Does this sound like Chiari?

[westinn]

My main symptoms began about 6 months ago. I have extreme, constant pressure and on-and-off pain in the back of my head, have muscle tension along my right jawline/cheek, and am extremely distressed all the time for no reason. I can't enjoy anything at all, but I don't feel like this is normal depression--the feeling never lifts or changes at all, yet I'm honestly not that upset about anything. I have extremely tense muscles in my scalp, neck and shoulders which haven't responded to massage or muscle relaxants. (Exercise makes everything worse, and yoga and other stress relief techniques do nothing.) I also keep seeing yellow and blue spots and what looks like snow (constantly, across my whole line of vision). I'm exhausted all the time. The only time I've actually felt like myself was after resting in the car for a few minutes, and I'm wondering if that had to do with my posture? There was no reason why i should suddenly feel normal and happy again, but I did until the next afternoon. The pressure and other physical symptoms hadn't gone away, though.

I've had what appears to be Raynaud's phenomenon for a few years, have ringing in my ears, mild to moderate tremors (back, hands, legs, etc.), and my voice randomly gets really hoarse. My doctor said this could just be anxiety, but that doesn't make sense since a. I'm not worrying about anything and b. my sense of unease never changes, no matter how little stress I have or how positive my attitude is.

Does this seem like Chiari at all?
thanks!

[selmaS]

  My DD's MIL was dx'd with Lymes, there r markers for it and a  rash not everyone gets....but I am sure it is something they can rule out.
It is quite possible that the NL u go to may not take u or chiari seriously....but, it can just mean that u do not have a Dr well informed and experienced with chiari and u will have to look for a diff one.....we call this the royal chiari run around...when Drs brush off the obvious and send us off to deal with everything but chiari.

[westinn]

thank you both for your responses. :) I'm going to see a neurologist soon, but I'm a little concerned that my symptoms aren't going to be taken seriously since I have a history of depression and anxiety.

isn't Lyme hard to diagnose, though?

[lynnbrook177]

Hi,  I am fairly new to the Chiari world too, but I do know for a fact that I have it, a 17mm herniation.  That said, when I was diagnosed a year ago, I probably had more anxiety symptoms than Chiari.  It began with headaches at the back of my head that ran down my shoulder blades. I got them twice a week sometimes, but when I saw the NS he said they were not Chiari headaces.  (I believe the twisting I was doing from my posture at work was aggrevating my neck, so I changed my postition and all the headaches went away) I'm told a real Chiari headache is a sudden pain at the back of the head that is sort of like brain freeze.  I also have the muscle tension along my jaw and around my ear, the NS said it could be chiari related.  I also felt the lax feeling, like a lack luster feeling toward life, even before I was diagnosed; felt like everyone else had so much more energy than I did. My neck and shoulders are often stiff or sore, and I can tell you that Yoga in the past few months had definitely increased my symptoms, even causing pain in my arms and legs.  I believe I was putting too much strain on the neck and shoulder area.  Any reputable medical site on chiari will tell you not to strain your neck or symptoms could increase, however, I was not told this by my doctors! Do keep this in mind!  I also have the ringing in my ears, more the right, but I am currently on Clonazapam for anxiety and I am not bothered by the ringing.  Dr said the ringing wasn't chiari but I read differently on this as well ?? Not sure about the tremors, but I am pretty sure that the hoarse voice is a chiari symptom, of course, it could be something else too.  You really have to rule out other possibilities before you blame everything on Chiari, I have learned that.  Hope that helps a bit.  

[selmaS]

  Hi and welcome to the Chiari forum.

Many of what u have listed can be considered chiari symptoms, but can also be quite a few other conditions as well...many of us had testing to rule out issues like MS< lupus and lymes as they can have similar symptoms.

Do go to ur Dr and report all ur symptoms.

Raynauds phenomenon is also related to EDS and other chiari related conditions....

  Do go for testing to see if u do in fact have chiari.