View Full Version : still having brain tumour worries!
Ok, so here is the story, suffer from a general anxiety/panic disorder, you name it, i think i've got it. Here are a list of symptoms i have;
constant headaches, can be on 1 side or just a general dull headache.
Heavy head, head feels foggy feeling.
Feeling of a numb face.
Different sized pupils, 1 day 1 can be bigger than the other, but does happen on both sides.
Ringing in ears.
Severe dizziness.
Just not feeling right.
Heart palpatations.
I've had numerous doctor's appointment's, numerous tests;
Fiels vision test
blood tests
ecg's x 2
eye tests.
Am currently taking sertraline 50mg for anxiety, have been for nearly 9 weeks, felt great after about 5-6 weeks, now feel absolutely terrible again, doctor's just keep telling me it's anxiety, and the dizziness is labrynitis, i'm not convinced, i need help and advise please, has anyone ever felt like this or am i going mad.
sorry meant to say field vision test.
MidnightCalm
23-10-10, 14:23
Hey again, I get everything you described, I'm still thinking sert is a cause of some of mine.
I am having exactly the same symptoms as you. I think mine is anxiety/stress and because of that I am clenching my teeth most of the day and night. This can cause TMJ which can explain the symptoms we're having, also anxiety can cause palpatations.
Hope you feel better soon, I know how horrible it is xx
crazy isn't it, everytime i tell my doctor i think i have a tumour he looks at me like i'm crazy!!!
it gets so bad it's affecting my life, i'm currently taking 50mg of sertraline daily, but am thinking of maybe taking 100mg?
I don't take any medication as I'm trying for a baby at the minute, so don't know what to suggest...maybe ring your GP and ask them?
your lucky i wish i'd never started taking the stupid things, had panic attacks before i took them, now have so other many symptoms since taking them, the list is never ending, i'm not sure whats worse though the panic attacks or the ever lasting anxiety that seems to totally control every aspect of my life, i'm newly married with 2 children, age 4 & 1, i feel like i'm making there lifes suffer for the sake of my mental health.
Have you had any councelling? x
Am due to start CBT on wednesday, am praying that it helps me, can't carry on like this thats for sure.
Well that's a positive, people say that if you can retrain your brain, then your symptoms can slowly disappear. Hope it goes well for you xx
Hi - your post is also a mirror of the things i have felt and experienced over the last couple of years. Nothing you have said in your symptoms list sounds unusual in the context of anxiety symptoms, Merrysee. If you had a BT you would have been significantly worse with much more dramatic symptoms, some time ago now.
I can only say this because i've been through exactly the same symptoms, feelings of 'just not being right', and fear about BTs. I should note that i am still here (alive i mean, not here on NMP!) after 2 years. Anxiety and the symptoms associated seems to come in waves - it will go quiet for a couple of months and then, often for no reason, comes back and hits you between the eyes without warning! Fun, isn't it!
People have told me all the things i am telling you. Most importantly, your doctor looks as you like you're mad because he/she wants to illustrate to you that that your fear is just that. They know what they are looking for, they know what starts ringing alarms bells when they see or hear how patients present to them. Trust them otherwise it is a route to madness.
I am also on Sertraline, but 150mg daily. I really want to get off it now as i don't think it's doing anything for me. However, 50mg is a low dose, it is likely it's impact is very limited for you and you may to think about upping it. However, i am not advocating treating your anxiety pharmacologically. A better way of treating it is to divert your minds attention elsewhere; accept the docs diagnosis, throw yourself into a hobby, plan loads of social events, outings etc. Focusing on your symptoms and what they mean is nothing more than throwing fuel on the fire.
Wish i could take my own advice, but i hope it helps you, Merrysee!
thank you so much screddie, it's nice to hear i'm not alone, obviously not nice for you! I was thinking i might need to up the dose, but what worries me is i felt much better after about 5 weeks on Sertraline, now feel like i'm back to where i started, i hate taking these pills, has you seen the list of possible side effects, can i ask you something screddie, have you drank alcohol on these pills, my docter tells me it's fine to have a few glasses of wine, but everytime i do ifeel worse the next day, terrible heart palpitations?
I have fear of tumours/aneurysms etc. I suffer from migraines and have done for years now, I feel that I am too scared to go anywhere incase i get a migraine, I always think that it is something more serious than a migraine and I get so worked up. I was put on propanalol for my anxiety which also helped with the migraines but I came off them for a bit and then went back on them, since going back on them they dont seem to help at all. I have even tryed hypnotherapy which worked for a couple of weeks but I feel that I am back to square one. I too am so sick of feeling like this and worrying that my child is picking up my fears. Hopefully the CBT works for you. x
it really is not fun is it kelly, unless you go through it you have no idea what it is like, people will say just stop worrying about things but i find that makes me feel worse, have you spoke to you docter about not feeling better on the propanalol?
No problem at all, merrysee. Hope it helped. It does come in waves unfortunately and as i said, quite often unprompted. I don't in any way want to advocate your upping the dose. However, it might be helpful in maintaining a little more consistancy. At the same time i also want to get off the pills and hate being on them! I think once you get past the initial fears it does settle a bit. However, it comes back as those fears increase again when the symptoms don't go away. I had exactly the same thing. That is why i say try and divert your minds attention elsewhere and don't fuel the fire by not going out, stopping yourself doing things, or going and laying down when you feel a bit bad - and then feel worse because you layed down and it makes you think i shouldn't have to do this if i wasn't ill etc etc - an endless self-perpetuating circle...
On the alcohol point: this is one of my biggest problems with sertraline. You can drink on it yes, and in fact my docs said i should drink normally as the point is that you try and live normally and not play to the anxiety. HOWEVER, sertraline doesn't mix well, as per any mind-altering drug, with alcohol (another mind-altering drug!) I have found that i can't drink anywhere near as much as i used to be able to; the hangovers are ten times worse; and i usually start to feel a bit sick when i've been out drinking, rather than tipsy etc. Long and short is it doesn't mix very well, but it is up to you. You can drink with it - it won't have any significant effect. You should however be prepared for your anxiety symptoms to be worse the next few days after drinking - unfortunately alcohol has that affect in general on anxiety!! You just have to bear in mind that is why they are suddenly worse.
Not that fun at all really! But keep yourself busy, don't focus on it if you can and try to bear in mind that if you had anything really wrong with you, you would know about it very quickly, and so would the docs. I wish i had the magic answer merrysee, everyone on here is searching for it - not one of us has found it yet!
PM me if i can help further - very happy to, I know it is a comfort knowing you are not the only one....
celia davies
24-10-10, 16:52
tension causes the foggy head feeling and the cahin because ur tense all the time panicing i do beauty at college an massage really helps me feel better a facial is good for ur tension round ur face.
everythin is just anxiety symptoms dizzyness,pins an needles,feeling sick heavy eays dry mouth we are all goin through the same exercise an choclate helps beacuse it releases happy chemicals from the brain also try omega 3 fish oil it helps with anxiety x
Isn't it odd I have a brain tumour but I am worried in case I have uterine cancer. A good friend died suddenly and started me worrying about that.
Hi Merrysee
I was going to make a doctors appointment to see if he can change my medication and also if I can do CBT, I feel that I have no options left, I have paid so much money for hypnotherapy and it hasn't helped at all. The thing that worries me about my migraines is that I don't really believe I suffer from them, i never have an aura and they last at the most 2 hours and I can't stand being in a dark room which is odd for a migraine sufferer. The thought of having a migraine gets me so tense that I have constant headaches, this then panics me so much that I feel my life is falling apart. Let me know how you get on with the CBT x
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