Anxiety/Tingling/Weak Legs/Fear of Brain Tumor

[giantfan]

Hi All,

I'm new to the forum and seeking some level of sanity to what logic tells me is anxiety, but fear tells me much worse.

This morning was particularly hard when my wife got so stressed by my issues that she was in tears questioning how long she can live like this... So I really need help in figuring out what's going.

First, about 4 weeks ago I went thru a bout where my left side of my face, from my forehead down my cheek to my chin and lips felt numb and 'tinlgy'. I had a terrible spacey feel. Almost like the onset/wake of a migrane. I slept and woke up the next day without issue. Figured I took some robaxacet for the first time and it was a reaction to it.

But then, last Friday, I had the same feeling on the right side of my face, combined with what I thought was a 'wobbly knee' also on my right side. The feeling persisted and went to the ER on Saturday night. Doctor said 'dont think it's a brain tumor so not going to bother with a CAT, but will order an MRI to rule out MS, but likely anxiety the cause'. Of course all I focus on is the 'MS'.

Feeling persisted but moved from right side of face to left side by Sunday. Right leg still felt wobbly.

By Tuesday, I sought an appointment with the same Dr that saw me at Emerg. Just seeing him seemed to make the facial symptoims go away, and he gave me Citalphram (10 mg to start for two weeks). The first two days of the medicine I felt buzzed and up with little/no symptoms.

However, by Thursday the feeling started to return, and I feel this 'tightness/tingling/heaviness' (but NO visible droop or muscle weakness) on my left side of the face. The feeling usually wouldnt be there in the morning when I wake up, or at night when I'm getting ready for bed, but creeps in around mid day and then lasts thru. On Friday at noon I felt it coming on with this tingling and I felt pure dread sweep over me to the point of dizziness. I panicked and of course jumped to google searches trying to find out what is happening and why after an entire week I still have this tingling. Of course you come across 'brain tumor'. And the next thing you know, Im looking for brain tumor survival stats, stats by age group, etc etc. Even to the point of thinking okay it must be a Brain Stem tumor if it's affecting my face (to which the survival rates are incredibly dismal).

Last night went to bed at 1030pm, woke at 1am and stared at clock for 6 hours. Every minute questioning, do I have feeling in my legs? Is my hand tingling? How can I find out if I have a tumor? Should I go back to Emerg and request a CAT scan? I peed like 3 times over night and start to question 'oh they said frequent urination is a sign'. Then left legs felt funny today, and 'has it spread and not affecting that limb too'.

I'm supposed to be going on a vacation with my wife next week (we only get one a year as we're self employed' and I'm living in complete dread, stressing her to tears, and feel like I'm at my wits end...

[Trish]

Hiya and welcome, sorry to hear you are suffering, but going by what you are saying sounds so much like anxiety to me. My husband is on his 3rd brain tumour and has never had your symptoms., however I have, and can relate to your symptoms as today my legs are feeling wobbley, heavy yet I feel they are not going to hold me up...!

My rational head is telling me it's anxiety, yet the seed of doubt that is lurking inside my head is telling me otherwise:blush:.

Hope you feel better soon, and enjoy your holiday:) Oh yes, NEVER google!!!

Best wishes
Trish

[Trish]

By the way my husband is sat here watching the cricket world cup and enjoying it! Brain tumours are not always bad ones...he's living proof:)

Trish.

[giantfan]

Thanks Trish! So glad to hear that your husband is doing well! That's awesome!!!!

I recently turned 40, and have never had such experience until the last few weeks. I've always had a stressful/anxious life, but never had this tingly odd feeling. Then add a mild headache, but whose not to chalk it up to lack of sleep, stress, whatever.

The rationale side of me says 'anxiety' and it's spirrelling (sp) downwards as it's manifesting on itself now. The more I feel it, the more panicked I become, which make me feel it more. That's the rationale side. The irrationale says get back to ER, demand CAT scans, but if they come back negative I'm sure I'll still think it's something else. Motor skills are all perfectly fine, and even though I think one leg is weak, I can do all my regular exercises and one legged squats without issue. But I can't stop taking one single 'symptom' and basing my assumptions on it.

With the tingling/weird face sensations, is it normal to have for days on end where it comes and goes? I wake up and it's not there, but then I start thinking about it and voila! Presto.

I don't want to stress my wife more, and as incredibly supportive as she is, she 100% believes it's anxiety, but of course I remain in denial.

The first day of the meds (just 10mg) I felt great, energetic, not issues. Second day same thing. But third day feelings resumed.

Anyhow, thank you for at least providing a place for me to put 'thought to paper' as it were. Hopefully typing it out provides the best medicine...

I have an MRI scheduled, but thanks to Canadian wait times, it's not until June. I can get a private one done at $1000, but my Doctor told me not to waste my money... So hard to know what to do. Especially when you read that 50% of doctors advise their patients on first visit 'it's not a tumor' and it's not until future visits that they begin to check.

Arrrrggghhhhh... Feel like I'm going insane. Even called the local mental health association who said 'someone should be able to see you at the end of April start of May.'!

Anyhow, thanks Trish! Appreciate your input!

[Trish]

Your very welcome:)

Having suffered with health anxiety since forever, I am very good at spotting anxiety in others but totally rubbish at doing it for myself:blush:

As for the tingling face, don't you think it's odd that you can wake up without it for a few days and then you think of it and it comes back with a bang...typical anxiety. Just goes to show how powerful our thoughts can be:ohmy:

Read through the posts on the forum and you will see you are not alone. Also give your meds a bit more time to kick in and you will be fine i'm sure ~ good luck:)

Trish.

[giantfan]

Thanks Trish!

The hard part was 'hey why do I still have this after a week!?', but the logical side knows it's because I'm fixating on it!

My doc started me on 10mg Citropram (sp) to see how my body reacts. The first could of days it did great in calming me, but then my body adjusted, so looking forward to seeing him on April 19 for the next dosage increase.

Thanks again. It's very comforting to hear others saying 'I experience that same thing'! Hopefully I can help and offer the same support when others post similar.

Just looking forward to being able to try and conquor this. Lots of great reading here and loving the articles.

Again, my thanks :)

PS I think I've suffered from anxiety for years, but never had it manifest itself into physical sensations until a few weeks ago which is why it's been so concerning... And I hate putting my wife thru more stress.

[Trish]

I feel bad the stress I put on my husband too, sometimes I wonder how he puts up with me, especially when he's been through so much himself:blush:

This is a great forum with lots of people happy to share and give advice. If I can give you one bit of advice Never Ever Google, if you Google symptoms it will always come up with all the horrid stuff and that makes you feel 100 times worst:scared15:

Trish

[giantfan]

Trust me, that's the #1 thing I've taken from all the reading here - NEVER GOOGLE. I have promised to not google my symptoms, and just read the sticky up above with tips.

Although, I just questioned if I should go to the hospital tonight for a CAT scan, but it's not really a logical standpoint to take I suppose. LOL. I just gotta ride out this feeling I guess. Been a week plus a day with some intermittent reprieve.

Curious how long folks have had head sensations last for? I've read some folks state just a few seconds/minutes, but curious if anyone has had it for a few weeks and changing spots? When it first began a week ago it felt like my head was itchy all over (I thought maybe I was having an alergic reaction), now, it's mainly on my left side (although I can sometimes feel it on the right) and is truly hard to describe - sort of a tingle around my eyebrown/temple down my cheek and sometimes extends to my chin. IT's not painful, just like it's hypersensitive. Almost like I keep thinking I had a dog hair caught in my eyebrow, but when I reach to brush it away nothing is there. When I touch the area with the palm of my hand, the feeling disappears. When I relax it fades but not disappears, but when i get worked up it comes on strong...

Definitely a learning experience for me...