chiari or something else?

[ragn]

good day, i was just wondering if anyone with experience could point me in the right direction, I have many pain in my body that started 3 years ago with a painful sensation on my calf every now so often that disables my ability to walk, then around the same year i experienced diffuse neck pain from my occiput to the base of the neck and shoulders, my doctor said i just have anxiety disorder and gave anti anxiety, anti dep etc. during the course of treatments i became easily agitated and so on leading for me to discontinue meds without med advice, recently im having severe back problems, frequent dizziness, zone outs, eye pain, head pain, and my neck pain has gotten worse and i frequently need to move it to and fro from left to right jsut to relieve pain, i also have memory and concentration problems... im just wondering if these symptoms are really signs that you have chiari 1, i just want to reassure myself that im not faking the symptoms becasue we dont have money to waste on MRI if there isnt any problem... Thanks for the reply

[*Stormy*]

I wish you all the best in finding a good Dr to help you!!! I have been through the wringer with Specialists and I have had some very disappointing appts....but through it all I have found some very amazing DRs too. So keep looking and don't give up until you find the right one!!

Good luck on your exam:)

Stormy

[ragn]

thank you for your concern... currently i need to pass a major exam after that ill start to find a doctor who would not diagnose me as depressed o with anxiety and actually see my problems as real symptoms... your description about the eye pain fits me exactly... i started to feel a little weak and fine movement things at our internship seems difficult or.. im just making it again... i also hope i find find subsidized care here in ouit country... thank you more blessings :))

[*Stormy*]

I'm sorry to hear that you have such a struggle with your medical system! It seems that medical care has it's flaws no matter where you live, you just don't realize it until you have a rare condition!

There must be somewhere you can start to find out about subsidized care? I imagine there must be something....crossing my fingers that you are going to get the care you need and soon!!

[ragn]

thank you all for your concern! umm i dont know of those madical aid programs or rated thing.. i actually live in the philippines where healthcare is least tended, thats why our ancillary procedures are so high, i hope i find one, im really looking forward to having one and to determine my diagnosis so that i could stop searching in the net or wherever to find my symptoms, Im also fed in drinking drugs that do not work... i hope this disappear, i still want to graduate in college and my condition is ruining me badly... thank you again.

[*Stormy*]

I would urge you to get a MRI if at all possible. The symptoms you describe do sound so familiar, especially the knee bending which I remember having before I started to have issues with my gait. I think you have enough going on that someone needs to take a closer look. My headaches are also like you describe, though the tension feeling starts at the back of my skull, it wraps around to the front and sits behind my eyes and the top of my head.When my issues started, my Dr choose to go the anxiety route with me too and the delay just caused me to get worse. I really hope that you find the help you need!!

Stormy

[ajunebug]

I agree with Selma.

Can you get rated for care at a hospital? "Rated" is when you bring in your financial info and they give you a sliding scale instead of the full sticker price for care.

Personally, I am a chiarian but I do not have headaches and head pain very often. Mine is almost strictly neck and shoulder pain.

[selmaS]

  I understand money issues all too well...there r medical aid programs out there, and u should take advantage in order to find out what is going on.

We all experience pain diff and even describe it diff...so it is possible that what u r dealing with could be chiari or a related condition....then again, there r sooooooooooo many conditions with similar symptoms it can not be determined by symptoms alone.

  "selma"

[ragn]

thank you for your reply selma, i really want to have an MRI but i cant due to financial restraints... those head pains, what i meant was kind of tension headache that radiates from the skull to the eyes, about balance i some times feel dizzy but lately when i walk me knee sometimes bends/gives i dont know if thats the same, what i really had and the most troublesome of my symptoms were increasingly worsening memory and concentration problems and most of all my neck pain... and recently weakness of my arms, pain on the lateral side of my elbow, weird sharp pain on my skull, abdomen etc. i really dont know what to think... I really appreciate your concern for my case thank you again

[selmaS]

  Hi and welcome to the Chiari forum.

It is very possible that the symptoms can be chiari, and a MRI is the one way to know for sure...family history can help u know if there is more of a reason to believe u would have this condition.

I know how u feel, there r soooo many strange symptoms that most feel u r making them up...but, there r enuff of us here that share in the symptoms u mention, plus we have even more...it is hard to tell the Dr all of the symptoms all at one visit.

U mention neck pain, shoulder pains, being dizzy...but head pain, not headaches? there is a difference and I wonder....not all with chiari do have HA's, but I was interested.

How is ur balance?

I would suggest u get the MRI even if u do not have chiari, u will want to know y u r feeling like this....a MRI is one way to know for sure.

  "selma"