Chiari or something else?

[pisamiina]

Hi. I'm new here. I'm trying to make this short but let's see how I'll manage.

It all started on 8th of March this year. Woke up and got to work. During the noon while on computer I had 2-3sec dizzy spell. I got scared and then I got a little nauseous, no vomiting. Then I realized I had this pressure like squeezing feeling on the base of my skull. Like a tight knot. Almost burning. In addition my whole head felt pressured and heavy, squeezing. It was like 10 days almost continous headache, stress, not being able to sleep. It just was there, nsaid didn't  help. to doctor twice, dx'd tension neck and also got a third antibiotics for sinuitis since December. They also ruled out sinus infection with xray, there was nothing there. I got a massage and it seemed to help a bit.

Since then it's been very confusing. Here's a list of my symptoms that I've discovered

- Vision "problems", flashes, bright and black tiny spots coming and going, pixel like vision once etc. I don't know hoe to describe all of these things in English since I'm Finnish :) in fact I've been having these vision things since January.

- Especially when straining, I can see and feel my pulse in my eyes. Now that I think of it I noticed this already a few yrs ago but maybe it's gone a bit "worse", not that it's bothering me at all.

- Pressure behind eyes and on face (since november, that's why all those antibiotics, they thought it was a sinuitis..)

- Headache, more like a pressure on head. Usually starting at the base of my skull. Radiating up to the back of my skull and temples. Not so severe after the first days, pretty much like 2-3 on a scale 0-10. Been able to work etc. The worst pressure and pain at first was like 5-6.

- Brain fog and difficulty on concentrating especially when the head pressure is on.

- Mild nausea and dizziness at times. Nausea comes and goes, sometimes on the morning, but comes during the day too and suddenly it's gone again. No vomiting, not even close. Sudden dizzy spells a few times, felt like falling.

- Tiredness, sleeping problems. I've been very tired (in fact quite a few months already). Last weeks after the worst stress was gone I haven't had a good night sleep even once. Always waking up several times and that's not normal to me.

- Ringing in ears, pressure in left ear. In fact I was dx'd with Meniere's 2,5yrs ago after having severe vertigo and vomiting attacks and hearing loss in left ear. I've been feeling fine after that and connected ear things and mild tinnitus to that.

- Surreal feeling, floating feeling especially when walking on an open area.

- Tingling, pins and needles on my left hand and foot, mostly on hand. I remember a few years back this happening too and on fact also my left cheek/jaw tingles sometimes. Also a little pain on left hand and foot sometimes.

- Constant dry cough especially when going to bed and straining.

- Neck and shoulder pain, pressure and also burning feeling sometimes, muscles feel very tight and also painful while massaging. Very stiff neck especially in the morning.

So yeah, that would be it. What do you think of it? As I said, I was diagnosed with Meniere's autumn 2014. Had an MRI on January 2014 to rule out tumor etc causing hearing loss. It was clear and then came those vertigo and vomiting attacks and Meniere's diagnose. I've been checking those MRI slides and it seems to me that my cerebellum is quite normal but a little crowded there, touching the medulla/brainstem and on the edge of foramen magnum. I'm not a doctor but I work as a physical therapist on neurosurgery ward and know something so this Chiari thing came to my mind as I've seen patients having it and of course after googling. Is it possible for Chiari to develope in three years? Although it didn't show in MRI three yrs ago (or at least they didn't say anything about it)? Of course I've been worried about this and thought of all the worst things too. It's not that it's disturbing me that much but all I know I'm not feeling totally normal. I'm able to work and function normally but still. None of the symptoms are permanent, they just come and go. What do you think Chiarians?

[Mindymoney122]

Too me it could be and yes it can grow because my NS sending me for a New MIR he is worried that within 2 years it may have gotten worse please see ur Dr

[selmaS]

Hi and welcome to the Chiari forum.

Chiari is a congenital condition in which there is a malformation of the skull....so no Chiari can not develop in 3 years.....can the symptoms worsen at some random time...yes....anything can be a trigger for symptoms to worsen and for us to take note of them....since Chiari is congenital.(since birth) we consider most symptoms as "normal" since we have always had them....not until they worsen do we connect the dots and realize something more is going on.

Chiari symptoms do cycle, and can change so it can appear they come and go...and they can go away for long or short periods of time......

If you have your MRI's you cac upload them here and allow others to see them...and consider locating a true Chiari specialist to review your MRI's/

[pisamiina]

Thank you for answering, selmaS. :) Yep I've understood it's congenital, but I'm just wondering that if I had CM would there have been a visible herniation then already. I've been thinking about visiting a NS and discussing these symptoms with him. Of course there's healthcare provided by my workplace but I'm not counting on that that much relating something like this...

During this weekend I've had ache and pressure more on my forehead and cheeks/face, not so much on the back of my head. Sometimes it feels like the ache/pressure travels around my head, at times it's on my neck, shoulders and base of skull, then the next minutes on forehead, temples and face or top of the head. Very confusing.. And today has been quite difficult having a bit of a hangover.. Do you know if hangover tends to make symptoms worse??

I forgot to tell that I've also noticed having palpitations every once in a while for about two weeks now. This is new to me too, I've had similar palpitations once before when I had high fever and they stopped after the fever was gone. Also diarrhea every now and then..

[selmaS]

Alcohol would not be helpful with this condition as it constricts the blood vessels and makes the flood that much harder so this will intensify symptoms.
Heart Palps are quite common, but look to your family's medical history and have your heart checked and get a base line on you so if you have further issues you have something to gage it off of.
Chiari headaches seem to be different for everyone ....they can change ....I had the back of the head pain as well as what felt like my head was in a vise grip at the temples....I would also get the face pain you described here too

Since Chiari is affecting the nerves that run thru the spinal cord and also possibly the brain stem it is possible to have a plethora of symptoms all over.

[Hejhejhej1]

Hi neighbour, Sweden here :)

You said that you did an MRI 3 years ago, was that an ordinary brain MRI or one of those that focus on the cerebellum? (Don't know if they're called something specific).

I met a reumatologist a week ago for joint pain (I have hypermobility syndrom), and he was the one that had thoughts about chiari. He said that it's a little bit more common in persons with EDS/hypermobility syndrom.


I did a brain MRI 2 years ago (doctors suspected I might have pituitary adenomas, but I didn't have any). Anyhow, so now the doc's are suspecting some kind of chiari malformation/syringomyelia.
So I asked them if I would have chiari, wouldn't it been visible and noticed on the first MRI for a couple of years ago? But they said you had to do a special MRI when looking for chiari ? Therefore I wondered what kind of MRI you had done :)

I've some similar symtoms as you.
2,5 years ago I suddenly woke up with brainfog/derealisation, some weird, intense headache in the low back of my head, mostly to the left. Mostly just as pressure, but sometimes it felt like knives! This headache lasted for ~2 weeks.

Since then I have not been feeling feel.. I had some "crawling" sensations on the left side of my head, and tingling. Some other weird things on my left side, like cramping in the hand, etc. Feel often a pressure in my face, around the back of the nose/eyes. Feels like someone is kicking me from the inside..
I'm aaaalways really tired and have been for some time now. Brainfog.. Got some problems with dysautonomia (POTS, my heart rate is really high when standing up), dizziness, etc etc! Can't ride in elevators any more, they make me really dizzy!
I also had some black spot in my left eye's vision that lasted several weeks. Sometimes, especially when tired, my left eye eyelid drops a bit.
And while writing this, my ear and my jaw are hurting as hell :P

Sorry for just writing a bunch of crap, haha. But just seemed like we've had some similar symptoms.
I think I'm going to do a new MRI soon, so then I will find out if it's chiari/syringomyelia or not.

Would be interesting to know what will happen to you! :)

Take care!!

[pisamiina]

Thanks for answering, neighbour :) it was just an ordinary MRI with contrast focused on the porus region of the brain (around cerebellum and pons) to rule out vestibular schwannoma. But yeah, don't know that much either of imaging techniques. Just curious that if I had CM would it (herniation?) have been visible already then. Now during the weekend I've been having ache more on forehead and face, not so much on occipital/base of skull area. Very confusing... Would like to know what will happen to you too! :)

[pisamiina]

I forgot to mention that I visited ophtalmologist too and there was nothing wrong with my eyes!