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View Full Version : Is this a brain tumour is it just possible anxiety making me think I have one?



CharlieR
03-30-2011, 07:45 AM
I want to start by saying I think I have severe anxiety, I will tell you all of my symptoms, and I want somebody to tell me what they think. I'm not stupid, I have got an appointment with my doctor tomorrow, but I just need some answers right now.

I have two things to ask my doctor.

I want to tell him firstly that I suspect I have a brain tumour. I am 17, and my symptoms are the following:

- I have for a while now suffered from migraines, they are not regular, but happen every so often, and when they do they are paralysing and unbearable.
- My mind keeps going blank, I am having real trouble remembering things in the short term - I will quickly forget names or details, often between hearing them and going to type them immediately.
- Following on from the previous symptom, my brain seems to be slowing down. I am having real trouble at college because my brain just won't allow me to type essays etc, I will forget words and sit there staring at the screen for ages.
- A few weeks ago, whilst on holiday, my thumb started vibrating. I couldn't stop it and it eventually went away, but then it started returning at random intervals. My eyelid has also started acting in a similar way.
- Today I feel very lightheaded, it's like it's a struggle to lift my head, and my whole body is trembling, not like a fit, but random jolts.
- A lot of weird things have been happening to me as well - for most of my life I have suffered what you could call deja vu, for a long time I have experienced things that I have dreamt about.But now, it's getting strange. If I think about saying something, and don't, somebody else will immediately say it. I don't know what the term is for this but it's scaring me now.
- Recently, tinnitus has set in, it was almost instant and I can't remember anything that could have set it off.
- When I read things I am starting to miss out words - I have always enjoyed reading and I don't remember experiencing anything like this before.
- Yesterday, I had a headache come on suddenly. It wasn't a migraine and I killed it almost instantly with ibuprofen, but I still felt uncomfortable, although I didn't have the pain, I could still feel it. I can still feel it today.
- Right now, I have completely forgotten most of what i have just written.

If I went in tomorrow and told my doctor all of this, would he suspect a brain tumour?

I don't doubt that I am having severe anxiety attacks, my mother had severe anxiety after my dad died, and she is still on pills to control it. She says what I am experiencing is very similar to what she did, and I want to ask my doctor whether he thinks all of my symptoms could be physical problems caused by the anxiety.

If I asked, would he send me for a scan? Just to put my mind at ease, so I could be calm and ready to start treatment (either with pills or therapy) for the anxiety?

If you were my doctor, and I came in tomorrow and explained all of this to you, what would your immediate reaction be?

Since my dad died, I have suffered from depression, and serious obsessive compulsive disorder. The OCD has been severely exacerbated recently as well.

One other thing is paranoia, I feel as though people are following me at night, and that people are talking or laughing at me when I walk past them. I went through a bad patch a few weeks ago where I kept seeing shadows out of the corner of my eyes.

My dad was also bipolar, and he killed himself, I don't know whether this could affect your answer in any way. Maybe all of this is a late reaction to his death (after the depression)?.

Mood swings also - a few weeks ago I went through a period of feeling very detached from the world - I felt at some points like I didn't exist, and everything blurred into one long day. That passed, but now I seem to be very quick to anger - after my dad killed himself, I had problems with anger, but I grew out of them. Or, at least i thought I did.

This is just another illness that I think I have in a long line, but I am so worried about it because it seems to be the only one that has any merit to actually existing.

Please, somebody help me?

nutty3005
03-31-2011, 07:22 AM
Hi

I'm also new to this forum but just read your post and it reminds me so much of myself. I'm finally starting to improve after having severe anxiety for about 18 months. I had the same things with the headaches, the forgeting things, the tinnitus, the deja vu (which is so weird), feeling like i didn't exsist and constantly being lightheaded. It is really scary cos you think there's something underlying but it is just the anxiety i promise!!! I found my doctor really helped and she also referred me to a counsellor which was the best thing that could have happened to me. You'll get better, trust me i did : )

CharlieR
03-31-2011, 02:08 PM
Thank you so much Nutty and Forwells - you have no idea how much you have helped me. Just reading your answers stops me panicking - I always imagined anxiety to come in serious attacks that would disable me, attacks that i'd be fully aware of, I had no idea it could affect me physically in such a way. The way you both answered all of my complaints with anxiety is awesome.

I have an appointment with my doctor tomorrow, if he wants to refer me for a scan to calm me I won't turn it down, I may even request it - but I am definitely calmer about all of this thanks to you two,

Thank you so much,

Charlie.

ellen1
02-11-2012, 10:55 AM
Hello,

I just want to let you know that some of your symptoms you are showing are brain tumor-like symptoms, because you sufffer with anxiety, it is almost certainly severe anxiety symptoms, your doctor will ask you if you suffer with anxiety, if you tell him you suffer with anxiety, i doubt he will be concerned.

Best of wishes. X

Anxionusanthony89
02-11-2012, 06:04 PM
hello i convinced my self 7 years ago i had a brain tumor its common in anxiety to think about something like that as anxiety will copy symptoms of other conditions if you think you have something such as i convinced my self i had motor neurone the other month and my body started getting the symptoms but now im fine again its a strange thing but i would just try to relax :)