Years after surgery

[thrice3]

Hi all. It's been awhile since I've posted. I had surgery in December of 2011. It took two years until I had much relief from my symptoms. I graduated college in May and am now in my first job that I've had for about a month. I spend much of my time at work sitting at a chair in front of the computer or walking from office to office. I should really be wearing comfortable shoes every day instead of every other day.
Anyway! My symptoms have been flaring since I began my job. Electric tingles down my neck and upper spine, headache when I cough (hasn't been bad since before my surgery), sharp stabbing pains in lower sides of my head, and just a really exhausted neck in general from holding up my head...I'm sure as chiarians you understand there are more symptoms, but these are what I can think of at the moment.

So what about you? How long after surgery did it take for your Chiari to affect you again? Do you have ways of softening symptoms from office work like sitting in a chair? Any advice is appreciated.

[selmaS]

  No there is nothing to do for it as a whole...but depending on what symptoms you have there are somethings that can be done to help.....plus it could explain some of your pain and other issues since surgery......

Bcuz the tissues that hold the joints together are lax so the muscles work harder to hold us together and that is why we tend to have muscle pains and spasms....

Just knowing what could be causing the issues can help relieve at least some stress...and also knowing it is not remnants of surgery itself.

For EDS as I said it depends on what the issues are there are meds, PT and braces .....so there are some things and sometimes surgery..

[thrice3]

My skin is very soft and I've always been "double jointed" but experience a lot of pain sporadically in the muscle mostly near my joints. Based on family as well, I'd say it's likely.
There is nothing you can do about ED though, right?

[selmaS]

  Well that is not how you find out....goodness....Drs are just as inept with EDS as they  are with Chiari...

Do you have any precursors for it?

[thrice3]

I was never diagnosed with EDS. During my post chiari diagnoses nuerology exam, my neurologist looked at my skin (literally just looked at it) and decided I didn't have it.  

[selmaS]

  Did they  rule out EDS for you?

The valium helped if I took it just as the spasm started otherwise I needed to take dilaudid....

The reason I ask about EDS is it could be the reason for muscle spasms...and I do have it...

[thrice3]

Nothing ever came of the diagnoses.. Not sure if something was supposed to.
The MS Hug comes completely randomly and is really really painful..it lasts about 30 minutes and then goes away and leaves me exhausted. I do not take anything for it. My family doc gave me anti colon spasm meds to take the next time it happens so that he can know that's not the cause. Not sure he understands Chiari though..

[selmaS]

  I meant to ask what you are taking for the spasms...I had them and I took valium and I have not had them for over a yr....but did get them post op....so bad I went to the ER not knowing what it was except for a muscle spasm.

The pain meds helped and as I said have gone away for me....

[selmaS]

  I am aware of the MS hug and yes a few with Chiari also had that symptom.....

BI can cause a lot of symptoms and issues,,,,after getting the DX what  have   your Drs said to you regarding the BI ?

Do you have a muscle spasm in the MS hug area?.....

[thrice3]

I hate fluorescent lighting. As for related conditions, the only thing that I know I have a basilar invagination. Have you ever heard of a chiarian having the "MS hug"? If you're not sure what that is, google will bring up a lot of links. I am just curious because I've had a few over the course of the past year or two in increasing severity.

[selmaS]

  Hi....not all symptoms may be relieved from surgery...BUT you may want to try and elevate your monitor of your computer to help with your neck.....this way you are looking at it at eye level instead of downward....

I also found florescent lighting affects me still....so look to possibly getting a tinted pair of glasses that can also be a help.

Get up and walk around your chair more frequently....I also used a pillow behind my back when sitting at my desk....I have not gone back to the workforce as I lost my job as I ran out of sick and FMLA time.

Did they rule out ALL related conditions for you?