Brain tumor, MND, anxiety or something else?!

[jinglebellmel]

Just wondering if anyone can relate to these symptoms and what they could be? Started with a strange episode in a couple of months ago – flashing in vision, couldn’t read for a few minutes and then numbness which started in my hand and travelled up my arm to my face. This all lasted only around 10 minutes and was followed by a mild headache. I googled a bit and it seemed to fit a migraine aura (which you can have without the actual migraine). I didn’t think much more of it.

Had fairly frequent headaches since then, in the last month I’d say I’ve had at least one headache of some sort or another nearly every day. They range from pain over my eyes, tension type headache, sinus type headache and a generally fairly mild, just dull and persistent. This was also accompanied by an ache in my eyes as though my eyeballs were bruised, one more so than the other, and pain in the worst eye when looking too far to the side, the worst eye also has that really annoying twitch thing! I went to specsavers, they said eyes looked healthy but was slightly short sighted in one and gave me glasses (which make my headache worse so I’ve not really worn them yet). I don’t really think this is causing the eye pain though as I can wake with it after resting my eyes all night so doesn’t really make sense to me that it’s be eye strain.

I’ve had a couple of episodes of tingling in my fingers and am now having frequent muscle twitches all over, particularly in the evening and at night. Basically I’ve convinced myself I have a brain tumor or some other awful disease! I saw a GP yesterday, who said I don’t have a brain tumor, changed my contraceptive pill and said head aches and twitching aren’t uncommon. He didn’t examine me or really ask anything about my symptoms, and I can’t get another appointment for 4 weeks. I’m aware I might be causing some of this by stressing about it.

Can anyone relate to these symptoms and suggest anything which isn’t a brain tumor or ALS?? Please, driving myself mad here!!

B12 deficiency

I have most of these symptoms and have B12 deficiency... and as far as I know no brain tumour or MND. Lots of things could cause your symptoms and most of them aren't serious. The headaches and visual disturbance sound like typical migraines.

Get an appointment with your GP and see whether they will do some blood tests.

Hope you feel better soon :)

Those headaches and visual / numbness are classic migraine, often triggered by stress or anxiety, but also foods, hormones or a combo of all of those. Some people never work out their triggers. The frequency is also not uncommon for migraines.

Twitching - I had a really stressful period in my life and developed muscle spasms and twitches which left me when I came out the other side, so could also be stress related. Worth looking into B12 too though.

Thank you for the replies, I really appreciate them.

I had considered B12 and as they asked me to go for bloods before my appointment I presumed they’d have tested for it - but I’ve got a print out of my results as they don’t seem to have tested B12, iron, magnesium or anything like this. I’ve started taking B12 tablets and using magnesium spray in the last few days though so hopefully this might help.

I suffered with migraines as a child and these headaches just don’t seem to have the same intensity that I remember, and no light sensitivity. Is it possible to have a more mild migraine? I’ve woken up with horrible eye pain/head ache yesterday and today, it’s just not shifting today.

I’ve booked the earliest gp appointment I could get which isn’t for 4 weeks. Annoyed with myself that I left the last appointment without pushing the gp more as to what could be causing it, I was feeling pretty anxious and wasn’t as assertive as I normally would be.

I get mild migraines (spangly vision followed by a headache that usually goes with paracetamol), nothing like what some people experience, but they're definitely migraines.

All sorts of things can cause migraines/headaches, including stress, lack of sleep, hormones, diet, etc.

If you plan to ask your GP to test your B12 or iron (ferritin) in 4 weeks time I would advise you don't take any supplements before then as it will skew the results.

Thanks Blackink, it’s interesting to hear that you have migraines which don’t follow the ‘normal’ pattern. Perhaps it could be that after all then. Part of the problem is that I’ve gotten myself so anxious about it that it’s probably making symptoms worse and so hard to tell now what might just be caused by that. Is there any particular painkiller that’s best for migraine?

I would say migraine too.
Mine start off around my eye, I was officially diagnosed by a neurologist in Sept last year with chronic daily migraine and the only drug that offers relief is amitriptylene.

I know what it's like to worry, I thought I had a brain tumour until every possible test was carried out but actually looking back my anxiety probably made my headaches worse.

I would suggest going back and asking to try a different medication, there are many types to try and may suit you - good luck op

My anxiety started with migraines, crippling migraines.
That stopped and then something else symptomatic started, it's a been a long road of various symptoms and issues all triggered by stress and anxiety. If you notice that your headaches get worse when you're feeling particularly stressed out then there is your answer.

It took me a while to realise my body was stressed out even though I may not have mentally felt like I was. Your body will trigger physical symptoms if it's feeling fight or flight, even if you're unaware of it.

Have you got any issues with your hearing or balance?

Thank you wine. Sorry that you went through the same anxiety over it, it really is awful. Glad that yours was ‘just’ migraine in the end. Dr didn’t offer any medication, or any explanation as to what could be causing the headaches. Just said it wouldn’t be a brain Tumor. Will be a different dr next time though so hopefully he’ll be a little more helpful.

Thanks for your reply Foofenhoofen. I do feel it’s possible anxiety maybe playing a part. Initially I just had the headaches and eye twitching, and it was only after I started to worry about those (and google) that other symptoms started. Every time I wake up with a headache or feel a muscle twitch all my positivity and logic evaporates and I feel certain there must be something seriously wrong - cue more stress!

Comefromfaraway, no issues with balance or hearing, although headaches have been accompanied by a bit of ear ache for the last couple of days.

this sounds really familiar to me, especially waking with the pain. have you had a look at TMJ on google? I have TMJ and my symptoms were daily headaches, flashing lights, pain if I press my jaw muscles and eye pain. If you are grinding your teeth at night these are common symptoms. I ended up taking amitriptyline for six months which helped.

Tight jaw muscles can often go hand in hans with tight neck muscles and muscles of the head, which may explain the tingling, maybe there is a nerve in trapped in your neck.

Definitely see your GP but I would also recommend a good deep tissue massage of the neck, face and head if you can afford
one. They cost around £30.

here is a diagram of TMJ symptoms

That’s interesting, thanks Esk1mo. I haven’t noticed any jaw pain, but i’ll take a look. Dh suggested a massage too, I think I’ll give that a go.

I also have TMJ and did factor into whether this caused my migraines. I think stress definitely enhances pain though, no matter where it's located.

Try not to worry too much (or think about it!) it'll only make it worse. Go distract yourself for a bit and see if it's better.

Thanks Foofen. Had quite a bit of leg twitching last night and I’ve woken up with another head/eye ache today :( feels more like both sides and the bridge of my nose today so not a migraine I guess. It worries me as I think morning headaches are not a good sign, but I’ve promised myself I won’t google that for today and will try to relax.

I’ve got an enhanced eye test booked for Monday and looking into some physio/massage for my neck.

if you are grinding your teeth at night then you will wake in the morning with a headache and eye ache.

i used to worry about brain tumours but the majority of people diagnosed with them were diagnosed after seizures, vomiting, coordination problems eg cant do up buttons or inflamed optic nerve which would be picked up in eye exam.

MND/ALS arent benign twitches, people get foot drag or again struggle to coordinate, or struggle to swallow.

have you beard of BFS? benign fasciculation syndrome, that could account for the twitching.

www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/320388.php

SCM syndrome is another issue with tight neck muscles that can give you alot of symptoms you have

www.physio-pedia.com/Sternocleidomastoid_Sydrome_and_Trigger_Points

just so you know there are so many different reasons for these symptoms its most likely a couple of different (benign) issues, which are really common and easily fixed.

Did you have a cold at all over Christmas? That virus that was going around has left me with sinus problems, I wake up with what feels like a headache most days but it's actually my sinuses.

Good point about the TMJ and muscle tension in general. My pain eases if I press around the bottom of my scalp at the top of my neck, about an inch above my hairline. Although it does hurt to press there in the first place, which shows it's part of the problem!

Thanks esk1mo that was what I needed to hear. My face feels a bit numb now and I fully think I might just be driving myself mad! Will look at those links.

Bombardier, yes, well I had a horrible virus or something over Christmas. Do you have congestion? I don’t seem to have any although nose feels a little stuffy now and then.

I’m so glad I found this thread, I tend to stay away from the health section as it really ramps up my anxiety, which has been terrible at the moment.

Over the years I have convinced my self through various odd symptoms that I’m suffering from all kinds of awful diseases but I think the brunt of it stems from lacking in vitamins and minerals and then the anxiety heightens everything again.

At the moment I am suffering from sore, (muscle type) ache in my neck and collarbone, a bruised feeling in my jaw, a mild on/of pain in my temple and blocked feeling in my ear. I have also had a slight twitch in my upper lip at the same side.

I have had all these symptoms before and they have gone away again but I also have had a cyst, below my ear drained from the same side in the last few months and they now would like me to come back to have a scan done of my neck which is probably completely standard procedure however my mind has gone into absolute terrified overdrive.

I just wanted to say you are not alone with any of it and I really hope the stress and aches lift soon for the both of us.

Tween I’m so sorry that you’re suffering with symptoms and anxiety too. It’s not something that normally effects me, but once you’ve started it really spirals and is awful. I hope you get your scan soon to put your mind at rest and can start to feel better. I really think I’d feel a lot less stressed if it wasn’t such a battle get to see a gp and to get them to take anything seriously!

Sadly anxiety triggered by specific symptoms can turn into other or even more severe symptoms. I experienced symptoms of dizziness, light-headedness, pins and needles, vision suddenly reduced in one eye, twitches and headaches at times. My GP agreed to refer my for an mri of the head. All in a sudden, I developed a constant headache at one very specific spot in my head (back left). Of course that made me convinced I had a tumour. It lasted 6 weeks until I had the mri. The moment I was told it was fine, that headache disappeared!

I didn't make it up, certainly suffered from the headache, but anxiety will make you feel so tense and will target the area you are most concerned about. Hope the mri will bring you the recomfort that you are not suffering from anything horrible.

Thank you swingofthings. Sorry to hear you e been through it but glad it was all okay. I really hope you’re right, it’s gelpful to hear that anxiety can cause these very real symptoms. I feel an mri is the only thing likely to really put my mind at rest now but I don’t see the gp referring me for one. With the symptoms Ive had I thought it would have been taken quite seriously, but he was so blasé that I don’t have much faith in getting anywhere. Maybe a different gp will take a different view though.

Jinglebellmel I had a very similar experience to swingofthings. Until a MRI came back clear I become convinced I had some serious problem, every day I woke up fearing a headache or whether it would develop soon after I got up which it seems to do regularly. Or the pins and needles on one side, plus a very strange feeling of numbness. So anxiety did play a big part, even though the symptoms were real enough, only to disappear with the result of the MRI.