Flying with a meningioma

[Limegreen2024]

Hi

I was hoping someone might be able to advise me on whether you think it is safe to fly with a Meningioma. Last year my family and I were due to travel abroad in April for a long deserved holiday. I personally hadn’t travelled abroad for many years and was so looking forward to it but my GP advised that I should cancel it once I had received my diagnosis due to the risk factor. Sadly we agreed and took his advice and cancelled at the last minute. However when I saw my Neurosurgeon in the August I asked him whether he thought I could have travelled abroad and much to my surprise he said it should have been fine and thought my GP was being overly cautious and that I should get on with my life and go for it whilst the tumour is stable. I am currently on watch and wait.

I am so confused by this conflicting advice. My family are keen to book a holiday abroad to lift my spirits but I really don’t know what to do. I am so scared to put my self at risk. Is it safe to fly with a Meningioma . Whose advice do I go on?

Any advice would be very much appreciated.

[Hidden]

Personally I haven't flown since I was diagnosed in 2014 with a menigoma, as I suffer with raging headaches and a build up of pressure due to my tumour when I am at high altitudes and would not cope with the cabin pressure.

I guess it's difficult if you are being told different things by different professionals to know what advice is the best to take.

I've had my surgery now but it's still early days and I'm still experiencing the same pressure headaches, but I hope one day to be able to fly and go on holiday again.

[Saraschild2 in reply to Hidden]

Hi, I.have a meningioma and fly with no problems..

[Limegreen2024 in reply to Saraschild2]

Thank you for your response. That’s reassuring to hear that it is possible. I may not have to rule it out but need to have another chat with the medics before I make any decisions.

[Limegreen2024 in reply to Hidden]

Thank you so much for your advice. Really appreciate it. I definitely need to think it through very carefully. The cabin pressure does worry me coupled with the fact I suffer with vertigo. Like you say so difficult when you hear differing views.

Wishing you all the best for a full recovery.

[Satishouse]

Hi I am sorry to hear of your diagnosis. I had a seizure in August and they found the menengioma, I had a holiday booked for a wedding in Sicily in September. The specialist nurse/consultant at Addenbrooks said it was safe to fly, I was a bit nervous to say the least but was ok otherwise. I had my op in November 2023 and now back at work. Fear of the unknown is the worst, doing nice things with family/friends is always good medicine 😊

[Limegreen2024 in reply to Satishouse]

Hi

Thank you for response. That’s really encouraging to hear. I think you’re absolutely right it is fear of the unknown that’s the worst feeling. I agree we should try to be living our lives as normally as possible and quality time with friends and family is so important. I am starting to think I might just go for it.

Fantastic news that you’re back to work. 😊

[Simply71]

Afternoon, I was diagnosed with a meningioma in September and flow to Cyprus the day after I was diagnosed as no one could give me an answer. My GP on return home told me to live my life as normally as possible which I have continued to do. I think that your neurologist would be the person to go to. Hopefully you get to enjoy some sunshine ☀️

[AEC1]

I was diagnosed two years ago and, like you, am on watch and wait as it is currently stable. I have flown a few times since my diagnosis, both short haul and long haul. I have felt some pressure in my head during flights but nothing too bad (not enough to stop me flying again). I was nervous about it but was told by the specialist that it should be fine. Your neurosurgeon should know best on this. My consultant has told me that GPs won't always know what is best in the specialist medical fields as the nature of their job is different.

If you decide to go for it, I hope you have a lovely time.

[Limegreen2024 in reply to AEC1]

Hi

Great to hear that you have not been put off flying. Like you said you’ve got to expect a certain amount of pressure in your head with or without a Meninginoma but as long as it’s bearable it shouldn’t deter you from flying. I think I will still double check with my Neurosurgeon to give me peace of mind before I take the plunge. Hopefully I will be able to go otherwise will accept it for now until the time is right. 😊

[BumbleBee38]

I had my meningioma for years before it was discovered (15+ years) and never had any problems flighing. I would go with the neurosurgeon, they have much more experience with this than the GP.

[Razz01]

Hi,

I guess everyone's meningiomas are different but personally I fly every three weeks for work with no issues at all. I was concerned the first time and checked with my neurosurgeon who said it was absolutely fine. I did worry if the pressure would be different but I honestly notice no difference at all.

Hope this helps.

[James_Berlin]

My meningioma was diagnosed only after it got so big that I had a seizure. A few months before the seizure I flew from Northern Europe to the Mediterranean back and forth on circa 4 to 5 hour flights each with 1 stop over per route (one long and one shorter flight each). My tumor must have been already 4cm large by then and was pressing into my brain quite a bit. I had ZERO problems on those flights. I had the seizure some months later when I wasn't sleeping a whole lot. But the flights were totally fine. I of course don't know the exact size of your tumor or the location but I can say that mine was pretty large. I was in my early 30s and that might have been a factor. I do think that if you are on watch and wait (which I am back on since it is slowly re-growing) that you should enjoy life and fly. Maybe try a shorter route first if you can. I never had a problem with flying whether the tumor was big or now when it is smaller. But this is just me. It could be different for other people (like Jennyb13) which makes sense as I get headaches regularly too just not when I fly. If you think you are up for it, I encourage you to go for it Hope this helps

[tracybet1]

Hope it's OK to jump in here , my sister hasn't been diagnosed yet a scan has found a 2.6cm likely to be a meningoma, needs a contrast dye scan, she asked me to ask about flying.

[Minimimipiano]

I can well understand your confusion and concerns. I had my M diagnosed and removed last October and was told to cancel a long haul holiday we had planned for January. My situation is different as I had not only the M but also a brain hernia. I have recently been told that I can now fly but I am a little wary so we are planning a short haul flight to a country with good medical facilities, just in case I have problems, before rebooking our previous holiday which was long haul to a country where the medical facilities are not so desirable. I was also told I had probably had my M for many years before it was found so I would have flown many times with it without being aware. The other thing I would say is that GP’s are not specialists in this field where as your Neurosurgeon is so I would be inclined to go by your NS. But whatever you decide YOU have to feel confident in the decision you make.