meningiom

[shawn59]

I was diagnosed with a meningioma in the brain stem 2.6 x 2.2 x 1.0 in 2002 and underwent gamma knife.  I had a very difficult time after the proceedure.  I had to go on high doses of steriods for headaches for about 9 months.  After that time my adrenals stopped working and I was put on cortisol which improved all my symptoms.. about a year after the gamma knife and about 4 months after beginning the corisol I began having what my primary MD said were anxiety attacks, but in fact were complex partial seizures which were diagnosed 2 years later.. by that time they had become very regular every month. I am on medication now that is controling them. The tumor was an incidental finding and at the time of diagnosis the only symptom I had was left sided facial sensations.  In the last 8 months I have begun having other symptoms... lft sided vertigo, TMJ, ear pain and very bad headaches which are again coming once a month.  At this time my tumor is stable or perhaps a mm or so larger, 2.0 x 2.0 x .06. I don't understand why I am having symptoms now that I did not have prior, when the tumor is in fact smaller now.  Also are you familiar with the relation of meningiomas and femal hormones?