Brain tumour fear

[Gomubukai]

I've been lurking around these forums for a while, using them as a kind of CBT to see if I can completely beat my hypochondria on my own, and I've been doing really well... But today I'm a bit worried and thought I'd see if anyone can help.

For the past year or so I've been getting sharp, relatively brief pains in my head. They come on unexpectedly and usually don't last long,  but seem to be mainly focused on top of my head. I've mentioned it to my GP a few times but she brushes over it as 'tension'. They seem to be increasing in frequency and lasting a bit longer than they used to.

A few months ago I flew home from a trip to London (24 hour flight) and was incredibly dizzy when I got home and terribly motion sick on the plane, the doctor told me when I decided to see her after a few weeks of dizziness that my right eardrum was still compressed from the long flight and would be ok in a week or two. That was three months ago.

It's mostly better but I still get quite dizzy now and then and thinking it was my eyes (I have astigmatism, which scatters light and makes things quite blurry. Not dangerous, but slightly irritating) was told that the astigmatism had gotten worse in my right eye and that the pressure was also up in my eyes.

She took some tests and told me we would have to keep an eye out for glaucoma which my grandma had (I'm only 25!) and told me to come back in a few months if I didn't experience any decrease in pressure.

I went back yesterday and she told me the pressure was still very high, 25 in my right eye and 28 in my left, I don't really know what that means though. She said that she thinks my cornea is naturally thin which makes the pressure seem high and to check with the GP for sinus issues.

I AM worried though, even though I'm trying to realise that I have always struggled with hypochondria. The sharp pains through my head for such a long period of time which seem to be getting worse, as well as the high eye pressure has me very worried.

One of my best friends was recently diagnosed with a brain tumour and although he was completely fine - he just takes medication, didn't even need surgery - for some reason I feel like my situation is going to be different...

Can anyone give me some advice?

[sixpack]

reading through your symptoms, I don't see how you are coming to a brain tumor conclusion.  that is quite a LEAP with no evidence.


and, yes, I have quite a bit experience with neuro nasties---dad and sis had brain tumors (different types, different places in the brain and different outcomes), have several friends who had fam members with brain tumors,  my eldest has a severe congenital brain malformation which causes, among other things, severe seizures, and my mom recently had a stroke.


I know we often think doctors "brush" things off as anxiety or tension.  the thing is MOST often when they "brush" off (or our perception of that) they are right.  Brain tumors are bossy, insistent creatures.  They cause big arsed problems.   

btw I've not heard of a brain tumor that is treated by meds?  perhaps your friend has a mengioma (which is the type my sister had) and it isn't growing or causing any significant brain malfunctions but still haven't heard of a medicine type treatment.  HMMM maybe he has seizures and is taking seizure meds????  My sister's was HUGE and had to be removed.


I am glad you are finding AZ helpful but don't confuse it or equate it with CBT or any other type of real therapy    They two are very different.

[Gomubukai]

Thanks sixpack

I know on a logical level it's a leap and a bit irrational - even reading it through now. But that's the joy of being hypochondriac, every time I get a shooting pain in my head I get just a seed of doubt where there shouldn't be one and then I dwell making it worse. I'm sure a lot of us are wired like that on here.

I just know high eye pressure can be a pointer, and mine has been high for quite a while...

I know this isn't CBT, but reading some of the posts calm me enough tht I haven't been running to the doc every time I feel something and I've been able to make myself ignore the symptoms. It even helped me realise I WAS running to the doc and was having hypochondria issues in the first place. Haha- I have no idea how I never realised...talk about oblivious! 

I'm not too sure what sort of tumour my friend has, except I know it was pushing on his optic nerve something ferocious and the meds have now caused it to shrink somehow. He's a boy, he doesn't like to talk about it so I don't have all the details

I'm sorry about your sis, eldest and mum. I really hope they're all ok now!

Thanks again!

[sixpack]

you don't have a brain tumor.