Advice on Migraines or Chiari Headache

General
1

I was hoping you guys can give me some advice on how to differentiate between a migraine and a chiari headache. I do get the "classic" headache when I bend, laugh, exert a lot of force, etc but I know that typically they last seconds or minutes while mine last for hours. If I have really done a lot like carrying heavy objects or coughing a lot then the pain and headache have been known to last up to a few days.

I know that the headache lasting so long is not considered the "typical" or "classic" chiari headache, but my headaches are often triggered by the type of movements that cause a chiari headache they just last much longer.

Now that surgery has been recommended by several NS that I have seen, the one last factor I'm considering is whether or not the truly severe headaches are caused by my chiari or from migraines.

I also know that many people who have chiari also suffer from migraines and I'm wondering if anyone that has had surgery saw improvement with their migraines as well as their chiari headaches.

My main symptoms are headaches and head/neck pain. I was treated for migraines a few years prior to finally being diagnosed with Chiari. I went on over 10 medications throughout 3 years to prevent and treat migraine attacks and not one of them helped. I eventually stopped taking any medications since they were not working and were very harsh chemicals.

I had sort of assumed that because none of those medications worked that I could rule out migraines being the main cause of my really bad headaches, but I do know people who have suffered from migraines for most of their lives and have never really found relief.

I am ready to make a decision on surgery, but if my main issue is caused by migraines then I would not go through with surgery as most of my other symptoms I can live with...at least for a few more years. I am terrified to have surgery only to find out that my headaches don't improve if they were in fact caused by migraines more than my chiari.

Any advice on any of this would be greatly appreciated. I have read a ton on the topic, but there seems to be conflicting information.

Thanks!

2

Can you describe the pain? From what you said about all the migraine meds not working ( mine works great if its a migraine and does nada if it isnt, you cant always tell the difference when they first start. But it sounds more like a tension headache to me, from what you said before.