Am I worrying about headaches etc. for nothing?

Mental health
1

For a couple of weeks prior to 3rd June I was getting a weird tingling feeling in the temporal area of my scalp. I put it down to the aircon in the car as it mainly seemed apparent when I was there! 

On the 3rd June I got a very annoying headache in the left side of my head, again front top left of forehead/temporal area. 

I have never really had headaches, maybe occasionally at school 10 years ago or so but not a lot. 

on the 5th June I saw my GP who said tension headaches - Naproxen & paracetamol was presribed.

6th June and I had a mini panic attack - it felt like the worst pain of my life and I was convinced I was dying. This did follow a day of googling symptoms, of which Dr Google diagnosed a brain tumour. 

At the out of hours GP This second doctor did some more checks, looked at my eyes, temperature etc. and again assured me it was nothing serious, just stress/Anxiety. This time I was prescribed Propranolol 10mg x3 a day and told not to bother with the naproxen.

It was weird because after visiting the doctors I'd already began to feel a lot better. But it came back the day after, it gradually declined between then until the 9th June.

The GP on the 9th told me to continue taking the propranolol for another week but with the naproxen and paracetamol too.

On the 13th it got worse at 10:00, by 11:35 I had a sudden temporary whistling noise in my right ear followed by some quiet whistling in both ears. 11:46 Prickly tingling over right side of head.

 

It gradually got better. Had a review with doctor again on 16th who said to stop taking the medication now. Said the tingling was down to muscle spasms. 

I have a stiff neck, and when I raise my eyebrows it feels tense on the left side of my scalp. It is slightly tender compared to the other side and still tingles occasionally. 

Ocassionally feel a little light headed/dizzy but nothing major. 

Friday I had a migraine, white lines in vision followed by a few hours pain behind right eye. 

Since then it's getting gradually worse again where i am getting a headache again. 

I have created a headache diary and my symptoms are as follows:

Symptoms

Headache top left of head, dull feeling

stiff neck / tense occasionally on left side although sometimes right. 

Lightheaded/Dizzy - only minor but increased during periods of worry. 

Irrational thoughts of sudden panic

Now, what makes me think this is nothing more than anxiety / Stress is

No increase of symptoms during intense exercise or heavy lifting

No other physical symptoms, I still function perfectly - surely something would have become apparent over the last 4 or so weeks? 

It isn't there when I wake up, takes maybe an hour to appear.

Two independent GPs have assured me it doesn't seem to be serious.

I have also had an eye test during which they said all was OK - photo behind the eye etc.   If this was something there then it would also cause pressure in the eyes, right?

I really hope someone can help me with what to do next. Am i being irrational and overreacting? 

 

2

Sorry, just to add, otherwise healthy 22 y/o male. 

3

theres really no advice to give, numerous drs have already given you good advice.  The problem is that the anxiety is stopping you from accepting it, and causing you to fixate on problems which arent there.  Thats what anxiety does.  Probably best to ask the dr for specific help with anxiety in general, once that is controlled the rest will follow.  stop googling, and try to stop seeking reassurance - the more you do it, the more you will rely on it and the less impact it will have

4

Agree with your other reply . Everything you've described is exactly same as me. My muscle tension and headaches, manic thinking and heart racing drive me mad. Of course anxiety tells you it's something worse even when highly trained doctors tell us it's anxiety. Glad you asked fellow sufferers here if they had similar. I didn't tell anyone for years incase they just thought I was a pain. Good you've had tests, if you have bad days talk on here ( no one else understands if you haven't had constant anxiety. Life can get better. Can be managed like any illness but is horrid. Speak again( your not alone)❤️

5

Yes that's what's annoying. I know I'm being irrational.

I'm convinced some other symptoms even if only slight would have shown if it was serious and i'm sure the OOH GP would have spotted something. I'm also sure it would have shown at least some small indication of something untoward on my eye test.

I struggle the most with understanding how this can just start. I don't feel particularly stressed? I've been upset about a close relative passing away in September and have been thinking about this a lot, which I can think to be the only cause...

 

6

Sure it's anxiety. I've learned over years mine can be bad when I'm not actually expecting it. Its as though it comes and goes as it feels like it( obviously worse when stressful event occurs. ) glad all tests ok. This is reasuring but being anxious we worry even when reasured( think they're wrong. It's rediculois. ❤️

7

If it's OK to ask, what caused yours? It doesn't make sense how it just suddenly starts! 

8

I believe anxiety can run in the family, few relatives have but mine seems chronic. Also something can trigger it, perhaps something years ago that we may not recognised but subliminally it's stored in our minds. I was followed from school as a child and convinced I was being watched . Obviously this made me very nervous of going out and anxious( social anxiety) also. But I know of many who cannot pinpoint any trigger and just believe some are sadly just prone to it as other peopl are prone to other illnesses. Hope this helps. Talk anytime . It helps❤️

9

So they started again on the weekend. Went to doctors who again assured me it was tension headaches and I have nothing to worry about.

Back on the propranolol and naproxen for 3 weeks and to go back if they don't get better. 

It's definitely tender in the bottom of my neck and temporal area so I'm not concerned. Sometimes some mild eye pain around as if a migraine like pain. Still no other symptoms. Just annoying! 

It's also reassuring I get the odd shooting pain in the other side of my head too... 

10

I wanted to update you all as I hope it someday helps someone else. 

The headaches have subsided, the occassional twitch in the same forehead area and momentary sharp like pain around my right eye, but nothing major. Interestingly I had a shoulder pain on my left side when carrying a rucksack, this prompted me to go and see a physio, who said muscles were tense in that area, and with one session a week it seems to be helping a lot!

Anyway about a month and a half since the first major headache. Still no blackouts or even a remote hint of anything sinister, also now off all medication. Strange what the mind can do. I take great comfort in knowing if it was anything untoward I would have had at least a hint of another symptom since.  

11

Two months down. Headaches still occasional and the left side of my head always feels "tighter" than the other. But no other symptoms. Guess I was over reacting, it's easy to see that now but at the time....