I never thought I would be posting on a board about this. I have convinced myself that I have a brain tumor. 2 weeks ago I started having weird comprehension problems while sight reading. I then noticed a pressure at the base of my skull a few days later on both sides of the head though the right side feels worse today. This pressure has not gone away since it appeared. This has made me feel dizzy and the nausea has been worse these last few days. I feel like my ears are a bit stuffed up and Im constantly holding my nose and blowing to open them up. It feels as though the right ear is worse than the left ear as I cant hear quite as well out of it. My head just feels really weird. When I raise my eyebrows it feels weird in the top of my head. I cannot focus on everyday activities. The top of my nose feels a bit weird also. I also get tingles in my arms and legs at times that go away. About a week ago when I would lean forward I felt my head get very heavy in the face. Now that is gone but the back of my head feels so weird. I am constantly moving my head back and forth slowly and it feels scary. Also once in a while I will get a throbbing pain in either my left or right temple that only lasts a few seconds. When I lay down I feel like the pressure increases and my anxiety also increases. When I take a shower in the morning the back of my head tingles sometimes. My hands and feet are always cold.
I went to a doctor today and she did the normal neurological tests in her office and then referred me to a psychatrist who said this is probably just anxiety and deprsesion. He gave me a 2 week sample of lexapro. My blood pressure is very high. I cannot stop pacing about my house frantically. I am so afraid I have a brain tumor. I woke up and instantly started panicing about how I felt. It feels like the flu, constantly. I cannot stop thinking about it no matter what I try. I am 21 years old, a college student, and have never felt like this before(thought I have always been a pretty anxious person). The only way I can sleep is from pure exhaustion. I'm so afraid to die....it feels like everyone around me keeps trying to assure me this is not a tumor, but I am so sure of it and it makes me sick. The pressure in the back of my head will not subside. I dont think anxiety led me to feel like this..
Can anxiety really be this debilitating? I cant focus on school and I have missed the first few days of my classes. I dont feel like doing anything but worrying. I am so scared. I am so lonely. I really just wanted to share what I have been feeling, because I am driving myself insane
welcome
get your ears checked for wax and some more tests done, middle ear problems are possible
lexapro takes 2 to 6 weeks to start working properly so a 2 week supply isnt enough, it should eventually reduce your anxiety a lot, but get more
some beta blocker meds would reduce your bloodpressure and also reduce some anxiety problems
everything you mention could be caused by anxiety, it never sends you insane, it just seems that way
do try to relax, gentle exercise and long walks are very relaxing, also breathe deep and slow when anxious or worried this will always calm you, its a pity the psych didnt also give you some valium type meds as taken when needed, they help a lot, also they help you to get used to the lexapro
stay with us
Anxiety can cause you to feel all sorts of things.
I do agree with hry33 in that it could be a simple probably with your ears or the pressure you feel could simply be your sinuses.
I know when my sinuses and allergies act up the pressure in my head is awful.
Thanks for the reply guys but I dont think it's my sinuses cause she looked in my nose and ears with her little tool and didnt say anything. My main symptom is constant pressure on the back of my head (skull base area) and I dont feel much tension in my shoulders/neck otherwise. It's making me very worried why I would only feel it in this one area.
Anxiety can be very debilitating that is why there are so many drugs out there for the disorder. About your head pressure. I still think there is something wrong with me no matter how many doctors I see. You might want to look up hypocondria on the internet and see if you fit the diagnosis also. If all the docs say your OK then you might have that problem. Still anxiety is prolly where it all stems from anyway so the lexapro should help. Dont feel down about the disorder there are a lot people with this. I think anxiety and stress is the number one mental issue. Its very tough to beat it own your own sometimes so dont feel bad about taking lexapro. Good luck with this. Im 22 and know how freakin awful it feels to have this thing so young.
Last edited by tooanxious; 09-02-2004 at 07:26 AM.
Vitamin C and niacin both help block adrenaline, adrenaline is what makes a person feel anxious so they can help lessen that anxious feeling. If you take niacin it is a good idea to take B-50 capsules too, to round out your supply of B vitamins because they work together.
Thanks for the info guys...I ended up spending the day at the hospital and was given a CT scan of the head as well as blood tests. The doctor said they were all in 'perfect' condition. So that has eased my anxiety to some extent. The pressure in my head continues to hinder my ability to think clearly, but I was given some pain killers and muscle relaxers today that I hope will ease this pressure. Finally...time to sleep....
when my sinus were plugged back of my head had pressure. And yes you have sinus all thru your head even back. When you move your eyebows and it feels funny its your sinus please trust me and tell your doc to give you antibiotics because they cant tell if you have a sinus infection by looking in your nose. i went with several sinus infections undetected because they always told me it was my anxiety and i told them no it wasnt but of course they didnt believe me. If you feel like you have the flu you probably have a sinus infection. you dont need to have a fever to have an infection either. Once a fever starts is when the infection is starting to get worse. Im telling you this because i want you to get checked better so you dont think its all anxiety,this is just bringing on your anxiety. I highly doubt its a brain tumor. think about it all the symtoms that you have are,plugged ears,weird feeling at the top of your nose,pressure,feeling sick. That was all my symptoms of a sinus infection. I hope this helps
I can't say I've had exactly the same symptoms as you, but I know how you feel. I have been dealing with a bout of vertigo that is just starting to get better now. I also convinced myself that I had a brain tumor and that I was dying. I became so afraid. Every moment I thought about how it would be when the moment actually came. I thought about what it would feel like. I always worried about being right with God for when I was going to die. Well naturally I got a nice case of anxiety. They checked me for a brain tumor by using an MRI. Now i was so worked up that day that I had a panic attack and only had half of the MRI done. The doctors said they didnt find any tumor and said they saw enough so they didnt have to run a whole test. Even as the dizziness goes away, I still wonder about a brain tumor.
Its important to remember that brain tumors are VERY rare and are ussually met with some pretty heayy symptoms like not being able to keep ANY food down and having seizures. I highly doubt u have a brain tumor but I know how scary it can be. I think it might be good for you to check into a middle ear problem or maybe a problem with a nerve in the neck.
Anyways just try to relax. You will figure out your problem and feel much better
