This is happening to often for me now. I haven't been sleeping good at all which its been this way for years now. But within he last few months I have been in a sound sleep for a few hours and will wake up literally choking. It is now happening a few times a week. I don't know if it has anything to do with Chiari or sleep apnea or just reflux in general?
Last night was horrible. I was only asleep a few hours and woke up coughing and choking which led to not really throwing up but coughing up stomach acid. To where when I would breath in, I would choke and it would come up again. My poor husband has been woken up to me gagging and choking and coughing and running to get a trash can just in case. My stomach muscles hurt so bad this morning because last night was probably one of the worst times. But the scary thing was when I was awake and I took a breath in, it would just make me not be able to talk but choke more.
I am completely exhausted from not sleeping more then a few hours at a time and still feeling like I haven't slept at all. I have never had a sleep study done and my husband says I don't snore except the nights when I am exhausted and am actually in a deep sleep.
One more question and TMI I am sure... does constipation have anything to do with chiari you think? I have looked but haven't found any real answers. I have had this problem for years, and a gastro doctor just said I have a slow digestive e system. I told him and my doctor that it is almost like things dont "line up" down there so right I have to like lean to the sides or front or back to get anything out. Well it has been 10 times worse the last few months. And I mean only going once a week, some times not for 10 days. I have taken laxatives but have to take them every day for about 4 days before they do anything. So being completely miserable Tuesday (it had been over a week) I did an enema.. and now i am pretty sure I have hemorrhoids!! All these years and I have avoided them until now. And yes being constipated and trying to go gives me a major head "rush" as I call it. Where my eye feel like they are going to pop out of my head and then a massive headache in the back of my head for about 15 minutes afterwards
On another note, I go for my full spine MRI and CINE MRI this afternoon. I am hoping they get the results done as fast as last time (the next day) so I can mail them off to the Mayfield Clinic.
Sorry for all the gross details lol
Thanks Emmaline,
I do get reflux (i had lap band surgery 4 or 5 years ago) so I know what I can and can't eat, ,especially eating before bed is a no no for me! But last night I had a small simple dinner at 5:00, I wasn't real hungry and only had chicken nuggets.. yumm i know lol
For me reflux at night is if I drank a coke during the day.. I pay for it all day and all night, the carbonation and dark colors are not good the band or me! But I havent been drinking that so that is why I am not sure if it is band related or even reflux.
I honestly don't even know what a gluten free diet would even be lol as in what types of food, guess i will look it up and see. I also do not eat as much as a regular person since i have the band. I may have a very very kight breakfast but usually its just a glass of milk to drink. Lunch is usually a granola bar or something light, and then dinner. I can't really eat carbs, or anything that "expands" like bread. And I drink milk and or tea only for the most part.
I started a food diary a long time ago when the migraines started but found no triggers there and I eat pretty much the samething every day except at dinner lol
Constipation has been an ongoing battle for me, and my mom has the same issue, and both my boys did too. Now my 8 year old is doing better since eating fiber one bars, but I haven't tried those. The last time I tried more fiber it made me more constipated lol I am with as much milk as I drink that doesnt help with it either, from what people have told me. I figured milk would help things move along. But I drink about a gallon of skim milk a week.
I need to figure something out though.. I hate doing enemas and don't do them but maybe a few times a year. But i hate taking laxatives or even miralax because it makes me sooo crampy for days and usually takes twice as long to work for me as it says it should lol
I say, my body just hates me some days!
Emmaline said:
No worries about TMI here!
Reflux has done that to me...it's awful to wake up with stomach contents in your mouth, choking. I had to completely redo my diet, and figure out the offending foods. For me it's grains. Many Chiarians are gluten intolerant, despite not testing positive for celiac disease. I had to go on acid reducers, but they caused headaches. What Chiarian needs more headaches? So a diet revamp is what I had to do. You can try raising the head of your bed up 5 inches, the gravity works to keep the acid down. Or a bed wedge pillow.
I also have thyroid disease, and finally eliminated my constipation by taking magnesium supplements. Magnesium is so good for us, and so many are deficient. It good for muscle pain and cramping which is a sign that you are low.
Good luck with your tests today! Can't wait to here the results!
Thanks Beeba,
I was going to let them know I need the copies and then will hopefully get the report tomorrow or Friday. The last one I got back the next day so that would be nice.
Some times I don't want to talk to anyone about all he symptoms and things I notice, thinking they might think that I am making it out to be more then it really is since the dx ya know what I mean?
My friends/family that know about my BM issues are just like you said... freaking out I have went so long without going, but for me it has been my normal. But I will admit when it has been too long it is awful and painful! I will try out the tea suggestion though! I wouldn't know what to do with myself if I had to have surgery and wasn't constipated any more lol But that would be nice!
Beeba said:
Best wishes with the testing. Only from a patients opinion you are dealing with serious chiari symptoms especially since they are getting much worse quickly. Please ask for a disk today - tell them before the test. So you are not alone in your tmi - I have ALWAYS been able to go a really long time between bm's. like a week is nothing for me. Until I hit the two week point is when I will start to do something about it - but even then I am not really uncomfortable. This freaks others out way more than me - I have never known different. Since second surgery I am much more normal. But certainly not like clockwork like other people I know. After first surgery I went over two months without going but I also was not eating so again everyone else was freaking. They gave me a bottle of stuff(it is at all pharmacies) but then I couldn't stop going and got dehydrated and hospitalized for that!! Can't win sometimes. There is a tea called smooth move that if you drink it at night you will go first thing in the am. Drink the high fiber stuff first then follow with the tea. It adds bulk but then helps you go without straining. Growing up I could never understand why people liked to go so much - I thought everyone got that pounding headache. For me I don't think it is a structural issue as much as at a very young age I learned to hold it so I didn't experience that. Sometimes we need to retrain our body. I would try to avoid laxatives as it will compound the problem. Try the citracel fiber a couple times a day then drink the senna tea and see if you can achieve normality. Once you keep things going your body may take back over the normal cycle. If there is more bulk and not as hard you may not have to strain as hard. I think a lot of people experience this as self preservation skill. The leaning to the side part may need to be checked though. Also try the I love you massage on your stomach. Up the right a few times across the top a few times then the U up the right across the top and down the left. That is your colon.
You might as well do a home sleep study. It's really easy - from what I remember, you stick a monitor on your finger and go to bed! It records your oxygen saturation levels and can tell whether or not you're having sleep apnea or if it's something else. I *do* have sleep apnea and sleep with a CPAP. Since I got it, I have been able to sleep through the night! No choking, no sore/swollen throat in the morning.
Good luck, I hope you find out what's going on!
Katrina W.