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Can a brain tumor cause extreme personality or behavioral changes?

My 50 yo sister-in-law was diagnosed w/a pituitary brain tumor 7 yrs ago. She began extensive natural therapies, she's been healthy & happy since w/no more symps of BT. But this last yr her personality has changed significantly. She has turned on her entire family: husband, 3 bro
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Avatar universal
It can if it’s in the frontal lobe.
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If your mood swings are caused by a hormonal imbalance, you might have PCOS. That’s what I have. I take metformin twice a day 500mg.
Avatar universal
r growing n my head.
I had one very large one (bigger then a x-large egg) removed 18 years ago. I got through it pretty well. My parents took care of me for several months.
I went back to work and all seemed fine.
The doc told me I would be well into my 70's-80's before they would start bothering me because they are growing very slowly. I'm going to be 65 n June.
I'm experiencing headaches and mood swings. My doc put me on a mild hormone pill and I felt better but then took me off after a year because she found out they can cause breast cancer.I couldn't handle the mood swings so she put me on SERTRALINE 25 mg once a day. I've been taking them about 6 months and I felt better.
Lately I've been feeling sad, arguing with my hubby and his kids and acting childish at times.
Has anyone felt this way also??
Thanks for any in put.
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If your mood swings are caused by a hormonal imbalance, you might have PCOS. That’s what I have. I take metformin twice a day 500mg.
Avatar universal
Sounds like 34 year old sister. She had  and still has bits of a pituitary brain tumor. They didn't find it till she was 19. as long as I can remember She's Been  verbally abusive  and even   physically . She's 10 years older  then me . Anyway she flips out over  little things.   This does help  me understand  her more.
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Avatar universal
Hi, I am now going through almost the exact same situation you describe with my wife. I know it was a.long time time ago , but what has been the outcome? Do you have any children? I have 2 9 and 12? Alan.
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Avatar universal
Well thank God for this site. My husband had a bath then when I suggested he wear a clean robe instead of the one he'd been wearing all week (doesn't wash or shave or even dress some days) he ripped it in two and phoned 999 for the police.... then ran off down the garden.

Hasn't spoken to me since he told me to 'Get out' when I visited him in hospital the next day. He's now been out of contact with me for 3 weeks, apart from the odd very vicious email. A week ago he hacked my email and signed me up to Match.com. Of course, I immediately cancelled the registration and told the police.

How do I get his GP to give him a scan? He's complained of headaches and fatigue for several years and had testicular cancer (successfully treated - an op and one carboplatin chemo session) 4 years ago.

Couldn't it possibly have got to his brain as well? He goes back for scans due to the cancer, but they only scan his torso, not his head. He suddenly lashed out while driving the car for no reason at all in January. He claims his headaches are due to his medications for high blood pressure, whereas I get mine if I DON'T take my hypertension meds.

Don't worry and keep strong. It's not us, it's them. We are in the same boat. I'm going down to his GP tomorrow and demand she make an appointment for a scan. It's totally heartbreaking, but if I could just get a diagnosis, then although it wouldn't exactly be great, at least I'd know the reason.
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Avatar universal
I feel for you I am going through such pain and my loving husband has now left me and our marriage and is destroying my reputation in the most horrific ways. good lic for better days!
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Avatar universal
So Glad you have this recovery you give me hope for my husband whom has left me and is destroying our wonderful  life. He turned his violence on me and got a lawyer an went into a abuse shelter. He is destroying me with his behaviour and I am not sure he even remembers the real me.
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Avatar universal
It seems she is calm and that is a good thing as the alternative is she could be angry and aggressive like my Husband. I am glad you have this peace for now I hope it stays..good luck!
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Avatar universal
I can understand your pain ...my Husband left me after being violent and then going into a childlike terrified child . He is saying I abused him ! He retained a lawyer to dismantle our marriage. i am devastated he won't talk to me or let his Doctors talk to me. I really don't understand any of this as we were so in love before frontal love brain tumour.
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Avatar universal
My husband has frontal lobe brain tumour removed 70%. Since then he is not himself. He is destroying me and our marriage . He has a Lawyer and is trying to dismantle our life. He became abusive to me then would switch to being a childlike victim. He put himself in a abuse shelter and now has told terrible stories about me. No one will help ! Doctors won't speak to me his family whom were never there for us are now involved and making it about him getting his money out of our marriage.
I have spent months praying and crying but he still won't have anything to do with me.
He wants to be a victim and be rescued and he is making me out to be a horrible person when I was the only one there every step of the way. I am devastated!
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Girl, I hear ya! I lived with my now ex for 8 years. He has a frontal lobe tumor and has been stubborn with treatment. I raised his daughter the majority of her life and though she's 18, she chose to live with me. He moved out months ago, but sometimes says he was wrongfully evicted. He has become more and more aggressive. He has talked is usually-supportive parents into believing that I have somehow brainwashed his 18yo daughter into not liking him. The sad truth is that she loves him, we both do, but he is psychologically abusive controls every tiny thing we do with threats and manipulation. If I'm not home when he shows up unannounced, he says he wants all the furniture and all my money, and he'll sue me until I'm in debt. He threatens to keep his daughter from attending college or sell her car, etc. He's constantly threatening to sue me and keeps a criminal lawyer on retainer. Last night he threatened to kill me - twice. Then he wanted me to take him back. The scariest thing is when he plays the victim and sends texts or emails that make it seem like I'm the bad guy. Things like "I'm afraid of you. I've tried to get you to get your things but you refuse. You're so volatile and violent, I don't know what you'll do. I'm scared for my daughter and you're keeping her from me". It's so obviously a set up, but what can I do? Thus far, he hasn't actually taken any legal action, but what are our rights if he does? Is anyone going to believe me? I'm afraid a restraining order will only serve to send him over the edge and call violence on myself.
Avatar universal
It's been a long time since your post.  I hope you have gone to a women's support organization of some sort and gotten the support you need to get yourself out of the situation...for the sake of the children.  If you have done all you can for your husband but you are going down the rabbit hold economically and emotionally you need to now switch your allegiance to your children and yourself.  You may need to move to another town or state where you have relatives who will take you in and start a new life.  Your husband isn't the person you married through no fault of yours or his...you just have to realize that and move on.  There are also legal aid organization that may be able to help you with the debt question.  Women's groups will be able to point you to a therapist.
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Avatar universal
I work with a woman who has a pituitary tumor that is morphing into something else.  It is now shaped like an octopus.  She use to be a nice person, but she has become mean.  She is very vindictive and picks a target at work and does her best to get them fired.  She tried to get me fired on several occasions, but thank God I have a boss that sees right through her.  I try not to let it bother me, but there are times I have wanted to strangle her (and I am not a violent person).  Everyone at work feels that she is like the movie fatal attraction.
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Avatar universal
Thankyou for your post, I am going through the same thing with my husband, It sounds exactly the same as I am going through, uncanny.  I thought I was so alone in this.
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Avatar universal
Im  really interested in what you have said. My husband had/has a pituitary adenoma which he had to have surgically removed. Thee were complications and after a second attempt to remove it 3 days later, he then developed a CSF leak. He was in a dark room in hospital flat on his back in terrible pain for 4 months. During this time they attempted to block up his leak with 3 more surgeries. Of course the whole experience was terrible. The seperation from me and the kids, not being able to return to his employment and provide for the family etc etc and the trauma of the whole experience. But here we are 2 years down the track - he still has residual tumour as they could not remove it all for fear of causing a stroke (so repeated MRIs, eye tests etc), but he has never been the same person. I feel that he never came home from hospital. We fight constantly because he is a different person and I don't like this person he is now. He says he loves me and the kids but his apathy and neglect of me is bringing us all down. I really need to talk to someone who understands what we are going through. WE've been to individual counselling and marriage counselling but it never gets better. I want to leave him but the financial mess we are in now after he hasn't been able to teturn to work and now noone will employ him (well so it seems) and I too haven't been able to get reemoployment (had to quit work to care for him, when he first came home he had to learn to walk again). I want someone to talk to me about the personality changes - he is also on cortate, testosterone, thyroid meds etc. But I know I'll never get him back. I dont know what to do - but I'm tired of fighting in front of our children.
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Avatar universal
My boyfriend was diagnosed with brain cancer 4 years ago. We have been together for 2 years. In the time of him having this, he has had 3 crainiotomies with 2 of those on his right frontal lobe. Each day he has gotten more violent, puts me down, makes up stuff that never happened and then turns it around to make it my fault. I love this man, but each day it gets worse and he always says sorry. Always make fun of me when I get upset and cry.
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Avatar universal
My dad had a pitutitary adenoma removed a couple years ago, and had gamma knife radiation therapy right after. Since then, he has seemed to turn into a different person; he left my mom after 35 years of marriage after cheating on her with another woman. He has continued to suffer from multiple symptoms such as dizziness, fatigue, head and neck aches and just generalized pain. His quality of life seems very diminished since the tumor treatment.  Personality wise, he seems different to me, my brother and all the family. He frequently lies and twists things, is very manipulitive and narcissisitic. As far as the personality changes, he is not aware of them. His judgement seems impaired and he has become irresponsible with money, putting everything on credit and is in quite a bit of debt.
Despite the debt, he continues to recklessly spend. He is constantly going to doctors for various symtpoms. His neuro surgeon and primary care physician have pretty much washed their hands of him, and his endocrinologist is having a heck of a time trying to correct all the low hormones he has. Overall, it has been a pretty crappy hand we all have been dealt. I hope there are others out there that have had a better prognosis than my dad. Because this thing has just been a real tragedy. I feel sorry for him truly. He has always suffered with depression his whole life, but the person he has become now since the tumor is someone none of us recognize anymore.
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Avatar universal
wow my sister had brain surgery3 weeks ago for the same cancer and she is so different like she wants to kiss everyone and hug them, she praises God alot and she acts like a child again and she is 54 years old.  She carries a purse and wont let it go or anyone hold it or see in it.  she Eat's ALL the time and very demanding.  Is this normal? is the cancer already back? I am so confussed.



Regina
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Avatar universal
WOW, until I found this website I thought I was so alone. My husband was diagnosed with glioblastoma in late March and had sugery April 2nd to remove the tumor. He is now very mean and very OCD since the surgery. We were living in Ala when he had surgery but moved back to Ark where his family is. Along with dealing with his mood swings and behavioral changes I am still having to deal with the culture change. I didnt want to move but knew it was best for him.  We have been together since 1986 but got divorced in 1996 but have been back together for many years now just never remarried. We have 3 kids, two are grown but we have a 13 yr old son that I have to be strong for.  My husband is very mean to me and then he gets over it, but the hurt to me is still there. I dont hold a grudge, Im not that kind of person but when someone is so mean to you its hard to just let go when you turn around. They are still working on getting his radiation started and they are going to do chemo at the same time. I have been thru alot in my life but never ever anything this hard. I love him and plan to stick this out but its the most difficult thing I think I will ever have to experience.
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Avatar universal
Wow, I know EXACTLY what you mean. My boyfriend has an inoperable brain tumor, and he has become very hard to be around due to his extreme personality changes.  He yells and swears at me all the time to the point of my crying.  He also is bipolar, so between the two, he is becoming unbearable to be around.  Last night he went to the extreme of "verbally attacking" my granddaughter whose four-week old son passed away a month ago of SIDS.  He called 911 because of something he thought she said.  The entire evening was an embarrassment to everyone concerned.  Last night he ended our relationship, then he texted me and said nice things to me.  This is what I mean about extreme personality changes.  I am at a loss as to what to do at this point.  The cancerous brain tumor is supposed to be "a secret" from everyone, but it's coming to the point that I am going to have to tell people because it's becoming more and more noticable.
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I'm in the same boat. He wants to keep it a secret from everyone and has systematically cut off the majority of his friends. He threatened to kill me last night- twice. Not even sure why. I called his parents and let the cat out of the bag. It seems it's too late. They drank the Koolaid and believe that this must just be some elaborate plot that I created. On top of it, I got news that my grandmother is dying. He knows, and came at me anyway. I hope you've found a way out since your post.
Avatar universal
My mom had three brain surgeries and all tumers were located in the front part of her brain and also on her forehead all were removed and the only side effect she had was DRAMATIC persanality change. She is 55years old and acts like shes in her twenties. She has turned her back from her children and our father her husband for over33 years. She had said she lacks emotions she does't feel. before all her surgeries her persanality was church and home. Oh and her sex drive is thru the roof and she is heartless and very aggresive with our father. Sometimes I feel like we are living in a movie.
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Avatar universal
My name is Orlando I recently had brain surgery due to a blood clot in my brain, due to I was in a car accident. And about a few weeks after I left the hospital I have felt very weird, rebellious, and extremely angry. I also feel as if I am two different people. One person is a very nice person. But the other person is a person that gets so angry so fast and then turns against everyone, and just wants to go against the world. I feel as if I have split personalities. I wonder if I will ever be normal again? And what gets me the angriest is when someone try's to tell me im lieing about my pain, becuz I am not. Just becuz I don't complain all day about how bad I feel, becuz I don't want people to feel as if they are obligated to help me or feel bad for me. If anybody has any answers or links or anything PLEASE HELP! I feel as if I am going to die soon.
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Avatar universal
How do you cope with your partners mood swings and angry outbursts , I am going through something similar w/ my boyfriend , He is always blaming me for things that I dont do and is very quick to be done with me , this hurts my feeling's so bad to the point I want to leave him .....What do I do?? please
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Hello. I was diagnosed with a grade rwo cancerous Astrocytoma Brain Tumor at age nine. It was removed and since then, I have experienced personality changes. Prior to the surgery I was an optimistic girl with high hopes, great grades, easy to be around and extremely friendly. As it stands today, I am more of a pessimist, always seeing the dark before the light, I have a harder time makeing friends than before and can fly off the handle pretty easily. When you experience such a trauma as having a tumor removed or even an injury to the brain, if it has affected the correct area, you will experience emotion imbalances and changes. I am now doing my senior resaerch project on how anomolies or anjuries to the brain affect ones personality. I hope everything works out for you and your family in the end.
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Avatar universal
Hi, I was diagnosed in May 2007 with a pituitary tumour. I was put on testo gels and cabergoline.   The symptoms started in 2001 with severe headaches and mood swings.  I used to get angry over everything and anything and suffered from severe road rage every time a got in the car.  I began became very distant and emotionally detached from everyone including my wife.  I started to self-harm and always felt tired and angry.  I felt like  there was a black cloud hanging over me the whole time.  I contemplated suicide on more than one occassion.  My violent outbursts were directed at my wife whom I had loved more than anything in the world.  I started to question whether I had ever actually loved her.  We separted in 2010.  In the last 6 months I have stared to feel like I was waking up again.  I am now aware of my mood swings and I'm able to control them.  I felt nothing when my wife moved out but lately I have started to rember how much I love her and I miss her so much.  We have both been through a lot because of my illness and I can never apologise enough to her for all the pain and suffering I caused her.  She stood by me even after we separated.  

The point that I'm trying to make is that the tumour and/or the meds do have an impact on your personality and it's important to write down your feelings so that you remember what you were like before the illness started.  
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