Anxiety about brain tumor

[Rhubarb012]

Hi. I am 30 years old. Ever since I had my daughter three years ago I have been having really bad anxiety about dying. The latest is a brain tumor. Yes I know how rare they are. I went to a GP last week, he did the nuerological exam and looked in my eyes. He seemed to think I was okay. I told him I've had a headache in the same place on my left side of my forehead for about a month. I also have neck pain, probably from poor sleeping positions, but I also read it was a symptom of a brain tumor. Along with headaches I have had a metallic taste in my mouth for about a month. I do have 4-5 cavities that need to be filled. I told the doctor about the taste and the headaches. He didn't seem too concerned but ordered bloodwork. All results came back normal except the kidney function, which was slightly low. He said it could be due to dehydration. I'm going back in two weeks to get another test to see if it improves.

I know I have anxiety, I suffer from PTSD, when I was 19 I woke up to my boyfriend dead next to me. He overdosed and died in his sleep. My anxiety about dying has been terrible since that. But since I've had my daughter it has been overwhelmingly worse. So I get a headache sometime in the morning, usually not right away. As soon as I notice the headache it gets worse, sometimes I get a tingly feeling on my head and behind my left ear. The more I think about it the worse it feels, which makes me think that these are all in my head. I've taken ibuprofen but if I continue to dwell on the headache then it doesn't help either.

Can someone please help me calm down, this constant worry is affecting my ability to be a good mother, I feel terrible because I sit and Google my symptoms and then feel terrified all day long.

[Living17]

Yes that’s the biggest mistake you have done is google it that always gives you the worst possible outcome. Just think like this your still alive nothing has happened to you so you definitely don’t have a brain tumour honest. It’s hard to get by especially a fear of dying I’ve been there me self but then I joined this site and thought wow I’m not alone and am still alive it’s the only thing what made me actually realise I was paranoid and it made my anxiety so much better reading and talking to others just believe me I’m hear for you xx

[Rhubarb012 in reply to Living17]

I know, I hate myself for contantly googling symptoms. Just last week I thought I had an infection in my wisdom tooth that is impacted. I thought that because of the metallic taste in my mouth.

I'm pretty sure the headaches are related to neck pain because they feel worse when I move my head in certain ways.

Thank you for the reply.

[Living17 in reply to Rhubarb012]

So your sure so there’s a good sign lol. Xx

[Jeff1943]

Rhubarb, you say you know you suffer from anxiety. Well, one of the things that anxiety does is to exaggerate any minor concerns we have ten-fold into major obsessive worries.

This I think is what has happened to you. Now that you have a child the normal concern that you will live to be able to raise and protect your daughter becomes magnified into a fearful obsession that you are about to die. And the traumatic experience of what happened to you years ago reinforces this fear of doom and death. Indeed it was already in your mind before your daughter arrived and her arrival has exaggerated this irrational fear further. I reckon about 2 new people a day turn up here with the doomsday obsession so it's very common, you are not alone.

The next step is that every ache is seen as a symptom of something life-threatening and with Doctor Google's help you have arrived at the diagnosis of brain tumour. I have also read in Claire Weekes' book 'Self help for your nerves' that a metallic taste is also a symptom of anxiety though I've never experienced it myself.

I have to tell you that Doctor Google is a quack who was struck off the medical register years ago. So I think you can safely tell the undertaker to stand down and cancel the wake.

If you find that despite this logical explanation (and the things others have told you here) you find it hard to accept and the headaches continue then I suggest you ask your doctor for a simple brain scan to bring confirmation and reassurance.

So just accept the symptoms calmly and without generating too much fear hormone that keeps your nervous system ultra-sensitive and the aches and pains should disperse. In the meantime, try to relax more and engage in less introspection about your head aches. You're going to be fine.

[Rhubarb012 in reply to Jeff1943]

Thank you so much for the kind words. This calms me to read your reply. I have been reading more and more on this site since I discovered it today. It helps to read that I'm not the only one who is terrified of a brain tumor, or any other deadly medical problem.