Kitchen Cupboard door incident - Anxiety?

[girlfrommars1999]

Hi there,

I'm new to NMP and just wanted to tell my story and see if anyone has had anything similar!

For almost 5 months now I've been suffering with daily headaches and 'peculiar' feelings, since banging my head on a kitchen cupboard door - I wasn't knocked unconscious nor did I get a cut/bump, just felt stunned for a few minutes! The 'feelings' didn't start until 3 days later.
I feel light headed and have out of body experiences, feel like I'm floating when sitting down! I have real difficulty concentrating at work, I'm a PA so it's not ideal! I feel restless and agitated, have crawling / burning sensations on my scalp and my eyes feel so tired and gritty! I get prickly, tingling, pins and needles feelings in my fingers and arms / legs. My head feels full of fog and I can't think straight. I get occasional stabbing pain in either side and the back of my head which can throb/pulsate. I get popping and cracking sensations in my head and neck. My appetite hasn't gone, in fact I feel constantly hungry, I often have a dry mouth and feel thirsty and then need to pee a lot. I am extremely sensitive to noise and jump out of my skin everytime the phone on my desk rings!
It's so hard to relax for all the thoughts that are going through my head, sleeping is very difficult and I feel so run down and miserable, this is really holding me back from doing the things I enjoy!
No over the counter medication seems to work. I have seen GP 5 times, also a neurologist and am waiting for an MRI, can't help thinking its something really sinister like a brain tumour but my family just think I'm stressed! I admit I feel anxious, but only because I'm worried about being really unwell.

I had a period of anxiety a few years back following tyroid surgery (had 2/3 of gland removed plus a non-cancerous growth), GP put this down to my body adjusting hormone levels etc but it took a good year and a half for me to stop having palpitations / panic attacks.
Everyone keeps telling me this is anxiety again but it feels so different to before, I'm terrified I have a brain tumour or MS or diabetes or something which is going unnoticed which is going to affect me for the rest of my life. I feel like I'm going crazy I have so many thoughts spinning around in my head, I am seeing a counsellor at work which is helping a little.

Sorry to waffle on, would love to hear from anyone who has experienced / is experiencing a similar thing or anyone who may have some words of wisdom.

Thank you :wacko:

[RosieXXX]

Hello girlfrommars,

All the symptoms you describe could be put down to anxiety, and most likely are caused by anxiety. It is extremely difficult to shift worrying thoughts when we suffer from anxiety; each sensation just adds to the problem, and so it becomes a vicious cycle of constant worry.

The good thing is you have seen your doctor, and he has referred you to a neurologist, so you will be checked out thoroughly. I know it is a worrying time for you, and it isn't easy to feel comforted when you are so anxious; hopefully your MRI appointment will come through soon and you will be reassured.

[girlfrommars1999]

Thanks for replying Rosie.

I know a lot of what I'm feeling could be anxiety and I really want to believe that's what it is but it's like this little person inside me keeps telling me it's something terrible!

I have at least another 3 weeks before the MRI so am just trying to stay positive until then!

[june]

:hugs: :hugs: :hugs:
I agree with everything Rosie said and i have also had the same fears that you are going thro - the what ifs and the ""oh what is that pain / ache"" the fear this cause sends us in to that "viscious circle" that Rosie mentioned.
I would suggest that you have a look at Symptoms - on the left of screen.
You will find a lot of your feelings in there - there is an awful lot to read but it is in sections that are easy to cope with - you can scroll thro and have a look :blush:
Best wishes
June
:hugs:

[lazzerus]

hi girl from mars

I saw your post and felt i had to reply. I am going through almost exactly the same situation as you. Mine stems from a knock to the head I had about 6 months ago. A bottle of fiuzzy wine fell on top of my head. I didnt loose consciousness but was reallly dazed for about an hour after it happened. I also was sick. Felt OK, but strated having head aches a few days after. I went to the doctor who sent me home.

Anyway, the symtoms got more varied and worse over the next few months. I had heart palpitations, my breathing went all out of sync, I had eye pain, severe headaches, pins and needles in my right hand and foot, dry mouth and throat, felt like I would fall over when I went out, buzzing in my ears, all sorts of stuff. I ended up in hospital twice, had every blood test under the sun,all of which were normal. They thought I had a virus which was in my heart. By this time I was CERTAIN it was something nureoligcal. But the doctors didnt beleive me . Eventually I got sent for an MRI. I dint hear anything about the results for 6 weeks and asumed it would be clear. It came back abnormal showing that I have too much fluid in my brain. Went to a nureologist he said it was nothing to worry about was just an accidental finding and it was just the way I was. So by this point I think that all this stuff must be down to anxiety. But my GP didnt agree with him and has put me back on the waiting list to get another opinion. He thinks it may be sth to do with the head injury. BUT the good news is that if it is, it is really easy to treat.

I dont want tyou to panic, but all I can say is that I know what you are going through as it has been my life for 5 months!! All the waiting around to be seen makes it so much harder on a day to day basis. Its really difficult to get on with things with this hanging over you like a cloud.
My appointment is next wed, will let you know how it goes if you like?

All the best

[girlfrommars1999]

Dear Lazzerus,

Thank you so much for your reply, I can't believe there's someone out there experiencing the same thing as me, and all from such a simple knock to the head, heavens knows I've bumped mine hundreds of times before and never felt like this!

My headaches have got quite bad over the past week but I'm trying to stay positive until I've had the MRI and will tackle whatever (if anything) shows up then.

Can't say I've had the heart palpitations like you but I've had similar peculiar feelings, really hard to describe when you're trying to tell GPs your symptoms!

Would be really good to keep in touch about how you're getting on

Take care
:)

[lazzerus]

sure, i will let you know what happens next. Know what you mean about explaining the symptoms- GP just looks baffled! It may be that this is anxiety, its certainly a possibilty, just want to score off the more sinister possibilities first. I have been worrying about horrible possibilities too like MS/Cancer, but I have managed to keep as calm as possible over the last 6 weeks or so. This forum really helps.

will message you after next appointment,

L

[girlfrommars1999]

How did your appointment go? I'm feeling really dizzy today :-(

[BKF1515]

Dear girlfrommars, I had to post b/c I too had a kitchen door incident in Feb. 2008! I was alone w/my 2-yr.-old for a few days while my husband was on a trip with our other son, and I accidentally stood up into a kitchen cabinet door which hit the top side of my head. Didn't break skin or even leave that much of a bump, but it hurt for quite awhile and so much which it happened that I cried. I called the weekend dr.'s line and they told me to have someone wake me every two hours that night but I was so ashamed of my fears and anxiety about a head injury that I didn't have anyone call me - just didn't sleep for two nights straight. I went to a dr. and physical therapist who both told me if I didn't lose consciousness and wasn't nauseas, then I would be fine. I only had a bruised head but then I did start feeling nauseous and like one of my arms was weeker - all sorts of sensations that made me start to feel crazy and panic. And I had a constant headache. To make a long story short I finally went to see a friend who's a neurologist about 7-10 days later and she checked me out and then gave me a CT scan to alleviate my fears. All was clear and as soon as I learned that, all the sensations, headaches, etc. faded away and within a few days I was completely normal. Probably everything I felt was related to jarring my neck and having a stiff neck from the incident. And tension and anxiety as I worked myself into a needless tizzy. I had such feelings of shame and guilt about it - about bothering even the few people that I told about it and those who help me (drs.) - and also losing the precious one-on-one time I was supposed to have with my son in that period to my feelings of anxiety. So what I mean to say to you if that hitting your head like this does happen, the feelings you have are normal and probably related more to your anxiety than to the injury itself. :)

[girlfrommars1999]

Dear BKF, thank you for your post, I really hope you're right but I can't help thinking the worst when this has been going on for nearly 6 months now. Trying to keep smiling