Headaches weird, mainly at night. need help

[breeze25]

You may have noticed from other threads I have an appointment with a neurologist in 3 weeks because I am convinced I have a brain tumour.

Its very hard as i seem to have a good day followed by an awful day, sometimes I have so little sleep that the next day is a blurr, and then that night I sleep well and wake up the following day and feel better and say right I not going to let this take over, and I try and push all negative thoughts out, and I actually do a good job that I convince myself I will be fine etc etc, but then the next day I am all doom and gloom. I have a negative thought racing around and I manage to deal with it and move on then the next day its another thought.

basically for the past 4 nights I go to sleep ok, then am woken up in the night by a pain in my head, its on the back of the head just along and down a bit from my right ear, it feels tender and sore, although not when I feel it with my fingers, just feels that way from the inside, when I either set up or lay on my other side within a minute or 2 its much better and then goes. the thought I have it that its the tumour and its having pressure put on it, and when I turn over the pressures off and therefore it goes away. This one is really eating away at me, and feel like the next 3 weeks are going to be a lifetime away, and I still have the slight dizzy heads during the day.

So if anyone can relate to these symptoms, or can come up with a possible (non serious) reason for it then please let me know. Its eating me up inside and its all I can think about.

My son came into my bed for a cuddle this morning and the way I was holding on to him was like I thought I wont be around for much longer and negative thoughts jus raced from them.

When I upset my son yesterday, he cried and said, go away and don't come back, it just broke my heart and I wanted to shout back you may get your wish.:weep: :weep: :weep: :weep: :weep:

[strawberrie]

hi mev, i'm sorry you're having such a hard time at the moment. i wouldnt have thought that pain from a brain tumour would come and go the way that you describe. i think the most likely explanation is that stress is causing your pain - i sometimes get horrendous tension headaches.

was it your gp that referred you to the neurologist? while you are waiting for your appointment, it might be worth seeing your gp and explaining exactly what you are worried about, and i'm sure they will be able to reassure you.

i know just how you feel about your son, when i get a bad attack of health anxiety i think all these thoughts about my kids and how i won't see them grow up, but it's such a waste to think like that. No-one knows whats going to happen in the future and i don't want to live to 100 and have spent the whole time worrying about dying. i really hope you feel better soon. :hugs:

take care
mag

[breeze25]

Thanks.

I did have a doctors appointment today, didn't go very well. She answered all my questions, but told me she didn't know what the pain in my head could be, said it might be stress, I focused on the word might, which in my negative time mind turned into might not. I said I was worried about a tumour, and she said for my age it was unlikely, so although she said unlikely, she couldn't rule out the possibility, and I know thats her job and she has to say what she did. She did annoy me when I asked about my recent blood tests, she said it came back clear and I said thats a good sign isn't it, and she said it doesn't always pick up everything but its a good place to start !!!!! So not the best visit to the doctors.

[neptuno]

Hello Mev !

Even these preliminary tests by your doctor would pick up anything that was major. I think feeling so anxious for your hospital appointment is causing you mega added stress. GP's are terrible for explaining test results - I'm gusessing you had recent full bloods done which is a good thing - this would flag up any major changes in your body. Your doctor said this was clear, so that is great news. If you're still anxious about this ask to see another doctor to explain in more detail - don't simmer with worry for the next three weeks. I'm sure fetting a proper explanation will literally ease your mind.
Be kind to yourself

[Amanda3266]

Hi mev,

The most reassuring thing in your post is that the pain goes away when you move/change position - a brain tumour would not do that. I am wondering if you've cricked your neck at some point (you may not even have noticed that you'd done it) and have a mild muscle strain that causes pain when your head adopts certain positions. It might be so mild that it's only really noticable when you are resting or you may notice it at other times too.

Doctors are masters of not committing themselves (I have been a nurse, midwife and health visitor for 20 years so have plenty of experience of them). When I had gallstones 4 years ago the doctor I saw was a nightmare - just kept banging on and on about my raised jaundiced levels and not committing to it probably being gallstones. As my mum in law's friend had just been diagnosed with liver cancer this was not what I needed. In the end it was the lovely consultant who did my scan and who I sobbed my fears to that said "liver cancer - hmm - statistically that's highly unlikely" who put my fears to rest before doing the scan and saying right away - "Ah - here's the gallstones - and NO CANCER ANYWHERE" Bless him.

neptuno is right - your blood tests were fine and have not flagged up any major cause for concern. Your doctor said this was a good start and the reassurance is that it is an extremely good start with no indication that you have anything wrong with you. You have been referred to a neurologist because in this country the medical profession like to say 99.9% that there's nothing wrong. Your doctor could probably say that he's/she's 95% certain you are absolutely fine but wants that extra 4.9% because your headache is still there.

I'm going with a mild muscle injury to your neck though and the neurologist will probably reassure you as soon as he/she sees you.

[anxious]

Hi Mev,

((((hugs)))))

A headache is actually not a common sign of a tumor, i lost someone very close 7 years ago to this disease and he never suffered from headaches. I won't go into symptoms, but headaches isin't one of them.
My first reaction would be do you grind your teeth? I do and get headaches often. Or are you sleeping in a bad postion? trapping a nerve or something.
anx xx

[nomorepanic]

get new pillows - yours are maybe not supporting ur head well

[nomorepanic]

ok brain tumour - severe head pain that you can't imagine. tight band around head and can't focus. Have to get drugs at hospital to suppress it. Serious head pain.

They are brain tumour symtoms

[Amanda3266]

Teeth-grinding is another possible cause as anxious has said.. I didn't think of that in my reply but it would certainly cause headaches. Teethgrinding is something alot of people do and it often gets worse with anxiety.

[breeze25]

Thanks for al your replies,:)

I have woke up this morning feeling so much better, a few good nights sleep in a row has done that.

I have been keepin a diary every morning of the pain in my head and noticed that the position changes slighty, but within a few days it has moved a few inches, which again I am seeing as positive.

I think deep deep down I know its probably not a brain tumour as i don't have the severe headaches, but on my down days I just imagine that because I am being super sensitive I have perhaps caught it early, daft I know, but thats where I am at the moment.

Anyway the pills the doctor gave as helping in relaxing me at night, so I guess sleep was what I needed to help be positive.

The trapped nerve/neck injury could actually be right, as thinking about it I did used to wake up with a sniff neck lots, then I got a memory foam topper and slept much better, except I couldn't find the right pillow, I bought about 3 different ones and none seemed to do the job. I did have a memory foam pillow as well, but i couldn't get on with it, guess I should try harder with it.

Thanks again all.

[hunny]

Hiya

Im sorry you are feeling so bad

The fact that this sensation is moving around would be reassuring to me

I have had strange sensations in the right side of my head and ear for months now.
Sometimes it also feels like ive been whacked over the back of the head too , mainly at one side.I get weird senstions like crackling,pulsating which i can feel on my scalp and pain and pressure in my ear and face at the same side

Im SURE you don't have a tumour
Hugs to you
Hunny x