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nikigrl8883 · 06-24-2006, 05:27 PM

i am light headed all day long constantly i havent felt right for awile i get slight headed aches its been like 2 months ive had all kinds of tests including heart tests i had a head ct and an eeg all normal but i still feel this i was touching my hair and i found a small pea sized bump under my skin!i dont know what it is if it was a tumor wouldnt they have seen it on ct i also had a ct in november i got hit it the forhead with a bottle but i didnt have any bleeding it was okthe bump is in an are they should seen it if it was a tumor could it be a cyst? help me they wont do a dam mri on me they dont think its needed i dont know what to do

feelbad · 06-25-2006, 06:30 AM

I think its time to change docs.with your types of ongoing symptoms any real doc would have sent you by now for the MRI just to try and rule out possibilities if nothing else.a CT is just woefully inadequate in looking for the types of things that could be possibly causing your symptoms.it could be any number of possibilities here that would only show up with an MRI with contrast or MRA which takes a look only at the arterial structures of the brain and nothing else.but for your particular situation and symptoms,any head/brain MRI with contrast dye,would be the best way to go here,really.

this would possibly show any real vascular problems or malformations such as an aneurysm or AVM or a whole list of other possibilties.(these types of things would show up best WITH contrast dye thats why it IS most definitely needed)but your doc should be sending you for this by now.if he hasn't he sounds like a doc who really does not have his patients best interest at heart really so you do need to move onto a doc who will take all of your ongoing symptoms much more seriously and would be willing to actually find the reason or reasons for them.geez,this is pretty basic stuff and this is what any doc is actully SUPPOSED to do for any given patient.

when you cannot find answers for your patients problems, well thats what these types of tests are for,to help the doc try and Dx your medical problems.you do deserve much better treatment than this.

regarding that 'bump'?when you got hit by that bottle,did it break at all?just wondering as sometimes when glass is involved and becomes imbedded into the skin somewhere,the bodys natural reaction is to try and get rid of it.so it will work up a little pus pocket that will eventually,given the pressure that builds up in it,get that glass upto the surface of the skin where it will
just all of the sudden appear one day like out of no where.

i had a car accident many years ago where I hit my head on the windshield and shattered part of it and ended up with tons of tiny bits of glass in my forhead and scalp.for YEARS after this every once in a while i would get one of those little bumps(or sometimes not)but it would result in a tiny piece of glass just appearing suddenly.like i mentioned,this did happen for like even four years after that accident.so if this did occur this could be why you have that litle bump.

if that was not the case,what you have there could just be one of those little flukey types of skin things that can just pop in from time to time for no apparent reason.or it could be like a boil or any number of skin type related issues.just keep an eye on it for any changes and mention to your brand new doc that you are going to go looking for.this really IS the best thing to do here considering that your current doc is really doing nothing for you at all right now except causing you some anxiety and stress that you really just don't need in your life.start looking tomorrow for a new doc that is not affiliated with the clinic or office that you are currnetly ator you wont get much better treatment than you are now as one doc at the same clinic as another generally wont go against what one doc has already stated about a patient,you know whatI mean?

i myself have moved onto so many different docs thru the years that I felt were not adressing my conditions appropriately or were not really impressing me a whole lot with their overall bedside manner or the lack of knowledge of my medical conditions.so dont be afraid of doing this to your doc,always remember,any doc that you go to see,actually works for YOU and not the other way around,K?

good luck and please keep me posted on what you find out,K? Marcia

Worried1977 · 06-25-2006, 07:19 AM

Nikigirl-

I just went through all this about a month ago. my lightheaded started and i put up with it for a week then had to do something about it. i went to different drs also. most drs will say everything little thing is caused from anxiety. my dr didnt and i was glad because i KNEW something wasnt right. i then went to an ER because it was so bad and scary they did all kinds of testing and a CT which will show you if anything is wrong. CTs are just as good as an MRI. the only difference is mri show deeper into the brain. a tumor would be nonstop headache pain, vomiting, seizures and most people have headaches that wake them up and then the headache dulls during the day. BUT theres alot of people out there that have a tumor and NEVER had a headache or any other symptom. i thought i had one too. but i have had headaches since i was 13. but a ct scan will not pick a tiny tumor but being that i have had headaches for that many years (now im 28) the tumor would be huge and it would of shown up on my CT. A CT also shows any fluid and bleeding on the brain. bleeding can be caused by AVMS or anerysms (bad spelling on that word) so if theres no fluid or no bleeding on your brain than be assured you are ok. i think your dr is right about a unecessary mri BUT if you have insurance then go elsewhere to have one just for peace of mind.

i was diagnosed with an inner ear disorder which now makes perfect sense. 80% of all dizziness/lightheadedness is caused by inner ear..especially with sinus trouble. Mine lasted for 3 weeks then went away for a couple days. i do alot of scrapbooking and the other day i looked at a piece of striped paper and bam it hit me. it lasted another 2 days and now its gone. so in my opinion i would have a ct done of sinus and maybe see an Ear doctor. That CT scan would of picked up anything abnormal. If it would of then they would of had you do an MRI so they can see the problem closer. a ct scan cant pick up an inner ear problem. you need different testing for that. drs cannot see in there. i know its a scary thing to deal with. please keep in contact and let me know how you are. Try staying really really active this is what helped me alot.

Worried1977 · 06-25-2006, 07:21 AM

niki i forgot to add

Did they do an electrolyte test on you? to see your potassium levels?

Were you tested for anemia?

Even a lack of vitamin can make you feel this way. theres so many causes of dizziness.

nikigrl8883 · 06-25-2006, 10:07 AM

i dont have anemia and my potassiam is ok not low enopugh to cause this///i am so fed up with this now iv e had all kids of blood work done and it was all normali mean now i found another hard bump on my scalp! i am freggin out a tumor would come through ur skull to ur scalp right>? and would cysts make me feel this way geez?question////i did have a ct head scan and an eeg if they missed a tumor on ct head scan wouldnt they have picked up abnormal brain waves on the eeg for a tumor? i had the basic neuro exam where the doc asks u to touch his fingers and ur nose etc i passed that....my mom has depression and anxiety so they just assume now thats what this is i think i have had pressure in my head like someone was pushing on myhead! i told the neuro that but before the second time i saw him i also saw a pychologist becasue i was desprate and didnt want to wait he gave me an anti deprssant that i have been on for two weeks also zanax as needed becasue of my heart racing and skiping with chest pains it helped chest pains i think and the pressure subsided alot from what it was after i took those pills so i thought i did have that but im still dam lightheaded and got the runs everyday i cant even go out now! i think its more that anxiety

nikigrl8883 · 06-25-2006, 10:08 AM

o and no the bottle didnt break on my head

suzyisdizzy · 06-25-2006, 02:20 PM

A brain tumor wouldn't show up on your scalp. You might have a cyst on your scalp, which is like a large pimple. You should show your doctor that so that they can remove it. My boyfriend's dad had a cyst on his head the size of an egg! They removed it with no problem. I have an inner ear discorder that causes a lot of the same symptoms as you have. You shouldn't jump to the conclusion that it is a brain tumor, it truly doesn't sound like it. Hope you feel better soon.

nikigrl8883 · 06-25-2006, 04:19 PM

well at least u dont think its one

i have 2 cysts on my head 2! y would i have 2 what causes them they werent there before i woulve noticed them do u know whay people get them?

Worried1977 · 06-25-2006, 04:21 PM

yeah suzy is right about the inner ear problem like i posted i have that as well...Hey suzy i just saw on another board about a "fizzing" sensation in head and then loss of balance. you ever expirienced that?

Niki-

This is where drs make me mad...you had a racing and skipping heart due to anxiety from the problems on your scalp..i dont know why drs turn it around and say anxiety is what was causing them when in all its the symptoms CAUSING the anxiety. my dr said ANXIETY/STRESS DOES NOOOOTTTTT cause dizziness...had to stress the word "not" because everyone with anxiety will shoot over to this board and say yes it does. i had a cyst like thing on my head about 2 years ago. i never got it checked at that point but it went away after a few months.

When you say you have pressure it your head...sinus trouble does this although you may not feel congested there may be some infection there which can be 100 percent cause of lightheadedness due to immflamation and pushing on your inner ear causing you off balance feeling. im assuming you feel off balance right? like car sick? feel like you just rode a rollercoaster that had 100 loops in it? when you go back to the dr just ask about a sinus CT Scan. especially if you have had a cold lately..Allergys are another huge cause of it too. im 29 never had allergies until this year. i was sick back in march and havent been right ever since then. im not "congested" but theres something blocking everything up there.
Your question about the eeg..im not sure because im not familiar with that kind of test. im really not sure about the drs "missing" a tumor. they know what they are looking for and actually brain tumors are considered pretty rare. although my aunt had one but she was sooooooo sick and they caught hers. so im sure your dr would of definitely seen something after all thats what they were looking for. like suzy said..sounds more like inner ear/sinus thing. ears take forever to get back to normal if they go out of whack. took me 3 weeks but if i look at anything patterened or striped i two stepping backwards lol

nikigrl8883 · 06-25-2006, 04:40 PM

i just found the cysts on my scalp and i didnt know they were there before i wasnt even worried about that until now,,,the docs dont even know that yet i have to call dermotogist tomorrow and see what they are....good lord would a cyst cause any of this from ur knowlege?its not so much dizzyness but lightheaded like everything wierd like im in a fog...becasue there not coming up with anything they are asuming its anxiety they did all those other test first like i said and found zilch o god now im bleeding! i hope this is from the birth control pills i started last week becasue i have a whole other problem down there i have an ovarian cyst that is benign supposedly but i ve had countless problems like utis for 3 yrs with no explantion i dont even think there utis i had a cystoscophy 3 yrs ago and they found nothing but i still have same problem i think its vaginal or somehting

feelbad · 06-26-2006, 05:16 AM

Just so you know,there is a huge difference in what can be picked up on when having a CT vs MRI,thats why they are both availiable.a ct cannot actually penetrate a structure(both hard and soft) like an mri can .a CT can pick up on new and old bleed really well tho,but as far as having a CT and saying that everything is all clear becaue the CT didn't actually show anything,well thats just in no possible way actually true.when I look at the actual CTs done on my head,everything is very vaugue and just seems to have gotten only the harder boney structures and would never have picked up my aneurysm unless it had actually have bled first.nothing actually inside of my head is really definitive at all,as it doesn't actually penetrate the brain.a CT uses only x ray so you will only get the more "x ray type' of picture.

now,take the MRIs and the MRAs well thats a whole different story.if nothing gets found on a CT and the patient is actually still having some pretty strong neuro type symptoms,the next thing any good doc would do would be to send the patient in for a contrasted MRI.this would really tell you much much more about what is actually going in inside of the brain,because it actually penetrates the skull and goes into the brain.big differences tho.marcia

Worried1977 · 06-26-2006, 09:05 AM

yes i see your point about the differences but what i am trying to tell her is that a ctscan would pick up a tumor. thats what she was so concerned about. a ctscan WILL detect a tumor just not small ones. and i was using myself as an example when i said ive had headaches now for 15 years that if i had a tumor being caused by headaches then by now (after 15 years) im about positive the tumor would be HUGE! big enough for the ctscan to see. but shes talking about actually feeling them on her scalp which another poster put tumors wouldnt be on the scalp but cysts can be. which is true. and of course her dr is gonna blame all these symptoms on anxiety..which is wrong. of course she has anxiety..look at whats going on with her. shes scared and when you get scared then anxiety sets in. i also added on my post that she can go elsewhere and get a MRI just for piece of mind if her dr wont do it then she can go to another dr. but from my expirience with dealing with my headaches through several drs. they can pretty much pinpoint whats going on through symptoms because they deal with these problems all the time. i flat out asked my dr if my headaches were caused from a tumor and he said "a tumor is the last thing on my list" but i was still checked through the ctscan just to rule that out and basically to make sure i had no fluid build up causing the headaches.
i hope she gets more info on whats going on with her. and gets feeling better.

nikigrl8883 · 06-26-2006, 11:05 AM

heres something to think about to in november i got hit with a bottle in my forhead and i got a huge bump there for like 3 weeks i was lightheaded and not right i had a ct then too and it was normal they said i had a slight concussion but here was no bleeding as it was healing it looked like i punched in the eyes and around my nose swelled up but it went down like a month later i was ok again could this have somehting to do with that even though its been 5 months so i had a ct then in novem and i had another one in may both normaal....could that do this even though i was fine until may

nikigrl8883 · 06-26-2006, 11:07 AM

and isnt an aneurism when u have bleeding in ur head isnt that what a ct picks up on the most/ i am confused can symptoms diapear and reappear months later with this

Worried1977 · 06-26-2006, 12:59 PM

yes a ct scan will detect a ruptered aneurism. but not an "un" ruptered aneurism.

And yes being hit can still cause all these trouble. quite a few people get whiplash, head injury or another type of neck injury and it can later effect them causing headaches.

When i went to the dr he asked if ive ever been injured in the neck or head area. when i was young me and another roller skater bashed heads. he hit the back of my head. i too had a ctscan and had a contusion. i was checked for a long time after that and then the headaches started and ive had them ever since. they are thinking this is why im getting them and have been getting them for 15 years now. im 28. There are sooooo many causes of headaches and its very hard to pinpoint the cause if nothing is there to go by. old injuries, hormones, bc pills, lack of sleep, too much sleep, caffeine, diet, bad pillow, cheeses and other dairy, greasy or spicy foods, and too many OTC meds to stop the headaches actually causes the rebound headaches. TMJ (which i have also) and tons more that can cause them. have thought more about the "inner ear" deal i brought up to you? you never did explain the type of lightheadedness. whats it feel like..explain it to me.

nikigrl8883 · 06-26-2006, 02:14 PM

theres somthing wrong here theres been a few times where id be laying there and id get this wierd rush of somehting go through the back of my kneck through my head and my eys go back for a few secs then i open my eyes and its blurry but all the time i am lightheaded i get slight headaches but not horrible i just feel like i could drop its hard for me to focus on things and i get pressure inmy head sometimes i am going to the neurologist agian tomrrow to talk to him /////i had an eeg to see if i was having seizures but it didnt show anything bu tthat doesnt necessarly mean im not....i dont know what else to do i am gonna beg for a dam mri

nikigrl8883 · 06-27-2006, 07:54 PM

well i went to the neuro today and i swear they think im crazy...my blood pressure was extrememly high and i only weigh 112lbs and im 22 it was like 143/91 and my pulse was racing they were even freaked about my heart rate i was perscribed topral for high blood pressure but i still have other symptoms which i tried expalining again he did that thing where he would throw me from side to side and tell me to look him ion the eyes and when he threw me to the right that thing happend again where i got really diorientated and my vision changedi started crying on instant he was like i dunno i think u have some kind of post tramatic stress which i didnt tell him but yes ive been through alot in the past a real lot.....but i know this is physical i cant even do anyhting now i am sick all the time like lightheaded and out of balance he ays its not my inner ear i dont know how he can u got me! my step mom came with me today and she asked if he thought i should have an mri and he said no instantly that is his last resort he says! i am loosin it over this

feelbad · 06-28-2006, 07:27 AM

worried.didn't mean to step on your toes there,it was just the part where you stated that a CT is just as good as an MRI but it just looks deeper into the brain that threw me.there are just soo many bigger differences between the two thats the only point i was trying to make,thats all.

niki,an aneurysm is not an actual 'bleed into the brain' it only does that after it ruptures,til that point,the only thing that would pick one up is,in some cases,a contrasted MRI(which mine didn't) or an even better test for aneurysm would be an MRA.like i mentioned before,it just highlights the arterial structures within the brain and nothing else.all you see on the films is just a bunch of blood vessels,no structures at all to get in the way.this is what makes an MRA ideal for detecting any vascular malformations such as aneurysm or AVMs(arteriovenous malformations).this is the type of testing that I really think you need at this point.the types of symptoms you have mentioned are all possible signs of many different things but they ARE definitely possible signs of vascular malformations that have not ruptured yet so they would not actually show up on a CT or even an MRI really,like i mentioned before,its all dependant on where it may be located and the size.some are very plain and right there,and others are more hidden because of bends or junctions in arteries or other brain crap that is just there in the way of actully seeing it,from any angle.

the fact that you mentioned the higher than normal BPs could also be a contributing factor.although it was not in mine,i have usually abnormally low BPs but am at much higher risk for aneurysm fromthe type of kidney disease i have PKD? for some reason,people who have this particular type of kidney disease also are just born with much weaker vessel walls.this is also what caused a cavernoma to develop inside of my spinal cord before i was even born.just didn't know it was there til a few years ago.cavernomas are kind of similar to AVMs but are fed veinously not arteriorly so they tend to oooze when they bleed and not that high pressure copious bleeds that are possible with AVMs.

I really do think that first,you need to move onto another doc who is willing to actually do the right types of testing to really try and find the root of your symptoms,the next step would to obtain at the very least here a contrasted MRI or even an MRA.i would think he would want to go with the contrasted MRI first tho as this could also show any other strange things in the tissues that may be some sort of factor.this would really give you the best overview for now anyways.but please find another neuro.i think you have gone about as far with this putz as you are going to get and that doesn't help you one bit.find one who actually cares about his or her patients.your primary doc can also refer you for that contrasted MRI as well,so you don't actually need any actual "permission' from any actual specialist or anything.my primary has sent me for the majority of all of my 16 MRIs and other rad testing I have needed since my cavernoma was discovered and my kidney disease.but get a new doc asap.hopefully a new doc can finally give you some answers.please continue to keep us posted,Marcia

nikigrl8883 · 06-28-2006, 02:15 PM

see with me its hard because i have other symtptoms too like chest pains trouble breathing stomach aches the runs everyday so they think i have anxiety disorder or something along those lines i cant force them to listen theyll throw me away im doing my best here i am scared all the time with this i had to stop work over it in fear i may pass out could be the head but i dont know ive seen like 4 doctors in the er too i knoe they arent as reliable but they still did all the blood work and tests they could there the neuro says the mri is last resort but i mean hes practically convinced i dont have that a brain thing..becasue he did an eeg too to check for seizures and to see if i had abnormal brain waves and i didnt mri is the best defenatly and thats whay i want it but i mean nothing showed up on cat scan and nothing showed up on eeg most likely there wouldve been some type of brain wave change on the eeg to show the are where there was trouble i keep telling myself that

plus im only 22 im trying to stay hopful here lol but it is hard....mymom does have depression and anxiety and on disablity but she did tn have all these symtpoms like i do i live with my dad

feelbad · 06-29-2006, 06:19 AM

The thing is niki,these could quite possibly be two totally unrelated issues that you have going on or there could be some sort of an effect on the sympathetic nervous sysytem due to something that is actualy stemming from some part of the brain or in the pons area of the brain that sits right at the top of the c spine part of your cord,this would possibly explain some of the lower body system problems as everything,regarding body system functions IS governed by the spinal tracts within the cord.trust me on that one.

my entire body is currently sooo incredibly messed up right now from my spinal cord injuries that also damaged my sympathetic nervous system and at least two,and possibly a third,spinal tracts within my cord.

You really really DO need to actually move on and away from this doc niki,really,he is doing you no favors by not just doing the dang MRI to if nothing else,rule out the brain and the arteries that run thru it as the source of all your symptoms.he has just left you hangin here for way too long already.you will most likely never actually change this idiots mind so the best thing to actually do is find a doc who is actually willing to help you with this.you owe this current doc nothing as far as loyalty when he cannot actually take the time to do a stupid MRI that could very well actually explain why you are experiencing what you have been

I have seen many docs for all of my ongoing medical crap,and can honestly say there have four that after being with them and becomming more and more frustrated by their total lack of trying to help me deal with the aftermath of all of the total devistation that has been going on inside of my body since my spinal cord was cut into well,i just stiopped calling for appts and found other really really wonderful docs to take their places.i don;t need a totally uncaring doc in charge of any part of my healthcare and neither do you.

please move onto another doc niki.you do not have to take his crap anymore and you DO have choices and other options here.just don't call him again and start seeing a different doc within your healthcare plan.just make sure it is not in that same clinic or the care probably wont be much better from any new doc there that you may see since none of those docs are going to really want to go against what one of their colleagues have already stated about you,ya know what I mean?but you DO desearve to have your medical concerns taken seriously,and quite honestly,i don't see this doc doing that at all for you.start making some phone calls today to set up an appt with another doc.they can access your medical records from the other doc themselves but you too need to get your own set of medical records from this idiot too.just call them and tell whoever that you want a copy of all of your medical records.they will send out whats called a release of information that you just fill out and send back to them and in about a week or so,the records will just be in your mailbox.

this will make for some really interesting and also very revealing info that your doc has written up about you and the visits you have had.after every appt with any patient the doc has to do a little write up on you and the reason for the visit,what was done and all that other happy crap.but this really will tell you just how really serious this doc was taking your complaints and conditions.you really DO need those records.

I would wait to actually see or even set up an appt with any other doc til after you obtain your records or who knows,they could go in and actually remove certain things if they see that you are not going to be returning,sounds really unethical but things like this do happen all the time,unfortunetly for us patients.

but at any rate here niki,see a new doc.honestly this is the only way you are going to EVER have any real chance here to actually find out whats up with your health.and you DO most definitely need that contrasted MRI.i do wish you luck here niki.you need to do whats best for you and your health and seeing another doc is in your best interest at this point.keep me posted.marcia

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