Hi there,move just been accepted into the group, which I found whilst researching Chiairi. So a bit of a background for me so you can see where I’m coming from.
I have suffered chronic headaches since I was around 16, and I was shocked to discover that most people don’t get headaches at all, I thought it was normal. Anyhow, in my late teens/early 20’s I was given a CAT scan with dye injection, which found nothing abnormal to explain headaches. I was sent for an X-ray of my back at some stage and found to have scoliosis, no treatment recommended. I have had a neck X-ray which showed that my cervical spine is out of alignment and probably has been since birth. I have seen physio, chiropractors, osteopaths all my life at some stage to try and treat daily headaches, neck pain and back pain.
My headaches have interfered with my day to day activities all my life. I’ve avoided exercise, especially running, as it makes me either get a headache, or makes a moderate headache worse. I am unable to enjoy an active lifestyle due to daily head pain. I’ve been told it’s from stress, anxiety, depression, tension, you name it, that’s what they tell me. So I ended up on giving up trying to find an answer.
My headaches are getting worse, lasting longer, last one was three weeks, and they are coming with more symptoms. They feel like pressure in the back of my head/neck, radiating to the top of my head, and around to my ears, but not normally past those points. It feels like my head will explode at its most extreme. Sometimes I get pains in my eyes when it’s really bad.
I have constant neck pain/stiffness/aches, my trapezius muscles are sore. When I stand from sitting, I feel like there is a rush to my head, causing more pressure and feel like my head will pop open. I get extremely dizzy and have to hold onto something while I come back from it. Talking, laughing, bending make it worse, or can actually cause a mild headache become major.
I get clumsy, walking into walls and doors, I lose my footing whilst standing still, (people jokingly ask if I’m drunk), I feel like a room is spinning or the floor is moving whilst I’m sitting.
My hearing is disturbed at times, like my hearing blanks out, I get ringing, then it returns in one esr then the other.
My vision can be impaired, while driving I find myself trying to open my eyes more to see, or blinking a lot, I have floating spots in my eyes at times, especially when I’m suffering a bad headache. I find it hard to focus on the front of a room and see a white board at times.
I have recently become aware of left side pain/aches, with numbness and tingling. Sometimes shooting pains in my arm or leg. At times I get bad pains in my back on the left side close to the spine.
I find it hard to swallow, like I’m trying to swallow a lump. I choke a lot when I drink water.
I find I’m losing words, mid sentence I can’t recall the word I need, when I know I know it. My short term memory is very bad of late.
I hear a squishing and popping/crunching sound in my neck when I move.
My sex drive has diminished.
My voice is uneven and I constantly have to clear my throat when I speak.
I get cranky one minute, then nice the next.
My headaches seem to worsen in the week before I menstrute.
I could go on, but these are the major ones that worry me the most. It’s getting worse and more noticeable.
I had an MRI last week and it looked odd to me. (I have studied brain anatomy). So I had a search on the net to see if I could find what I was looking at and if it was normal. I came upon Chiari, and as I read more about it, the more it made sense to me.
I mentioned it to my doctor and he said I would be dead if I had that, which I knew was not correct. He sent me for an EEG, as there were white spots deep in my white matter. I haven’t got the results from that yet, but was told if there was anything serious they would contact me ASAP.
I have been in contact with a neurosurgeon in Sydney who specialises if Chiari, and his assistant said that if I send my scans, he will take a look and let me know if I need to get it looked it.
My scan doesn’t look ‘normal’, buts it’s also not severe. But to me it looks like there is definitely some downward movement and brain stem/spinal cord/nerve pressure.
Just wondering if these symptoms sound synonymous to Chiari.
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