I am posting b/c while it seems I should be getting used to this... I am not.
I will start by saying that for years, my 'only' symptoms were the headache which was always accompanied by a bowel movement. This which was misdiagnosed as everything from migraines to cluster headaches to whatever from 10y/o to 23y/o...
Well, the last couple of years other things started to come about. I.e.: numbness, leg and arm pains, vision floaters, hearing problems (right ear), FATIGUE... and the stomach issues got worse.
When I was young a simple stomach ache would result in an ER trip b/c of the migraine that felt like I would die. (hard to handle when you're 10) Well that was about once a year, til my teens it was more frequent then.
The past (aprox.) 6-8months, however, the main symptom has not been the headache as a matter of fact I hadn't had an onset like that in probably a year. Well, today I woke up nauseated and felt alright otherwise. A few hours into my work shift (not laborious at all) I had a stomach ache and IT HIT ME LIKE A TRAIN, out of the blue, that awful headache that started as tingles all over my head and then BOOM; explosion of pressure in my head. Then about 20mins later it's calmed down some. The thing that has me worried is when I was little it would progress to this level of intensity but it happened over HOURS... this was a single event... ever since I'm scared to go to the bathroom again b/c I'm still having stomach aches but the headache hasn't 'exploded' again, luckily.
Can anyone relate?? I really thought I was going to pass out or worse. Even though I've had them before, just seems sooooo unnatural and scary.
THanks for any feedback,
Kathleen
Have you seen a neurologist and had an MRI of your brain and cervical spine? The nice thing about Chiari's Malformation is that it's a relatively simple and confident diagnosis because the MRI will definitely show your cerebellar tonsils herniating below the base of your skull. Nothing after that is as simple, because it's a tricky disorder, but at least you would have confidence that you have Chiari's. Tingling, headaches, fatigue and tension headaches (or valsalva headaches) are very much common symptoms of Chiari's - but other things as well so only a qualified specialist could answer that question. Bowl movements create a valsalva effect where barring down creates increased intercranial pressure, which can create an instant headache in a Chiari patient. These headaches typically have a shorter duration, compared to the general headaches of Chiari's which may seem to never end. Outside of bowl movements, ever get a similar headache or symptoms when you sneeze hard, blow your nose, pinch your nose and blow to clear your ears in a plane ride or lean your head back for an extended period of time like when working to replace a light bulb over your head or something?