i was told i had a brain tumour by my GP (My Experience of Benign Intercranial Hypertension/Pseudotumor Cerebri)

Member Name: obesity

Product:	My Experience of Benign Intercranial Hypertension/Pseudotumor Cerebri
Date:	03/06/04 (993 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: there arent any

Disadvantages: was rushed for a brain scan, frightening and made to panick , worrying that antibiotics could cause it

It all started with a headache, however these gradually got worse. I was taken to my GP, who prescribed migrane tablets (because there is migrane sufferers in my family) But, these didn?t seem to help, so my GP prescribed stronger medication. They still had no effect, in fact my headaches where getting worse and they were there every day. I am only 13 and my headaches were affecting my schoolwork. My parents arranged for me to have an eye test, just incase I needed glasses and this was the cause for my head pains. The optician clarified that my eyesight was normal and that bad eyesight was not the root of my headaches. However, he did have some alarming news. He said that the discs (nerves) at the back of both of my eyes were extremely swollen and that I needed to go straight to the hospital (for a scan) as it was urgent. This really frightened me, what if it was something serious? The optician said that he didn?t know what had caused the swelling, but I needed to be taken to the GP, so they could refer me to the hospital. The doctor?s surgery wanted us to go straight there to see the emergency doctor. We were seen immediately, and the GP was on the phone to the hospital instantly. They confirmed that I needed to go to hospital the next morning for an emergency brain scan. At this stage me and my family were very worried. I asked the GP what a simple cause of the swelling could be, this is when the doctor said:
?Well, there isn?t really anything simple that this swelling could be. It is very serious and is putting pressure onto your brain, which is why you have a very high blood pressure. It is probably a brain tumour?
I couldn?t believe what I had been told. I was suffering from migranes and having an eye test one minute, then being told that I had a tumour the next. It was a very worrying and stressful time, both for me, my friends and my family. It is hard not to think of the worst. I was taken to the hospital the next morning and spent a considerable am
ount of time discussing my headaches, informing them of all the medication that I am on and describing any other symptoms that I had been experiencing. Many tests were carried out on me and I was then told that I definitely needed to have a brain scan. The waiting list to have a MRI scan is usually very long, meaning that most people have to wait 4-6 months to have a scan. But, the hospital informed me that my scan was vital and it would be in the next few days. At this stage I still thought that I had a brain tumour. Another doctor heard us discussing my case and offered to look into my eyes. He then confirmed that the discs were swollen. He asked if I was on the pill, because it can sometimes cause a reaction like this. But I wasn?t on the pill. He then said that acne tablets could sometimes cause this swelling as well. I had already told members of staff that I was taking a low dose antibiotic for my acne, but nobody had picked up on it. He asked me what type they were. For the past year I had taken an antibiotic called tetralysal and had recently changed over to a tablet called Minocycline. He checked in his medical book and he said that antibiotics in this family could sometimes cause a very rare long-term effect. He said that I still needed to have the scan to confirm that it wasn?t anything more serious, but he was very sure that it was the antibiotics causing the swelling. He said that it only affects very few people and is a quite rare effect that occurs after taking the tablets long-term. I went for the scan and was told that there was no bleeding, tumours or anything serious. All I had to do now was return to my GP to change the medication. The GP said that is very hard to find an affective antibiotic to treat acne that is not in the same family. He said that he had heard of the condition, which is called Benign Intercranial Hypertension, but he had never actually seen it in anyone. It is frightening that an antibiotic can cause such severe effects, and t
o be told that it was a brain tumour was extremely worrying. It will take about 6 months for the swelling to go down completely, which is when my migranes will hopefully vanish. I have also been experiencing a whooshing in my right ear (almost like the ocean/waves) constantly in my ear. This is another symptom of this condition that will hopefully disappear in a few months. It was a great relief that I didn?t have anything too serious, but to think that taking tablets can cause swelling and pressure on my brain is quite terrifying.

Summary: