symptoms return?

Question

15 yrs ago I was in a car accident, had a whiplash injury and concussion.
A MRI showed ACM I and I had a decompression in 2004. The cough headaches were better, maybe gone- don't remember. I now have a cold and the last two days I have had severe coughing headaches. Paracetamol and ibumetin helps some.
I also experience like glitter sparkles dancing in my field of vision. More often for a year or so. 
Can symptoms return or get worse after so many years? I also get dizzy when watching thing that move, like kids in swings or many passing cars, and some films and shows on tv I can't watch because the picture moves a lot. Pardon my English, I'm Swedish.

selmaS · Accepted Answer

I  had  lower  back  pain  and had  one  of  my  first  MRI's  yrs  ago....the MRI and  report  indicated  tethered cord, but  I was  never  told....not  until  I  got  to a Chiari specialist and they  requested  copies  of  ALL MRI's  I  ever  had  along  with the old  reports  did I find  I  had  it.

 Tethered cord  does not  always  show  on  a MRI  and  can sometimes  be  referred  to occulta  tethered cord...occulta  meaning  hidden.

 There  are  other indicators  to tethered cord....sacral  dimple, bowel  and bladder issues,lower  back  and leg  pain,  and  an elongated  brain  stem.

  If  you  had  a sacral  dimple, I  am  sure  you  still  do.....the dimple  can indicate  the location  of where the cord  is  tethered.

selmaS · Answer

Not  being  a medical professional ....I  am  not sure, it might be  a syrinx.....looks  like  your  lumbar spine....

  Have you had  your  NS  explain  this MRI?

alixchiari · Answer

So what do you reckon about my profile pic?

selmaS · Answer

Chiari can change with time....could be changes to how much CSF is obstructed or a syrinx may have formed since your last MRI....ANY thing like a cough, or riding in a car on a bumpy road can trigger symptoms to change...so just having a cold can have an effect...best get checked to be sure everything is ok.....

alixchiari · Answer

I'll get to do a MRI of my brain in a month - thought I was going to see a neurologist first, but nope. Not sure I wan't to do the MRI, if it's just some symptoms when having a cold and coughing, what's the point -is there a point?

I just ordered a dvd of my lower back MRI, I want to have a look at them.

alixchiari · Answer

Interesting. I hadn't heard about the dimple and Chiari until the other day when I read about tethered cord here on the Community. And then I remembered that my mom told me a few years ago that I when newborn had an extra hole, and thought that was a dimple.
I also have had stomach pain, had a colonoscopy, that showed nothing that could cause the pain.  

Again thankyou for your replies, now I do have some questions to ask the neurologist when I get to see one.

alixchiari · Answer

about tethered cord -I did have a MRI of my lower back like 10 years ago, cause of cervical pain. Guess the docs would have noticed if there was some tethering going on there? I did have a sacral dimple when newborn - just read in this forum that this is sometimes associated with thethered cord?

alixchiari · Answer

Oups, and I've been weight lifting quite a lot for the past 6 months. Ever since I did the stupidest thing and broke my ankle - wanna know how I did it? Well, I jumped into a pool that was not deep enough at that end, to splash my daughter, who was practicing swimming there. 
And this only like 10 minutes after I had assisted her with jumping into that pool, but a bit away -after having told her that I didn't want her to jump at that spot, since she could scratch her toes. (!) 
 
I hope it's just now with this cold that I'm suffering from incontinency. If it continues and keigles don't help, I'll task my doc for a urodynamics testig. 

Thanks for your reply.

selmaS · Answer

---Bladder-issues-can-be-Chiari-related-or-due-to-a-related-condition-like-tethered-cord.When-the-cord-is-tethered-it-can-also-cause-bowel-issues-as-well.IBS-etc.....

---Talk-to-your-Dr-and-get-a-urodynamics-testing-done(bladder)....I-had-one-and-found-I-have-a-neurogenic-bladder.I-do-not-always-get-the-sensation-to-void-but-may-get-an-all-over-hot-sensation-or-pain-that-burns-down-my-spine.....

---I-am-sure-keigles-may-help......but-your-Dr-will-better-be-able-to-offer-insight-after-the-testing.Also-keep-in-mind-any-straining-post-op-is-not-good-coughing-and-especially-lifting.

alixchiari · Answer

Also I would like to ask about incontinence. Maybe in my case it's from having two children, and not from ACM, maybe its just that I have to week muscles which showed when having this stupid cold with so much coughing. Chiari headache and leakage many times a day. Or can ACM cause leakage/stress incontinence?

alixchiari · Answer

I' m thinking that maybe weight lifting wasn't the smartest thing to do? 

Is there a point in doing the MRI even though I'm not ready to undergo surgery again?

alixchiari · Answer

Thankyou for your replies!
It's intreresting to hear that one can get symptoms when having a flu or cold, hopefully that's all there is to it in my case too.
Anyway, I went to the doc today, and he phoned the Neurologist, who ordered a new MRI. Guess that's good, although a part of me just wants to ignore the symptoms that hopefully will be gone with the cold.

Are there any recommendations on things to avoid after decompression?

selmaS · Answer

Hi  and  welcome  to  the  Chiari forum,

 It  is  possible  to  post  op  experience  some  symptoms  during  a cold  or  flu....hopefully  they  will  go  away  with  the illness...we  tend  to fill  with  fluids...and  it  may  still  be  tighter  in that  area  even  with  decompression  surgery....and  over  the yrs  scar  tissue  could  have  formed  to make  it  a little smaller  again....

 You  said  this is in the past  few  days.....I  too  am  post  op...5  yrs  tho  and  am  sick  right now  too....and  I  also  had the pressure  headaches  I  had  lost  with surgery  but  today  I  do  not,,..

  If  your  pain  persists  after  the cold  has  left  you  see  a Dr  for  possible  scar  tissue  or  even the development  of  a related  condition  as the  above  poster  has  mentioned.....

We  do  have  info  in  our  Health  Pages  on  some  of  the related  conditions...use  the search  this community  feature  to  locate  the links  thread.

baccalynnwv · Answer

Hello and welcome.

I'm sorry your symptoms are returning! I have actually read from several people that their symptoms have returned. Sometimes it is a failed decompression, sometimes it is related to other things.

Were you reviewed for Ehlers Danlos Symdrom and Craniocervical instability?

Have you been review for Dysautonomia and POTS. Check out Dinet.com.

I really do not have experience in this area as I am still scheduled for surgery on January 22nd. Others should come a long with better answers than mine!

Hang in there and don't give up.