Hey there:), I’m 17 years old, and for about a week and a half I’m suffering some really bad dizziness, unbalanced walking, and nausea. I’m really scared that it’s a brain tumour, Also I suffer from severe anxiety for about a 4 years, lately I had panic attacks that last for all day, and I’ve even developed Deralization, now I get dizzy all the time, My ear is ringing sometime, I took a blood test 2 months ago, and an MRI and CT test in August, and they were all fine and normal.
And now I’m pretty sure I have brain tumour, what should I do?
P.S I’ve also been looking up those symptoms online which made me even more scared about it.
Written by
Barakbet
To view profiles and participate in discussions please or .
I'm also experiencing the exact same as you but for 1 month+ and also I feel a little fatigued sometimes and I feel no nausea. This corona problem is so bad and I'm stuck in home and can't check up my problems. If you can , then I would suggest that you talk to a doc.
I actually had a similar not as sever situation happen when I was around 15. I actually had migraines (I was also tested for a brain tumor) and because I also have ADHD I was exhibiting neurological difficulties (difficulty walking, blurry vision that would come and go, nausea, etc). Honestly with anxiety you can spiral down a whole that can make you even more paranoid. I would suggest maybe calling a teledoc or other support and just make sure you don't need to go in and that might help with your worry. If you were tested recently then you are probably fine
I am an RN and your symptoms sound like anxiety not a brain tumor. You probably are hyperventilating some which can give you the lightheadedness and nausea is another symptom of anxiety .
Hi Barakbet - it may give you a little comfort to know that I was convinced I had a brain tumour over 40 years ago. I had very similar symptoms as yours but my main concerns were the continuous headaches - sometimes very severe and at others more of a background. I have learned to live with the symptoms and have had several tests (e.g. MRI scans) over the years all showing no abnormality. I wasn't actually diagnosed with depression/anxiety for almost 20 years but it is clear that I must have been suffering for many years previously/most of my adult life. Unfortunately, I still suffer but I am much more in control and aware. I do also think that those of us that are destined to suffer in this way have a propensity towards negative health prophecies (I don't like the word hypochondria in this context and feel it is unfair). Take care
You wouldn't believe how relieved I am to read your post, even though it was aimed at Barakbet, whom I also hope found it useful.
I was diagnosed with anxiety 43 years ago, and have suffered with IBS and what I consider to be a form of chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS), even though I have never been formally diagnosed. They often say that these symptoms are not brought on by the anxiety itself, but often an underlying condition which anxiety makes worse; I can certainly testify to that as I had very bad enteritis in my early 30s (from which the IBS stems) and chronic pain from an infection 25 years ago (which sparked off the CFS).
My CFS usually takes the form of a dull headache, slight nausea, loose bowels, dizziness, mouth ulcers, tiredness and lack of concentration (some people describe it as "foggy brain") - the latter can be severe enough to prevent me reading or driving. Two months ago, I started to get a headache which was rather more noticeable than the usual CFS, but I could ignore it and carry on. Last week, it got noticeably worse, but coincided with IBS, suggesting that it might be anxiety-driven (my wife was diagnosed with cancer a month ago, and things have been rather stressful, given the need for endless hospital visits in the middle of a coronavirus pandemic!). The doctor described it as a tension headache (despite its constancy) and nothing to worry about - your post has rather put my mind at rest on that score, as a diagnosis over the phone is not very convincing.
As you rightly say, the key is actually accepting the problem. I will obviously have to accept mine and, hopefully, Barakbet can also find a coping strategy.
I completely understand your fears regarding brain tumours, however it is very important to know that many symptoms of chronic anxiety can mimic other health conditions. When consistent and prolonged, anxiety can cause a great deal of restlessness, nausea, and dizziness in sufferers since the nervous system is overloaded. Ringing in the ears can also be a side effect of the tension and hyperawareness caused by said anxiety.
I can tell you from personal experience that these physical symptoms often occur in conjunction with the mental/emotional symptoms, so you are certainly not alone. If, however, you notice these symptoms worsening, I strongly advise you to consult a doctor. They can conduct further testing in order to give you peace of mind.
I highly recommend searching up relaxation exercises on YouTube in the meantime to help ground yourself during the harder episodes. This way, you can begin to recognize the fight-or-flight sensations that occur in your body.
Best of luck with everything. Wishing you peace, health, and happiness!
First of all, do not panic. If you had an MRI/CT scan in August, they would’ve seen any abnormal lesions/tumors at that point. However, yes your symptoms do mimic symptoms of a brain tumor. But they are also common symptoms people experience with anxiety.
Two years ago, I found out I had 4 benign brain tumors. I had to have 2 brain surgeries and radiation. I thought it was the end of the world, but you know what? It wasn’t. I am OK and my life is mostly back to normal.
Prior to my diagnosis, I had many of those symptoms you mentioned but over time, those symptoms increased dramatically: My legs seized up, I’d get horrible headaches every time I bent down, balance issues, an intense feeling of foreboding, numbness in my hands, morning nausea, vomiting white foam, excruciating neck pain and inability to sleep, double vision, and paralysis of legs/arms...and weirdly hiccups.
My point is, you are doing the right thing by monitoring yourself and seeking medical expertise for tests. That’s all you can do. MORE THAN LIKELY it is not the worst case scenario. But even if it is, that doesn’t mean it’s a death sentence either.
My tumors were likely growing slowly for years without my knowing. Some people can live their whole lives with a brain tumor and not have surgery. If the tumor is benign and isn’t bothering them or causing symptoms, most neurosurgeons just keep an eye for changes. I still have MRIs every 3-4 months. So, if you had an MRI fairly recently, they’d be able to see any abnormalities or increased cerebral blood flow (which would indicate something going on.) I hope this helps calm your fears. It’s hard enough to just survive the pressures of being seventeen years old
Take care of yourself 🌸🦋🧘♀️
* Also try yoga, breathing exercises, meditation and something called Qi gong (which is similar to Tai Chi) You can find free video workouts on YouTube. It helps me!
Wow. I am so sorry! I am glad it was taken care of though. It’s a lot for you to have to go through. I have had several mri no ct scan but they cannot find the reason for my severe head pressure and Neuro symptoms.. zaps and all kinds of things, dizziness, pulsatile tinnitus, all kinds of sensations in my head. Life is hard and nothing helps the pain or symptoms.. I am so glad you got yourself taken care of and things were managed. I wish you the best and thingns continue to be positive in the follow MRIs you have to continue to do.
I am truly grateful. While I have my issues, I honestly can’t complain. It’s good to be alive. Although MRIs every 4 months has really, really gotten old (not to mention expensive) I have one tumor left but it’s too close to the brain stem so it’s ‘watch & wait.’ I had radiation on that one. Fingers crossed 🤞
I hope they reduce it and eventually it is gone. Everyone thought that could have been what is causing all of this when it all first started, but nothing seen. Everyone broke down crying when the first mri was done two years ago and seen nothing. Then I had a few this year mri of Brain neck spine and MRA head neck or just head I can’t remember.
Then I started having episodes and they though possible focal seizures simple partial and ruled out. So now FND migraine with auras and says it’s all related to stress.. panic anxiety and GAD which this all started two years ago and I never had a problem before. Woke with a severe headache and flashing light at the end of the day in my right peripheral vision. Then a few weeks later episodes started which was even scarier.
Yikes, that does sound scary. I’m glad you have gotten MRIs though. A CT scan might not catch something right away but an MRI would. I had intense migraine with aura only only once. It was what they call “a thunder clap migraine” - it was so sudden it felt like someone hit me on the side of the head. I briefly lost vision and threw up. Went home and slept solidly for something like 21 hrs. It was insane, but then i felt fine and it didn’t happen again.
About two yrs later, I started getting migraines maybe twice a month for only about a month. Then, about 2 wks before I was hospitalized (and found out about the brain tumors) I had intense neck pain so bad it made me cry, I couldn’t sleep. Nothing was comfortable. Then, I had daily bouts with nausea, vomiting white foam. One day, I was unsteady on my feet and lost consciousness. I came to and called 911. That was the day I found out. When I look back though,I had the most intense symptoms intermittently for only about 2wks that it was really bad. Before that, I was relatively healthy and life was normal. The reason I tell you is that my symptoms were not constant for a long period of time - they were intense for a fairly short period of time. So, I’m not a doctor but in your case if they haven’t found anything on the MRI ~ know that those symptoms you mentioned are very common for a number of different medical conditions not necessarily a brain tumor.
Thank you so much for the reassurance. And I am so sorry for all you’ve been through. I have seen several specialists and they can’t find anything which scares me to no end. I cry every day and my neck is even hard to go side to side like ear to shoulder and I get close to blacking out a lot and just so many scary symptoms. Even sometimes feeling like I am moving backwards when I am not and stomach rising etc. I wish I could go back in time and do something different the day before and maybe it would have changed everything I don’t know. I was in a work meeting when the intense headache came on. And my world has drastically changed since that day, I just got to keep my faith going and trudge on. I wish you the best in everything and thank you so much for replying.
I’m so sorry you are dealing with this. Sending my best wishes to you and hopes that things will get better soon. You have done the right thing by having specialists monitor you just to be sure. I do a lot of yoga, try to quiet my mind and give myself peace. Coordinating body movements with breath have really helped me - yoga, Tai chi, Qigong. I’ve explored them all. It might help for you to keep a journal so you can notice patterns. Like do you get symptoms after specific things happen at your job? After you eat certain things or have a negative experience or interaction? It might be helpful. Also, notice what actions or behaviors seem to lessen your symptoms. If you can find patterns in what triggers symptoms, it might become easier to manage them and gain some control in your well-being ~ especially if doctors can’t find anything medically wrong. Regardless, your feelings are valid and this is clearly interrupting the quality of life we all deserve. And you are definitely not alone.
Thank you so much. I wish I could find a trigger. It’s hard because it is literally 24/7 day in and do put and through the night. N95 mask makes it even worse when I have to work. Before COVID it was still bad ha ing to work without it, but it did intensify it all over. I slept on a heating pad and the iced later. Nothing relieves it. There not a day I don’t have it. It’s always there it just can get worse or more severe at times. Thank you so much for everything!!!
Registered Nurse.. but I have a flex position. It isn’t a trigger I am not there that often, but if I worked FT it would be impossible like this and during these times because the mask exacerbated everything.
That’s good you have a flex position. Nonetheless, with everything it must make things extremely difficult. I have a very hard time wearing a mask for extended lengths of time and it adds to the anxiety I had before any of this Covid stuff so that hasn’t helped. Take care, breathe and treat yourself with kindness...always
Content on HealthUnlocked does not replace the relationship between you and doctors or other healthcare professionals nor the advice you receive from them.
Never delay seeking advice or dialling emergency services because of something that you have read on HealthUnlocked.
Brain Tumor or Anxiety????
Scared everyday
BRAIN TUMOR FEAR AND CONCERNED - PLEASE HELP ME!!!!
Anxiety about brain tumor
Really scared please help 
