Hi!!! How are you? My son definitely experienced respiratory symptoms and I would always see him taking these deep breaths and catching his breath. His surgeon explained to us that the Chiari can compress the respiratory drive. My son had to go for a sleep study to see if he had sleep apnea. He didn't, but it was something that could develop. I hope this helps. Good luck. Let me know if I can help with anything else.
Elana
I had the sleep study done mine wasn’t as much the breathing(I stopped breathing around 70 times). I have friends that stop breathing 100 times am hour. I wasn’t getting any REM sleep. I do think my daughter who has Chiari has sleep apnea as well.
Sarah
Once your brain shifts and starts sagging it keeps going. You should estimate 1mm per yr. so if you were at 7mm 7 yrs ago you will most likely be around 14 mm to date. Hope this helps 
Yeah, I've been tested for all that and none of the above. Go figure, lol. I was even given albuterol and man that made me feel awful! I have told to go to the gastrointestinal doc and have been putting it off cause I don't want to have tubes down my throat. Have you done that to see if there's any swelling of the esophogus? I have been taking Prilosec daily. I don't know if it works but I think it helps somewhat. I know I do have issues when I work out and my neck muscles get too strained. Ugh, who knows! So frustrating!
Lidia
Steven said:
I've had it last for days at a time and have even had doctors say it was everything from Asthma to pnumonia. Sadly, it's one of the many things that we Chiarians get to enjoy. The one thing I can suggest you don't do is that you don't try and use steam to make it feel better, it won't work. It'll only push it deeper.
Really? Your brain shifts? Oh that stinks! So i can count on it getting worse? I guess I should go and get another MRI. :(
Finallyhavedx! said:
Once your brain shifts and starts sagging it keeps going. You should estimate 1mm per yr. so if you were at 7mm 7 yrs ago you will most likely be around 14 mm to date. Hope this helps ;)
Do you have a herniation? I never had a sleep study done. The times I have had a really hard time breathing I have woken up because of the feeling of sleep apnea. But it is not all the time it's only when I am symptomatic with the breathing issues.
Sarah Pugmire Baron said:
I had the sleep study done mine wasn't as much the breathing(I stopped breathing around 70 times). I have friends that stop breathing 100 times am hour. I wasn't getting any REM sleep. I do think my daughter who has Chiari has sleep apnea as well.
Sarah
I have a very mild case of Chiari. I wasn’t sure I really had it umtil I found it on my daughter’s MRI. She has 5mm and just an occasional migraine where I am miserable every day. I did too much yesterday and U felt so sick. My legs felt like they were going to cramp up and my right arm kept going numb from driving. I knew something was up with my sleep because my German Shepherd would wake me up. She didn’t want anything, she would wake me up and then lay back down. Sometimes I would take in a huge breath. She started doing this after I fainted and she was the only one up. She reads my bp and lets me know when it’s low. When my daughter had mono her throat was almost completely closed off. She jumped off my bed woke her up made eye contact and then came back on my bed. No training at all. Sine idiots have been shooting plastic bb’s at our house so I took her out of leash and told her to find it. So far no more bb’s. What worries me is she woke me up last night with the CPAP she hasn’t woken me since I got it. Sometimes I can’t stand the CPAP I can’t ramp the air down enough and when you already have a headache it just makes it worse. I’m going in for an adjustment Thursday so I should have a lot more control. My pain doc sent me to do the sleep study and also a rhematatologist as well. The MRI showed my throat when laying down has some blockage.
Saeah
I wondered. Man that really sucks! At least maybe in a few years they will actually recognize mine but it still sucks. 
Sarah
Wow you have an awesome dog! My son aske me if he has what I have. I never had to get an MRI for him so I'm not even going to check. I told him if he has no symptoms then I don't need to. He is 13 and worries about everything. I hope he doesn't. I used to get adjustments, but my neck is so tight I don't even want to attempt anyone touching my neck. I was told that it wasn't really a good idea so I just get worried. I wish I could, it would probably make me feel some relief when my neck area is tight. I just get massages. It helps a little. Kind of takes the edge off. I don't know if I'm going to do a sleep study. If breathing while laying down ever get's worse, hopefully not, then I will. For now, I think I will just ride it out.
Lidia
Sarah Pugmire Baron said:
I have a very mild case of Chiari. I wasn't sure I really had it umtil I found it on my daughter's MRI. She has 5mm and just an occasional migraine where I am miserable every day. I did too much yesterday and U felt so sick. My legs felt like they were going to cramp up and my right arm kept going numb from driving. I knew something was up with my sleep because my German Shepherd would wake me up. She didn't want anything, she would wake me up and then lay back down. Sometimes I would take in a huge breath. She started doing this after I fainted and she was the only one up. She reads my bp and lets me know when it's low. When my daughter had mono her throat was almost completely closed off. She jumped off my bed woke her up made eye contact and then came back on my bed. No training at all. Sine idiots have been shooting plastic bb's at our house so I took her out of leash and told her to find it. So far no more bb's. ;) What worries me is she woke me up last night with the CPAP she hasn't woken me since I got it. Sometimes I can't stand the CPAP I can't ramp the air down enough and when you already have a headache it just makes it worse. I'm going in for an adjustment Thursday so I should have a lot more control. My pain doc sent me to do the sleep study and also a rhematatologist as well. The MRI showed my throat when laying down has some blockage.
Saeah
Good for you Lidia! It’s a shame that we do have to take charge of our medical problems hopefully over the years this will lessen. I’m glad that you know what you need to do and are doing it! It sounds like you aren’t being listened to anyway. That is one thing I have gotten better at over the years, letting Doctors go. If they don’t listen to you how are they supposed to help? It’s not like we choose to have Chiari!? This isn’t fun. I hope you get the perfect Doctor for you!
Sarah
I’m off to a good day if I can’t even spell my name right! I finally crawled out if bed but I still feel funky? Really light headed and I finally clef about a surgical incision that still hasn’t healed and it’s been two months! I can’t take a hit to my BP that is what causes me to faint. You would never guess our German Shepherd is named after Luna Lovegood! A friend suggested Luna because she sounded so loony and she had never seen Harry Potter do I texted it home and our puppy finally had a name! People ask me why I don’t get her certified so I can take her everywhere I go, um cause she’s a freak! I love her to death but she is definitely a German Shepherd. We have had many, I won’t get any other dog.
I also used to do massage and I became really good friends with the massage therapist but I’ve gotten to the point that I just don’t want anyone to touch me. It’s not worth the risk. I’ve been contemplating going back I just haven’t decided yet. I didn’t have the neck pain before so I’m curious to see what he could do.
My oldest daughter has Chiari and I have a feeling my 12 year old does too. I need to schedule am MRI but I’m also stuck where I want to check without her knowing what I am checking for. How do you have a Doctor appointment for them without them being there? The reason I am checking Hailey is because she is exactly like my oldest and there ate too many similarities between them and me. Since it is hereditary I need to make sure but my other two don’t have symptoms so I have no plans of having them checked. Go with your gut, you know what is best for your kid. If it would do more harm then good then is it worth it? I wish I knew!
Sarah
Thank GOD ! For My Little Dog …She Has Woke me Many Times ! I Dont have Cpap or Oxy Line as of Yet. Its Been a Real Struggle just to Get Doc to Pay More Attention . Whatta Blessing DOGS ARE…