So many things going on!?

[UserName20]

Hello. I’ve been on a diet for about three weeks to lose weight. I’ve been eating less and working out. I cut all caffeine. I’ve lost like 13 pounds in three weeks which scares me. I’m worried that there’s something wrong and it’s not just my effort to lose weights. I also have a pretty constant and daily headache. It’s not bad and I can ignore it but it’s just like a dull pressure in the left temple. I’ve been working a lot of overtime and I’m gone from my house 12 hours a day. I’m always on the run and feel as though I’m not getting the sleep I should. Without soda if I’m being honest I am not drinking enough either. I also am incredibly stressed with my job. My period has now disappeared and I have an appointment with a gyno/nurse practitioner tomorrow for my period being gone. I’m probably going to get routine blood tests tomorrow as well. I am so scared that something is going wrong. Do constant headaches usually point to a brain tumor? And even though I am purposely eating less and working out I’m scared that losing weight is another sign of cancer. I just can’t win. Something is wrong. I also know I need to get back on my paroxetine but I never hardly have time to make an appointment. I’m gone from 7 am till 7/7:30 pm.

[Limeslime]

Whoa, slow down girl!!! You’re jumping straight to worse case scenario but there are soooo many things in your post that can cause headaches!

1) diet. Withdrawal from certain food groups (sugar for example) can cause headaches. Lack of certain vitamins and nutrients of you are cutting your diet too extremely can cause headaches.
Even too big of a calorie deficit can cause headaches!

2) Dehydration. Soda ain’t gonna hydrate you. Get some water down your neck! Dehydration headaches are easily fixed!

3) Tiredness.

4) Stress.

They all cause headaches!!
Then there is things like low iron count, vitamin D deficiency, needing to wear glasses, the common cold etc.

A brain tumour is waaaaaaay down at the bottom of the list of reasons for a sore head!

The issue with your periods could be stress related, or hormone related, or medication related. Probs completely unrelated to your other symptoms.

And well done on the weight loss!! 13lbs in the first 3 weeks is a good loss, and totally nothing to worry about! We generally lose weight faster in the first few weeks, then you’ll notice the weight loss start to slow down whilst everything evens itself out.
You’ve worked hard for it, be proud of yourself!!!!

[Dying_Swan]

Totally agree with Lime - you tend to lose weight faster at the beginning, so well done and don't stress about it. I'm wondering if cutting caffeine out has caused the headache. I remember one morning I ran out of coffee and had a splitting headache all day, because I'm so hooked on caffeine. Stick with it though and it will pass (or so I'm told). Lack of sleep and stress probably aren't helping, and dehydration is classic for headaches. Try sparkling water if you like fizzy drinks, you can always add a splash of juice or a couple of slices of lemon. Good luck with your appointment tomorrow.

[UserName20]

Thank you both for your replies!! This job is really starting to stress me out and I know how much stress can do to a body. You’ve made very good points. I do need to be drinking more. I think my body must be going through a lot of changes with this diet. Since I’ve noticed I hasn’t been drinking much I also have not peed very much. 3-4 times a day only.

[UserName20]

I’m scared my body is shutting down from this brain thing

[UserName20]

I just went to the doctor. She wants an ultrasound 😢 I am beyond terrified now. I’m scared I have brain cancer and that it has spread to my ovaries or something. I need to go to another doctor about this constant headache. I’m down another 2 pounds. Something is wrong. I’m just going to stop dieting and trying to gain it all back

[UserName20]

This time it’s real. Something is wrong. I don’t know what my next step is

[BlueIris]

You don't know yet that something is wrong. This is just your anxiety on overdrive.

[UserName20]

I feel like I’m going to have a mental breakdown I can’t deal with all of this stress from work. I’m going to an interview right now and I’m stressed about that. My constant headache in the left part of my head is stressing me out. I need a brain mri or something. I don’t even feel thirsty anymore or anything. Like I have to force myself to eat. I told the dr what I’ve been eating and she told me my body is going to go into starvation mode

[BlueIris]

You need to try to get your anxiety under control.

[Bennyjj81]

Your headache is stress related I suspect. Reason? I'm highly stressed with work currently and have had a temple headache going into its 6th week.

I've seen the GPs at my local surgery 5 times and an A&E doctor in the past 6 weeks and ALL of them have said it's not a tumour.

[PanickyGuy]

Also you're dieting, why do that now while you are under so much stress? I would have at least taken some vitamins or something if I was going to do that, while under so much mental stress.

[Kiko22]

Stopping eating some kind of foods can cause headaches... Believe me, I've been there :( it is like withdrawal from a drug, literally.
So don't panic. When you start a diet and it is this restricted you can loose weight altogether in the first weeks. Add stress and anxiety and you have your headaches explained :)

[ErinKC]

I told the dr what I’ve been eating and she told me my body is going to go into starvation mode

You are obviously not eating enough.

Everything you describe can be attributed to not eating or drinking enough. Also, cutting caffeine causes me horrible withdrawal headaches.

You are spiraling, but there isn't actually anything going on here except that you started a new, restrictive diet cold turkey and that resulted in losing weight (expected) and headaches (expected.

Drink some more water, eat a few nutrient rich foods, and get some rest.

[UserName20]

Thank you guys for your comments. I’m really ready trying to not freak out but I can’t help it. I’m at work right now and all I can think about is my head and I feel like I’m on the verge of a panic attack 😔 j can’t think about anything else. I want to just scream and have them check me out now. I just keep thinking about dying

[Bennyjj81]

I've been there myself over the last few weeks but at some point we have to accept we have zero medical qualifications and we are doubting people with more qualifications then I'll ever be able to muster that's for sure.

By all means see a second doctor if you must but if they agree with the original assesment then I think you have to start looking to treat the actual problem.....which I'd bet my house on being stress and anxiety.

[UserName20]

Thank you. Sometimes I wonder if the headache is in my head. It’s not a horrible pain.. I would be concerned if it was actually bad pain or or if I was feeling sick from it.

[UserName20]

I mean it’s just a slight ache but it’s in the same spot that scares me. I don’t have it when I wake up. It just comes about the more I think about it. I guess. A tumor would be worse pain though, right?☹️

[ShaunRyder]

I am a PT and work in Nutrition and so many people I have worked with have said they have suffered headaches at the start of their plan due to cutting out certain food types etc. Some people even cut their calories so low thinking the less they eat the quicker they will drop weight and they get all these different side effects due to lack of proper nutrition. Do you know how many calories per day you eat?

I am also going through a tough time myself with stress and anxiety and the main symptom I have is a headache!

[UserName20]

Thank you! I think that could hopefully explain the headaches and my missed period. My gyno is ordering an ultrasound to check up on everything. I told her I have been going to the gym and dieting and have been under a lot of stress and she told me the weight loss should have regulated me out not caused it to dissapear. ( not sure if I agree with that but she’s the dr I guess ) my problem is that in like 3 weeks I’ve lost 16 or so pounds and I am so terrified to even lose weight now because I think it’s cancer causing it. I’m about to just start eating g a ton in an attempt to gain it back. I’m scared to even step on the scale because I don’t want the number to be less for once.

[ShaunRyder]

Just read through the other posts in the thread and if your doctor has said about starvation mode then it sounds like you under eating by a lot, lowering your calories so low and starting a workout plan will course the weight to drop off really quickly in the first few weeks this is why you should always lower your calories gradually and never go to far into a defecit.

[UserName20]

I have had on and off irregular periods since I got mine when I was 12. It seems like once a year they just completely get thrown out of wack and will vanish for 1-3 months. my last period was in December. So I decided to go the Dr assuming she would just prescribe be birth control to regulate myself. However, she reminded me that since I am 20 they should be regular. I have been under a lot of stress with a new job the past few months and I was on a diet and lost about 16 pounds in a few weeks. She told me that losing weight only should have regulated me out and she told me she would like an ultrasound. ( which obviously has freaked me out ) I quit my stressful job yesterday for a new one and bam, my period came today. I called her to see if she still feels like an ultrasound is necessary and she told me yes and that she wants to make sure nothing else is going on. (Which has my mind worrying ) She had suspected PCOS when I had just talked to her in the first appointment. After researching this I am now convinced that she must be right and that this is going to take a huge toll on my health. I read that it can lead to infertility and now I feel devastated and have been crying. I know, I haven't even had an ultrasound and I am already doing this to myself. But waiting on that ultrasound is scaring me so bad. I told my boyfriend I should just cancel it and he told me I need to have it done to make sure its nothing life threatening going on. So my head goes to cancer automatically. I can't handle all of this anymore. I will spend my entire life worrying and never enjoy any of it.

[UserName20]

I have had issues with my periods randomly disappearing. ( I’m 20 ) I went and got an ultrasound yesterday ( internal and external ) I went back to the dr today and she told me that I had a normal ultrasound. However, she said that this does not rule out PCOS. She went into how diabetes can be linked with this and how it can be difficult to have kids. It really scared me. So she took blood to check my sugar and cholesterol which scares me enough. So even though I was told good news and that I had a normal ultrasound today I am now terrified. My temperature was also 96.6 today... the nurse didn’t say anything when it was this but why was it 2 degrees than normal!? Why didn’t they say anything about it!? I left the appointment feeling good that the ultrasound was normal without cysts Or anything else.. and now I am realizing something could still he wrong . I can’t handle this anymore. Now I am focused on my temperature being 96.6 and I read online that can point to diabetes too. Now my chest is feeling tight and hurting

[Fishmanpa]

That's an absolutely NORMAL temperature! I repeat... NORMAL!

Positive thoughts

[UserName20]

I am taking my blood pressure and for some reason my blood pressure is low.. which makes no sense because I am freaking out and mine is always a bit high. It’s going between 107/70 and 112/70. This is ridiculous and somehow my mind has convinced me that I have a blood clot or am about to have a heart attack. The dr listened to my heart earlier and they took all of my vitals and everything seemed pretty okay. I’m sure they would have told me if something wasn’t

[WiseMonkey]

I am taking my blood pressure and for some reason my blood pressure is low.. which makes no sense because I am freaking out and mine is always a bit high. It’s going between 107/70 and 112/70

This is excellent blood pressure for your age and if you keep yourself fit, it should stay this way. Anxiety and stress can cause lower temps (although yours is fine), it's the same as mine and I haven't got diabetes!

My daughter has endometriosis, PCOS, one compromised Fallopian tube and she's pregnant! She's also coming up 35. We thought she may have trouble getting pregnant but voila, it happened. She also hasn't got diabetes and her periods have been all over the place since her late teens. She's always had a very optimistic view of life.

Please don't despair, everything will be fine :)

[UserName20]

I am just at a loss.. I got called and my sr hasn’t looked at the blood test results yet, but my glucose is elevated...

[UserName20]

I think the nurse said I’m at 108

[UserName20]

I called the doctor today to ask about my blood test results. The lady said the doctor was not in but that my glucose level was slightly elevated at 108. I didn’t eat before the test or anything.. my anxiety is so bad right now. I feel like I’m afraid to even eat anymore. I’m so terrified

[WiseMonkey]

I called the doctor today to ask about my blood test results. The lady said the doctor was not in but that my glucose level was slightly elevated at 108. I didn’t eat before the test or anything.. my anxiety is so bad right now. I feel like I’m afraid to even eat anymore. I’m so terrified

I'm not a Dr but I would suggest this is reversible, by cutting out all sugar, drinking lots more water and getting more exercise. Also changing your diet to have more low fat protein, fruit and veggies and less carbohydrates.

Also talk to your Dr about your results, I'm sure he/she will have some positive suggestions :)

[Elen]

Hi

This is just a courtesy reply to let you know that your thread was merged with another of your threads.

Please when posting on similar topics add it onto your previous post rather than starting a new one.

It is nothing personal it is just to make it easier for people to follow your story and to give you advice as a whole.

Elen

[UserName20]

One of my biggest worries came true. I went to the dr about period issues. She did an ultrasound which came back fine ( no cysts ) but she said this not rule out PCOS. She then said that PCOS and Diabetes often run together. She did a cbc, checked my thyroid, my liver and kidneys, and blood sugar and cholesterol. Everything came back okay besides my ALT ( Liver function ) came back 4 points above. My cholesterol was 2 points over and my glucose was 108. She told me today she is not worried about my ALT as the other numbers are fjne and she would only worry if it was doubled. The thing that terrifies me if my glucose being 108. She told me we will retest in 6 months and if it reaches 126 she will diagnose me with diabetes. I just feel sick. I can’t even eat. I don’t feel hungry, I literally just cry. I’m 20 and live at home and am trying to go back to college. ( my health anxiety led to a bunch of medical bills which made me drop out ) and now I’m having a ton to pay again with all of this. My parents eat a lot of junk food and don’t grocery shop. I feel like I have to choose between buying food for myself and trying to eat healthy or going to school. My doctor told me with how little I’m eating right now my body will soon go into starvation mode but I just can’t eat.. I’m not hungry I just feel sick and terrified. I was in the store trying to find things I can eat tomorrow and I just left empty handed and went in the car in the parking lot and hyperventilated for a good 20 minutes. I’m trying not to cry because as soon as I do I start breathing rapidly and uncomfortably. I am just hysterical. And its not t just this. I have so many things going on in my personal life and I just have no escape

[ankietyjoe]

Why are you catastrophising a single reading that in itself isn't concerning? Even the Doctor isn't worried, they want to test you again in six months. A single reading is meaningless.

Even if you get diabetes (so highly unlikely at your age), it's completely manageable and reversible with diet and lifestyle choices.

At 20 you're not a kid any more. You don't have to eat the same food your parents do. If you simply eat healthily (whole foods, no processed food, not the recommended standard American diet) then it's almost statistically impossible for you to be diabetic.

This is just not a massive deal, you're just making it a massive deal in your mind.

[goodman]

What might not be a big deal for you " Joe", is a big deal for others... Perhaps some constructive feedback?

Username16 .... I get where you're coming from, when we are in the moment the old rational mind is no where to be seen, we hear the things that we fear the most and forget about the other things a Dr might say.

What i would ask is, how is your diet? Could you go to a gym or walk etc to get fitter? Perhaps lose some weight etc? This will help you reduce your risk of possibly becoming a diabetic in the future and reduce your next reading...

Be thee of good spirit...

[ankietyjoe]

What might not be a big deal for you " Joe", is a big deal for others... Perhaps some constructive feedback?

Username16 .... I get where you're coming from, when we are in the moment the old rational mind is no where to be seen, we hear the things that we fear the most and forget about the other things a Dr might say.

What i would ask is, how is your diet? Could you go to a gym or walk etc to get fitter? Perhaps lose some weight etc? This will help you reduce your risk of possibly becoming a diabetic in the future and reduce your next reading...

Be thee of good spirit...

Whether or not you mentally make it a big deal, a single reading that doesn't mean the thing you're worried about still isn't a big deal. Sometimes people need to know that they are currently making a mountain out of a molehill. Which is exactly what's happening here.

Other than that I think I offered constructive feedback about diet, just like you did.

[nomorepanic]

Hi

This is just a courtesy reply to let you know that your thread was merged with another of your threads.

Please when posting on similar topics add it onto your previous post rather than starting a new one.

It is nothing personal it is just to make it easier for people to follow your story and to give you advice as a whole.