Anyone else scared of having a brain tumor???

[scaredsh*tless]

My number one scare is that I may have a brain tumor. I have had anxiety for about 8 months and It leaves me feeling drained. But I feel so out of it sometimes, like I'm living in a movie that it scares me horrible. Sometimes my memory isn't all that good. I also get irritated fairly easy sometimes. I dont get headaches or nauseous but my vision was always blurry and sometimes when i space out i get double vision but I snap out of it and my vision would go back to normal. My vision also always get blurrier when I walk into crowded places, as well as my heart starts racing and my hands get really cold. About a week ago I started getting this pain in my left eye but only when i would move my left eye to the left and i would start to get a slight headache when it happened. This really scared me so I made an appointment with an opthamologist and he ended up saying I had really bad sinuses and that due to that my cornea (or something) was inflamed. He also said I was near sighted. Well after 4 days of drops and zyrtec D, my pain has gone away not to mention that with glasses i can finally see far, but I am still scared it wasnt sinuses and its only a coincidence that the pain went away with the drops. For some reason I can't shake this brain tumor idea no matter what, and im scared shitless (hence my name) to go to a doctor to get checked. I always, well mostly always, feel like i have a pressure band wrapped around my head. Sometimes I feel good though, especially when I am working out. For some reason working out takes my mind off my worries and I feel good for that 45 minutes. Anyway, just wondering if anyone else is scared of having a brain tumor or just any other illness in general. I would love to hear from anyone or just get a little feedback.

[RustyIce]

Yes i can definitely associate to what you are feeling, i go through phases, where im anxious about having one thing, then something else.

I went through heart disease, aids, cancer, leukaemia, and now im onto the Brain Tumour phase, coincidently i have had anxiety for 8-9 months now also. Its something that does affect my life although i try not to let it, My eyes are the worst thing really, when im walking it seems like everything is closing up and that i think im going to faint, and the only way to counter this is to lay down, however its hard to do so in the middle of a city. I do not know how long this particular phase will last, i suppose what makes it worse is pains i get in my head also, as soon as i feel one i panic and think there is something wrong.

I also get headfuzz, and feel spaced out. For the past 2 days it feels like my feelings towards everything have gone and that i am in my own little dream world. It scares me also, but then i look at the logical side. Its been nearly 9 months now, if there was anything seriously wrong with me i would of known by now, fainting, seizures terrible headaches regularly, these are symptoms of a brain tumour, and i haven't experienced any. I sometimes sit down and say out loud to myself, 'What are you even thinking, if you were going to die, you would of died by now.'.

When it comes to symptoms, i think because one symptom leaves, your mind picks out another symptom, but a totally different one, which makes you believe something else is wrong with you.

[Joie]

you are both describing me to a T !! I have been getting dizziness and brain fog for 3 months now and i am so scared its a tumor or something else awful. I am so scared to the point where i want to have a cat scan done but part of me is terrified. I have become depressed that im living my life in fear but as i tell my husband and friends..if i could control the anxiety I would! everyone wants me to go on meds but i dont want to trade in my current problems for new ones. I would be basically worrying about the side effects of the medication so whats the point? its so frustrating! i totally feel your pain. I might just make the appointment with my gp just because i cant take this anymore.

[scaredsh*tless]

Thanks for responding guys. It really sucks feeling the way we feel, having that constant thought in the back of our head, doesn't it. It's an extremely scary thought, thinking you have a brain tumor, and wondering what is going to happen to you. I don't know about you but my outlook on life has taken a bit of a punch to the gut. Whenever I think of the future, in the back of my mind I'm really thinking "what if I'm not around next year, in 2 years"! It is a scary thought that goes on in my head but one that I can't seem to shake. I'm sure you guys (rustyice and joie) can relate when I say that I literally think of this practically ALL DAY EVERY DAY. I think my mind is so emotionally drained at times and that is where that pressure in my head comes from. Of course, sometimes it could be a result of sinuses since I am a chronic sufferer, but at times like this I am really not thinking rationally. I'm glad you two have responded since I'm sure reading other peoples msgs and knowing that you are not the only one feeling this way, really makes you feel better. A little bit of weight is removed from my shoulders, of course I'm not sure how long it will last. I might begin to worry about a completely different symptom in an hour or tonight or tomorrow, sucks doesn't it? Anyway, RustyIce and Joie, if you all want to talk you all can msg me whenever. Talking to someone else is better than any meds you can take. And I agree with you joie, I don't want to take meds cause that is just a completely different worry in and of itself. Thanks guys.

[coops025]

I have this too :(

From what i have read about it, it seem that our brains are in a defensive mode almost as if you brain is tired on purpose, ive tried all sorts to try and make it go but have failed so far. This is known as de-realisation so feel free to have a read around the internet, you will notice its mostly linked to drug users which i am not.

Anyway on a brighter note, it does seem to be better if you get more sleep than your used to :) Also i found that a high quality vitamin B complex does help too but make sure you dont buy the cheap stuff, mine cost £6 for a small tub.

I'm playing with my diet at the moment but i think the key is tricking you mind into coming out of this defensice mode, my Doctor has me on a waiting list for a phyciatrist so far.

Its so weird having no feelings, its almost like im a zombie....... Mmmmmm Brains!!! lol

Oh quick question to you guys, do you find this is worse in the morning? Do you just not feel like talking to anyone for the first few hours of the day when you wake up?

[wantofeelbetter]

my biggest fear is that i have a brain tumor. i go through maybe 90% of my day thinking about it, and thinking that it's causing all of my other problems.

i get the brain fog, my vision goes in and out. unlike most of you i DO get headaches, and a weird tension, mainly in only one spot of my head.

i also get a lot of dizziness, and weird feelings in my limbs.

i just get the feeling that my body is failing me, and im about to shut down, and never wake up.

i get this weird feeling like im falling too...

its hard because ill have these symptoms (which ive had since 04), and i can have them without having an anxious feeling (high heart rate, etc). i can be perfectly sound as far as heart rate goes, and still be so scared over this. my heart rate even seems really slow at times?

ive come to the conclusion that my brain has just trained itself to think this is how it should feel...im not sure though.

[Knawx]

Hi everyone, this is my first post.

I am a 25 year old Male who has been dealing with axiety for 7 years now.

The best thing that I have ever done was realize that out of all the things I have delt with (heart palpatation, headaches, upset stomach, vision, sweaty palms, obsessive worry, etc.) none of them are deadly.

I had a lump under my skin on the right side of my jaw between my jaw bone and where my ear connects. I was 12yrs old when I found this and was convinced it was cancer. I didn't tell anyone, not even my parents. Finally 10 years later I realized that it obviously wasn't life threatning and I told my doctor about it. He said it was nothing more than a gland.

So basically I spent 10 years worrying about something that was never harmful. But what was harmful, was the the damge I did worrying all that time.

I still worry a lot, and it's natural for people like us. We just need to learn that it's okay to worry, but we need to manage it. Whether that means taking meds to help out, or talking to a therapist.

Also, I have a terrible fear of going to the Doctor because I just know they will find things wrong with me... but I just remind myself that they are there to help us, not hurt us. Going to the doctor can only benifit you.

Brain Tumor is one of the most common worries with people in our situation. Because that's how our brains work. They immediatly think of the worst case scenerio and then focus on it. Don't let your mind get the best of you, tell yourself that you will let yourself worry about it for 1 day, but the next day you will not let yourself worry about it. (even though you probably will somewhat). Just keep doing this. Let your brain and body know that it's okay to worry, but only because you are in control and you are letting it.

Sorry this is so long. I think an anxiety forum is such a great idea. Remember we are not alone, not by a long shot. :)

[coops025]

wantofeelbetter

I was just like you thinking about it all the time and it just makes it worse i promise you that much, it is a hard task to take your mind off it so try and find a distraction.

I did have lots of headaches and nausia and a weird pressure in my head too so dont worry its all part of it. Just make sure you have plently of rest. The symtoms here are in my opinion are because you think about it all the time, it wont go straight away but keep your mind away from it.

The feeling of falling (or moving about when you are still) is linked to your nervous system, again i had this to :( So much fun usnt it having a cocktail of crazy symtoms so no wonder you feel like you body is giving up.

All i can say is hit those vitamins, i cant stress to you how much they really help you though it will take a few weeks. Vitamin B complex and Magnesium dont buy the cheap stuff it does work well.

Good luck

[learningtobreathe]

Oh, how familiar this all sounds!

The worry about having a brain tumor has been a big one for me. I went to the doctor with concerns several times. Knowing my history with anxiety, he was very understanding with me. He told me that there are warming signs for brain tumors that doctors look for, and that these are not things like headaches, which nearly all anxiety sufferers experience. He said that an actual warning sign for this would be something severe like having a seizure, or walking and suddenly falling down to the ground. So, with this in mind I have been able to relax about headaches, and they no longer worry me like they once did.

Health anxiety is such a major issue. Do those of you who suffer health anxiety feel that this is the main thing you worry about? I do not worry about anything else really, but my health anxiety is so all consuming, I worry every single day about it.

[scaredsh*tless]

Yes, this seems to be all I worry about. I am consumed with thoughts about my health, all day everyday like I said. Some days are better than others but some days I'll spend hours on end on the computer, jumping around from site to site looking for symptoms of various illness. Not only is the fact that I think I have had a number of different illnesses but the fact that I research every single symptom I have is extremely depressing. Sometimes I will find symptoms that I have never had but after I have read about it I start experiencing these symptoms. Like I have said before, when I can keep myself busy and not worry about it, I feel fine. My worries go away, along with my symptoms. However, being that I am unemployed and take online classes, I am at home almost ALL day, and here there is nothing else to think about. That is why I love working out, because those 45 to 60 minutes I feel normal, i feel as though my mind is clear and not working overtime. Well, if any of you are not already working out i highly recommend it. It won't permanently fix you but temporary relief is good enough for me right now. Like I have said before, I never want to go on prescription medicine, I think I just have to find a way to get my mind right. Hopefully, once I finish with my classes and get a career my mind won't have so much free time.

I have one more question. Does anyone know if pimples can be caused by anxiety? I know this could be a long shot but ever since my anxiety began I have began getting pimples. the last time i had pimples this bad was back in high school, about 10 years ago. I mainly get them on my scalp (they really hurt sometimes). However, I don't have them all the time, sometimes I will not have any for months and then all of a sudden they come like a tidal wave. I don't really get any on my face just on my scalp. I know this could be due to sweat but just thought I'd ask if anyone else deals with this. Thanks

[ThePhoenix]

My number one scare is that I may have a brain tumor. I have had anxiety for about 8 months and It leaves me feeling drained. But I feel so out of it sometimes, like I'm living in a movie that it scares me horrible. Sometimes my memory isn't all that good. I also get irritated fairly easy sometimes. I dont get headaches or nauseous but my vision was always blurry and sometimes when i space out i get double vision but I snap out of it and my vision would go back to normal. My vision also always get blurrier when I walk into crowded places, as well as my heart starts racing and my hands get really cold. About a week ago I started getting this pain in my left eye but only when i would move my left eye to the left and i would start to get a slight headache when it happened. This really scared me so I made an appointment with an opthamologist and he ended up saying I had really bad sinuses and that due to that my cornea (or something) was inflamed. He also said I was near sighted. Well after 4 days of drops and zyrtec D, my pain has gone away not to mention that with glasses i can finally see far, but I am still scared it wasnt sinuses and its only a coincidence that the pain went away with the drops. For some reason I can't shake this brain tumor idea no matter what, and im scared shitless (hence my name) to go to a doctor to get checked. I always, well mostly always, feel like i have a pressure band wrapped around my head. Sometimes I feel good though, especially when I am working out. For some reason working out takes my mind off my worries and I feel good for that 45 minutes. Anyway, just wondering if anyone else is scared of having a brain tumor or just any other illness in general. I would love to hear from anyone or just get a little feedback.

:) I am with you, I have been there and its still something I worry about if I am not fixated on something else already.

I know what you mean about the vision too, I find the more I think about it and question if its going blurry the worse it becomes. Try to ignore the headaches because they dont really mean too much at all. I have heard about the pain behind eyes, I think its most commonly a sinus issue and the band around your head is 100% a stress headache.

The fact you feel good working out is great, its so good for anxiety and takes your mind off it. It also shows that when your not thinking about it you have no symptoms.

[dtrotter]

Really, just relax. Things will be better. Since you have your sinus taken care off with anti histamines, Zytec D. Why worry? I hope you can put the case at ease and not think about it anymore. Life is too short for us to try to grasp hold of everything. Just think of your passion in life... and strife for it.

[njc38]

i also get a lot of dizziness, and weird feelings in my limbs.

i just get the feeling that my body is failing me, and im about to shut down, and never wake up.

i get this weird feeling like im falling too...

its hard because ill have these symptoms (which ive had since 04), and i can have them without having an anxious feeling (high heart rate, etc). i can be perfectly sound as far as heart rate goes, and still be so scared over this. my heart rate even seems really slow at times?



Hey, i have had anxiety for around 5 years now but only badly for the past 18months. I go through phases where it'll be bad then be ok, but atm its consistently bad. I was having panic attacks so decided to go to the doctors (took alot of courage) and he referred me to a psychiatrist...this was may and i have my first appointment with the psych on tuesday (wish me luck). Im really keen to start treatment because i just wana live a worry-free life.

I have the weird 'my body is guna shut down forever' thing and the 'falling' feeling. Its horrid isnt it, it feels like your just guna go...faint, die, the worst you always think of first!

Ive read up on brain tumour symptoms..and you know what, headache isnt the main symptom or the most common. Most people get problems with coordination (reading, writing, talking, balancing) etc, then get mild headaches etc...so headaches are almost always nothing to worry about!

Anxiety produces alot of symptoms for me that i have to live with everyday...and new ones appear frequently. This worry about the 'new symptom being fatal' thing is the cycle we must break to free ourselves of anxiety, but its soo difficult isnt it! x

[Robbed]

Here's something else to consider. My friend's mom died of a brain tumor about 10 years ago. And when she got it, things went from bad to worse to death in a REAL hurry (maybe 2-3 months). So if you have been worrying about a brain tumor for the past couple of years, then it is virtually guaranteed you don't have one.

[njc38]

Here's something else to consider. My friend's mom died of a brain tumor about 10 years ago. And when she got it, things went from bad to worse to death in a REAL hurry (maybe 2-3 months). So if you have been worrying about a brain tumor for the past couple of years, then it is virtually guaranteed you don't have one.

MY grandad's speech was slightly slurred and for a bout a month, he had problems with his coordination, couldnt drive straight lines so cudnt drive in the end, then about a month after he collapsed in the garden and had a seizure. My nan called ambulance, they took him straight to bristol hosp and found iout he had brain tumour. He could hav op but it would leave him disabled, so they sed to leave him. He died 4 weeks later. So that all happend in 2-3 months too.

[dtrotter]

Seriously, if you scare of having brain tumor, why don't you just assume that you have brain tumor already.

What are you going to do when you have brain tumor and you exactly you are going to die asap? Think about it....are you going to stay inside your house and depress and be a loser and die without anyone knowing?

OR you rather, choose to live the remaining life happily by doing whatever you wanted, since you are dying already, what is the shame if you screw up a few things? Reputation? Impression upon other people? Who cares, i am dying already. If i want to jump, i'll jump, i do not need a second thoughts about it.

Oh well, this is another perspective for you. I am sick of those usual comforting advise.

[Nausea]

I always find it oddly reassuring to discover other people have the exact same thoughts I do, I'd say this last week of suddenly ramped-up anxiety has been largely concerned with the fear of having a brain tumor, though more recently I've begun wondering about the more exotic conditions (like those brain-eating Amoebas in Australia!). So far, my only symptom that would even remotely suggest a brain tumor is a persistent headache. Hell, that could be my sinuses. Aside from the occasional panic attacks, however, I haven't noticed anything neurologically wrong with me (coordination problems, seizures, et cetera) which would indicate some kind of serious brain problem.

Of course, just because Rational-Brain is pretty sure I'm okay doesn't mean he always wins the argument. Anxious-Brain is always so persuasive.

[cosma05]

The thought has crossed my mind, but i was more fixated on ALS because I do experience some degree of random muscle twitches. However these twitches are not accompanied by any other symptom that warrants any concern.

Once I found out about Michael Jackson, I immediately thought to myself "what if I just drop dead"...another one of mine that includes the brain is..."what if i have an aneurysm"... but it keeps going, I thought that all this anxiety was a symptom of something greater, like schizophrenia.

Then something amazing happened, I began to rationalize. Now, I don't let stuff like that bother me for the most part.

Oddly enough, when I'm at work I feel great with zero anxiety. Of course, i'm occupied which is the obvious answer.

You need to understand that most if not all of these symptoms are completely benign. Massive headaches accompanied by dizzyness and nausea is something that runs in my family - this has plagued my mother since she was in her teens. Does she have a brain tumor? no.

[scared_of_all]

i think about it often when im having an attack, i feel weird lil knicks in my head at anytime of the day or if i get a head ache it will trigger an attack thinking im having a brain tumor or hemridge. its horribile and it only leaves once i thought of something else that cud happen...i feel uncomfertable ven writing this. i hate this. i have only had it a couple of months but ie never been so scared in my life :notice:

[scaredsh*tless]

You know, I'm trying to get into a physical therapy assistant program (I'm taking my prereqs) and one of the classes I am currently enrolled in is Health Care Profession Skills and one of the topics this morning was on the brain. Brain tumors was a subtopic and I could feel the anxiety start coming on. I really hate it....... in my head I'm thinking "is God trying to tell me something, is this a coincidence." It really is draining having those kinds of thoughts, especially in a class full of other students who probably don't know how hard a simple topic (a 4 minute lecture on a subtopic) can mess with someone's head. My heart started beating a little faster and I really had to take some deep breaths and luckily it didn't turn into a full blown attack. I have to say for the past couple of weeks I have been doing a lot better, with the exception of todays minor setback. I hope everyone else who has responded to this topic is doing well. I wish you all the best. Just thought I'd share my mornings little experience. Thanks guys, we're all in this together

[doworkson]

I used to think i had brain tumor too. For a while it seemed like i was doomed. But now i dont worry about it anymore and feel a lot better. The symptoms you feel are probably being caused by all the worrying and anxiety you are putting yourself through. It also seemed to cause some depression with me which doesnt help your symptoms at all. i would always stay at home just worrying the whole time. finally, I started getting back out in the world and living life and all my worries seemed to fade away. i would advise you to stay busy and hang out with friends.
These seem to be the best remedies for me.