How quickly did your symptoms appear?

[jll88]

I just got back from a vestibular evaluation for my dizziness and motion sickness - the dr's are still trying to rule out all possibilities other than Chiari.   I realize this dr isn't an expert in Chiari Malformation, but she brought up an interesting point.  My symptoms came on very suddenly, while just sitting at my desk at work I got dizzy, nauseous, etc and it has been getting slightly worse since then (almost 5 months ago).  She said that since Chiari is something I have probably always had, since I've had no head trauma, it wouldn't make since for the symptoms to come on all of a sudden.  What has your experience been?

[selmaS]

...I love roller coasters too,  and did stop going on them over the yrs bcuz of how they made me feel afterward....I didn't always get like that....but, something deff changed....I am also one of those that had a hard time on a swing as a child....neone else?


BTW....ur drop attack...did u feel nauseated afterward?.....and were u able to respond....put ur hands up...make a sound....?....just wondering....

[*Stormy*]

OOOH...the rollercoasters...definitely not good :(

I'm sorry that you had to find out like that! I have never had a drop attack myself but it sounds really scary!!

I do remember the last time I went on a ride..one that spun around and around...I felt so sick and awful after it, that I never went on a ride again. Several years later I  found out why!!

Carolyn

[Hutchessa]

Oh, also....this all started (the pain in my neck/back) after a fun day at Six Flags and riding roller coasters.  "G-Force".  Yes, I've had most of the symptoms for years but what really kicked it off as far as the pain was the trip to Six Flags.  After my MRI, it made so much sense.  My Dr. said "No more G-Force, EVER".  

[Hutchessa]

I'm still new to all of this since I just received my DX a couple of weeks ago.  Once I started researching and reading the symptoms I couldn't believe that I've been experiencing them for so long.  So I guess my "drop attack" happened back in November.  Up until right now I didn't know what it was.  We had just gone to the Dallas Cowboys game in Arlington and were walking back to the parking lot when suddenly I was on the ground.  It came out of nowhere.  I didn't feel dizzy, I didn't feel anything.  I was talking and laughing with a group of friends and my husband and right as I fell it was as if I couldn't stop my legs from giving in.  It was like I had no control, I just went down.  Fortunately my husband is used to me stumbling so he scooped me right up and we kept going.  Everyone was asking me what happened and I just tried to laugh it off like I had tripped.  How do you explain that your legs just stopped without sounding nuts?

[selmaS]

Hi...my drop attack was so scary.....I went to NYC to see a show with my DD and....we parked the car, I felt fine....we went into a mall to freshen up...walked outside to see where we were...u know take notice of landmarks.....and I mentioned several, and then wham...onto the ground....I felt fine.....but as I fell I was aware I was falling but couldn't respond....I felt quite nauseated when I got up.

My Dr said what happens is that the signals go go from the brain down the spinal cord to the rest of our body shuts off...since there is  a break in the connection we have no control...not able to stand....it is like turning off a light switch....if the current can't get thru the light stays dark....this only lasts a few seconds ...so quick u r unaware of going out.....
when u pass out u feel ur self going out and u r out when u land...this is not the same......

I hope that makes sense....if not ask me to clarify : )

"selma"

[stephanie_C]

rod44 - "My first drop attack was about six months after the vertigo started."

I have known about my chiari for several years, but the reason why I am going thru all these tests again and getting second opinions is because I now get really bad vertigo every time I stand up. This started about 4-5 months ago w/ just the dizziness, then about a month after that the HA came back. Thats when I attributed it to my chiari. I have never had an episode last this long before. All this talk about drop attacks sounds scary. What happens? what are they like?

[*Stormy*]

Yeah..I should add too..that when it started to affect my legs...I went from walking normally to severely limping in about the span of a week!! Keeping in mind that I did have several warnings before that....

[majerus33]

my husband was fine then got a horrible headache, and within 6 weeks he was losing feeling in limbs and loss of motor skills. Came out of no where. He had the surgery on week 7.

[selmaS]

Exactly....I had no idea what triggered my drop attack, but I also have no idea what caused the numbness to start almost a yr later....my drs said the fall from the drop attack kept everything in motion regarding symptoms......but  like Carolyn mentioned...u never really know what trigger set it off to the point it doesn't go away again......

And I am sure just age progression is a key  factor and most likely y many drs feel we do not have symptoms until we r older bcuz the symptoms we have earlier r not considered chiari related bcuz they do come and go.....

"selma"

[*Stormy*]

Sometimes you just don't know what triggers it. I mean I worked out for years b4 too and never had those kind of symptoms. This last time though...it actually scared me and that's why I stopped. I feel like going back to running did trigger it to get worse...but like I said the progression had already started. I asked my NS about it and he said sometimes it can be due to things changing as we get older like changes in the cervical spine.. Unfortunately though, once it does progression to staying around...that's when you have to consider doing something about it.

Carolyn

[jll88]

Thank you all for your input.  I do remember having episodes of headaches when I was younger.  I know I had a CT scan and nothing ever came of it, they just went away eventually.  But I've never had anything like this, and I can't imagine I did anything to provoke 5 months of such debilitating symptoms.  Very weird!  

[rod44]

Hi Melanie, drop attacks are very frighting for everyone. My experience with them is like you say they come on without warning but I find I am usual coughing or sneezing when they happen (or so I am told). My BP becomes erratic as well for a few hours after.
My first drop attack was about six months after the vertigo started.


Ray

[Melanie714]

My husband had always had headaches but had a drop attack for the first time about a month ago. Since then he has had four more. It came on sudden for him and with no warning. We are at about the same stage in all of this as you. Good luck with everything.

[*Stormy*]

I totally agree with Selma and Ray...my symptoms were definitely episodic and they would get worse every time they returned!!! Afterwards I looked back and realized that it had been going on for many years but I just wrote it off as blocked sinuses, a cold (every month?) etc.....
I find my dizzy spells can be triggered by something as simple as looking at a checker pattern.....and if I do something I shouldn't I can bring on a spell that lasts for days.
My guess is you did something to trigger the symptoms 5 months ago...hopefully you can figure out what it is so you can avoid it! Good luck!
Carolyn

[selmaS]

hi...Most drs feel that is the case, but I will argue that point bcuz, I think many of us compensate for things we assume r "normal" issues and  or figure that something else is the cause, so we never consider them a symptoms of nething....then we have a flare up and it seems it happened all of a sudden...well it didn't it crept up on us with out us noticing...

Plus, we can bend, sneeze or cough wrong and that can cause a symptom flare.....And as Ray mentioned the symptoms do cycle, so we do not consider them to be one issue.

I felt great until I had my drop attack...what caused it...no idea...but it continued from that point to increase ....more and more symptoms....who knows y, but that is my feelings on it.....

"selma"

[rod44]

I did have some things happening that progressed very slowly and I could not say how long they were going on for like tinnitus witch was not bothersome until a few years ago, it was when I started having episodes of vertigo that I went to my GP and I eventual got a DX.
Many people live with out ever knowing they have CM others become symptomatic in mid age and others in young age and this is one of the strange things about CM, it is often misdiagnosed and misunderstood. I was misdiagnosed and treated for Menears Disease an inner ear problem for over two years before having a MRI.
My experience is that symptoms come and go then come back again, some times I feel ok for months then I go through months of feeling very ill.

Ray