C6 C7 DISC HERNIATION, CHIARI MALFORMATION

[cjsagperk]

I HAVE BEEN DEALING WITH A HERIATED DISC IN MY NECK  C6-C7  FOR ALMOST AYEAR, NEUROLOGIST SAYS THEY CAN ONLY TREAT ME FOR THE SYMPOMS OF HERNIATED DISC,( CERVICAL NECK SPASMS) TREATMENT HAS BEEN AS FOLLOWS, PERSCRIBED NORTRIPTYLINE FOR A FEW MONTHS ALONG WITH FLEXEREL, WHICH DID HELP BUT I ASKED TO BE TAKEN OFF NORTRYPTILINE DUE TO WEIGHT GAIN, I WAS THEN PUT ON TOPAMAX, I HAVE BEEN ON THAT FOR A FEW MONTHS BUT THE SIDE AFFECTS ARE BEGIINING TO REALLY GET TO ME, SO NOW MY NEUROLOGIST IS SWITCHING ME TO NEURONTIN, ALONG WITH THE FLEXEREL . ANYTHINING I NEED TO KNOW ABOUT NEURONTIN. I SHOULD ALSO MENTION, THAT THE NECK AND BRAIN MRI THAT WAS DONE ALSO SHOWED THAT CEREBRAL TONSILS ARE LOW LYING AND THAT THE RIGHT ONE IS 7MM LOWER THAN THE OTHER , REPRESENTING A CHIARI MALFORMATION, ALSO SHOWED  MILD SPONDYLOSIS IN C4-C5  SHOULDNT I BE IN PHYSICAL THERAPY OR SOMETHING NO JUST ON MEDS

[nsalem656]

Are the drugs mentioned above allowed on patients at high risk of vomiting blood?

[cash242]

For me neurotin has been a life saver. As Selma states we are all different I couldnt handle topomax but neurotin has really helped decrease the weird electric charge I have running through my body and decreases the inflammation of my neuralgia.  Good luck with all!

[selmaS]

  Well some of this is good news...but u still need a CINE MRI to see if u have a CSF obstruction, even tho it does not show u have hydrocephalous, u could still have a blockage causing issues....
And u want to rule out related conditions too.

  I can only stress again to find a chiari specialist to review ur MRI's and to do the further testing for u.

See our list to help u locate Drs to research.

[cjsagperk]

THANK YOU !  MRI REPORT ONLY SAYS EXACTLY... CEREBELLAR TONSILS ARE MINIMALLY LOW LYING WITH THE RIGHT TONSIL EXTENDING 7MM INFERIOR TO THE FORAMEN  MAGNUM WITH PARTIAL CSF SPACE EFFACEMENT REPRESENTING A SLIGHT CHIRI MALFORMATION, THE BRAIN PARENCHYMA AND VENTRICLES ARE OTHERWISE WITHIN NORMAL LIMITS WITHOUT MASS, HYDROCEPHALUS, BRAINSTEM LESION, INFARCT OR DEMYELINATING DISEASE. PARANASAL SINUSES AND MASTOIDS ARE CLEAR.... AS U CAN IMAGINE THIS IS ALL JIBBERISH TO ME

[selmaS]

  Hi and welcome to the Chiari forum.

As far as I am aware there is not a PT plan that can help chiari issues....meds is usually the rt they take...as the more u do, the more symptoms crop up.

Do u know if u have a CSF obstruction or ne chiari related issues like a syrinx, tethered cord, sleep apnea, ICP, ehlers-danlos?

  With Topamax it is usually a 2 week adjustment to the meds and then the side effects go away, it may have been the dosage u were on, but then again we r all different and it may not have been the med for u.

Same goes with Neurontin the generic is Gabapentin, I was on this it did nothing for me but affect my IBS issues so I got off it.....again we r all different I am on Topamax for 3 yrs now and doing fine as long as I stay on a low dose.

Make sure u get more testing to rule out the related issues and go from there, research chiari specialists, and try to get with one.