I know this is the most random question I could ask, but let me explain.

Before I started experiencing a wide array of health issues at the age of about 14, going to amusement parks and riding "thrill" rides like free-fall rides and roller coasters was one of my favorite things to do. My parents took us to a lot of amusement parks, so it was just something I grew up with I guess. Even after the health issues started, I continued to ride them for about 3 more years because my symptoms were things like difficulty pronouncing words and a loss of my sense of taste. I know now that those are issues that are likely to be neurological in origin, so I should have worried that there was something going on with my brain that would make hopping on a roller coaster dangerous, but I didn't know that at the time. I thought I had something like tongue cancer, lol, stupid I know, but I was barely a teenager.

Then when a whole bunch of other neurological issues started creeping up, I stopped doing pretty much everything I used to enjoy doing...not just going to amusement parks but a lot of the other activities I used to enjoy because my balance and cognitive issues made it really embarrassing to even be out in public.

I was having EXCRUCIATING localized headaches, a feeling as if there was liquid moving around in my brain, sensitivity to fluorescent and flashing lights, balance issues, numbness in random parts of my body that would come and go, frequent urination, issues with coordination, spelling phantom burning smells, dizzy spells, incessant ringing in my right ear, constant chest pain, issues with remembering words and being able to formulate sentences, and other some symptoms.

While researching my symptoms, I kept coming across information about things like cerebral aneurysms and brain tumors, so I was afraid to go on roller coasters or any other thrill rides because I was afraid I had an aneurysm that the force of the ride would cause to burst or something. I stopped going on other types of rides, too, because so many of them use strobe lighting effects, which make me feel sick, and I was also afraid that some of the symptoms were related to a seizure disorder and I would have a seizure on the ride or something. I remember one time, my family convinced me to get on a log flume ride, and I was fine until we got to the part where they had a strobe light, and then I threw up. They said it was just psychological...that I expected the ride to make me sick, so it did. Maybe they're right. I have no clue. I just want it all to stop.

I was stupid and didn't go to a doctor for about 7 years. I was completely convinced that the only logical explanation for all of this was that I had a brain tumor or aneurysm, and if I did, I didn't want to know. I don't know why other than that I didn't want to have brain surgery, and I also felt like, if I had something like that, it would be my fault somehow and my dad would blame me for adding more stress to his life like he did when my mom was sick.

So anyway, eventually about a year ago, I did go, and now I've been to a whole slew of doctors who keep telling me there's nothing wrong. My neurologist said there was a UBO (unidentified bright object) on my MRI, but it's really tiny, so he doesn't think it's significant. He's right. It *is* really tiny:



I've also been to a cardiologist to rule out heart complications. He did a stress test and echo and said they were both fine.

Since I've had the brain scan done, does this negate any and all possibility of something like a brain aneurysm that would make hopping on a roller coaster dangerous for me? The next time I go somewhere with my family, if I'm in the clear to do so, I would like to try going on all of those attractions that I used to love partaking in before all of this nonsense started instead of standing there waiting for my siblings to get off the rides.

I'm just looking for you all's input because I don't think I'd get much input from my doctors since not a single one of them even thinks I have health issues.

Have you tried getting a second opinion about the brain scan? I don't know anything about brain scans myself, but if it was me I would want a second opinion about that white area.

I have had some of the same symptoms you have. I experienced numbness in my entire body for a few days, then I lost my sense of taste for 2 months. Around this time, I had severe stomach pains and lightheartedness.

I have hypothyroidism, but it has been treated successfully and I don't think it could cause these problems since my thyroid levels are normal.

I had an MRI and they said nothing was there. They told me it was anxiety, but I actually think I have less stress/anxiety that the average person.

So I don't know what is going on. The reason your post attracted me was the lost of taste. Was it an entire lost of taste. This is called ageusia. Or was it partial? Mine was entire.

Did the doctors say anything about your taste issues? They had no idea for me.

Hi,
No I haven't sought out another opinion because it was already a giant hassle to get the opinions I've gotten. My first neurologist did a CT scan, said he saw some cerebral atrophy on it but it was nothing to worry about, and that was really all he had to tell me.

So I asked my GP if I could have a referral to another neurologist, and she didn't want to because she thinks it's all anxiety. She did, though, and it turned out the neurologist I requested to see (I wanted a woman this time since it seems like all the male doctors just dismiss me as a hypochondriacal young woman) didn't have any openings for months. I asked the neurology group if they had someone else I could see instead, and they had me see my current neurologist in a month. After seeing him the first time, I didn't get to see him again for another two months, and then now I don't see him for another six months. Neurologists around here just don't have a lot of availability. I'm pretty certain my GP will attempt to admit me to a psychiatric ward if I ask for a referral to ANOTHER neurologist because she already has a very eye-rolly attitude toward me when I tell her I still think there's something wrong with me. The other issue is I share a car with my sister, and she gets really mad at me when I take it to doctor's visits because it means she can't use it to go see her boyfriend or whatever until I get back, and I'm tired of all of the tension it causes between us, so I hesitate to schedule even more appointments with more doctors even if my GP would let me.

As for the taste stuff, it's kind of hard to explain. One day at lunch, I put a chicken finger in my mouth and noticed it tasted like nothing at all. I tried the macaroni, and same story. I thought the school lunch was just really bland that day, but then when I got home, I tried eating some hot candy, and I couldn't taste it either. Then over the course of the next about 3 years, my sense of taste sort of came and went. It was never normal, but sometimes I could taste certain tastes like I could tell if something had a lot of salt on it. I think sometimes I just thought I could sort of taste certain foods because I was still able to smell them, if that makes any sense. It was a really diminished sense of taste at best, though. If I were eating spoiled food, I wouldn't be able to tell that it was bad. I don't know how else to describe it. My sense of taste has returned a good bit, but I still don't think it's 100% normal, and it does stop working sometimes still. It's really hard to say what's normal after years of not being able to taste pretty much at all, though; you kind of forget what food is supposed to taste like to begin with.

No, the doctors never had much to say about the taste issues. They all seem to just focus on my headaches and that's it. At my last visit, my neurologist kept going back to talking about my headaches, and I kept trying to tell him that I honestly couldn't care less about the headaches compared to some of the other stuff. They latch onto that because it's something easier to deal with, I guess. Really annoying, though.

Have you been checked for Chiari Malformation . symptoms sound so familar

Wouldn't that have showed up on my MRI? I have had it suggested to me in the past, and I actually consulted the opinion of a chiropractor a few weeks ago but told him I wanted to wait until my MRI results were in before he did any type of treatment b/c I've heard chiropractics is dangerous with Chiari. I thought I was in the clear on that front, though, since it wasn't mentioned in the MRI report.