Has anyone noticed personality changes, primarily anger issues?
Last December before being diagnosed I noticed I was swearing a lot...I mean like a sailor on shore leave! Anytime I'd get in the car I would get so stressed out. I figured it was from my neck pain and my diagnosed c-spine herniation.
Now it doesn't matter if I'm in pain or not, I get upset very easily while out and about. Going to the store or just in traffic is an adventure and you never know what's going to come out of my mouth. (I no longer drive because I can't turn my head to the left). My husband is a saint for putting up with me!
It's like a black cloud descends over me and I have no control.
I really don't want to live like a hermit, but it will probably keep me sane if I don't go out in public!
I'm not scheduled for decompression, yet. We're trying to figure out which problem is causing my pain (c-spine or chiari). My headaches (which just started about a week ago) are pressure headaches that are really annoying! Not bad enough to justify surgery...
Any solutions for the anger? Counting 10 ain't working!!
I dont get openly angry butttt I have zero tolerance for example… I have loved my mother in law for 20 years my symptoms started a year ago and she’s always been a s#*€t stirrer but for years it’s just how ‘she is’ but last summer we were around her for our family vacation like every year and I had no tolerance for it I didn’t cause a scene but where I was the one who kept in touch with her and we were very close I cut.off all communication with her told my husband why just him and me and left it up to him well she went on a campaign against me for a while it died down I have done that with a few people and normally that’s not my nature but now I will cut someone out of my life and not care I know it’s healthy but I’ve gotten to where I hate drama so I just get rid of it. But the disconnect of feelings really bothers me
Not sure if it's chiari related but I have always cussed like a sailor and have a quick temper. The other night I seriously questioned my sanity after waiting over an hour in line at Wal-Mart. I gave up on the line I was in and headed to the self-checkout and ended up having a bit of cussing fit because it kept saying to place item in the bagging area when it was already in the bagging area. Ugh.
Sounds like you're not having much fun with the medical community!
Neurosurgeons are generally pompous asses who like to get their way, patients be damned...in my opinion.
I wish I could blame my anger issues on my adventures with neurosurgeons, but I can't.
I have been very lucky to find a neurosurgeon that is interested in my concerns, no time limits! Though his PA has about as much personality as my little finger...
I'm from Vermont and they don't even have any surgeons that perform Chiari Decompression...luckily I was headed to Florida for the winter and had my appt. for my c-spine before I even left VT.
Dr. Alverez took one look at my MRI and told me I had bigger issues...he wasn't kidding! Walked out of that appointment shell shocked! He has never pushed surgery in the subsequent 2 appointments, in fact he agreed that we need to eliminate the c-spine pain as best we can to separate the two conditions. Referred me to a pain specialist and off to my first epidural steroid injection this Wednesday.
I have made an appt. in New Hampshire with Dr. Joe Philip (Chiari specialist) for when I get back...they are booking 4 months out!!! It's crazy back East to get appointments with specialists.
Wishing you better luck with the Docs...
Beeba said:
Yes I am angry. If I told you what I wanted done to my first neurosurgeon it would actually scare you. I do go from zero to 60 pretty quick. I start everyday thinking just let it roll off and I end up at a different extreme. I am going to get help for this as I know it is unhealthy. The process is why I am so angry more so than the end diagnosis. People have made me really question my sanity and doubted all my physical problems. I used to think tracyz going to 52 specialists was insanity now I am actually giving her a run for her money. It seems like this is two steps forward three steps back. Yes I am angry - really angry.
I've never had much patience...Walmart can test even a Nun's patience! Or Costco for that matter! LOL
I just remember thinking last December, 'why am I swearing so much?' It was a change worth noting even
for my foggy brain. And now it's gotten worse! Forgot to take my sunglasses off and put my regular glasses on before
going into Kohl's, so I had to walk back to the car (about 40ft). You would have thought my world had just ended! Then they didn't have the skirt I wanted...Oh it was a really bad day after that!!
It would be almost comical if it wasn't happening to ME!
Anglyn said:
Not sure if it's chiari related but I have always cussed like a sailor and have a quick temper. The other night I seriously questioned my sanity after waiting over an hour in line at Wal-Mart. I gave up on the line I was in and headed to the self-checkout and ended up having a bit of cussing fit because it kept saying to place item in the bagging area when it was already in the bagging area. Ugh.
fortunately most of my family & friends knew that I wasn't feeling good because of the neck/head pain after my accident.....and tolerated my personality changes from being very angry and then to crying...... now that I've been officially diagnosed with Chiar, and after reading so many articles & websites that says it does affect your moods, now people close to me just ignore my moods.....which i'm grateful for......but a year ago I was the most outgoing, get up and go, nonstop, person.........now i feel like my life has died..... with the constant headaches and neck pain, it's hard to do my past activities, and now i'm easily agitated by the simplest things, and overwhelmed with crowds, loud noise, etc..... and what is even more frustrating is that my most recent MRI confirmed C1M, with C3-C7 compressing against the spinal column and suggested a CSF flow study.....but my neurologist says none of that is the cause of my neck/head pain.....and i'm scheduled for a bilateral occipital nerve block this week...... i agreed to one appointment for nerve blocks, because the prior 4 in my cervical area seemed to make things worse.......talked to Mayfield Clinic and they have agreed to review my medical records, and will advise me on how i should proceed or come to their clinic....... i'm hoping life will get better.
Beeba...I agree with you on the evils I've Wal-Mart. Sadly I had an ambitious idea for a birthday cake I was making that required fondant and in my rural area Wal-Mart was my only hope. In the future I'll make my own!!! Nothing is worth that hassle.
I think the frustration of long-term pain and general malaise can change your personality to an extent. You just don't have the patience to put up with any additional b.s.!
I completely understand about life changing...now when I go somewhere I dread it because I don't know how it's going
to make me feel. If it's not anger it's the pain.
I'm hoping for some relief from the epidural because my left arm can be quite painful (left side herniation).
Good luck with the nerve blocks I hope you get some relief.
LD042702 said:
fortunately most of my family & friends knew that I wasn't feeling good because of the neck/head pain after my accident.....and tolerated my personality changes from being very angry and then to crying...... now that I've been officially diagnosed with Chiar, and after reading so many articles & websites that says it does affect your moods, now people close to me just ignore my moods.....which i'm grateful for......but a year ago I was the most outgoing, get up and go, nonstop, person.........now i feel like my life has died..... with the constant headaches and neck pain, it's hard to do my past activities, and now i'm easily agitated by the simplest things, and overwhelmed with crowds, loud noise, etc..... and what is even more frustrating is that my most recent MRI confirmed C1M, with C3-C7 compressing against the spinal column and suggested a CSF flow study.....but my neurologist says none of that is the cause of my neck/head pain.....and i'm scheduled for a bilateral occipital nerve block this week...... i agreed to one appointment for nerve blocks, because the prior 4 in my cervical area seemed to make things worse.......talked to Mayfield Clinic and they have agreed to review my medical records, and will advise me on how i should proceed or come to their clinic....... i'm hoping life will get better.
Last November my c-spine slipped and after of few days of excruciating pain it got better. It was a remarkable recovery.
Shortly after Thanksgiving I started to experience more neck pain, NO headaches, left-sided thumb pain, arm pain, couldn't look up, down or side to side, and just a few strange things that I noticed too. Like clumsiness, and my feet hurt at night if I had to get up and go to the bathroom.
I looked like a drunken sailor walking down the hallway. Looks like I'm really beating up on sailors! Swear and walk like one! LOL
Finally saw my GP on Dec. 20th because something felt different than my last C-spine episode in 2006.
Went for an MRI and received a call from my GP recommending I see a neurosurgeon for a possible fusion...
So my pain has really only been bad since just after Christmas...and the pain can come and go for no reason.
Just like the nausea and dizziness. Felt like I was going to throw-up in the car today, I feel like a little kid that need to travel with a bucket!
Ah, the joys of having Chiari~
Anglyn said:
Beeba...I agree with you on the evils I've Wal-Mart. Sadly I had an ambitious idea for a birthday cake I was making that required fondant and in my rural area Wal-Mart was my only hope. In the future I'll make my own!!! Nothing is worth that hassle.
I think the frustration of long-term pain and general malaise can change your personality to an extent. You just don't have the patience to put up with any additional b.s.!
Last November my c-spine slipped and after of few days of excruciating pain it got better. It was a remarkable recovery.
Shortly after Thanksgiving I started to experience more neck pain, NO headaches, left-sided thumb pain, arm pain, couldn't look up, down or side to side, and just a few strange things that I noticed too. Like clumsiness, and my feet hurt at night if I had to get up and go to the bathroom.
I looked like a drunken sailor walking down the hallway. Looks like I'm really beating up on sailors! Swear and walk like one! LOL
Finally saw my GP on Dec. 20th because something felt different than my last C-spine episode in 2006.
Went for an MRI and received a call from my GP recommending I see a neurosurgeon for a possible fusion...
So my pain has really only been bad since just after Christmas...and the pain can come and go for no reason.
Just like the nausea and dizziness. Felt like I was going to throw-up in the car today, I feel like a little kid that need to travel with a bucket!
Ah, the joys of having Chiari~
Kind of off topic but I totally laughed at the kid with a bucket comment because my when my daughter was little she got sick on a car trip one time and I promise you she still drags this green bucket everywhere. She is 18 and out of the house now but I'm pretty sure if I suggested we go on a road trip she'd bring the bucket. We started buying stickers at all the tourist attractions we visited to stick on the bucket so we could keep track of where it's been. lol
When I was 5 my family piled in the car to go to the State House in Montpelier, VT because my brother was a page...
I had just eaten toast and grape juice...got him good I did and got me too!! My mom had to buy me a new dress once we got to our destination. I remember walking into the dress shop in her trench coat. It was the last 60's so it was short and fit me down to my ankles...
I will never, ever forget it. And from that time on I got to sit next to the window so I wouldn't get car sick anymore.
Anglyn said:
SuzyQ said:
That's the thing...I don't have long term pain.
Last November my c-spine slipped and after of few days of excruciating pain it got better. It was a remarkable recovery.
Shortly after Thanksgiving I started to experience more neck pain, NO headaches, left-sided thumb pain, arm pain, couldn't look up, down or side to side, and just a few strange things that I noticed too. Like clumsiness, and my feet hurt at night if I had to get up and go to the bathroom.
I looked like a drunken sailor walking down the hallway. Looks like I'm really beating up on sailors! Swear and walk like one! LOL
Finally saw my GP on Dec. 20th because something felt different than my last C-spine episode in 2006.
Went for an MRI and received a call from my GP recommending I see a neurosurgeon for a possible fusion...
So my pain has really only been bad since just after Christmas...and the pain can come and go for no reason.
Just like the nausea and dizziness. Felt like I was going to throw-up in the car today, I feel like a little kid that need to travel with a bucket!
Ah, the joys of having Chiari~
Kind of off topic but I totally laughed at the kid with a bucket comment because my when my daughter was little she got sick on a car trip one time and I promise you she still drags this green bucket everywhere. She is 18 and out of the house now but I'm pretty sure if I suggested we go on a road trip she'd bring the bucket. We started buying stickers at all the tourist attractions we visited to stick on the bucket so we could keep track of where it's been. lol
Unlike Brandi I have "put up" with MIL for the last 20 years, she is bipolar and exhausting! I haven't had to deal with her since I've been diagnosed. My two oldest understand why I don't like her (I let them figure it out on their own) but my two youngest don't understand. For some reason she is worse to her daughter's kids then to mine. My husband knows that if she flips out on our kids she's done.
For the anger, I remember just having bad days and knowing after I get some sleep it will be fine. Now it just feels like that never happens. We don't ever really get a chance to recoup? It feels like the constant pain just grinds us down. If I can't handle my kids then it's time for a pain killer. I've also let some "acquaintances" go because I feel I have enough to deal with, I don't need people that have the maturity of an 8th grader. I hope that you can find an outlet that helps, I haven't so far. :) If there is any good that comes from this it's you know who your real friends are. Best of luck to you. I also am in the wait and see. That alone is enough to make me swear!
Sarah
Brandi said:
I dont get openly angry butttt I have zero tolerance for example... I have loved my mother in law for 20 years my symptoms started a year ago and she's always been a s#*€t stirrer but for years it's just how 'she is' but last summer we were around her for our family vacation like every year and I had no tolerance for it I didn't cause a scene but where I was the one who kept in touch with her and we were very close I cut.off all communication with her told my husband why just him and me and left it up to him well she went on a campaign against me for a while it died down I have done that with a few people and normally that's not my nature but now I will cut someone out of my life and not care I know it's healthy but I've gotten to where I hate drama so I just get rid of it. But the disconnect of feelings really bothers me
Thank you Sarah! I'm giving it my best everyday and trying to overcome.
Today I made it through my outing without losing my cool only to be rewarded with pain.
Tomorrow is another day...
I guess I should be thankful that I don't have a mother-in-law. They can really stir-up trouble!
Sarah Pugmire Baron said:
Unlike Brandi I have "put up" with MIL for the last 20 years, she is bipolar and exhausting! I haven't had to deal with her since I've been diagnosed. My two oldest understand why I don't like her (I let them figure it out on their own) but my two youngest don't understand. For some reason she is worse to her daughter's kids then to mine. My husband knows that if she flips out on our kids she's done.
For the anger, I remember just having bad days and knowing after I get some sleep it will be fine. Now it just feels like that never happens. We don't ever really get a chance to recoup? It feels like the constant pain just grinds us down. If I can't handle my kids then it's time for a pain killer. I've also let some "acquaintances" go because I feel I have enough to deal with, I don't need people that have the maturity of an 8th grader. I hope that you can find an outlet that helps, I haven't so far. :) If there is any good that comes from this it's you know who your real friends are. Best of luck to you. I also am in the wait and see. That alone is enough to make me swear!
Sarah
Brandi said:
I dont get openly angry butttt I have zero tolerance for example... I have loved my mother in law for 20 years my symptoms started a year ago and she's always been a s#*€t stirrer but for years it's just how 'she is' but last summer we were around her for our family vacation like every year and I had no tolerance for it I didn't cause a scene but where I was the one who kept in touch with her and we were very close I cut.off all communication with her told my husband why just him and me and left it up to him well she went on a campaign against me for a while it died down I have done that with a few people and normally that's not my nature but now I will cut someone out of my life and not care I know it's healthy but I've gotten to where I hate drama so I just get rid of it. But the disconnect of feelings really bothers me
Okay people let's get it straight it is WAL MATT because my husband freaking lives there! He always wants me to go and meet his "friends". Don't get me wrong Walmart can be ok but this one is sketchy! Seriously, when you go in ther and your husband says I think I arrested that guy. Yeah, like I'm gonna go back, hubby carries, I don't! He always complains about how long he has to wait in line too. Forget it, I'll pay more to get in and out. If he stopped shopping there I wouldn't be so concerned about finding a job someday. :)
Sarah
SuzyQ said:
I've never had much patience...Walmart can test even a Nun's patience! Or Costco for that matter! LOL
I just remember thinking last December, 'why am I swearing so much?' It was a change worth noting even
for my foggy brain. And now it's gotten worse! Forgot to take my sunglasses off and put my regular glasses on before
going into Kohl's, so I had to walk back to the car (about 40ft). You would have thought my world had just ended! Then they didn't have the skirt I wanted...Oh it was a really bad day after that!!
It would be almost comical if it wasn't happening to ME!
Anglyn said:
Not sure if it's chiari related but I have always cussed like a sailor and have a quick temper. The other night I seriously questioned my sanity after waiting over an hour in line at Wal-Mart. I gave up on the line I was in and headed to the self-checkout and ended up having a bit of cussing fit because it kept saying to place item in the bagging area when it was already in the bagging area. Ugh.