Brain Tumour panic, I have so many symptoms! Please Help!

[hellosugar87]

Hey

I'm in a bit of a worry. Reading those stories where people go undiagnosed and ignored for months only to drop dead of the very thing they were concerned they had.

I am 24 weeks pregnant and have been in hospital for past two days having tests done because I have had a very localised left sided head pain that is absolutely persistent for over week.

My symptoms are

Head pain that in burning and pressure like, in one very small localised spot behind my temple and above my ear (left side only) Its almost like I could draw a circle round it with a pen

I have had some ringing and crackling in both ears and they feel a little blocked, originally went to docs who said I had a bit of blood in left ear and treated me for ear infection but anti bs have not had any effect on the pain so assuming I don't have infection.

The head pain is worse on waking and lying down. I wake up with it every morning and it gets better throughout the day. This leads me to think it cant be tension or anxiety as why would it be worse lying down or on waking!

I have been sick a few times and generally feel unwell with stuffy nose and other such things. But again I don't know if sickness is my anxiety- sometimes this happens when I'm in full panic.

Saying that, I have had loads of blood tests and other tests.

I have no signs of infection (which was what I was actually hoping for!) Nothing showing up in bloods, or urine.

My doctor originally sent me to hosp because he thought I had swelling on my optic discs. Obviously panicked me straight away! But I then got seen by opthomoloigst who put eye drops in and was absolutely confident I have no swelling (so not fluid swelling or pressure on brain) and they look okay.

I do get visual snow and slight double vision but long ago this got diagnosed as being part of my anxiety flare ups (and yes is deffo only there when I'm anxious) so I have it now but think that's because I'm VERY anxious!

I passed my nuero exam where they check your facial features and strength/reactions ect.

They felt they had no reason to scan me because it was super unlikely for me to have an actual nuero issue like a tumour if I passed all the above tests.
They say it might be an atypical migrane from pregnancy (why hasn't it gone after over a week!) or a virus.

How true is this? could they have missed it? Can I still have a tumour and not have it show in bloods/nuero exam and eye exam? Should I trust the doctor here or go back and demand more? They really don't want to scan me without good reason as I'm pregnant and I agree to an extent but I'm wondering if that's just whats putting them off and usually they would have scanned me by now :(

I am still waking with head pain and its so persistent. not severe...just there all the time :(

Please help :(

[CHELLEB1017]

I had a headache on and off for a week at a time during my last pregnancy and it was always the same spot near my right temple! With the doc not being concerned and you having all those tests you should feel pretty confident that your fine and it's prob a preggo thing! Congrats on baby!!!!

[nervousnelly52]

I've been having constant low grade headache for the last three, almost four, weeks after a GI illness accompanied by peripheral neuropathy and muscle twitching. I've tried to do some of the neuro tests with my partner and I can't do the nose-to-point test with my eyes closed. I also sway a lot with the Romberg test. I honestly have no idea what's going on. The headache comes and goes in intensity but it is never that bad, always fairly mild. I will usually feel it in just one spot on my head but that spot changes regularly. It's so terrifying. It does kind of feel like it gets worse when I lay down or lean forward but I genuinely don't know for sure.

I just wanted to let you know that you aren't alone. I'm going through this same fear.

[jhopley]

I am also going through the same things right now and i have been told by multiple doctors it's due to muscle tension restricting the blood flow to the brain.

Watch my video and see if anything else that am going through relates to what you are

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UX39AOlCBcQ

[cattia]

I went through BT fears for around three months around Christmas time. I had headaches, phantom smells, one sided weakness, every symptom under the sun. They all went away when I moved onto my next fear! The mind is a powerful thing and can produce such real physical symptoms that mimic exactly the very thing you most fear.

[worriermama]

Hi, I really empathize. I just went through this. I was having shooting pains in my head, persistent dull aching headache/stiff neck -- worse while laying down. Also flashes and flickering in vision at random for weeks on end, like it looked like the lighting in the room was subtly changing and it wasn't, plus the occasional sparkle/camera flash. Had a couple phantom smells and tastes. Felt like I was being extra clumsy, having trouble with speech (mixing up/jumbling words)... I even thought I hallucinated my toddler standing behind me! (I was exhausted and it was past midnight, I was washing my face and my eye caught some laundry in the corner and my brain interpreted it as my daughter. I also thought I saw a red smoke detector light in a dark room where there was none).

I too had a normal eye exam and normal neuro exam. But I wasn't satisfied! I begged for an MRI and got one. All clear.

Since I got my results I haven't seen a single flash in my vision. My shooting pains are gone and the dull pain is 90% reduced. My symptoms were real but I believe they were a form of migraine brought about by stress and a viral infection.

You can have so many weird and creepy symptoms from migraine and stress. After this experience I believe more than ever in the body's ability to somatize stress and worry. I hope this brings you some comfort!

Also, forgot to mention, two brief but severe bouts of spinning vertigo. Also persistent off balance feelings.

[nervousnelly52]

I've been having constant low grade headache for the last three, almost four, weeks after a GI illness accompanied by peripheral neuropathy and muscle twitching. I've tried to do some of the neuro tests with my partner and I can't do the nose-to-point test with my eyes closed. I also sway a lot with the Romberg test. I honestly have no idea what's going on. The headache comes and goes in intensity but it is never that bad, always fairly mild. I will usually feel it in just one spot on my head but that spot changes regularly. It's so terrifying. It does kind of feel like it gets worse when I lay down or lean forward but I genuinely don't know for sure.

I just wanted to let you know that you aren't alone. I'm going through this same fear.

They found a cyst behind my cerebellum on the CT scan.

:unsure:

[worriermama]

They found a cyst behind my cerebellum on the CT scan.

:unsure:

Sorry to hear this! But if it's a cyst, it sounds like it's benign? Are they going to remove it? Hope all goes smoothly and easily for you. Best wishes.

[nervousnelly52]

Sorry to hear this! But if it's a cyst, it sounds like it's benign? Are they going to remove it? Hope all goes smoothly and easily for you. Best wishes.

They say it's questionable whether it's the cause of my symptoms or not. They want to watch it. I hate watching! Get it out of me! ha. Thanks for the support, it means a lot

[worriermama]

They say it's questionable whether it's the cause of my symptoms or not. They want to watch it. I hate watching! Get it out of me! ha. Thanks for the support, it means a lot

I can understand your wanting it out... but the fact that the docs are comfortable leaving it is a good thing! They'd be acting on it immediately if they felt you had something to worry about.

My dad had one that was found on a scan after he fell on the ice and bumped his head. They checked it every 6 months for a couple years, no changes, never amounted to anything. Same thing happened to a friend of mine, they found it after she was in a car accident, followed it, no changes, left it be.