so i have a problem. my neurosurgeon just told me he doesnt think any of my symptoms are fom my chiari, he is my chiari is so slight and since it is not blocking my csf flow i shoudnt be having symptoms. i have all the classic symptoms and they are so bad its ruining my life. what do i do?
also what else could be wrong?
It's tough because Chiari symptoms could also be symptoms of other diseases.
Has your neurosurgeon told you what he thinks could be causing your symptoms or at least steered you in a direction to explore other possibilities? If not, I would get a second opinion. (you might want to do that anyway, obviously)
What are your specific symptoms?
I feel for you because it sucks when you feel like you aren't being taken seriously and you KNOW something is wrong. I hope you get some answers soon!
Hi I don’t think a lot of doctors understand chiari so it is very important to get second or third etc. opinions. I had to go to many places to find someone who understood more about chiari and he told me that the size of the chiari didn’t matter because the size doesn’t always correlate to symptoms. I was once told many years ago that yes a problem in that region could cause my problems but since my herniation was too small it wasn’t chiari. I also felt pressure in my head for years but again they said it didn’t show up on the MRI and again it turned out to be wrong as eventually I did have shunt put in and it helped the pressure. Whether or not this is the same for you it is important to get more opinions. Also what walks like a duck and quacks like a duck may actually be a duck.