hi peeps.. my chiari is 12mm with no syrinx and the cerebellar tonsils maintain a rather rounded appearance. (have not seen an NS yet)
so my chiari (from what ive read) sounds pretty safe?
but can it still cause the following symptoms:
*bladder control issues
*bowel urgency
*extreme fatigue
*memory/concentration problems
*right arm pain/pins and needles
*pins and needles around my mouth
(dont really have headaches that often)
i have suffered with anxiety/depression on and off for the last few years. and have always been clumsy and unbalanced.
i suppose my question is - from what ive read online, can my chiari results still cause the above symptoms? or is it all anxiety?
i suffer with flashing in my left eye too - which an opthalmologist states the chiari isnt causing it.
i just dont understand at all really.. and im very confused
I had some of your symptoms and the flashing in your left eye is one of mine. I have a special Ophthalmology and a neuro surgeon that deals with Chiari at UIC. Mine is caused from increased pressure on the occipital nerve. I have extreme fatigue and the pins and needle feeling w/ pain (neuropathy) which can be severe at times. I have undergone several surgeries so I am one of those patients that I am not sure you can save the decompression surgery helped. After surgery I had complications that led to more problems; however, without the surgery I would probably not be alive. Ten years later I am still fighting and I do lead a fairly normal life with pain every now and then and reoccurring symptoms every 6-8 weeks. If I can help you or you just would like to talk please let me know.
From what I know every person with chiari has different symptoms. Our daughter is 10 and was admitted to the hospital for fainting, rapid heart rate and dizziness. None of the "supposed" chiari symptoms. Her MRI showed an incidental finding of a Chairi mal with a 5.8 herniation and no syrinx. When she would cough or sneeze it would hurt in the back of her head. Once you see your neurosurgeon you will have a better idea of what to expect. Just dont compare yourself to anyone else because everyone is different. Make sure you write everything down before seeing the doctor and write down what is said to you! best of luck! xoxoo
thanks for the messages of support :)
I'm still feeling pretty low about it all.. i still dont know when i'll get to see the neurosurgeon.
and work are being really horrible about me having time off work.
(I was off work last week for rectal bleeding, obviously separate to the chiari) but whenever i get ill, it takes me a long time to get over it. I end up sleeping all the time. for example yesterday, I slept for 5 hours in the afternoon.. and that's not normal!
im just so fed up of being ill all the time..