Hi all, I am new to this site. I am a 26 year old female. My mother has Chiari & has had surgery, and recommended I join the site since I have a lot of the same issues.
Just to give a little background, I have suffered with daily headaches for a few years. Before that, they were off and on. But for roughly 3 years or so, they have been almost daily. I have always had neck problems for as long as I can remember. Over the counter medicine used to help a little (ibuprofen, Excedrin) but now nothing seems to help at all.
I was in a car accident last December, in which my head was thrown to the left side and hit the driver window pretty hard. Since then, my symptoms have gotten worse, along with new ones popping up. Most days I am so dizzy and spaced out feeling, that I feel like I could fall over at any given time. I have a certain type of numbness in my legs that's hard to explain - it's like I can feel my legs but I can't always get them to do what I want. Sometimes I feel like I appear to be a toddler waddling around (it's pretty embarrassing since my job requires a fair amount of walking).
All of the typical Chiari things make my headaches worse - laughing, coughing, sneezing, bending over, even reaching too far for something. I enjoy being active but exercise (or any physical activity for that matter) gives me some of the worst headaches, bad enough to bring me to tears (which of course, crying makes it hurt worse). So I feel a bit like I've been forced into becoming a couch potato. I have pain all over - joints, muscles, etc. I've always had ringing in my ears, but now I would describe it more as a constant roaring that never goes away.
This is just to mention a few things. I have too many issues to list. Anyway, I was finally able to get an MRI on Monday. I got a copy of the disc, and I got the report yesterday. I can see that, compared with "normal" MRI's, my brain extends lower than it should. However, it is not what they consider to be Chiari, or even tonsillar herniation. They specifically put in my report "NO Chiari malformation, no syrinx, no herniation".
I guess I just think it's a pretty big coincidence that my mom has Chiari, I have all the symptoms (and have had them since way before she was diagnosed - ruling out "hypochondriac"), but they say I'm fine.
They did mention "scattered parenchymal hyperintensities in the left caudate head." That is basically the only thing in the report. Because of that, they are referring me to a neurologist. I'm half tempted to cancel the appointment because I have a feeling he will just tell me it's "all in my head". As if I enjoy being 26 and feeling like my body is 70 years old.
Anyway, any advice, input, and support are much appreciated. Thanks for reading.
P.S. One of the pictures from my MRI is attached.
303-WP_20131104_21_24_00_Pro1.jpg (2.01 MB)