# Agh?! Do I have a brain tumor? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [September 22, 2002, 11:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/agh-do-i-have-a-brain-tumor/129193 "2002-09-22T23:57:36Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 13\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Grievar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/82dd89/32.png) [@Grievar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Grievar)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2002, 11:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/agh-do-i-have-a-brain-tumor/129193/1 "2002-09-22T23:57:36Z")
A few times over the last year or two I’ve been having these really disturbing headaches. They generally start around 12 oclock. It starts out as just a normal bad headache, muscle tension in the neck and temples. Then the muscle tension goes away. It’s replaced by surface pain all over the top of my head. Then there’s a sensation of being very cold, and I feel nauseous. Eventually I throw up, which invariably makes the headache better, but for the rest of the day there’s this pain on one side of my head whenever I lean forward or jerk it around. I may just be paranoid but I think I feel a bump near the pain area (there’s a similar bump on the other side, just the natural shape of my head, but I keep thinking that it’s smaller). Is it just a migraine, is it from caffeine withdrawal? lack of sleep? Or something worse?? Help! ---
**Author:** ![Grievar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/82dd89/32.png) [@Grievar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Grievar)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2002, 12:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/agh-do-i-have-a-brain-tumor/129193/2 "2002-09-23T00:00:37Z")
I note that in all four cases, I had gone a long time without sleeping, and had something with caffeine (coffee, soda…). ---
**Author:** ![Diceman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/22d042/32.png) [@Diceman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Diceman)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2002, 12:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/agh-do-i-have-a-brain-tumor/129193/3 "2002-09-23T00:08:57Z")
Are you kidding? Get your ass to a doctor and tell him about this! ---
**Author:** ![Celyn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/9dc877/32.png) [@Celyn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Celyn)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2002, 1:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/agh-do-i-have-a-brain-tumor/129193/4 "2002-09-23T01:05:49Z")
Get to doctor! I’m a bit nervous on the brain tumour suubject 'cos a friend recently had one - go and don’t fall for anything like “go home, take aspirin, lie down” which is what my friend was told at first. ( He is very lucky to be alive and fully functional). When he _did_ get to see the proper people, it was all hurry, hurry hurry to treat him. It really really would be best to have that checked ASAP - and I’m sorry if that sounds worrying to you - I am not a doctor at all - but just think of the relief if you have it checked and it is something minor:) ---
**Author:** ![Lamia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/8e7dd6/32.png) [@Lamia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lamia)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2002, 2:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/agh-do-i-have-a-brain-tumor/129193/5 "2002-09-23T02:58:00Z")
Go to a doctor immediately. Ask about having an MRI or CT scan. ---
**Author:** ![Caught\_Work](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/919ad9/32.png) [@Caught\_Work](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Caught_Work)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2002, 3:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/agh-do-i-have-a-brain-tumor/129193/6 "2002-09-23T03:00:44Z")
Get thee to a doctor. Without hesitation. While you’re waiting for the Dr. consider I suffer the exact same scenario and have done for the last 30 something years. In my case it has been diagnosed as migraines (CT revealed nothing). I feel your pain and the throwing up does indeed help … a lot. ---
**Author:** ![Yeah](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/dbc845/32.png) [@Yeah](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Yeah)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2002, 3:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/agh-do-i-have-a-brain-tumor/129193/7 "2002-09-23T03:13:54Z")
Nothing in the description suggests a brain tumor and brain tumors are relatively rare, despite the fact that you know someone who has one. The numbers favor something banal, like a migraine. Nevertheless, you need to see a physician who can reassure you if you don’t have a brain tumor (you’re likely to be a wreck if you go around thinking that you have a brain tumor), and can treat you for whatever you do have. You’ve been living with this annoyance for a year or so; there’s no reason to put up with it any longer if its treatable and it probably is treatable. ---
**Author:** ![Grievar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/82dd89/32.png) [@Grievar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Grievar)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2002, 3:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/agh-do-i-have-a-brain-tumor/129193/8 "2002-09-23T03:33:48Z")
That’s what I was thinking. But the bad thing about being 15.5 years old is that you can’t set up your own doctor’s appointments, much less actually get to the doctor. My parents aren’t as paranoid as I am 😕 ---
**Author:** ![Bob\_Scene](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e19adc/32.png) [@Bob\_Scene](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bob_Scene)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2002, 3:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/agh-do-i-have-a-brain-tumor/129193/9 "2002-09-23T03:35:31Z")
If you think you have a brain tumor, I wouldn’t ask Agh about it. Those cavemen don’t know shit about neurosurgery, and their answer for everything is to bore a big hole in your skull. Ask a real modern doctor. ---
**Author:** ![Rockford](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/ac8455/32.png) [@Rockford](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rockford)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2002, 7:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/agh-do-i-have-a-brain-tumor/129193/10 "2002-09-23T07:05:12Z")
Go to a real doctor. This thread is going to be closed anyway. ---
**Author:** ![Caught\_Work](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/919ad9/32.png) [@Caught\_Work](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Caught_Work)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2002, 11:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/agh-do-i-have-a-brain-tumor/129193/11 "2002-09-23T11:15:44Z")
If it makes you feel any better, typically you grow out of them as your hormone levels settle down. Not always and they will still strike, but they tend to become less common. This is only from experience and is not to be taken as medical advice, oh and I could be talking out my arse, but experience does count for something I hope. ---
**Author:** ![Oly](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/oly/32/8255_2.png) [@Oly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Oly)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2002, 3:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/agh-do-i-have-a-brain-tumor/129193/12 "2002-09-24T03:20:08Z")
Sounds very, very migraine-like. Doesn’t sound serious, but there’s no reason you should suffer, neither the pain nor the stress of not knowing what’s going on. If you haven’t already, let your parents know you’re up-chucking due to the pain. That should be enough to clue them in that you’re not faking. If they’re still not convinced, check out a general medical book from the library, or find a reputable website. You will definitely find your headaches well-described as migraine-like pain. Any good source will also forward a hearty rec to get it checked out by a doctor if it hasn’t been already. If that still doesn’t convince mom and pop, you might think about making your own appt, maybe at school. Good luck. ---
**Author:** ![DarrenS](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/977dab/32.png) [@DarrenS](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DarrenS)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2002, 5:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/agh-do-i-have-a-brain-tumor/129193/13 "2002-09-24T05:11:31Z")
Somewhat tangential - but I heard on the radio today that certain drugs for treating epilepsy show signs of treating migraines too.