menstral question

[ambyj]

so, i noticed my symptoms were getting a bit worst last week but thought nothing of it. ive gotten so used to the roller coaster severity of my symptoms. and my dear aunt flo decided to visit last night at about 6pm. since then, i feel like someone threw a brick at my head. my nausea is so close to me actually vomiting that i dont even want to get up, i feel like i just got off an amusement park ride for how extremely dizzy i am, im weaker than usual, and my tremors are so crazy that i can barely write. my question is, do symptoms tend to worsen when you get your period?

[shortyw3kids]

I've noticed the same thing, that my symptoms are usually worse right around that time. Since having the surgery I have alot more good days each month than bad, but even my DH notices that the symptoms seem to flare around the same time as my monthly.

Hope you feel better.

Dawn :)

[selmaS]

  Hi...well I remember back when I still had a monthly that I did have very debilitating issues, I did not have my Chiari dx so I had no idea and thought this is just how I am...but my HA's always got worse with that time of the month and the weather changes.

I wonder if u were also stressed with the visit as that will contribute to how u feel....keep hydrated and rest...that is the best advice I can give u other then to let ur Dr know how this kicked u down....

((hugs))

[Sabbynal]

Sorry to hear you are having a hard time. here is what I was told by my dr. You have three things in your head:  brain matter, cerebral spinal fluid, and blood. That's it.  
All together they need to keep an equilibrium for you to feel "normal". When your brain is taking up too much space, it displaced the other fluids. With Chiari, if you CSF flow is constricted b/c of your brain being in the way of the passage from spine to head, you can get a back-logged system and it swells and you don't get much fluid to the back of your head, hence the wild Chiari symptoms.
When your monthly pal comes to visit, your blood flow increases, displacing flow in other areas of the body, equilibrium effectively thrown off. Now you have big-head, hampered csf, and rushing blood flow all at the same time. That's why it helps to lay on your side sometimes, the flow equalizes more easily without having to fight gravity.

Still, if your symptoms are already this bad, seeing your Chiari specialist and letting them know how your symptoms are escalating would be the best plan. They might suggest decompressing the Chiari to make more room for csf flow. Talk to your NS.

Hope you feel better soon.
Abby