Migraine and Brain Tumor

I had an MRI done 5 days ago - still waiting for results. I've suffered with migraine since I was 14 but my symptoms changed in November to include dibilitating dizziness and ear ringing. I'm still getting these symptoms but not as severe. I also get silent migraines - no headaches, just aura and other weird things such as numbness, tingling and neck pain. I had an MRI done in March of '09 that came back normal.

I am scared out of my mind that this is something more serious than migraine - my anxiety level right now is at a peak. Does anybody know if lifetime migraine sufferers are more susceptible to brain tumors?

Very unlikely it is a brain tumor, particularly if you have had this problem for a while. Seriously, you'd be dead already if it was a brain tumor. Also if there is anything abnormal on the MRI they would get back to you very fast. This sounds more like usual medical system. Just have to check to be on the safe side. Unless major red flags go off, it goes through the usual process.

Dizziness and ear ringing are both potential side effects of medications. What are you taking?

tamsha101 said:

I had an MRI done 5 days ago - still waiting for results.

In the last two-three years, I've had x-ray, ultra-sound, scans, and a biopsy. In every case where the news was not good, the doctors (three of them) called me that night to tell me that I had a mass in my kidney.

Now, I have scans every six month and there is no indication that the cancer has spread, the doctor writes me a letter that every thing is ok.

So, I can confirm that what Migrainegirl says, that if there was a tumor, the doctor would immediately have called.

Oh yes, the cancer was contained within the kidney, it was removed, and the five year prognosis is 95-98%. Which is great. Now if they can come up with a treatment that will give me headache free prognosis for five years, that would be great!

Martin

I wouldn't worry too much. I confirm what the other posters suggest. If you have a big enough problem, you're notified pretty fast--within hours to a day.

I've seen too many people slip thru the cracks with our medical system that's why I worry. Thank you for your replies though - it's eased my anxiety somewhat.

I started taking Elavil for the month of December. I had horrible side effects from it so I'm off any meds right now other than the occasional ativan for my anxiety before bed. I have had migraines all these years and never taken any type of prescription med but because the dizziness was so bad I figured I had to try something. It has subsided now but I still get my usual migraine aura of tingling, numbness, crawlies in my head, stiff neck and now tinnitus which is new. I am taking Advil daily so I wonder if maybe that is causing the tinnitus.

I am trying to ease these symptoms using massage and cranial therapy, diet and exercise but the stress of the MRI worry hasnt helped me lately as stress is a big trigger for me.

Tinnitus can be a side effect of the Elavil. It can continue even well after you have stopped taking the drug.

I got hyperaccusis (related to tinnitus) as a side effect of lamictal. I ended up having to go through a sound treatment program to get rid of it because it caused everything to sound realy loud to me, and then for those sounds to trigger a migraine. Its about 85% better now, a year and a half after stopping taking the lamictal.

So it may get better by itself, but you may need to see an audiologist to get it treated. The nuero may not know much about it.

there is no connection between migraine and brain tumour but the pain makes you feel you have one , all the migraine symptons you display are that just of migraine. dnt stress out as that makes headaches and blood pressure worse. your medics should be reassuring you!x

I had a large brain tumor and many neurological symptoms. I had it removed and still have most of the neurological symptoms. Migraine is just a really crazy disease. I know it's hard not to be scared when crazy sensations are present, but it is very very likely a facet of your migraine disease.

If you had something show up on your MRI you won't necessarily hear from your doctor. I had an HMO policy and the way I found out something was seriously wrong was a letter of denial from my insurance company. What were they denying? An appointment with a brain surgeon. Needless to say I called the neurologists office immediately to find out what the heck was going on. So if there is something wrong you'll know pretty quickly, I received that nice denial letter 4 days after the MRI.

hi,

i am embarrassed to say that i do not remember (at year 19 of daily chronic headaches and weekly migraines) if migraineurs are more apt to get brain tumors.

my own experience. last may, i was enjoying a nice afternoon in the shade. i noticed when i was talking on the phone that something seemed wrong. i started to have problems with my balance and could not walk straight. went to the e.r. around 8:00pm and left at 4:00am. the ct scan showed that i had a colloid cyst in my brain. the same e.r. looked at my 2005 ct scan and realized that the cyst was there back in '05 it just was so small that no one saw it.

the bad news -- one month of fear and having multiple mri(s). always hated them.

the good news -- the great people on this site gave me a chance to express my fears and they gave me great advice and
info. to understand the colloid cyst.
seeing the surgeon who explained that my cyst was too small to operate. wait and see is what we are doing
now. mri again in '12 and follow up with the surgeon. my '05 scan showed us that the cyst is growing, but
really slowly. it might never grow large enough to warrant the risk of surgery.

oddly, the symptoms i had relate to that type of brain cyst but disappeared after 4 or 5 days.

i do not know enough about the health care system to comment on your doctor's lack of response - good or bad?
but the people hear know a lot so try to keep calm (it's very hard i know) and keep on this site to vent or ask for advice, i have never regretted it.

hope to hear from you soon.

best wishes,

rose

MRI is normal - thanks to everyone here for their support!

Hi Tamsha

I would be looking at your neck more closely. See if the mri's included your c1 downwards vertabrae. It sounds similar to the problems I am having, numbness, tingling. I have come to the conclusion this is not at all part of the migraine but a totally different event.

My physio has managed by minipulating the neck to nearly get all the numbess and pain etc out of my left wrist and rib area. The pain remains in the neck. It helps relieve some of the muscle problems I have with my eyes (but not the flashing aura) or headache.

Trouble is, when you feel lousy, it is very difficult to define which part is triggering the lousy.

hi tamsha!


great news. very happy for you.


rose

The dizziness & ear ringing sounds like Meniere's. I had rather have a migraine any day than & episode of vertigo. Good luck.

marion said:

My physio has managed by minipulating the neck to nearly get all the numbess and pain etc out of my left wrist and rib area.

Could the pain in the rib area be due to "slipping rib syndrome?" I have it and it can be painful.

Martin

so times a tumor may be found. when a tumor or other mass is found during scan, not intended to find a tumor to begin with, it is called an "incidentaloma." it's not quite a medical term.

on one of my MRIs, they found a pituitary tumor--as of yet is it of unknown origin. It is a chemically active tumor and pressing on my optic chiasm. Risk removing it now far outweighs reward.

so if you do find a tumor, so what?

it can add a lot more complexity to your life. on one hand it may a treatable issue, on the other is may just give you more and more problems. as in the case of it causing headache--each person is different.

i would not risk a large bet that it is the cause of an individual's migraine.

My husband had a brain tumor the size of a lemon and didn't have headaches..he had an epileptic seizure and was taken by ambulance..they did a CAT scan and saw the tumor. He had the tumor removed in June of 2001..now he does get headaches..they are where his incision is located on the side of his head..everything is wired differently now.

Migraines can evolve drastically over time..Hoping that you are doing well.