wonder about effect on mental status

[chris574]

have a family that was diagnosed with chiari....had surgery to correct......am wondering ... after all this is done and said...can this alter the way a person thinks and reacts to some circumstances....he still has some discomfort...sleep apnea but I have notice a slight change in his behavior with is not a positive change...any helpful feedback appreciated...

[selmaS]

  For neone with Chronic pain, lashing out is quite normal....

Which surgeries did u have?....u said multiple ?

[tattooer601]

I have noticed a lashing out feeling..anger extremely bad.
Im very easy going i just after multiple surgeries, stil in unbearable pain I have lost all My physical skills.
These circumstances make me feel less than human.

[selmaS]

  Hi and welcome to the Chiari forum.

As picchick  mentioned in the above reply it can be an issue if there were post op set backs....

I too wonder about the age, and then remember we all do go thru a change whether we realize it or not it is similar to the grieving process....we can have this when we r DX'd...and then again post op...we can be depressed, in denial,  then grieve for the abilities we lost, and then acceptance.

So depending on when surgery was, his age and if he has had set backs it is possible he is going thru some changes but should be ok at some point....

U may want to let him know about the forum, sometimes talking to others that feel the same way can be helpful,

[piccchick]

Welcome. How far out is your family member from the surgery? Cerebrally, behavior is controlled by the frontal lobes. While Chiari can increase your intracranial pressure causing pressure on your entire brain, once decompressed, theoretically,  the symptoms should ease. Chronic pain, the Chiari emotional rollercoaster and intracranial pressure (ICP) changes  effected my mood and behavior. I have been told that ICP is not stable for a minimum of 3 months post-op. If there were surgical complications that can be another factor. If the symptom developed post operatively, post operative depression is also a consideration.
This is all just IMHO. Hope it helps.