Tingling and numbness in left arm when straining

[christianirc]

You know that bad headache we get when we cough, strain, sneeze, laugh (laughing is the worst for me).  Well lately I've been getting numbness and tingling down my left arm and hand when I do that and the numbness and "clumsiness in my fingers" last a long time.  I've had all the MRI's and a CINE MRI and there is no tethered cord or syrinx.  Does anyone else have this happen?
Thanks,
Brenda
ACM1 15mm dx 5/10

[zygy2]

Oh yeah... get a second opinion!!! Too many people just don't understand Chiari well enough.  I would like to see 100 doctors give their opinion on the same MRI and see how different they all are!  I bet it would be amazing.  You have a larger herniation and symptoms, someone should want to listen to you!  I don't understand why they wanted to watch you for a year??? Sound like you need someone else!  

[christianirc]

They will do opinions? I didn't know that.  Thank you :)  I can get copies.

[selmaS]

  Hi.... to have flow to the anterior is not uncommon which basically means-situated before or toward the front.....posterior - is the rear, where the tonsils herniate and cause the flow issues....so flow voids r typical there as well, and can be the reason of the numbness u r experiencing....The thing is if the flow pulsates with ur BP, fluid gets thru when it pulsates, but it is not a normal flow.

I would deff get a 2nd opinion, do u have copies of ur MRI's and the reports so u can send them to a few diff NS's?...some will give u an opinion for free ( will hopes u bcome a patient) and others do it for a nominal fee.

  "selma"

[christianirc]

Selma: My CINE MRI was "inconclusive".  It said there was flow anterior, but unclear if there was any posterior and there were flow voids at the base of the brain.  It says sit does show flow around the anterior brain stem and the cervical cord.  What all that means, I have no idea.

zygy2:  I'm not opting out, it hasn't been offered.  I've been told "Let's watch it for a year"

Meanwhile today I'm in a ton of pain, have been since yesterday.  The left hand is nearly useless.  I thought you only got problems below the neck if you had syrinx?

[zygy2]

My number one problem was laughing, it had me so sad.  I was crying at the neurologist that would not listen and telling her that if I laughed it felt like someone was dropping a car on my head!  I hated it other times too but when I would end up in pain because I laughed at or with my kids it just broke my heart.  For me the Chiari cough headaches were my biggest problem!  Not everyone gets these pains but from what I understand it is a pretty good indicator of needed an MRI so that is supposed to be helpful.  I don't think they would have done an MRI for me otherwise regardless of all the headaches and weird things I felt were changing.  I also had numbness in my arms.  Sometimes it was tingling and sometimes it was numb.  It did go away after surgery but I am now awaiting my second surgery and the numbness is back and worse than before, now it does not go away , it only seems to get worse some days.  I also get a lot of nausea when my symptoms are acting up.  I do not have tethered cord or a syrinx either.  So, are you opting not to have surgery?  15mm sounds big to me.  I was only 8mm when I had surgery.  I must say that it was amazing not to hurt when I laughed.  I felt great for a few months and then things started getting worse again and that was when they did a new MRI and found a pseudomeningocele.  It pretty much puts the presssure back, the decompression looks good though and my NS thinks I will feel great again once he repairs things (I am doing surgery 2 next month).  I just mention this because I know how hard it was to have laughing your biggest problem.  I had not found anyone else on this board that complained so much about laughing pains.  I call them pains because it doesn't seem right that it is a ten second headache????  What a strange headache!  Good luck figuring things out!

[selmaS]

  Hi...when u strain u r causing more of a blockage of CSF flow...and this is y u feel the numbness.....this is not all that abnormal to happen, but not everyone with chiari will have this symptom.

  U mentioned u had a CINE MRI, do u have a CSF obstruction?...overcrowding?

   "selma"