serious question about depression

I know that I have talked with everyone about my daughter and her Chiari. I know that it can be hereditary. I have an older son in his late 20's that has chronic fatigue and all kinds of aches and pains. I have asked him a few times to see a doctor to see if he also has Chiari. Right now he is having some really serious depression issues that are not being helped with the different medications they have tried and I have to be honest he is now on his way to the hospital to be evaluated. It is kind of involuntary. It started out to be voluntary but changed along the way. I am very very worried about him. He hates everyone right now. My question is can Chiari cause symptoms like this? The standard medicine is not helping and I am wondering if it is medical?
Any response would be so appreciated.
Chadry

[Dawn1214]

Hi Chadry,

I don't think depression is a symptom of Chiari but I know medical issues in general can cause depression. If your son is ill, the stress from being ill and not knowing why,  wondering if you have something wrong or just not being diagnosed and worrying can cause anxiety and depression.

I am sure that everyone that has chiari at one point or another has dealt with depression and/or anxiety but I don't think the chiari itself causes it.  (Did that make sense?).

I don't think it would hurt for him to have an MRI to check for the chiari. Is he concerned about having  it? Is he under any other stresses? Something recently changing in his life or possibly stress and worrying about your daughter?

I hope during his evaluation they can find out what the problem is and give him some help to deal with whatever it is bothering him. I think you should talk with the doctors and ask them to check for the chiari just to ease your mind and his.

Please let us know what they say after his evaluation.

Best Wishes
Dawn

[chadry]

He has been under stress with his personal life. He is much older than my daughter. I was just doing some research myself and have found that depression can be a symptom. He has some of the other symptoms too. I just called the hospital where he is and he is still there being evaluated.I asked the nurse to relay a message to the doctor about chiari and she did not know what it was or even how to spell it but she did tell me that they would not do an MRI on him. That was something a family doctor would have to order. He did ask a docotr about it before and he had no clue what it was and would not order an MRI for it even though he did not know what the condition was. These people really get to you. When you are telling them what it could be but they will test for  it is beyond me.
Thanks for your reply. I am just very concerend at this point and I guess I just needed to ask for some advice.
Chadry

[Dawn1214]

That really upsets me that they won't order an mri. I realize they are expensive but in a case like this it is a necessary test. You may need a neurologist to order it for him if the other dr. won't do it.

I am sorry that he is having personal problems and hopefully his depression is being caused by that and not a chiari. I hope they can help him with it and get him back on track.

Please let me know how he is doing.

Dawn

[selmaS]

The below info in [] is from the web...I knew I had read that depression was a symptom, and that stress could agrivate it, but looks like anxiety (Dawn) is also a symptom!
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[Because Chiari is accompanied by clinical depression almost 50% of the time and anxiety disorder 30% of the time, it is unknown to what extent the depression and anxiety could be causing physical symptoms.  .  We also know that most doctors can not think of a disease that can cause so many symptoms so they conclude that clinical depression is the sole problem and many Chiarians end up in the care of psychiatrists rather than in the hands of the neurosurgeon.]

[angie343]

Depression can definetly come with Chiari. Selma hit it right on the head:)
My daughter also 20 yr old was on anti depresents before her diagnosis because the pain was awful and not a single doctor could tell her what or where her pain was coming from. They are young kids and want to do the things that kids their age are doing and should be doing, school, mall, hanging with friends etc... but the pain and everything that Chiari throws and takes away at them is to much at times.
I will pray for your son and daughter. I pray that he does not have CM and that the personal things that he is dealing with are answered and he makes a full recovery.
God bless.
Angie

[chadry]

I knew if I posted here I would get some caring answers. thank you all very much. I think I read the same thing that you wrote this morning when I was doing a search on CM and depression. I talked with his intake worker a few hours ago and I explained that my daughter has this and that it can run in families. The intake worker never heard of this condition but at least he was very willing to listen to what I had to say. He was looking it up as we spoke, of course after I gave him the spelling.He found it very interesting and he said he would put it in his folder and see if when they admitted him in a hospital if they could give him an MRI to check for it. He is 29 years old so I could not make him go to a doctor but he has had other symptoms coming on over the last few years that I wanted him to be checked for this condition.. Like I said earlier his GP did not know what it was but would not order any tests.
He has not wanted to talk to any of us for a little while now. He is in such a state of blaming everyone for all his problems. I know this comes with depression and not thinking clearly. I just have to keep praying and have faith that all things will work out for the best.
I just want them to check for this condition.He may or may not have it but I feel if his sister has it and he has symptoms than at least rule it out as a cause for some of his pains and numbness and depression. A doctor once told him about 2 years ago that it sounded like he had a pinched nerve in his neck to account for his arm problems. He also has problems in his thoracic( spelling) region. They ordered an Xray for that but we know that does not show anything. An MRI is needed.
Once again thank you everyone for helping me out here and trying to make me feel better. You really are a very nice bunch of people. Every time I see a post on another board that has to do with CM I always tell them to come here with caring people who understand what is going on.
If I hear anything either way i will let you know what is going on. I will be able to sleep tonight because they did admit him to a hospital finally. All the different meds they had him on did not help his problem but seemed at times to make it worse. I hope he really gets a good full medical check up. You never know if it is a physical  problem that is causing these things. Sometimes as we all know anti depressants aren't always the only answer.
Sincerely,
Chadry

[chadry]

I did realize today that I found a lot more info on CM than I did a few years ago when my daughter was diagnosed. Maybe we are finally getting somewhere in the medical world. I know it has a long way to go yet but a few years ago it was hard to find any good articles on it. there were only a few websites here and there and I found much more today.It's pretty bad when you are talking to medical people and you have to repeat what the name is and the spelling because they have know idea what the heck you are talking about.
Chadry

[selmaS]

HI Chadry,

I will add ur son to my prayers...

.....and to keep our spirits up is why I stared the thread...u know u have the wrong dr when,........fill it in.....I am not sure if u read ne of them, but it does help to vent.....and ur last post would fit nicely on that thread.

"selma"

[chadry]

I laugh when I read those threads. they are pretty good.I like the one know you have Chiari when. I posted one on the doctor one before.
Thanks for your well wishes and prayers.
How are you feeling these days? It seems like you are doing much better. I am glad that your surgery is over and done with. I am sure you feel the same way.
Take care.
Chadry

[angie343]

Hello:)
I like that thread to;) I laugh when I read them, my husband thinks I'm coocoo:)
I had another experience today on explaining CM and TC to someone. I had to explain to the case/social worker at the hospital that my daughter will be moved to for her PT and OT. He asked what her condition was and he was like whao... I never heard of that before. He was very intrested in it. He was very sympathetic after I explained to him her journey with both conditions and he said she was definetly going to the right place for therapy. I enjoy telling people about CM and TC especialy when they are listening,
I remember a NL telling my daughter the pain was all in her head maybe boyfriend issues yada...yada...yada. Today  we laugh because little did he know he was right:D.
LOL God bless
Angie  

[chadry]

I just wanted to give everyone an update on my son. Apparently he does not have depression but is bipolar and the medication he was on was the worst thing they could have given him for what is wrong with him. He is supposed to come home soon and on this new medication there is a light in his eyes again. I heard today  that he realizes everything that was going on with him and he feels so much better to the point where he knows what he was doing now. I still want him to  get an MRI when he is up to it and I want him to be checked for CM. I thank the Lord for all his goodness in his help and I am hoping that he does not CM but can get the help he needs with new medication.
Thanks everyone.
Take care.
Chadry

[selmaS]

Hi....great news that he has new meds and u now know what the problem is.....not that being bi-polar is going to be easy.

I pray his MRI comes up clear....he does not need this in addition to what he does have.

I also pray for u and ur DD.

"selma"

[Dawn1214]

So glad to hear that they were able to diagnose him. How wonderful he is feeling better already. I hope the new meds continue to help him and now that there is no rush for the testing for Chiari it can be done when he is up to it.

Thank you for updating us, I was wondering about you today..
Dawn

[chadry]

Thank you for caring. He will go home tomorrow so hopefully he will do better. I know he has a long road ahead of him but I pray he will continue to improve with the proper medication. I just have one more thing to educate myself on now. I have lots more reading to do about this.
Hope evreything is looking up on your ends.
Take care Ladies.
Chadry