Scary Symptoms -- Brain Mets?

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Krgowl
Krgowl Member Posts: 8
edited August 2022 in Not Diagnosed With a Recurrence or Metastases but Concerned

For the past two weeks, I've had a numb/tingly feeling on the right side of my face. I have some very moderate pain in the back right of my skull that comes and goes, along with this tingly/prickly/numb feeling radiating from beneath my right eye all the way to my right ear -- It is a crazy weird sensation that also comes and goes.

I'm currently on radiation and have spoken with both my oncologist and my radiation oncologist, and they think it may be a pinched nerve in my neck (caused from how I'm positioned during radiation) and want to just keep an eye on it. I'm trying not to panic, but after reading a lot of online info, it seems that this definitely could be a symptom of brain metastasis. At what point do I push for a scan? Am I overreacting? I was NED post TC/after my surgery in March, and am still finishing up radiation and my year of HP, but I feel like I live in a constant state of fear, especially when anything is "off" in my body.

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  • Quietgirl
    Quietgirl Member Posts: 108
    edited July 2022

    so I debated posting this but decided that I should about 10 years ago long before bc I had an experience where my lips would get tingly and one day my whole face. It was strange enough that I drove myself to urgent care. Turns out my blood pressure was abnormal high (like I shouldn't have been functioning high and I was admitted to the hospital). I'm not suggesting you have wacky high blood pressure and don't know it, nor do I assume you have brain mets, just when it comes to the head, I now live by the rule one of the schools I worked at used, any pain in the head was a trip to the nurse so in this case the doctor since it’s not a simple headache but rather a couple of weird things. If you keep feeling this way, I think it's only cause more stress and more stress probably won't make things better, only worse. It's not like you are running to the doctor every day asking for another test. (Hopefully there isn't anything major wrong but if there is it's already wrong and it's better to know).

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  • Hawkeye
    Hawkeye Member Posts: 46
    edited July 2022

    Hi. Your symptoms kinda remind me of shingles. I'd want to get that checked out sooner rather than later. Do you have a GP? If GP says it's not then I would escalate with my oncologist. I hope they listen and refer you for a brain MRI or other test to alleviate your fears, which are very real.

    Best to you.


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  • SarahNH
    SarahNH Member Posts: 53
    edited August 2022

    Hi krgowl - Did your numb/tingly sensations ever resolve? Or did you learn what was causing it?

    Sarah

    (PS I'm basically right behind you in my treatment schedule, and would love to ask you some questions about radiation if that's ok!)

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  • Melbo
    Melbo Member Posts: 346
    edited August 2022

    with clear scans after treatment it’s likely not brain Mets, but that even knowing that it’s super scary and stressful with all of the what ifs. I was having weird dizziness and light headed sensations periodically when I was finishing up H&P and my MO reassured me as well , but because it was scary and because it was a little unclear what was causing it, he also sent me for a brain MRI just to be sure. Those scans were also clear and we chalked it up to side effects from the H&P.

    Hopefully if it persists your doctors will send you for the scans just to be sure. I know it’s scary and awful, but just try to remind yourself and her2+ cancer that responds well to treatment is probably not going to spread that fast.

    Good luck

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  • Krgowl
    Krgowl Member Posts: 8
    edited August 2022

    Hi @sarahnh, my symptoms haven't completely resolved, but they're better. I ended up having brain and cervical (neck) MRIs, and both were clear. My oncologist + radiologist think it is a pinched nerve caused by how I had to lay during radiation (I did proton radiation so had to lay still a bit longer than is the norm, I think). If you have any questions at all, please ask away! I just finished radiation last week--I pretty much ran out of the radiation center. I was SO happy to be done!

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