medication

[lawrence29]

hi everyone.
just want to know what medication can be taken for chiari Malformation, and will i need to take this all my life to be out of pain?

[selmaS]

  I would imagine if u do not have a CSF obstruction they would monitor it, and especially if symptoms change.

Again it would be a time frame designated by ur Drs,....mayb once a yr,...??

[lawrence29]

But if i dont do surgery what will happen to me, I mean does a person with this condition just keep getting mri's to watch it?

[selmaS]

  Good luck and do keep us posted : )

[lawrence29]

Thankyou so much for your help  and the time you have given me, I will ask for copies of my mri and reports.

[selmaS]

  Here in the states we can request copies of our MRI and the report and choose a Dr to go with depending on the type of medical INS we have.....so we try to make it a practice to request copies of ALL testing.

MS is typically ruled out here as is lupus and lymes.....those are conditions with similar symptoms....many times Chiari is misdx'd as MS.

B4 u decide to have surgery u will want to know y they feel u r a candidate...and it should not be the size of ur cerebral herniation, but an obstruction of CSF flow.....and or over crowding.

Once u r DX with Chiari going to a NS is the next step, but u want one familiar with ALL the related conditions as they can affect the outcome,.

[lawrence29]

i went in for a mri to see if i had ms, they called me back to the doctors office to inform me that they found that i have got chiari, He didnt give me any reports just told me that he is making a appointment for me with a surgeon. Sorry im very new to all of this is this not normal?

[selmaS]

  Fine and clear, but u have a DX of Chiari?

Do u have copies of ur MRI and the report?

[lawrence29]

they havent told me anything else, i was told that my brain is fine and clear

[selmaS]

  Well it is not the length that matters but if u have a CSF obstruction....and syringomyelia is a related condition that they would have to check ur cervical, thoracic and lumbar spine......

  Was the MRI...w/wo contrast.....and was it ur brain or cervical spine they focused on?

There is a litany of tests u have b4 u, but I will not give them to u all at once....

[lawrence29]

hi, All i was told is its 5mm and a mri was done.

[selmaS]

  Hi and welcome to the Chiari forum.

For most, Meds do not help with the pain.....and there can be several related conditions that can add to the pain as well as activities that can trigger it,

What all were u told regarding ur DX of Chiari? What tests were done so far?

This can be  a very frustrating and bumpy journey but know u r not alone and we r here to help as best we can,.