Hi all, I’m so sorry for the long post but I’m at a loss and I don’t know what else I can do or how much more I can take. I have had severe health anxiety for most of my adult life, I’m 27 years old and 22 weeks pregnant currently. I also take 50mg sertraline a day, as the doctor recommended I remain on my medication as the risks of me not having them outweigh any issues they may cause. Since taking this medication I’ve noticed a persistent pulse synchronised tinnitus in my right ear which after googling a lot could be down to the meds but now I’m unable to pacify myself with that and have convinced myself I have a brain tumour. Due to the fact I have been experiencing headaches, pressure/tension headaches which are located at the back of my head and worsen if I move around. This isn’t everyday and I could go a week without having a headache but as soon as I do I’m back worrying I’m going to die. This could be caused by a number of things, pregnancy, the fact I have an infected molar on my right side, not drinking enough water, hormones etc - so why do I always go back to a tumour? I am absolutely crippled with fear but can’t google symptoms to calm myself down in case I see something I don’t want to. I haven’t experienced any behaviour changes, speech issues or anything like that so I’m not sure why I can’t shake this. I spoke to my doctor about this a lot over the last year and she has now referred me for an MRI to put my mind at rest and said that’s the only reason as she doesn’t see any red flags here. Please can someone give me some reassurance that this is my anxiety and I’m thinking irrationally? It’s becoming harder and harder to get through the day now
Note: These headaches only started during pregnancy and can be relieved by pain medication.
well you have a couple things going on here. First of all you have health anxiety which will put those negative thoughts into your mind.
Secondly you are pregnant. It is very common during pregnancy to have headaches. My daughter is also pregnant and is having the same thing happening. She never had headaches in the past until the pregnancy hormones kicked in.
the medication you are taking combined with health anxiety and being pregnant are the most likely reason you are getting the headaches and pressure. Don’t worry about the tinnitus. That can also be caused by those things. It can also be caused solely by the health anxiety. I had sudden tinnitus when I was in my 20s due to long-term stress and anxiety. It is harmless. I actually still get it when anxiety kicks in. I just ignore it.
What is happening is that you are allowing fear to control you. Fear is an emotion and it is not based on fact. just because were afraid of a condition does not mean that it is true. In fact, it’s not true unless you have facts to back it up.
So basically there are no facts to back up brain tumor . having a headache and head pressure is one of the most common things in the world! There are so many non-serious reasons to have that which does include anxiety and stress, allergies, pregnancy, eyestrain, dehydration, bad posture, etc.
. There are people who have the exact same thing for decades! I have had headaches often on from anxiety, head pressure , Even fuzzy vision from the headaches.
The other thing is stay off of Google searches. They rarely state the most obvious reasons for headaches and head pressure. Whatever you read will not pertain to your individual situation.
what if thinking is useless. It gets you scared for no reason. Turn your thinking around and tell yourself that you are allowing negativity to scare you.you can go have the MRI for your peace of mind, and I have a really strong feeling that they are going to find absolutely nothing wrong!after that, remember we all get headaches and aches and pains in the vast majority of them are perfectly normal. You don’t want to get in the habit of running for testing every time there is A sensation. That will drive you crazy. you are going to be OK! So do something nice for yourself while you are waiting for the test. And enjoy your pregnancy and your new baby! 
Im 27 and have horrible health anxiety as well! im constantly thinking up scenarios just like this in my head and googling things to try to pin point what it is. First off, let me tell you, google is not your friend! Even though anxiety is way more common than heart attacks and strokes when you google “chest pain” or “ice pick headache” it instantly goes to results such as signs youre having a heart attack or what to watch out for to avoid a stroke. I know this will happen every time i google a weird symptom im having (90% of the time its an anxiety thing that facades as something that could kill me) but i still google anyways! i am always concerned no matter how many medical professionals debunk my claims. Anxiety sucks, especially health anxiety. Secondly, i really relate to this post. i am having some weird heart issues i constantly think are heart health related and im going to like, die, every day. These thoughts cross my mind literally 1000s of times per day. Ive said all this to say that my therapist informed me about a week ago that OCD is a thing to consider when we constantly go back to thinking we have these deadly conditions such as tumors or heart attack possibilities. Even tho were not washing our hands 4 times, or flipping a light switch 3 times before leaving a room our health anxiety is “flipping its light switch” when we go back to thinking these horrible things over and over even when theyve been debunked medically or could be normal non threatening things. Its hard to turn off these thoughs but it did help me to know that it is a type of OCD and im not alone. its scary but know youre not alone, we just need to figure out a way to clear the mental clutter and ease the fears.
ask your gp to run a 24 hour urine test for metanephrines to see if your adrenalin is to high