drop attack from chiari, the flu, or food poisoning??? Scary!

Hey Everyone!
Last weekend i had something scary happen and im not sure if its chiari related or not! Since my dianosis its easy to blame EVERYTHING on chiari.. but i wanna know if this is chiari related or not?? Heres what happened!

Thurs nite we went out to eat @7 and i had chicken and potatoes and 1 drink. Afterwards we went home and played cards til about 3am then went to bed.  My stomach was a little growly during cards but nothing bad. I felt "usual". Went to bed and woke up an hour later with my stomach churning like i was goin to be sick! I got up and went to the bathroom & had diarrhea (tmi.. i know! lol)  After i was done i stood up and was standing at the sink... after a few moments I felt dizzier than i have ever felt in my life... i was spinning and was afraid.. i remember heading towards the bed to get my bf... but then everything went black. I vaguely remember screaming... and the next thing i remember my bf was picking me up off my *** as i had apparently fallen or passed out. I had to go to the bathroom again so i asked him to help me to the bathroom. I had diarrea (diarrhea) again and then stood up. While standing there... again i felt horribly dizzy and knew i was gonna go down again. I yelled for bf and he burst open the door just in time to catch me as i passed out and lowered me to the floor. my legs were bent when i passed out and he lowered me down so he said he had just walked around to straighten my legs when i came to. I get dizzy if i lay on my back so i quickly rolled to my side and laid ont he bathroom floor praying the feeling would pass! My vision was also blurry and i was seeing bright lights toward the right edge of my vision for a short time after i came to the 2nd time.

for the next 2 days i had diarrhea, was very nauseous and vomiting , achy, and running a fever. All the typical flu symptoms!

so was the passing out from the flu/food poisoning.. (not sure which it was... i questioned food cuz we had went out to eat) or was it a chiari drop attack? I have heard many of you talk of drop attacks.

I am afraid it was chiari related and that my chiari is getting worse? Since it happned my chiari has been in a flare! i assume the fall onto my butt when i went down the first time was nto good for my head at all!  I didnt go to the doctor this week as I hadnt passed out since the episodes last thurs nite.
I have been in a major dizzy flare since as well. I cant concentrate on anything... my head got like this after i over-worked myself moving a few months ago.. so i assume im "flaring up" right now.

any advice?  Thanks!

[selmaS]

Hi...I will say I do NOT think it is chiari related or a Drop Attack as u do not get all those xtras with a drop attack....

With a drop attack u r standing one minute, the next, u r mid fall...no warning...no dizziness or sick feelings....it is like a light switch was turned off...the CSF gets blocked and the signals do not get thru, so u lose control and awareness....when u do come back....it is mere seconds later but u can not respond...no calling out etc....

This sounds like u had the flu or something.....

Do call ur dr as the flu with chiari will feel worse than just a flu.....

I hope u feel better

"selma"

[pamk5]

About a month ago I had this horrible stomach bug that has been going around.  I think they are it Noro virus or something.  It was so bad I vomited for days.  It is so prevalent here right now they are speaking about it on the news.  So maybe thats what it was.  I know even after the virus passed my Chiari symptoms were the worse they had ever been.  I had the worst headache ever for 4 days and couldnt move my head, dizziness all that.  So maybe that is what it was just a bug.  I didnt faint but I can see how that could have happened.  I hope you feel better.  

[T105]

I have drop attacks. I don't understand why. I can be walking, or just standing still and I collapse to the ground as if my brain short circuited or something. I drop like a sack of potatoes and then immediately get back up. I don't think I'm fainting or blacking out or having seizures. Why does this keep happening. I am falling at least twice a day.
I have Chiari Malformation with a 6mm herniation and a syrinx in my spine. The neurologist I saw explained that Chiari does not cause drop attacks. So what in the world could be going on?

[selmaS]

Hi and welcome to the Chiari forum.

I am sorry to say, but u need a diff dr, one that specializes in chiari, bcuz it does cause drop attacks, and it does just what u said short circuits...the obstruction of CSF also blocks the signals to the brain...that allows our daily body functions...which  is scary when u think about it...it shuts off for a mere 3 seconds, enuff for us to fall...some, like myself r even aware we r falling, but can not react to stop or block the fall...nor do we have ne idea y we r falling....it is soooooo diff then passing out as u can feel that coming on..this u do not.

We do have a list of chiari drs...use it to research to find the right dr for u...but u deff need a true chiari dr.-http://www.medhelp.org/posts/Chiari-Malformation/LIST-OF-CHIARI-SPECIALISTS/show/1293483

We r happy to have u join us, but not happy for the reasons that bring u.

"selma"