Is facial sweating a symptom for some chiari I patients?

[MiaQuam]

I have been diagnosed with A CMI and I am a candidate for surgery.  I would like to know if anyone who has Chiari Malformations have hyperhydrosis of the face?  I have several other symptoms but the sweating is the worst!  Sweating is not listed as a possible symptom but the awesome doctors at the Chiari Institute in NY think some people might experience it as well. Thanks for any response you can give me!

[selmaS]

Hi this is an older thread and u may be better to post this as a new thread u may get more results.

I do not know if the person u replied to is still an active member.


It is something how Chiari affects us in so many different ways.

[KeyRee]

I have Chiari with possible syringomyelia . I have sweating from the head and face . My chest and arms can become clammy as well . It seems to be right after I have done something physical , like for example washing up or walking up the stairs . I will do these physical activities and then have to sit down for 30 mins to return my temperature to normal . Having a shower or bath is a nightmare as I just sweat profusely after this . Drying hair with a hairdryer is a no no ... this can make me have droplets of sweat pouring all over my scalp and running onto my face . Has got to the point where I cannot go and walk anywhere without the sweat issue . I also find that stress or being upset can make it happen and also bending over for a short period of time eg : put socks or trousers on . Getting dressed can exhust me and then the sweating will start . The sweating dosn't seem to happen whilst I am in action ... it seems like a delayed response to some physical activity . It is debilitating and I stay in and hardly move unless when really needed. Hate the way it makes me feel :(

[Penguins57]

I also tend to sweat A LOT. I have to wear a special jacket everyday because my arms and back sweat so bad. Is this a symptom?

[Alex265]

Hi there,
When I first found out about my CM it was foreign to me, I made many on line searches and I'm amazed at all the symptoms reported. The funny thing is when talking to doctor's about it I get the same response about many of the symptoms, that it's not chiari related, but having joined this forum and hearing from people that actually have the chiari and have many symptoms similar to mine I have to say that doctor's don't know everything, I mean think about they treat people study on it but how can they be 100% sure it's not related, take my headaches, it started with intense pain and pressure on base of the skull but when I have that pain I almost always have intense frontol headache pain and they insist it's not related. Do you guys get frontol pain? On forehead and  above, sometimes above eyes too. I was told that the throbbing I get when I strain, cough, sneeze, blow nose etc is chiari related, but spots where the throbbing occurs are the spots I also get those frontal headaches, how can they not be related if in the same spot? Same with the sweating, it happens when I get stressed or aggravated with the headaches. Any ideas? comments? similarities please?
Thanks

[Alex265]

I have a CM and I have sweating of the face and neck, at first I thought it might be pre menopause but I had a hormone test and it said I was not there yet. When I first research CM that was one of the symptoms listed on one of the websites.

[Shane99]

I should correct my last statement - there are creams that can help, but I'm a guy so face creams are foreign to me :) and there is a surgical solution - but I've had enough surgery to last awhile. :D

Like selma said, Chiari can amaze you with what can be a symptom, but as my doctor told me, "Anything that your brain controls can be affected by Chiari and seeing how the brain controls everything . . ."

Simple, but there it is.

[selmaS]

I am amazed at this side effect or post surgical symptom.....I had some changes to perspiring where I never would sweat b4, now I do......I can be freezing cold and perspiring something awful and this is new to me.....

I think this is something to research a bit further.

[Shane99]

I have the face sweating problem also. Mine is primarily at night - the first month after surgery I had to throw away my pillow. The sweat is actually pretty foul smelling too.

It gets better, but certain meds can cause it to increase. Se, talk to your PCP about it, but I doubt there's much that can really be done.

[MiaQuam]

I feel your pain or should I say your sweat :) I have actually stopped volunteering at my son's school because of the sweating.  It literally pours out of my face.  I was told that 10 stellate ganglion blocks could eliminate my sweating. Not sure if you know what that is. It is performed by a pain med. doctor and they put you under and give you a shot in your neck that reaches your ganglion nerve.  However, after my 7th shot, I stopped breathing and had to be intubated for awhile.  They said that I had acute respiratory failure. So needless to say, the shots didn't work and my husband said no more! There is another procedure they can do called a micro ets surgery but I figured instead of having a surgery to stop the sweating, I should consider the surgery to fix the CMI. I have 2 boys (7&9) and I don't live near NY and I don't want to be away from them for too long in order to have the surgery. They don't know that something is wrong with Mommy and I don't want them to until after the surgery.  I don't think I can hide the scar from them.  They heard people talk about it to me but I made a joke out of it. I told them that Mommy found out that her brain is bigger than Daddy's and that is why I'm so much smarter! than him!!  ;)

[MiaQuam]

I actually have had an underactive thyroid.  I get checked every 3 months and sometimes it's ok and other times its not.  The docs at TCI said the chiari could be the cause and that thyroid medication might help. My local doc won't give me the meds because it is not underactive all the time. I don't know if I should find a new local doc that is willing to try the thryoid med on me.

[MiaQuam]

I was wondering how long the average hospital stay is after the surgery?  

[MiaQuam]

The doctors at TCI said that they could only say that it was less than an 85% chance of a decrease in sweating.  Sweating is worse than the pain right now for me.  Not alot of people understand how embarrasing it is and uncomfortable.

[MiaQuam]

Thanks for welcoming me. This is the first time I've ever tried to reach out to others who have this CM too!  I'm not on the net everyday but I am so anxious to hear other comments.

[Zipperhead0609]

I tend to sweat on my face, neck, and shoulders a lot...I always have...I can be standing outside in the freezing cold and be drenched in sweat...

[rod44]

Hi,
have you have had thyroid problems as this can be a cause of Hyperhidrosis.....

Ray

[sawyergirl]

I had hyperhydrosis as well. Mine was got extremely bad after surgery as well but not until I was off all my pain medication. About 9 months post op the night sweats just stopped. Asked Dr. O about it and said i was still healing. I am 16 months post op and I get one occasionally but I no longer have to shower & change in the middle of the night.  Hip Hip Horray.  I hope this is true for you as well

[Neyklem]

I had my surgery a month ago but I remember to have neck sweat that bothered me al the time but after surgery, it got worse to the point, I have to keep a wet towel next to my bed all night and it does help to reduce the sweating...hopes you will find some relief too.

[selmaS]

Hi and welcome to the Chiari forum.

Well that's a new one to me, but I have noticed an increase of perspiration but not on my face.

U have well informed drs at TCI, I had my PFD there in May.

Not sure if neone has had this, but looking forward to seeing the replies u get.

Again, we r glad to have u on board as a member of our little family here....all really great people that care and support each other.

"selma"