Advice On Head Pressure, Other Symptoms

Hi,

Last summer I felt dizzy all of a sudden while just sitting down. I got scared because I didn't know what was going on. I then got my blood pressure taken at it was abnormally high (something around 140/100). I felt this intense head pressure as well. I went to the emergency room where they did a CT scan on me and found nothing. I continued to feel bad (nauseous, head pressure, etc.) and was put on head pressure and anxiety medication. The doctor thought I head anxiety problems that were causing these symptoms. During this month I felt like I was going to die. After about a month I got better and went off to college. During college I had a few episodes of the head pressure/pain, nausea, minor vision problems in one eye, etc. So they did an MRI on me and found nothing as well (expect minor sinus problem). They put me on sinus medication.

I still continue to have on and off head pressure/pain and still minor problems in one eye. I feel better though then I did last summer. However, I have been feeling more tired lately and head some chest pains as well as continuing on and off head pains. I also have a ringing sensation in my ears. It is definitely bearable but I still can feel that its there. Do you think this is anything serious (brain tumor, etc.) or do you think it is just my anxiety? Should I go see the doctor again for a checkup? Since its been a year already since I first developed these symptoms and they have not necessarily gotten worse, could it still be a brain tumor?

Thanks! 

Dear oh dear, you really do need to get a grip of yourself.

 You do not have a brain tumour, the MRI scan would've picked this up if you did, so relax and rejoice that you are not cursed with this horror condition.

The diagnosis of your condition is obvious, you are completely neurotic. You have high blood pressure, palpatations (hence the chest pain) and all the other symptoms caused by stress.

 You need to get out of the cycle you are trapped in of fearing you have a severe illness, this may require medication, possibly anti-depressents. I would then strongly suggest taking up sport, even if its going for a walk. Get out and enjoy the world and stop worrying about things you have no control over.

The alternative is to remain trapped in your cycle of paranoia, which will just lead you to higher blood pressure and probably premature death.....not from a brain tumour, but a heart attack caused by stress.

Hi,

     My 10 year old son was misdiagnosed 7 times in the 4 1/2 months we were trying to find out why he was having headaches and vomitting episodes weekly. He had a CT scan read as "sinusitus" and an MRI read as "sinusitus" - 2 separate hospitals, 2 separate dates. The 8th diagnosis was a brain tumor. The "tumor" was on both the previous CT and MRI but  the radiologists that did those reads failed to pick it up. We lost Stefan on New years Eve this year - he was 11 years old. In the 9 months of fighting tis battle he had around 24 MRI's. What I know - and what I can share with you - is that you can have 3 people read the same MRI and get 3 different reads. Take your scans and send them out to Duke (Henry Friedman's lab), MD Anderson and Fred Fine at the NIH and ask them for a second opinion. They are BT experts and may know what to look for over someone with limited experience. If THEY say No BT - then I'd move on to something else. All the best!

B'Lynn, proud mommy to mighty BT angel Stefan, forever 11

I would be totally amazed if it was a brain tumor and quite frankly, with the amount of symptoms you're complaining of it sounds totally ridiculous in fact. After a year of having a brain tumor and with all the problems you're complaining of you'd be flippin' lucky to be here, let alone walking around fine with nothing to think of but ringing in your ears and chest pains.

 I am sure it's all an anxiety problem, but if it helps you go for one last doctors check and then get on with your life because unlike people with this diease, you ARE able to live normally.

Otherwise I suggest you read some of the brain cancer posts by people here who are REALLY watching their family lives and loved ones being utterly devastated by this disease and then take time to appreciate not only how brave everyone is in the face of this, but how lucky you are not to be affected by this. I can't tell you how many times I have wished with every particle of my being that my mum doesn't have a brain tumor, I had a nightmare and we didn't have to sit there and listen to a doctor tell us she was dying. You will never understand unless it happens to you or your family and I hope it doesn't, but I can tell you it's totally insulting to me that you can come on here, after all your tests have shown you to be healthy and winge that you 'might' have a brain tumor. If you have one - you'll know. Get checked again, insist on specialists reading the scans and then be done with it and VERY, very thankful you're OK as I truly hope you are.

On 10/2/2007 Lisey07 wrote:

I would be totally amazed if it was a brain tumor and quite frankly, with the amount of symptoms you're complaining of it sounds totally ridiculous in fact. After a year of having a brain tumor and with all the problems you're complaining of you'd be flippin' lucky to be here, let alone walking around fine with nothing to think of but ringing in your ears and chest pains.

 I am sure it's all an anxiety problem, but if it helps you go for one last doctors check and then get on with your life because unlike people with this diease, you ARE able to live normally.

Otherwise I suggest you read some of the brain cancer posts by people here who are REALLY watching their family lives and loved ones being utterly devastated by this disease and then take time to appreciate not only how brave everyone is in the face of this, but how lucky you are not to be affected by this. I can't tell you how many times I have wished with every particle of my being that my mum doesn't have a brain tumor, I had a nightmare and we didn't have to sit there and listen to a doctor tell us she was dying. You will never understand unless it happens to you or your family and I hope it doesn't, but I can tell you it's totally insulting to me that you can come on here, after all your tests have shown you to be healthy and winge that you 'might' have a brain tumor. If you have one - you'll know. Get checked again, insist on specialists reading the scans and then be done with it and VERY, very thankful you're OK as I truly hope you are.

Sorry this is in reply to an older post..but I feel the tone of this alarming. My twin recently died from brain tumor and was not looking ILL for most of the last ten years she felt something was wrong. The doctor's began thinking just her stress. She also told them of me, her twin who has two brain tumors (12 years now). They ignored her and read her MRI's wrong- three times. She had Glioma grade 4. I was told I needed a hobby! For years ,finally they found the tumors.   I think it is important on these forums the desperate can go somewhere where they are not told "again" they are silly to think there is something wrong. Yes, it is most likely as you say, anxiety,but we most be careful. I respect where you are coming from. But also have been where this poster has been.