I’ve just been diagnosed with minor type 1 CM. I went to the emergency room with continuing dizziness. After a CT scan, the doctor said they spotted the abnormality and it’s what was causing my dizziness ( it also explains my severe headaches). I’m going for an MRI in a few days to confirm. My question is how long does the dizzy spell last for? Thanks for your replies.
Mike
What was the abmormality ?
I would say there is no telling how long it will last. I had dizziness daily for about 10 years or so. No joke. I felt like I just got off a boat EVERY DAY! It went away when I was pregnant but it was before diagnosed. I was diagnosed only about 7 years ago and had symptoms since I was a kid with no known cause. I occasionally get dizziness that might last for a day or days. It comes and goes. There is no telling how long it will last. I can't even go on amusement park rides anymore which stinks!
Hope you are feeling better today :)
Lidia
I like this question. I have thought that it was normal to feel dizzy when I stood up after bending down. It has got so bad not I nearly fall over. It was terrible for a week after I went on a boat trip & it was very rough. Lidia, I know the feelimg of joy knowing how long an episode will last. Mike, I am impressed that the ED CT scan showed up the abnormality. My visit to ED for weird & severe headaches resulted in nothing. I have found being quietly VERY persistent about my health has paid off. I will not take “no” for an answer to a reasonable concern. However, I am not able to work at the moment - my job as a nurse requires too much lifting, bending and straining. My last shift the colleague as going to call the emergency team on me! I didn’t realize how obvious the symptoms had become!
All the best! Sonj
First off, welcome Mike! I too have a minor Chiari 1. My symptoms are not bad enough to need surgery as of yet. Unfortunately I do still get symptoms. Sometimes really bad. Also unfortunately, I had a back injury a few years ago and since my symptoms got worse, my back has not healed well enough to be considered completely healed. It has healed enough for me to continue my roller derby though my regular doctor says it most likely wont ever get back to 100%. As for the headaches, well , I get the Chiari headaches but I also get headaches from my allergies and just normal migraine headaches. At least that is what my neurologist says since some of them are only in my sinus areas and on my temples. But know that no matter what, the people in here still understand what you are going through. We are all here to help each other as best as we can. I too get dizzy spells and some of it went away when I started medicine for my headaches, though I do still have real bad bouts of dizziness occasionally. Hope your dizziness lessens soon!
I think dizziness is actually my WORST symptom. I have it daily, and it can be intermittent. I almost always feel sick and nauseated. The dizziness is normally magnified when I have a headache even if its dull to excruciating. I move my head sometimes and I feel this vice like pressure all over my head and it feels tingly and I feel like I am going to faint. I have had this get worse in the past 3 years. I got my Chiari diagnosis last December from an MRI. I have a 5mm herniation. I am pregnant, so I have to wait to move forward. I still need to have a spinal tap.....owww and I think there was another test but I have forgotten what that is. Dizziness sucks. I have it all the time, and I feel like vomiting all the time (Im sure pregnancy isnt helping that either) but I have had the dizziness for years. Im sorry, its miserable!!
Luckycharm...you sound like you have the same kind of headaches as I do. My neurologist actually said my headaches are not caused by my Chiari. I dont completely agree with that but she did also say that I was having migraines. My best friend has had migraines for years to the point she has had to call off work because she was soo sick from them. It sounds like you are having migraines along with the chiari headaches. I would ask your doctor about it. The only thing I found to work for the dizziness is to just stop what im doing and let it pass. Or I will sit down if that doesnt work. If anyone has anything else to try for it I know im all ears and willing to try it.
Furie
Luckily my dizziness doesn last vey long, but I am not actively skating in bouts this season due to the humidity here and my back. Headaches havent been as bad as often so my adrenaline when im actually at practice helps keep the headaches at bay. Mike and luckycharm, I hope your dizziness gets better soon!
Sonj,
I have had issues where I have stood up and all of a sudden I was so dizzy I went to ER. So weird. CT scans and MRI always came normal with exception of showing my 7mm herniation. They are rare but when it happens I'm like, "What the hell was that?!" Mike - Sometimes if I turn my head too fast, or just turn it normal, I get a bit dizzy and feel off balance. I have my moments. But when I was all around symptomatic, every movement was dizzy. It seems like there will be times we are symptomatic, then it subsides for a time. So frustrating!
When I had mine I was not suppose to have dizzy spells but did with a type 1 then started the blackout spells had 4 of them then the tremors started had them a year and 3 months. make sure they check good
Furie18 said:
First off, welcome Mike! I too have a minor Chiari 1. My symptoms are not bad enough to need surgery as of yet. Unfortunately I do still get symptoms. Sometimes really bad. Also unfortunately, I had a back injury a few years ago and since my symptoms got worse, my back has not healed well enough to be considered completely healed. It has healed enough for me to continue my roller derby though my regular doctor says it most likely wont ever get back to 100%. As for the headaches, well , I get the Chiari headaches but I also get headaches from my allergies and just normal migraine headaches. At least that is what my neurologist says since some of them are only in my sinus areas and on my temples. But know that no matter what, the people in here still understand what you are going through. We are all here to help each other as best as we can. I too get dizzy spells and some of it went away when I started medicine for my headaches, though I do still have real bad bouts of dizziness occasionally. Hope your dizziness lessens soon!
Furie18 said:
First off, welcome Mike! I too have a minor Chiari 1. My symptoms are not bad enough to need surgery as of yet. Unfortunately I do still get symptoms. Sometimes really bad. Also unfortunately, I had a back injury a few years ago and since my symptoms got worse, my back has not healed well enough to be considered completely healed. It has healed enough for me to continue my roller derby though my regular doctor says it most likely wont ever get back to 100%. As for the headaches, well , I get the Chiari headaches but I also get headaches from my allergies and just normal migraine headaches. At least that is what my neurologist says since some of them are only in my sinus areas and on my temples. But know that no matter what, the people in here still understand what you are going through. We are all here to help each other as best as we can. I too get dizzy spells and some of it went away when I started medicine for my headaches, though I do still have real bad bouts of dizziness occasionally. Hope your dizziness lessens soon!
I have CM1 as well and it is considered a mild case as well. I have dizziness sometimes. My symptoms come and go. I suffer more with breathing sometimes if I am excerting myself or stressed. Usually I feel good. I do get neck and shoulder stiffness and tightness. But my CSF flow is good and was told I do not need surgery. It is kind of where I just deal with symptoms as they come. I have started learning how to handle in the 7 years I have been diagnosed. When I first was hit with symptoms there were many. Ear ringing, dizziness, extreme tiredness, dizziness, tightness in my neck, pain in the base of my skull. Probably more that I can't remember. No one knew what was going on until the CT scan. Then Dr's said it was all in my head and I was experiencing anxiety and to take a pill. Then I found out about more of what I had and started researching more. Lots of Dr's just don't know enough and some are studying and learning more about how to treat us. It's a big circle and sometimes frustrating. I hope you always have mild symptoms and find a Dr that will not just push you aside. Always listen to your body.
Lidia