Brain tumour?

[Perid0t]

I know they’re very rare and it’s always deemed unlikely but the Christmas period is being ruined by my anxiety over this.

I have gone from someone who loves a clean house to not caring, and no energy to do anything about it. I saw this as a positive thing t be more relaxed but now I’m worried it’s a personality change.

I have had headaches for years, every day. I don’t take medication for it because I’m not into taking any kind of drug and they don’t stop me doing things.

I saw a doctor a couple of months ago for pins and needles in both hands and feet and bloods showed high calcium. I am being investigated for hyperparathyroidism which can have symptoms similar to a brain tumour. I won’t have more tests until the new year.

Since Monday night I have had a new headache which won’t resolve with pain killers. It feels like my forehead is burning, my temples feel like someone has put a balloon in there. The weight of my glasses is too much. Paracetamol and ibuprofen don’t do anything for it. I have also felt light headed at times with mild nausea (improved with eating). No temperature, no cold symptoms.

I saw my GP yesterday who sent me for urgent bloods on my calcium but just said to try codeine for the headache.

This morning I’ve woken up and the pain is also in the back of my head.

I am so scared and my husband keeps telling me I’m being silly but I can’t stop crying. I don’t know what to do.

Any comfort, support or advice gratefully received.

Go and get your eyes checked at an optician, that will give an indication of any pressure in your brain and will rule out eye strain as a source of headaches. Many have same day appointments.

Also came on to say that I had a series of headaches that sound like what you’re describing and they turned out to be due to sinusitis. (Dr Google had helpfully diagnosed me with either a brain tumour or heavy metal poisoning, so it’s a good thing I was very wary of self diagnoses using the internet! And at one point I was sent to the hospital for possible meningitis as I was light sensitive and had a rash that didn’t fade under pressure, both of which you can also get with viral sinus infections.) My GP referred me to a specialist for investigation and this confirmed that it was indeed sinusitis. Might be worth considering this?

My MIL died a few months ago from brain tumours (metastatic breast cancer). Your symptoms sound nothing like what she experienced.

I agree about an eye test, they can diagnose a lot from looking at the optic nerve.
My FIL had a brain tumour, his early symptoms were dizziness and blurred vision, the headaches didn’t come till much later.

Call 111 for advice. Do you have any stiffness or pain anywhere else in your body?

If you have high calcium, I'd honestly recommend you go to A+E and get some bloods done.

Yes, your headache most likely is anxiety now you know something is wrong.

But having a high calcium makes you feel lousy, like really lousy (it's taught as stones, bones, abdominal groans and psychic moans - so the high calcium is probably contributing to your mood as well) and having too high a calcium is dangerous. Particularly over Christmas when you might have drunk less water, more alcohol, you calcium could have gone up.

I'd go and get the bloods done, it will put your mind at rest and you can get on with things. Drink a lot of water and remember your calcium is affecting how you view the world.

To add, I don’t think it sounds like a brain tumour.

Can you book in with the opticians? They can spot all sorts when they do an eye exam and it could be a pressure/lumbar issue which they would see too.

Please insist on getting an MRI scan. Better safe than sorry. I knew a person with a brain tumour. The first symptom was loss of speech for short periods of time. But as the tumour developed, headaches were experienced. You have nothing to lose by getting an MRI scan.

FIL had (and died) from a brain tumor. His started with epilepsy, and was diagnosed because of it.

Can I just add - it sounds nothing like a brain tumour.

OP knows she has something wrong, the high calcium. She is having appropriate investigations for this organized by her GP.

She can't go insisting on an MRI, which also isn't going to happen on a Saturday.

Checking out her known problem, the high calcium, which causes a lot of symptoms like anxiety, bone pain and headaches, would be really helpful.

Brain tumours would be more neurological in symptoms - fits, falls, limb weakness, cognitive issues, language problems, dysarthria, swallowing problems etc depending on where it was situated.

I agree an optician appointment is a good start. I had blurry optic discs and they sent me to a&e and I had a ct scan follows by mri (was all ok but they wanted to rule out tumours).

I suffer from several autoimmune diseases . You are being investigated for thyroid issues which are often linked to auto immune issues AND you have low vitamin d. Vitamin d deficiency causes the fatigue , can't be arsedness and leaves me feeling weepy. I am also vit d deficient as are a vast percentage of people with AI issues. All of your descriptions says that its autoimmune and likely a stress headache. BUT Googling hypercalcaemia it says that ext reme cases can cause headaches and even a coma. So I guess it depends how high your levels of calcium are.

Nothing suggests brain tumour when you look at the evidence.

Thank you all. I really appreciate you taking the time to indulge me in my woes.

My biggest concern is the fact the headache is worse when lying down and isn’t touched by pain killers. The nausea / dizziness and lethargy I can say is due to the high calcium (although it may not be)

A lot of who have said the same thing so I won’t tag you all, but to update:

I had an opticians appointment very recently (last couple of months) and everything was fine.

I’ve had the back of my eyes checked by two different GP’s within the last few weeks (one yesterday) and no concerns (due to pins and needles and the headache)

I don’t drink alcohol and drink plenty of water due to the high calcium so I don’t think I’m dehydrated

I am in with endocrinology on the 8th and they’re doing bloods and urine the week before so the results are back for that appointment. If the blasted headache hasn’t gone by then I will ask if the calcium can make them this bad

I had urgent bloods checking my calcium yesterday afternoon and didn’t hear anything from my GP last night so either: bloods were ok (so my calcium is below 3.0 which means they won’t treat it) or the results weren’t in, or he forgot to check them.

Are you on the pill? It used to give me the most tremendous headaches.

If it reassures you, any dangerously high blood results get flagged and sent to Out of Hours who are then tasked with tracking the person down to get them in to hospital.

So you shouldn't have dangerous blood results just sitting in someone's in tray ignored over the weekend.

Calcium makes you feel really really bad. A colleague had her parathyroids out and said she had no idea how unwell she felt until afterwards when so many of her issues just went away.

Depression was my first thought too. Hope you have your answers soon. I'm sorry you are unwell.

I’ve had similar issues in the last year. I had migraines in the past but these were very different. Then I had sudden onset of altered sensation down my arms and in my feet, then coming into my face. Frankly terrifying! GP referred me to the spinal unit who did an MRI of my neck and nerve conduction tests which showed bulging discs in my neck. That improved with physio. The headaches persisted though. I was referred to a neurologist who said given that they were so debilitating they were migraines not headaches. I was started on Amitriptyline which reduced the migraines frequency and severity and also helped with the neck pain. The neurologist asked if I felt I needed an MRI (baring in mind I’m a nurse) and I said no...he said realistically I had no physical weakness or other neurological symptoms (the altered sensation has gone) and it had been going on so long if it was anything more sinister I’d have other symptoms by now and be getting worse (I have been having the migraines almost two years). So I hope my story reassures you that it’s unlikely to be a brain tumour.. however if you’re really struggling with the pain it’s worth calling 111 to get reviewed while you’re waiting for the specialist appointment.

I've had sinus trouble for weeks, the accompanying headache is worse lying than sitting up....

May also be worth considering intcrainal high pressure which can mimic migraines/tension headaches and get worse with laying down.

@MaverickSnoopy nope, not on the pill. I don’t take anything at all

@FaithInfinity thank you for sharing your story. I don’t think it is worthy of 111 because I am able to cope. Walking makes it better but sitting it’s worse and lying it’s even worse than that which is what’s scaring me so much. It points to IIH and if so what on Earth is causing that?! Nothing good

@confusednorthner
i have had any illness at all and have no nasal discharge or stuffiness. The GP yesterday pressed around my face and it didn’t result in finding anything related to sinuses.

@toomanyhobbies yes that’s what I thought... caused by nothing good x

You've said several times that you "don't take medications" of any kind, even when you are in pain, and there's a slight whiff of.... I don't know, superiority, about it? It's sort of implied that you think taking drugs of any kind is somehow "bad" or a sign of impurity.

Can I ask whether, if you were prescribed anything for your condition, you would actually take it??

Sinus headache is dire and can feel dreadful lying down and can make you feel sick too. Try steaming with a steam mug and Olbas oil 3x a day to see if it helps. You need to keep it up for weeks not a few days.

Just to illustrate what I mean :

I don’t take medication for it because I’m not into taking any kind of drug

I don’t take painkillers for my normal headaches. I don’t take any medication at all

nope, not on the pill. I don’t take anything at all