Brain tumor?

Specific Illnesses & Conditions
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Have any of you ever thought you had a brain tumor because of your symptoms? or worse found out you actually did have a brain tumor? For me this is my biggest fear right now.

I suffered terribly with vertigo motion sickness, wobbliness, etc 7-10 years ago and have been vertigo free for 7 years (though some other symptoms remained but not to the degree I had them) But now things have come back with a vengeance giving me lots of new and strange symptoms. Can hardly walk, stairs are very difficult - looks like I’m looking through the wrong strength glasses when I go down stairs, many noises are intolerable, can’t chew potato chips because of the noise the make, very lethargic, no energy, no appetite. This is complicated by leg/hip/lower back problems from shoveling all of the recent snow we’ve had and that may be part of the reason I’m having trouble walking. At least that’s why I think my back/hips/legs bother me.

But I can’t help but to worry that my recent problems are because of a brain tumor or something along that line. I can’t even get in to see my ENT until next week, meanwhile I don’t know what to do. I want my life back. This all came back so suddenly.

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Do an MRI. Have a neuro look at it. Once he says everything is dandy put it to rest and attack the migraine like you did last time.

BTW since you said diuretic work for you. Get an ear MRI with contrast and see if anything shows up there. Read somewhere hydrops can be spotted in an MRI

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When I first had dizzy spells 22 years ago, the very first test that my general practitioner did was an MRI of my head to rule out a type of tumor called an “acoustic neuroma.” It would be reasonable for you to ask your doctor to do this.

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I never thought I had a Brain Tumor, well, I did rationalize that it was within the realm of possibilities. I had a 5+ year history of many/most of the symptoms that we seem to share. Vertigo, Perceived Motion, and many common “Migraine” symptoms too.

Never sought any medical care or diagnosis for my symptoms, seemed to get by on using Meclizine periodically at first, then during the 18 month or so before my eventual medical consultation i used it very frequently. I was able to go so long because I had symptoms that would leave me with periods of “Normality”.

In late 2016 I had a period of constant severe Vertigo syndrome symptoms and it culminated in a weekend long severe unrelenting episode that finally led me to make an appointment to see what was going on.

My Primary Care doc was stop #1. She seemed to think that there were a lot of possibilities and decided to make many referrals for various tests. Including but not limited to a FULL Cardiac work up including an Exercise Stress Echo, 48 Hour Holter Monitor Test, a series of Blood work that was HUGE.

Based on early test results and best guesses by my Primary she referred me to an ENT Doc, a Neurologist, and a Rheumatologist. All had waiting time for visits in months.

She on her own accord ordered an MRI of the Brain. That was on 02/11/17. The Neuro-Radiologist modified the test order after the first few minutes in the Machine. My 30 minute MRI turned into a 1.5 Hour long one.

Two days later my results posted to my Online account to see your test results. The finding were:

  1. There is a linear zone of encephalomalacia, gliosis, and hemosiderin deposition in the right
    posterior medial temporal lobe including the posterior parahippocampal gyrus and lingual gyrus from chronic hemorrhage
    .
  2. Asymmetric enlargement of the left geniculate ganglion indicating the presence of a small facial nerve hemangioma or schwannoma.
    –
    I eventually had my appointments with ENT and Neurology and was also given a Migraine with Aura diagnosis as well. ENT chose the Vestibular Migraine, Neuro used Migraine with Aura. ENT also diagnosed sever Eustachian tube dysfunction as well.

My first followup MRI is in a few weeks. The tumor is small enough now that watch and wait is my choice for now. I am likely to be offered Tubes in right ear for ETD.

Strange thing is that my Vestibular Migraine symptoms have very gradually improved. I went through several meds and have now gone Med free and seem to be doing okay most of the time. Not completely normal but better.

My thoughts on the Vestibular symptoms have evolved over time. I originally thought Menieres. ENT and Neuro think it is Migraine. ENT does not think the Tumor is the cause of those symptoms at all.

My thinking has mirrored James (turnitaround) line of reasoning and yet I am not at all comfortable with a FINAL declaration of certainty of WHAT IS WHAT. Time has changed my views, as well as my symptoms and I feel that that will likely be a life long process.

Thanks for listening to my rather long Vent. Don’t Give up.

Jim

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I was diagnosed with a cerebellar tumour about 5 years ago. I was experiencing severe nausea which helped lead to a diagnosis.

Today I still experience migraine related vertigo / vestibular migraines, even though the tumour is no longer visible on medical scans.

A brain tumour is an incredibly rare event and many brain tumors are often found but pose no threat.

I would think it is rare to have a brain tumor, but I would never rule it out. My understanding is that around 10 out of 100,000 people are diagnosed annually.

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If I had an mri four years ago and symptoms are bad again do I get another one

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We’re not doctors here but we’ve told you before that MRIs are mostly used to rule out tumors, and a tumor is highly unlikely. Your doctor should be the one who makes this decision.

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Same scenario here, I have history of vertigo 24/7 and migraines dating back since I was about 8 or 9 years old. When I say 24/7, this is a reality for 30 years non stop. As the years went by and the many diagnostic testing, the doctors were baffled and I never received a diagnosis. However, in my later teens and twenty’s, I felt like every symptom I had was gone, or mild to the point that I partied hard, and never had an episode. In my late twenty’s, 8/26/2008 to be exact, my son was born and I had the worse case of vertigo. I’m guessing stress or excitement! After numerous testing again, cat scans, MRI,s and whatever else my neurologist came up with, I was sent to John Hopkins and diagnosed with MAV. About 6 -9 months later, things seemed to slowly get better and I was able to work and function. As the years have gone by, occasionally I get hit with the worse vertigo and headaches for a few weeks to a month. This is actually happening to me again, we are going on three solid weeks of hell and my MRI and appointments are weeks away. I can’t help but wonder brain tumor as well… I’ll leave it in God’s hands, nothing I can do either way. Hang in there…

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May I ask how could possible be to have brain tunor where you had so many MRIs?

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The last MRI was three or four years ago, and the only interesting thing was that I had a major artery over the area of the brain that determines where you are in space, or is responsible for how your brain determines movement. They Nuero said that when I was anxious that it was possible this artery would put pressure on the brain. (This was just an assumption) Anyhow, the feelings I have had the last three weeks are not normal to what I usually feel. My headaches are dull, and the spinning is beyond what I can handle. it’s just a scary thing and the worse thoughts possible always pop up in my mind.

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Remember the brain learns at a very early age to panic when you are off balance. Most of the anxiety is automatic when you get vestibular upset. Try to accept that this is natural over reaction to what might only be a very subtle issue that is being exaggerated. FYI All my spinning went away eventually. Who knows, yours might too. Hang in there!

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Hi Tony. Well I’ve no medical training whatsoever but wonder as you’ve suffered since childhood perhaps that, presumably misplaced? Artery which I assume you would have been born with might just be the root cause of your problem. I wouldn’t worry about brain tumours. I understand they are pretty rare. VM/MAV is common it seems so looking at probability … then again there are benign tumours which aren’t life threatening. The worst most vicious tumours are fast growing and you’ve had this since childhood so that wouldn’t make much sense to me. Put it from your thoughts completely and believe its just MAV doing what it does, morphing with the passage of time. Follow my old Grannie’s advice and ‘Jump the stile when you get to it’. Helen

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