anxiety or brain tumor???

[nate89]

im an 18 year old male that has been suffering from anxiety for a couple months now. and when i stand up i tend to lose my balance for a second, and also tend to kinda blank out for a second. and i have frequent mild headaches that dont seem to   always go away with aleve, and sometimes memory lapes. i have also been diagnosed with gastritis and IBS from serious stress. and i have been worried like crazy thinking i have a brain tumor. do these symptoms fit anxiety?
thanks,
Nate

[nate89]

one other thing i forgot to mention is that i feel really weird most of the day, almost like dreamy or outside of my body, its a the most strangest thing i have ever encountered and it is very hard to explain.

[Emmily]

When I had really bad anxiety I used to get dizzy and blank out for a bit when it was really bad. You can get headaches etc. But if your really worried get a checkup and talk to your dr about all of your symptoms.

Emz

[spade22]

Most of your symptoms sound very much like anxiety.

With the problems you get when standing up, that sounds like either you have low blood pressure and/or the blood is rushing to your feet (away from your head) because you are standing up too quickly.  Try standing up slowly and see if that helps.  Like the previous poster said, it wouldnt hurt to get a physical.

Your symptoms, are not indicative of a brain tumor.

[hockeycrazy3033]

I can absolutely relate to the 'weird' unreality type of feeling. I too have headaches and always think the worst of things. I went to the ER twice in July, got blood tests..etc done and then went to the doctors a few months ago for a check up and everything turned out normal. They just think it's my anxiety and paranoia. I'll ALWAYS look up symptoms of diseases thinking I have a problem when it's actually my stress causing me this and giving me the symptoms. Anyways, I've just overall calmed down, and try to think positive and so far it's working. Best of luck to you!

[Pum]

Sounds like anxiety to me.  Your feelings could be coming from chronic breathing from the chest due to tight chest muscles due to anxiety.  I always find an explanation for the physical feelings helps me.

You are young.  Try to help yourself with exercise and keeping busy.

[nate89]

yea i went to my doc the other day when i was worried bout my consistant stomach problems, thats when he said i have irritable bowel syndrome and gastritis which is on the verge of an ulcer. and then he told me that my headaches were from my nerves going haywire. but i questioned that because advil 600mg wouldnt get rid of it. and i was looking up brain tumor symptoms and i had a few things that matched but if it was a brain tumor i would have extreme headaches right? and mine are pretty mild all the time.

[nate89]

and the docter put me on 40mg of prozac(for depression) and nerve pills. so i am on all kinds of damn medications. i take prozac, xanax and aciphex all at the same time and im new to the xanax, could all that result in a headache?

[hockeycrazy3033]

Nate, I've heard that Xanax is the worst drugs. Everyone I've talked to about it has nothing but bad things to say. Supposedly if you are on it then go off it makes you crazy. It definitely can be the cause of your headaches as all prescribed pills have tons of side effects. Is it a must that you are taking it? If not then don't because I hear it only makes things worse. Again, this is what I heard..I haven't had any experience with it.

As far as the brain tumor symptoms, what do you have that relates to it? *if you don't mind me asking* usually with that you'd be blacking out, having seizures, fainting, migraines, not being able to talk..etc..

Just calm down, relax, and think positive. It does wonders for you. Believe me. :)

[nate89]

well the xanax is for my nerves because i "was" worrying like crazy cuz i had stomach problems for about 3 months straight and it wasnt going away, so basically i was stressed out everyday for approx 3 months or so. and my symptoms are headaches, blanking out when stand up, weird feelings as if like dreamy, cant really explain the weird feeling all to well, and my balance tends to be off sometimes like when i walk i will bump into the wall im walking parallel with for no reason. maybe i am worrying myself to death but i just like to make sure i guess cuz im a damn worry wart.

[nate89]

well it all started when i was looking up brain tumors and i saw that some of the symptoms were, loss of balance, loss of smell and vision, headaches that wont go away with painkillers, vomiting, memory loss, limbs getting weak etc. and i had a few of those symptoms expecially the headaches not going away with painkillers. and thats what really got me paranoid, cuz every other time in the past when i got a headache i would pop a couple advil and it would go away until just recently.

[hockeycrazy3033]

I really do think it's your worryin that's effecting you. A couple months ago I had the whole weird unbalanced feeling and I kept getting dizzy. I went to the doctors and they said it was nothing and that it was just my anxiety/paranoia kicking in. At first I thought I had an inner ear problem *as that does effect your balance* and then I thought I had a tumor or something..just like you are thinking now. I guess I realized that it was me panicking over every little thing that made me that way. I'm still not great, but im MUCH better than I was before.

Anyways,think it might be an inner ear problem? You should go to an ENT and make sure. As for your blanking out, dizzyness, etc.. that's pretty much anxiety. When's the last time you've gone to a doctor? They think you have anxiety right? And have they done tests on you?

Also, I found this site that pretty much tells you everything about anxiety and all the symptoms and what it does to your body. It's pretty much right on. See if you can relate to it.

http://www.anxietycentre.com/anxiety-symptoms.shtml

[nate89]

yea i went to my docter yesterday and he did his exams and stuff, and since my balance was off i asked him to check my ears and he said they were fine.

[nate89]

wow i went to that website and i have soooo many of those symptoms "atleast" 1 of every category, but theres also so many symptoms that are the same symptoms of brain tumors. i now am pretty sure i have been worrying for nothing but if i continue to get headaches everyday in the morning then im gonna have to get an MRI to make sure. but thanks hockey for all the info and the website link, and thanks everybody else for sharing ur advice.

[hockeycrazy3033]

You're welcome. :)

It's freaky because when I first saw that site I had nearly EVERY symptom. That's when I realized that no matter what I was thinking or no matter how much I'd keep telling myself that I had an illness that it was just all in my head.

Anyways, if it does start to still bother you with headaches and dizzyness then yeah get an MRI that way you can be relieved and try and be postive.

Hope you get better soon, and all the best to you!

PS. If you do go let me know how it goes.

[nate89]

yea man i was amazed all the symptoms i had on that list prlly around 65% of them. but yea ill see what happens in the couple days and ill keep ya posted.

[spade22]

"I've heard that Xanax is the worst drugs. Everyone I've talked to about it has nothing but bad things to say. Supposedly if you are on it then go off it makes you crazy."


Xanax is a very good drug for helping to control anxiety - I have tried it myself and know of many others that have and they LOVE it.  It is however, addictive so if you take it on a daily basis for an extended period of time you will need to wean of it slowly when you no longer need it.  Chances are you will get withdrawal symptoms when you tapper off this medication which also happens with SSRI's (zoloft, paxil etc. etc.).  WITHDRAWAL symptoms, are NOT the same as going CRAZY!

[spade22]

".... but if i continue to get headaches everyday in the morning then im gonna have to get an MRI to make sure. "

If your headaches are starting in the same period of the day, each day, this is NOT indicative of a brain tumor!  If you have a headache in the morning, it is possible you are grinding/clenching your teeth in your sleep - do you have any jaw pain?

Have you had your eyes checked recently?  This could also cause you some of the problems you describe.

[nate89]

i dunno if i grind my teeth or not in my sleep cuz my jaw doesnt hurt but recently when i moved my jaw up and down my left ear kinda pops, dunno if that has anything to do with it or not. and no i havent had my eyes checked in a while but i do know my eyesight is **** and i dont wear glasses or contacts. and since ive been on xanax and these other meds when i wake up my vision is foggy.

[nate89]

i cant believe it wouldnt even let me say c/r/a/p

[sdnj06]

dear natte89 i have the same anxiety problem, about two weeks ago i wasonlinejust looking aroundbecause my knee was bothering me well my knee bothering me turned into brain tumor muscle weekness. then my anxiety symptoms really took of. after a whole weekends with know sleeep convince i had have a brain tumor i started getting muscle twitches then my eyes were bothering me. and then my legs had pain in them my muscles. i related all of this to the brain tumor. i am going to a phcyciatrist next monday fo rthe first time. but she told me to try this in the mean time. she said stop for a second and ask yourself. DID I HAVE ANY OF THESE SYPMTOMS BEFORE I STARTED WITH MY ANXIETY?. and then think did you chances are is that you felt fine before your anxiety started and i did feel fine before i now realize that this all has to bee anxiety.

but anyway i still am having anxiety and hypochondria over hiv and a brain tumor. i am 21 years old and i have ibs and other gastrointestonal problems from stress from this. if you ever wanna chat about the anxiety we both experience write to me.

steve