Reassurance needed

[Musicman]

Hi All.

I have just found this place and would appreciate some feedback.

I went to the Drs a couple of weeks ago with a variety of symptoms:
1. Pain in my chest
2. Pins and needs in my feet and hands
3. Fatigue
4. Dizziness
5. Headaches
6. Not being able to pop my ears

The Dr had a look at my ears and said that the right one was full of wax and that may be causing the dizziness and to go back at get the syringed (which I am doing next week)

She put the other symptoms down to a virus. I feel constantly spaced out from the tiredness and it is really begining to get me down and hamper my productivity.

I had an MRI scan 7 months ago after having constant headaches and feeling spaced out and everything came back normal. The onset of the diziness and the pins and needles has worried me and has led me (thanks to Google) to jump to unreasonable conclusions (i.e. Brain tumour)

In other areas of my life I am such a rational person but my health has always caused me anxiety. I get mad with myself because I know I am doing it but can't stop myself, and like many people on here, trawl internet sites looking for first case scenarios?

My questions are these:
Given my symptoms what would you do?
How do you cope with health anxiety? No matter what I try I revert back to my old habits.

Thanks for your help!

[joyce1980]

Sorry I couldn't control my anxiety habits so I went back onto my paroxetine medication.

You could try cbt or talk therapy with a psychiatrist, i promis they will understand what's going on and how to treat it.

[Aaron]

hey musicman. Great thread, i get the exact same symptoms as you to a tea, i am having constant headaches now, and they are realy worrying me. The other symptoms are there aswel. how long did you have to wait for your MRI?how were ur headaches?did you ever have shooting pains?i dont mean this in a nasty way but its nice to talk to someone with the same symptoms.

[Musicman]

Hi I had been having headaches, feeling like I was out of it for about a month or so before I went to the Dr.s last December. I used to describe it like it was the onset of a migraine without the actual headache. It took until march to have the MRI (after waiting times and consultation with the neurologist). I would not say my headaches are constant, they come and go and I would get twinges but wouldn't describe them as shooting pains. What is worry me at present is that I am now getting a dizziness and the tingling in my arms and legs which I did not have before.

Hope this helps

[Musicman]

It would be great to know if anyone else has/had the same symptoms. What did GPs say etc?

[Aaron]

Mine started as on and off through the day but now im living with them. I got a appointment with GP week today and will mention this to her. i get the weakness and feeling tierd all the time as well. I also get the twinges and spasms to, they scare the hell out of me.

[Musicman]

The problem is the more we think about it, the worse it will get! It is a catch 22 situation. When you search for brain tumour or dizziness on here, every post has a similar response: anxiety, brain tumours are rare. Unfortunately, that doesn't mean that it isn't a brain tumour or anything serious. Personally, I get so mad at myself for being so anxious - but no matter how hard I try - I can't stop it happening. For me, and Aaron I am sure these symptoms are very real.

[Blackstar]

Hi Musicman and everyone,

I understand exactly where you're coming from :hugs:

Having a brain tumour is one of my greatest fears...it never goes away. I experience the same symptoms as you - dizziness, headaches, faintness, the lot. I've not had scans though, my GP said she wouldn't send me for one because 'it wouldn't be helpful'. GPs are so great! Hmph :lac:

I hope you overcome your anxiety beast in time.

Take care,

Anna. x

[Musicman]

I have just been to the optician and my eye pressure was normal and there was so sign of any cloudiness associated with brain tumours right? Still have the on-off headaches though! :( Do I go back to the GP?

[monkeyness]

Hi Musicman
This time last year I was having a stressful time at work and was convinced I was going to have a Heart Attack or Stroke which added to my stressful situation. I had pins and needles in my hands and feet, me left arm felt numb, the left side of my face kept going numb - I felt spaced out and it was terrifying. I went to the doctors about a stiff neck I had he diagnosed common torticullis (?) when I asked about the numbness in my face and arm etc he said he didnt know what could cause it but its prob nothing. Good doctor huh?

After alot of reading on this website and knowing myself, I can put it all down to anxiety now, it makes perfect sense, as it all just went as things started to get better. I still have HA but not to that extent that I had those symptoms. At the time I was convinced I was going to peg it, and now I feel 100 times better. Just goes to show!

I still don't think I can talk to my doctor about HA, I just think Im gonna cope alone with the help of you guys on here. It helps reading alot of your posts!

[charsey]

I've been suffering with headaches and many of the other symptoms you have described, i too have the same issue as you. Many of our symptoms are put down to anxiety but when our symptoms are googled (although i know we shouldn't) they are also symptoms for cancer/tumours etc. So why are our symptoms just passed off as anxiety and unless pushed by us,not looked into further. As although rare it is perfectly possible for these to be symptoms of something more than just HA!!
If it were me i would be going back to the GP and speak to him/her about therapy, you've had an MRI how likely is it that a tumour would have been missed!!! I went to my GP a couple of weeks ago and although i felt like a complete fool i spoke to him about my HA and he was great, i have my first session in Dec. Let us know what you do. Take Care

[Musicman]

Thanks for your post monkeyness. I know that it is probably all anxiety but each new day seems to bring with it a new symptom. This moring I woke up and my left ear is all muffled. It feels like it wants to pop, but no matter how hard I try it won't. When I swallow i feel the pressure expanding in both ears.

My symptoms are:

Headaches which come and go (can last a second, an hour, a day) and effect various parts of the head and face

Pins and needles in my left arm and leg which are also sparradic.

The new ear thing. I had my other ear syringed yesterday as I thought that might help but it still feels like there is a lot of pressure in my ears (again worse on left side)

Ocassional dizziness

This is begining to take over my life, I went to the opticians yesterday and everything was fine including pressure in eyes and no clouding to indicate intercranial pressure.


Is it worth going to the Dr again? I dunno! Does anyone have similar symptoms/advice/words of reassurance?

Please help me!

[Cathy V]

If you had an MRI scan in march and that was clear, why do still think you have a brain tumour? An MRI looks deep into your brain and all around it, if its clear, then its clear. Constant headaches are also a sign of tension, and there are different types of headaches.

Blocked sinuses can also be painful and can affect your ears. Cluster headaches can go on and on and are hard to treat with painkillers, often they dont respond. These are felt mostly on one side of the head. Then of course there are migraine headaches, and people think these only go on for a few days at a time, albeit very painful few days, but they can in fact go on for weeks at a time in some people. Its just a matter of getting the right meds for whatever headache you have.

The problem with the pressure behind your ears is another common sign of anxiety, some anxious people develop Tinitus which can be heard as ringing or a low hum. Also the spaced out feeling is another common symptom of anxiety, lots of people on here get this too.

You've already started going down the road all people with health anxiety go down (me included) you've had numerous tests done so far, but are not convinced. Some people go on for many years in this way (again me included) still tuning into their body and still having tests. I think it takes time to accept that what you feel is because of worry and anxiety. But try to believe that you dont have a brain tumour. There are some people who havent had an MRI scan, so understandably this can be hard for them to accept, but you have had one and im sure it wouldnt have been missed.

Take care
Cathy xxx

[Musicman]

Thanks I totally get what you are saying but my problem is that the tumour could have theoretically developed in the time since the MRI couldn't it and the symptoms have changed since then (increased pins and needles; dizziness)?

It is nice to have people who listen and empathise and I do not mean to test your patience.

Thanks for your help

[Trixie]

Thanks I totally get what you are saying but my problem is that the tumour could have theoretically developed in the time since the MRI couldn't it and the symptoms have changed since then (increased pins and needles; dizziness)?

It is nice to have people who listen and empathise and I do not mean to test your patience.

Thanks for your help

And what type of brain tumour do you think you have?

[worrywort1977]

Hi Musicman,

I get the dizziness, spaced out feeling/eyes not moving with my head feeling constantly.

Like you i have had mri scans and nothing was found, ive had blood test after blood test think ive had a full mot dont think there is much more they can test lol.

The dizziness is awful cause you always think your going to pass out or have a stroke or something even though when we are in our logical moments we can think well ive had it for ages and nothing has happened i like you and everyone else still worry.

My doc has advised that the dizziness/chest pains also are all to do with me being so tense all of the time he advised that anxiety/panic sufferers even without realising it sometimes, always hold alot of tension in there neck/shoulders hence the dizziness. And the pains you get in your chest etc are all muscle spasms due to the muscle being so tight all of the time, and maybe due to overbreathing alot - its like your chest/neck and other body parts having a good body workout at the gym lol.

Hope this helps you a little.
xxxx

Keep Smiling:D

[rosy]

Hi musicman

Have just read all your posts.

I am 56 and a half, female, and have bone marrow cancer. They found this out because I had proteins show up in a blood test.

I get headaches too, and dizziness, faintness, weakness, etc. And pins and needles, but they come and go.

I get pains around the eyes but I put that down to worrying. What is eye pressure which you mentioned. I went to the opticians in Feb about the dizziness and they said my eyes were fine.

Regards, Rosy