Scared i have a brain tumor please help.

[Mende]

Hi everyone. So ive been pretty scared the past 4 months that i have a brain tumor and the symtoms im getting are double vision loss of smell. And muscle weakness. The double vision my eye doctor thinks is from dry eyes (wich i believe her) but the eye drops dont seem to be working. I also only see the double vision on the cumputer. The loss of smell is conpletely lost. Its just i cant smell that well and i went to go see and ear throat and nose doctor and they said it (could) be post nasal drip. Ive been soing the flownase dor 2 weeks and dont see any improvments. Then for the muscle weakness. Ive had very bad anxiety for the past 9 months and havnt been active at all. I used to do all sorrs of activites but for right now there on hold. So i noticed the muscle weakness when i would get out of bed and when i try to use my abs (core). My body would shake. Everyone says my body is just weak from not being active. Also keep in mind i did have blood tests done and nothing came back alarming. The only thing that stood out was my viteman D level was very low and im taking suppliments for that. I shouldnt of looked up symtoms for brain tumor that was a mistake. Can anyone help me?

Mende your symptoms are not suggesting a brain tumor but as you are worried about it go and see your GP and tell them exactly what your fear is. Otherwise you are just hoping that they will guess what you are trying to get at. I suffer from health anxiety myself and found this is the only way to sort it out.

Thank you Oldmum. You are right i just need to go in and check it out.

Do you notice any drooping of your eyelids? The double vision and muscle weakness could be symptoms of myasthenia gravis, although it is pretty rare. Myasthenia is an autoimmune condition in which you produce antibodies against the neurotransmitter receptors on your muscles. It's treatable with steroids and other medications that work in a similar way to the drugs used to treat early-stage Alzheimer's (acetylcholinesterase inhibitors), although there is no connection between the diseases. It is sometimes associated with anosmia (loss of sense of smell), too.

Just one possibility among many. Fairly easy to test for if your doctor thinks it's likely: on the neurology day ward they inject you with a drug called edrophonium (Tensilon®) and you get a rapid, short-lived return of muscle strength. Your doctor might have reasons for not suspecting this condition, though. Chronic vitamin D deficiency is associated with muscle weakness, which is probably why you're being tried with supplements first.

Just looked on www.nhs.uk/conditions/myasthenia-gravis/diagnosis/ and apparently the edrophonium test is rarely used these days: there are lots of other tests with fewer risks.

Just how low was your vitamin D and what strength supplements were you taking and for how long?

What were your B12 levels?

You can ask for printouts from reception.

Go to your gp please! If you have health anxieties then you could ask for help with this as well as for your symptoms.

B12?

Exactly Harry, MG was first thing I thought of. Do you know if your acetylcholine receptor antibodies (AChR) were checked in bloods? That said, one of the damning things about Myasthenia is no test is sensitive enough, especially if ocular variant. So many are walking around with the condition that have no dx. Until they have a Myasthenic Crisis that is. If they get help in time...