View Full Version : 4 CT scans to the brain anxiety! Am I doomed?
emanticoff73
15-08-21, 16:03
I have had 4 ct scans to the brain. One in 2013, 2017, 2019 and a week ago. All but one we're done for headaches. They have all come back normal but now I feel I have sealed my fate. I am scared I will get brain cancer. I have 2 small children and can't fathom the thought of leaving them. I am spiraling. Did anyone else have CT scans to there brain. More than one? Can these CT scans cause brain cancer down the road? I am in a severe depression over this. Please help.
I don't believe they would have done four scans on you if they thought it was putting you at risk.
emanticoff73
15-08-21, 16:37
I have had 4 ct scans to the brain. One in 2013, 2017, 2019 and a week ago. All but one we're done for headaches. They have all come back normal but now I feel I have sealed my fate. I am scared I will get brain cancer. I have 2 small children and can't fathom the thought of leaving them. I am spiraling. Did anyone else have CT scans to there brain. More than one? Can these CT scans cause brain cancer down the road? I am in a severe depression over this. Please help.
I had these scans done in the ER each time.
I always post this when I see this fear.....
I'm a Stage IVa H&N cancer survivor. I was treated with radiation, 5 days a week for 6 weeks. Enough to turn my mouth and throat into mush and require a feeding tube and burn the skin off my neck. Add to that a CT scan before each treatment to aim the radiation. I also had chemo once a week as well. That's not even getting into all the scans throughout my life including many PET scans where they injected radioactive dye. I'm still here 8 years out of treatment so....
Besides, there's not one documented case where a CT scan was the proven cause of cancer.
FMP
emanticoff73
16-08-21, 12:43
Thank you so much Fishmanpa!
nomorepanic
16-08-21, 13:33
Have a read of this thread
https://www.nomorepanic.co.uk/showthread.php?245665-Radiation-Fear-from-CT-Scans
If it makes you feel any better, I am experiencing the same fears (Nicola posted my thread above). I, too, am spiraling and feeling depressed (been struggling to get out of bed in the mornings). I actually just reached out to my doctor to prescribe me something for anxiety/depression (maybe a mild medication would be beneficial for you too). I'm praying it works fast because living like this is not truly living.
Multiple people have told me that my fears are irrational and unfounded, and I'm sure they are, but it's hard to see beyond the "risks" that we read - believe me, I know exactly how you are feeling. I will say that I have reached out to radiologists, health physicists (you can go to the Health Physics Society website and "Ask an Expert" a question), and doctors, and they have all basically said that I have nothing to worry about. In your case, the head/brain is VERY insensitive to radiation.
Just know that you are not alone in your thoughts, and I try to remind myself that thoughts are thoughts and nothing more. Feel free to message me if you think chatting would help. Sometimes it's nice to talk to someone who is going through it too. ((hugs))
I get migraines so have had more than my share of CT scans, both when I first started getting them badly and also a few times when they've changed significantly, just to be sure. The chances of them causing harm are low; if they were that dangerous they wouldn't do them.
I get a chest CT once a year for monitoring an aortic aneurysm, dental xrays every other year, contrast in said CT every other time. While in the perfect world, our radiation exposure would be limited to enough sun to process some vitamin D, the truth is, there are people whose lifelong conditions just require it, and you have to deal with it. My thoracic surgeon told me in plain terms, medicine is all about risk management. We risk the radiation, which is minor and inconsequential in almost every case, to deal with the aneurysm, which is major.
Gonna add to that, what Fish said. There actually isn't a proven link between CT and a cancer case.
Now, that said, have you done anything about the anxiety that has led you to the path of worry where you got all the CTs done in the first place?
emanticoff73
19-08-21, 13:36
Thank you all for your help. I really appreciate it
emanticoff73
19-08-21, 13:36
Yes, exactly. I need to get to the bottom of my anxiety. Thank you
emanticoff73
19-08-21, 13:37
You are an amazing human being. Thank you for your help
emanticoff73
19-08-21, 13:44
I had a CT scan last week for headaches. I have had 4 in total over the years. I had ovarian cancer in 2018. I have been in remission since. Just had a CT scan of the abdomen and pelvis and a tumor marker test that were normal. But I have been getting these bad head pains. Shooting pains, vice like grip, crushing pressure. . Had a CT scan a week and it was normal. Still have the head pain. Now I'm scared they could of missed a metastasis. I have also had an MRI of the brain every year since 2016. Had an MRI last year with contrast which was normal. Can a CT scan miss a metastasis. My anxiety is through the roof. Please tell me the CT scan would of seen a metastasis. I have little babies I need to be here for. Please help me.
Why did you start another thread? (https://www.nomorepanic.co.uk/showthread.php?245693-4-CT-scans-to-the-brain-anxiety!-Am-I-doomed)
FMP
emanticoff73
19-08-21, 15:25
This is a new thread. This is not about if I can get cancer from a CT if the head. This is a question about if a metastasis can be missed in a CT scan
This is a new thread. This is not about if I can get cancer from a CT if the head. This is a question about if a metastasis can be missed in a CT scan
Variation on a theme :shades:
FMP
emanticoff73
19-08-21, 16:02
I have very bad anxiety. I had cancer. I am sure you can relate. I am scared of my own shadow. I have two babies at home I'm scared to death of leaving. Please don't make light of my situation sir. I have had a headache and shooting pains in my head for almost 3 weeks now. I did not want to get a CT of the head in fear of radiation but I did it. Then regretted shortly after scared that I might of just cost myself brain cancer down the road from radiation. My head feels the same so now I am questioning whether a metastasis was missed on the CT scan because of something I read on Google. I am SCARED. Very scared. I asked if a CT scan could miss it. That's all. Please do not make fun of me for it. I'm suffering.
emanticoff73
19-08-21, 16:03
have very bad anxiety. I had cancer. I am sure you can relate. I am scared of my own shadow. I have two babies at home I'm scared to death of leaving. Please don't make light of my situation sir. I have had a headache and shooting pains in my head for almost 3 weeks now. I did not want to get a CT of the head in fear of radiation but I did it. Then regretted shortly after scared that I might of just cost myself brain cancer down the road from radiation. My head feels the same so now I am questioning whether a metastasis was missed on the CT scan because of something I read on Google. I am SCARED. Very scared. I asked if a CT scan could miss it. That's all. Please do not make fun of me for it. I'm suffering.
I have very bad anxiety. I had cancer. I am sure you can relate. I am scared of my own shadow. I have two babies at home I'm scared to death of leaving. Please don't make light of my situation sir. I have had a headache and shooting pains in my head for almost 3 weeks now. I did not want to get a CT of the head in fear of radiation but I did it. Then regretted shortly after scared that I might of just cost myself brain cancer down the road from radiation. My head feels the same so now I am questioning whether a metastasis was missed on the CT scan because of something I read on Google. I am SCARED. Very scared. I asked if a CT scan could miss it. That's all. Please do not make fun of me for it. I'm suffering.
I'm not making light and I replied on your previous thread as did others as to the irrationality of your fear. You've had several scans, all were negative so no, in your case, nothing was missed. I do get it as I'm a survivor but I trust the science of the tests and the degreed medical professionals that review them.
Yes, you have anxiety and the constant worry and rumination can and will cause headaches. You've had these fears for years. Perhaps, real life professional help to help quell the fear and anxiety would be helpful? Hope you feel better soon.
FMP
I'm sorry you're frightened; from your description it sounds like a pretty normal tension headache. I get these sometimes and every single them they scare me because I normally get very specific migraines and to have a different type of headache is so weird. I went to the doctor a couple of times for them and they said they were tension headaches, very normal and everyone gets them. Stress definitely makes them worse, hard as that is to cope with.
nomorepanic
19-08-21, 20:28
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.
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