms were there then too. So now I'm so worried as symptoms are just getting worse and worse.i also have floaters which are new. I seriously have almost every symptom possible.

[ItsNick]

Look at the symptoms of HA on the main page... I believe they're real as are mine, but I'm guessing neither of us have BT's... Again, GUESSING, I wish that I could tell you for sure it's not one, but I can't. Isn't it entirely possible that you're working yourself up as you've admitted to having known HA issues?

It sounds terrible me attempting to give you advice as I myself am scared and trying to beat these feelings as well.

[Smkirby]

Thanks Nick. Truly appreciate your support. Feel free to share why you think you have one with me. If not, that's ok.:) I hope you feel better.

[Gary A]

Migraines can cause all of your symptoms, have you considered that they may be getting worse or you're surrounded more by a specific trigger? As for smelling a campfire, it's true that brain tumours can cause olfactory hallucinations, smelling things that aren't there, but these tend to be very overpowering and frequent in appearance if caused by a tumour.

Twitching is very common when suffering anxiety, as your adrenaline levels are sky high and that adrenaline needs to find a way out. Twitching, jitteriness and nausea result from ever increasing and decreasing levels of adrenaline. Twitching that's worse at night certainly points to this, as you're at rest and therefore not burning adrenaline off voluntarily. Seizures aren't selective like that, they strike randomly and aren't made worse depending on what time of day it is.

Dizziness is rarely a sign of a brain tumour. Tumours in specific areas like the brain stem or cerebellum can certainly cause dizziness, but it would be more like constant balance and gait issues, or constant spinning vertigo. Dizziness is a very very common symptom with anxiety. Again, adrenaline can play a role, combined with faulty breathing patterns and an overly stressed nervous system.

I think it would be wise to see your doctor and get checked over, if only to put your mind at ease, but you admit yourself you have a tendency to jump to the worst in these scenarios, it's very likely that's exactly what's happening here.

[Smkirby]

Thank you Gary. You sound very knowledgable. I know its not a migraine as most days I don't have a headache at all and the migraine would've had to last for months in a row. I'm going to make a drs appt soon and I'll respond back here. I'm just so scared and so certain it's going to be bad, bad news for me. I'm just at such a low right now and it's so hard to be surrounded by people that don't have a clue as to what this is like. I just cry and wish I was anyone else and so envious of my friends that get to enjoy life and be around for their kids. I feel like that will all be robbed from me.

[cattia]

I'm so going through BT fears at the moment. Mine started with light headedness and a blocked ear but has progressed to weird sensations in my head, like I almost feel as though my head will explode. I had an ocular migraine the other day, I had the flashing light but no headache so I am totally paranoid about that too now.I am 39 with three young children so I know how you feel.

[Mojo61]

Hi. The fact that you can write a very detailed account if your symptoms and fears in itself is a sign that you do not have a brain tumour. My husband had a BT and the only signs initially were balance issues, early morning vomiting and forgetfulness. The neurosurgeon said that the tumour may have been there growing slowly for 10 plus years, and it is only when the tumour gets so large that it starts pressing against the skull that symptoms start. Usually it begins with neural deficits, not headaches, flashing lights, twitching or anything like that.

[Fishmanpa]

What Mojo is saying is correct. I'm a survivor of H&N cancer.

Cancer is an uncontrolled growth of abnormal cells. It doesn't come and go nor does it stop once it starts. If indeed this were sinister, your symptoms wouldn't wane and in fact worsen with time.

Positive thoughts

[Bonnibelle]

I thought I had a brain tumour very recently as I started with balance issues and dizziness. I still have these issues but some weeks they go then return when my fatigue is worse. My gp checked me over and dizziness tests a neurologist would do, other than an mri of course. He told me i was fine. When I walk it feels like the ground bounces, it's scary but seeing the gp did help. I must admit my health recently has flared up my health anxiety so I know how you feel. The best thing is to not obsess, just see your gp and get checked over. No more worrying, take what the doctor says as definitive.

My auntie had a brain tumour, hence my concerns and ahead told me you have the worst headaches that wake you at night and sickness. Yours sound far more like migraine related and anxiety for sure. Trust me anxiety can cause alot of what a you're feeling.

I hope it goes well. Let us know.

[Smkirby]

Hi all,
Went to my GP today. Talked with him in detail about my symptoms, he did an exam and looked into my eyes said has no reason to feel anything going on w my brain however thinks this is caused by severe anxiety again. He knows me pretty well as I've been going to him for about 16 years. I'm still having lots of symptoms and jerking etc:( He thinks I need to speak w a psychiatrist first and see what she thinks about sending me to a neurologist. So idk. I don't really feel reassured right now. My question is this, would he have seen swelling in my eyes when he looked w the light or does an optometrist have to do this and dilate your eyes to be sure? Anyone that knows please let's know. Still so scared .thanks.

[cattia]

Hi, I also went to my GP today and he did a check where he looked at the back of my eyes, he also checked the nerves on my face and checked my balance plus some other basic Neuro tests. He said I have zero symptoms of a brain tumour and that if I had one he would definitely expect one of these tests go show up something. I am still having a lot of symptoms too, but I'm trying go tell myself that these are caused by my over active nervous system.

[Smkirby]

Cattia thank you! What are your symptoms? So, a regular dr can tell w out dilating eyes? I've read conflicting things, just wondering.