So anxious and scared about DS headaches, MRI tomorrow

[WorriedMum210721]

My Ds aged 4 has been complaining on and off about headaches since October usually on waking up but occasionally at times throughout the day and before sleep. He also has had a couple of episodes of vomiting but never complained of headaches and I put this down to a bug. He was seen by paediatrics at the beginning of November however neurologically he examined fine and his blood tests ruled out infection. Paediatrics were really good and followed him but he had a 2 week period where the symptoms resolved so they discharged him and didn't think at the time an MRI was required. Fast forward to last week and it has been awful. Everyday waking with headaches,occasional nausea however this seems to have resolved and episodes of been off balance. Paediatrics reopened and again on examination there were no concerns neurologically however due to the ongoing symptoms the MRI is scheduled for tomorrow. I am besides myself with worry I have convinced myself that this is a brain tumour and I'm so scared. It has been a very confusing time as one minute he is playing and running around and the next he isn't himself. The headaches never cause him to cry and they never wake him in the night. He has had a dry cough and what I believe to be a postnatal drip this week. I dont know why im posting but I am just so worried and I feel hopeless.

I'm so sorry to hear about your child. How are they now and what were their symptoms? My 5 Yr old grandson has a brain mri next week and I'm besides myself with worry x

I haven't got a lot of time to go into it now as I'm supposed to be working.

But just to say if they're willing to wait until next week, then that shows they're not THAT concerned, as when the doctors are really worried they do it immediately. That's not to say there's nothing to worry about but maybe it'll alleviate your concerns a tad.

My child is mostly okay now. Alive, mostly okay, but not fully unscathed. Compared with what could have been, we're immensely grateful.

Thankyou so much for taking the time to reply. I'm so happy your child is doing well albeit not totally unscathed. I pray they continue to get better.

Hi we havent had the MRI results yet and it will be 2 weeks tomorrow since the MRI. Thankfully he is back to his usual self and hasn't complained of anything for the last few days so I'm hoping it was some weird virus 🤞 I hope your grandson gets on okay with his MRI next week! It's such a worrying time but hopefully it is nothing! X

Aww I'm so happy your son is back to his usual self. Thankyou for replying. Hope we both get good results x

I remember spending a week in hospital in the 80s after having recurring headaches, I was under 6 at the time so it's all a bit sketchy memory wise but I had all sorts of tests and in the end I must have been fine. I hope your little one is a little like me, bit of a dip in health maybe causing headaches and then a full recovery 🤞

Hi hope you don't mind me asking was your child referred for his brain mri through pediatrics? Also how long did it take for the results to come though. My 5yr old grandson has one on Monday. So glad it was clear but I'm sorry your little one still suffers from headaches.x

Yes the Paediatric Drs referred him for the MRI, after a consultation and blood tests at the Hospital. Originally we were given a date about a month away but then ended up getting cancelation at short notice so only waited about 2 weeks in the end for the scan. When the scan was finished, before the leaving the room the technican checked with the consulatant that he was happy with all the imaging taken, so if they could see anything wrong i think they are very quick with any follow up. The offical results came about a week or so later, all clear

Ds had an MRI when he was 9yo for persistent headaches, following a bad illness. These were unusual for him, but went on for a long time.

He had an MRI done and they gave me a follow up date of about 3 months away. Then about 2 days after the MRI they changed it to the next week.
That got my imagination going!
Luckily for me, he had an ENT appointment and the consultant asked how he was, so I told them my worries. They sent him off for his hearing test, and when I came back they told me they'd spoken to his Paediatrician and had permission to tell me that... the paed had a holiday booked in 3 months and a cancellation next week that they'd fitted me into, and he had a "perfect scan" with no concerns.
Phew!

But the consultant did say to me that the change of appointment had raised alarm bells with her, because if they had spotted something then they'd have wanted him in within the fortnight.

So, OP, if it's over a fortnight, there's a good chance that he's not got anything major spotted.

For what it's worth, ds continued getting headaches for unknown reasons for about 2 years, but they gradually improved.

Sorry you’re going through this, OP - I know how stressful it is. Two things that sound positive here -

1. If this has been on/off since October, it’s much more likely to be various bugs causing headaches. My understanding with brain tumours is that you get worse quite quickly after symptoms start. Unlikely he’d be seeming back to normal currently if there was something sinister.

2. If they’d seen anything, they would get you in - fast. They simply wouldn’t leave it a fortnight before contacting you if there were any concerns.

Could it be blocked sinuses/glue ear type thing? That can cause headaches and dizziness. Just wondered because i think you mentioned post nasal drip. Fingers crossed for the results.

Hi have you had the results yet? X