Brain Tumour or Depression?

I’ve suffered with depression for most of my adult life, but over the past year or two have felt my depression has gradually worsened and have had some newer symptoms as well, that don’t quite feel the same as I would associate with my depression. The new symptoms have been affecting my work quite badly over time and recently led to my being fired from my job and then my girlfriend dumped me, so I’ve not been having a great time lately!

The reason I was fired is that I swore about a customer I was talking to on the phone when I thought he couldn’t hear me. I was aware of my behaviour as I said it, but since I was made to listen to the call I realised I had sworn under my breath  3 other times that I wasn’t aware of. I was very shocked at this, as it’s completely against my principles to speak like that, and I’d never said anything like that in all of my years in customer service work.

Unfortunately there are more things bothering me. On the whole I’ve noticed that I have trouble focussing on tasks and concentrating, my memory is terrible, I’ve been getting quite stressed and find it hard to manage the stress, I sometimes struggle to construct a sentence or remember the correct words, and I have felt quite apathetic at times. On Monday night I was hallucinating before going to sleep, and was having quite paranoid thoughts. I’ve had increasing trouble with chaotic thoughts and at times find it hard to cope. I do have headaches sometimes and they have on occasion lasted hours, and sometimes I "zone out" which could be described as minor seizures.

I know all of those symptoms can be caused by depression or other illnesses whether mental or physical, i.e. epilepsy, schizophrenia or manic depression. What’s troubling me is that I read up on the internet and as you would expect come up with some worrying health concerns. I’ve read about some instances where people have been diagnosed with depression or stress but found out some time later they have a brain tumour.  I’m worried that my depression may be worsening or developing into something like manic depression, which I have always thought I may have but it’s never been diagnosed because generally I manage my depression quite well.

It’s becoming obvious that I now need to find out what’s been causing all of these problems, and how I can manage things, or whether I need more help or medication, but the fact I may have a brain tumour is terrifying me. I know I need to see my doctor and describe all of this to him, and maybe ask for a CT or MRI scan, but firstly I’d like to know if I’m worrying unnecessarily.

Can anyone give any sort of help or advice please?

[horselip]

Hiya-
Sorry for what might seem like a lag in responding to you. But you posted after I checked the forum earlier today.

It may be that you are worrying. But their may be a neurological component to what is happening to you. Exactly what, I've no idea. It certainly might be tied to depression but the fact that you are having these cognitive type symptoms makes me think that you might benefit by seeing a neurologist. Based on what they find out they just might want to order an MRI.For pituitary tumors the diagnosis is usually made by your hormones being off.

It's just that your symptoms are so general that there are so many possibilities as to what might be behind your symptoms. Could be neurological? hormonal? autoimmune? psychiatric? I don't know.

Have you had any blood tests for your thyroid? what about for different types of anemia? Are your cycles normal? Anything that might point to hormones that you can think of?

Horselip

[brit_in_us]

Sorry is this in the wrong section or something? Perhaps I came across in the wrong way, or maybe I sound like a hypocondriac/basket-case. Maybe a mod can move this somewhere more appropriate or perhaps I should have paid to ask a doctor in that section. This site has changed a lot since I last used it so I wasn't aware of that facility.

I hope i haven't acted inappropriately or upset anyone with this, I was genuinely looking for advice but I can see that answers are given quickly on here and my question seems to have been ignored. I'm glad I got it all down in words though, so will just go see my doctor.

[horselip]

Hiya-
Sorry for what might seem like a lag in responding to you. But you posted after I checked the forum earlier today.

It may be that you are worrying. But their may be a neurological component to what is happening to you. Exactly what, I've no idea. It certainly might be tied to depression but the fact that you are having these cognitive type symptoms makes me think that you might benefit by seeing a neurologist. Based on what they find out they just might want to order an MRI.For pituitary tumors the diagnosis is usually made by your hormones being off.

It's just that your symptoms are so general that there are so many possibilities as to what might be behind your symptoms. Could be neurological? hormonal? autoimmune? psychiatric? I don't know.

Have you had any blood tests for your thyroid? what about for different types of anemia? Are your cycles normal? Anything that might point to hormones that you can think of?

Horselip

[brit_in_us]

Thanks for all your help horselip. You've given me a lot to think about which may be useful. I'll make an app with Dr and see what's said. I'll make sure all this is on my phone to refer to, otherwise i'll forget half of what I wrote down!