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New - have questions

Hi!  I was wondering if some of you could help me.  I started fainting and having lightheadedness and dizziness 3 years ago.  They checked my heart and did an MRI of my head, and said all was fine, they just noted that I had "slightly low lying cerebellar tonsils."  I tried look into different things but never figured out what was wrong, just kept having those symptoms.  Then last summer everything got much worse.  The only lifestyle difference I can think of is that I was trying to get healthier and started jogging a lot - every day for several months.  My list of symptoms now is:
Daily headaches
Pain in eyes
Migraines
Dizziness, vertigo
Nausea
Motion sickness
Lightheadedness
Fainting
Tingling in hands and feet
Numbness and weakness in hips
Mental confusion
Trouble swallowing - food feels stuck in throat
Shortness of breath, fatigue
Eye floaters
Jaw pain on right side

So I thought I would try and look more into the cerebellar tonsil thing.  I got a disc from the hospital that did the test, and the report doesn't say a specific number - just slightly low lying.  Could that have caused my symptoms even though the doctors thought it wasn't clinically significant, and could it have gotten worse now?  I'm new to researching this and would appreciate any info or advice.  I uploaded a screenshot of my MRI, but I don't know if I even selected the best view or not.  

Thanks!
~Allison
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620923 tn?1452915648
COMMUNITY LEADER

  Fabulous !! Finding an open minded PCP is a great start and may be able to help you research Chiari specialists....

  Keep us posted !!
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
Thank you both! I have a great new primary doctor, I saw him yesterday and asked my questions. He was totally open minded and listened to me. He ordered a new MRI and I'm going to try and see one of the chiari specialists listed on this site.
Helpful - 0
620923 tn?1452915648
COMMUNITY LEADER

  Hi and welcome to the Chiari forum.

Not being medical professionals here, we can suggest your MRI looks like ours and yes,m it appears you may have tonsils creating a CSF obstruction.....
What you need now is to find a true Chiari specialist....there are a few in TX, but not be in your immediate area....many of us do have to travel to get to the right Dr....

Also, educate yourself as much as you can about Chiari and ALL related conditions as they can affect how you feel and heal post op should you be a surgical candidate....Drs that claim they can "cure" or "fix" you...run...get away from them as there is no cure...only  surgical treatment to restore CSF flow...so a CINE MRI to check CSF flow would be  the next testing....surgery will also slow progression....many with a CSF obstruction may develop a syrinx (Syringomyelia) to help prevent one from forming if one is not present is restore flow...if one is present, by restoring flow, many times a syrinx will shrink....many times they will choose to watch it to see how fast changes are occurring to see if surgery is needed sooner rather then later...symptoms are also an indication...

  Here is the link for our Drs list....keep in mind, this list is not a referral nor an endorsement for those listed on it, but it is  a starting point for you to research Drs....http://www.medhelp.org/health_pages/Neurological-Disorders/DOCTORS-LIST-FOR-CHIARI-SYRINGOMYELIA/show/1062?cid=186
Helpful - 0
1751596 tn?1406773160
I saw the image, that looks like a full blown chiari with a retroflexed odontoid process. You can upload also the image where the spinal cord is in the midline position (the thickest) and the axial view at the level of the foramen magnum.
Helpful - 0
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