View Full Version : After a normal brain CT, should I ask for an MRI?
Hi
Same old story.
I had a headache for 6 weeks before Christmas, GP wasnt concerned.
Had a private CT scan, came back normal.
Headache went.
Well,now it's back.
What step should i take now? Should I ask for an MRI?
xx
Nothing.
Try and accept that Anxiety is causing your headache and it will reduce.
A CT would have found something and the fact that the headache went away and now is back is indicative that its not due to an abnormality. It would not going away if there was anything in your head.
I agree with the above. My doctor told me once that serious things like brain tumours don't come and go. A close family friend died from a brain tumour a couple of years ago. I used to visit her in hospital and was there a day after she got her diagnosis. From that day she got progressively worse. There were no good days.
Thank you both.
I've got to say, I'm pretty hysterical atm.
xx
Catherine S
11-04-17, 13:12
Cluster headaches come and go and they can last for weeks/months. Very painful but not life threatening. Women in particular are prone to hormonal headaches. Obviously if you live in fear then you will be living with alot of tension in your body and this can induce prolonged head pain too.
ISB ☺ x
Then stop. Your headaches are related to your anxiety. You are so tense and that is what causes the headaches. Then you worry the headache is a tumour which adds to the tenseness and prolongs the headache. When you get to the point where you start to think "there is no way a headache that is this bad and lasts for this long is normal" then remember that someone else's did. Mine. For weeks and weeks. When you relax enough the headache will ease.
Thank you again.
I just can't stop thinking Im going to die.
I don't want to leave my children motherless.
God, now my lips are tingling.....
Im in such a state, as usual.
x
Had a private CT scan, came back normal.
Congratulations on your all clear :)
The step you should take now is to try and work on your anxiety, which is the most likely cause of your headache. Headaches are very common, and are very annoying, and the more stressed you get the worse they'll get.
It sounds like the relief you got from the CT made it better, and as the feeling of relief subsided and HA crept in again it came back.
Instead of thinking "the headache's back!" and worrying, think "the headache's back, it's a signal I need to destress". It's hard, but this is how I've now got with my anxiety symptoms such as tingles and palpitations. They're not longer a worry, but an indicator I need to slow down a bit, and as a result they don't last long. When I was worrying about them, they lasted for weeks.
Hi
Thank you.
I do worry as when I saw my GP, I said, "no brain tumour then?"
He said, "well, a CT won't show everything....." :weep:
I think he's planted the seed that there is something wrong but it didnt show up.
x
There are very specific symptoms that accompany a brain tumour. You don't have a brain tumour.
Hi
Im dizzy all the time.
Isnt that one of them?
Hi
Thank you.
I do worry as when I saw my GP, I said, "no brain tumour then?"
He said, "well, a CT won't show everything....." :weep:
I think he's planted the seed that there is something wrong but it didnt show up.
x
The problem we health anxious people is we can't deal with uncertainty. That's the crux of it all. There are very few things where a doctor can say he or she is totally, 100% sure of something, even if they're certain it's very very unlikely.
The other problem we health anxious people have is we focus on in one thing that will fuel the flames. You have a clear CT scan, and your headache went away (it doesn't matter if it came back), but still you fixate on a throwaway comment from a doctor that leaves a tiny chink of possibility open.
And the other problem is we jump straight to the worst possible situation. Brain tumours are rare! Stress, dehydration or vague benign sinus issues are ridiculously common!
I've been woefully bad at taking my own advice over the last month or so, but you have to try and strip away the specifics here. Essentially:
"I have a headache. I thought it may be a brain tumour, and convinced myself by looking on the Internet. Even though a doctor said I was OK, and it's gone away for a while, he said a CT scan may not 100% see everything so I've not found any comfort in that"
Becomes:
"I had [vague symptom that could be anything]. I thought it may be [worst possible outcome] and convinced myself by [layman's research cherry-picking the scary bits]. Even though [credible reassurance it's not the case], [something left a small bit of uncertainty] so I've not found any comfort in that".
Then you realise it's not about the disease you're obsessing about, it's about the same pattern of thought you've had again and again before.
Hi
I know you are right but I cant help it.
My daughter has a sore ankle so I think she has bone cancer. We've been to physio and they were asking questions like,
Does your ankle swell, does the pain wake you up at night, does it come on out of the blue.
I know these are all symptoms of bone cancer as Ive asked Dr Google.
When my kids have a temperature, Im sure it will develop into menegitis.
I live really near the school and every time an ambulance goes past, Im sure its for my kids.
My whole life is consumed by my bad thoughts.
x
Hi
I know you are right but I cant help it.
My daughter has a sore ankle so I think she has bone cancer. We've been to physio and they were asking questions like,
Does your ankle swell, does the pain wake you up at night, does it come on out of the blue.
I know these are all symptoms of bone cancer as Ive asked Dr Google.
When my kids have a temperature, Im sure it will develop into menegitis.
I live really near the school and every time an ambulance goes past, Im sure its for my kids.
My whole life is consumed by my bad thoughts.
x
We're all on here because we're in the same boat to a greater or lesser degree, it's just not helpful to deal with it just by swatting away specific thoughts and fears as they crop up. Because your problem isn't about brain tumours, or bone cancer, or meningitis.
I'm actually going through some pretty bad HA at the moment, but I'm starting to recognise it more for what it is, and realising posting "I have symptoms of X, can someone tell me I don't have X" isn't just pointless, but just keeps the whole cycle going, playing whack-a-mole with phantom diseases.
I don't know if this will help you or not but the following was posted by a retired neurologist who used to come here (RLR). I used to come here just to read his posts when I had my HA. They always gave me perspective.
Okay, a space-occupying mass such as a brain tumor does not present itself in the manner you have contemplated. Understand that when a true mass exists, it imparts changes or dysregulation of the particular functions that the area of the brain serves and which is being affected by the presence of the tumor. Headaches are the absolute last symptom which patients complain of and this is due to the fact that the mass is creating pressure within the restrictive space of the skull. There are no nerve endings in brain tissue itself. You also need to understand that tumors of the brain typically progress somewhat rapidly due to the particular components which form their basis, so 4 years of headaches would place you well beyond any consideration of a mass as a differential diagnosis.
---------- Post added at 23:11 ---------- Previous post was at 23:06 ----------
Most relevant to you is that headaches are one of the last symptoms of a brain tumour. My own doctor also told me the same thing. In regards to your dizziness, it is more likely light headedness. It is very typical with anxiety. Are you seeing a therapist?
Hi Swajj
Funnily enough, ive been going through RLR old posts. He was fantastic!
Ive been to a private psychiatrist and she said I have panic disorder, anxiety, agraphobia and depression.
Im finding it really hard to accept the lightheadedness is anxiety.
Ive just started Buspar and really hate taking medication.
I had been fine for 9 years on Clomipramine but stopped it as we have Brugada SYndrome in the family and it's on the do not take list.
It's difficult trying to find a medication that lives up to Clomipramine - it saved me!
xx
I never took meds so can't give any advice on them. I used to have to leave the supermarket at the shopping centre because I felt so light headed I thought I would collapse. It never happened. RLR often talked about dizziness but I can't remember if it was here or on his forum (btw that doesn't exist anymore). He gave a great description of the difference between light headedness and true dizziness. I do remember him saying that true dizziness is when the room is spinning around you whilst light headedness was like walking on a boat. You have the latter don't you?
Hi
Oh yes, my boat is rocking on the high seas!
xx
Hi Swajj
Funnily enough, ive been going through RLR old posts. He was fantastic!
Ive been to a private psychiatrist and she said I have panic disorder, anxiety, agraphobia and depression.
Im finding it really hard to accept the lightheadedness is anxiety.
Ive just started Buspar and really hate taking medication.
I had been fine for 9 years on Clomipramine but stopped it as we have Brugada SYndrome in the family and it's on the do not take list.
It's difficult trying to find a medication that lives up to Clomipramine - it saved me!
xx
You've been clinically diagnosed as suffering from 3 conditions which are al known to cause dizziness and lightheadedness to varying degrees. You have had a CT scan that has shown no mass.
Logically, headaches caused by a mass, as mentioned above, are caused when the mass becomes so great that it begins creating an exertion of pressure within the skull.
Now, I have to point out that a CT scan is a very advanced form of imagery. It is not as precise as an MRI scan, but it is easily precise enough to show a mass which is so great that it is causing a rise in intracranial pressure. That no such mass was present shows with 100% certainty that your headaches are not being caused by an intracranial mass.
As for dizziness, brain tumours cause gait issues, meaning you would be struggling to walk in a straight line. This is caused by any mass putting pressure on the cerebellum, which controls balance and co-ordination. GP's can test for gait problems and co-ordination issues, and I'd have to assume your GP has done just that.
Dizziness caused by brain issues is known as central dizziness, anything else is known as peripheral dizziness. Central dizziness presents very differently from peripheral dizziness, and doctors can spot that difference very easily.
You don't have a tumour, you clearly have anxiety and are simply suffering from one of the most common symptoms of it.
Thank you Gary
So can the cerebellum be seen on a brain CT scan?
xx
Thank you Gary
So can the cerebellum be seen on a brain CT scan?
xx
Yes, of course it can.
CT scans are used to check for brain damage after someone has had a major head trauma, it would be pointless using them if they didn't show the entire brain.
You have a lot of medical knowledge Gary. Are you training to be a doctor? You don't have to answer if you would rather not say. :)
Actually don't say. You will be overrun with new patients. lol
unsure_about_this
11-04-17, 16:35
Sorry you feel this way, because of my condition (I dont have a tumour) I do have something on my brain which is non cancerous, like a bright spot, lump, which has not changed at all during the first scan I had when I was 11. I have bad health anxiety myself, but cannot ask for a CT scan straight afterwards until I was due for another MRI scan or was showing signs of problems, like bad headaches or when I get my eyes checked something gets picked up from the test.
Hi Unsure about this
Im sorry to hear this.
What do they say you have wrong?
xx
unsure_about_this
11-04-17, 18:24
Hi Unsure about this
Im sorry to hear this.
What do they say you have wrong?
xx
I suffer from NF (neurofibromatosis) I been told it on my pons of my brain, all there can do it monitor the lump, spot etc, it has not grown since birth, even though it took 9 years for an eye doctor to pick up the problem
ScaredLizard
11-04-17, 18:42
If the CT didn't show anything you are ok!! The headaches are probably stress related. Or even do you wear glasses? Have you gotten your prescription checked? Do you have allergies? Maybe you need some allergy meds? I get headaches from weather.
Unsure about this
Do you get any symptoms with it?
How did your optician spot it?
x
---------- Post added at 19:08 ---------- Previous post was at 19:06 ----------
ScaredLizard
Hello
My eyes are fine, although rather short sighted, minus 9.
I do have an eye musce imbalance too, which is under the normal imits according to the eye hospital.
This freaks me out too.
xx
Unsure about this
Do you get any symptoms with it?
How did your optician spot it?
xx
I'm not sure this line of questioning is healthy - you're scrabbling around for yet another thing to diagnose yourself with. All you have is headaches.
unsure_about_this
11-04-17, 19:17
Unsure about this
Do you get any symptoms with it?
How did your optician spot it?
x
---------- Post added at 19:08 ---------- Previous post was at 19:06 ----------
ScaredLizard
Hello
My eyes are fine, although rather short sighted, minus 9.
I do have an eye musce imbalance too, which is under the normal imits according to the eye hospital.
This freaks me out too.
xx
He could not see the bright spot, lump etc, but there was a key thing which knew I have something which needed looking out, brown spots, even when went for my eye test last year me the person could see the spots, he asked me could a trainee/student have a look,. to give her training and yes she could see it.
I'm not sure this line of questioning is healthy - you're scrabbling around for yet another thing to diagnose yourself with. All you have is headaches.
I fully agree with this.
Why not start asking people about the physical symptoms they get with anxiety, rather than enquiring about illnesses you don't have?
You have been cleared of any brain issue and been diagnosed with anxiety issues, so there's really only one that you should be concerned with now.
Hi
I was only asking about Unsure ABout This' issue.
I was only taking an interest.
This post has been about me, so I felt it only polite to ask about someone else.
Hi
I was only asking about Unsure ABout This' issue.
I was only taking an interest.
This post has been about me, so I felt it only polite to ask about someone else.
Fair enough, but the point still stands. I know you were only politely enquiring, but keeping yourself focused on any type of brain disorder or condition is just giving your anxiety something else to feed off.
If you try to keep yourself focused on anxiety and try to learn more about what it can do to you, it may go some way toward helping you accept that this is what is causing your symptoms.
Thank you.
I was only being polite as so many people have reached out to me on my post.
I really appreciate the help everyone has given me.
x
Thank you.
I was only being polite as so many people have reached out to me on my post.
I really appreciate the help everyone has given me.
x
Why do you think you're finding it so hard to put your symptoms down to anxiety? Do you know how anxiety causes these issues?
Hi Gary
I really don't know.
I'm afraid I'm another one on the MS train too.
I've just started taking Buspar too, since last week and feel even more terrible than usual.
My psychiatrist has said my way of thinking stems from my father's death.
One day I spoke to him on the phone - the next day he had an almighty stroke.
One day he went into hospital with a chest infection - the next day we were told he had pneumonia and would be dead within the week.
Also, my brother committed suicide - one day he was here - the next, gone.
All very valid reasons to be suffering anxiety and depression, and it's good you're getting the help you need in that regard.
However, what I mean is have you ever been told of the physical mechanisms involved in how your body produces the physical symptoms of anxiety?
Hello
Yes i have been told many times but still have trouble believing it.
I truly find it difficult for professionals to completely undertand how debiltating it is as they have not actually experienced it for themselves.
Hello
Yes i have been told many times but still have trouble believing it.
I truly find it difficult for professionals to completely undertand how debiltating it is as they have not actually experienced it for themselves.
How does anxiety produce dizziness?
Hello
By not breathing properly?
Body releasing stress hormones?
MyNameIsTerry
11-04-17, 23:53
Hello
By not breathing properly?
Body releasing stress hormones?
And more than that. Anxiety adds to dehydration. Anxiety burns through valuable nutrients at a higher speed yet we don't adjust for this. What do these nutrients deal with? Many of these nutrients can be precursors of valuable neurotransmitters like Serotonin.
If you were asking about lack of memory or cognition (sorry, I've not read the whole thread) then Serotonin is needed for these functions and what do we tend to be low in? Serotonin.
And then we have the fact nearly all our Serotonin is outside of the brain. Why is that? What does it do? Why do antidepressants cause us nausea due to the Serotonin receptors in the gut? What about how Serotonin is used in muscles?
There are so many things we don't tend to understand.
It's worth reading about, as Gary says, but HAers will struggle holding onto what they read without then twisting it back into something to be afraid of. So, it will take some control to keep focused.
The stuff I just mentioned can suck you into excessive researching so it's best to read a reputable source once...and stop researching.
---------- Post added at 23:53 ---------- Previous post was at 23:47 ----------
Just read your first post about the headaches.
A few years ago I had daily headaches for over 3 months. I had no tests, I never asked a doctor but then I'm not a HAer.
I found some of the things I was eating, and how they combined, made it worse. I cut them out and saw quick improvements but the daily headaches persisted for a while.
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