nutrition and chiari

[lynnbrook177]

I am very curious to learn whether or how proper nutrition can affect Chiari symptoms. Of course, we all know that eating right is going to help us feel better regardless, but is there any correlation between Chiari and low blood sugar, or Chiari and light headedness due to diet causing more weakness? Or Chiari and brain fog due to diet? I know this is somewhat of a loaded question, but I also know this is the only place I'm going to find an answer!  Thanks for any input!

[lynnbrook177]

Thanks Selma, will mention it to him, I'll see him in a week :)

[selmaS]

  U would be best to go to  a GI Dr but some ENT's will do GERD testing, but this is not their area  of expertise.

  Talk to ur PCP about this and see if he can set u  up with a Dr he respects.

[lynnbrook177]

Yes, I def get what your're saying.  The aches def feel flu like, and the weakness, well, does feel like low blood sugar, but I have found that eating better and more regularily helps all these feelings, so it is def worth making the lifestyle changes!!

[Viva001]

IMO, my body can "feel" like I have low blood sugar, even when I know I do not (just like my feels like I have the flu when I don't).  But if I eat well, I can eliminate it as a "real" symptom.
Btw, I never had an appetite until I had a laminectomy 12 yr ago.  Thanks for helping me gain 35 lb, dr. Rosner!

[TJay13]

Wait low blood sugar can happen because of Chiari? Well that explains why mine drops a lot

[Thumper62]

I Am Diabetic It Runs In The Family  There Are Those Of Us That Are/Were Overweight

[lynnbrook177]

Thanks for all your responses!  I really wasn't expecting such a clear detailed reason, Selma.  I have a follow-up appointment with an ENT soon, would he be the guy to ask to test for Gerd?  I have a few of the symptoms you mentioned above and my GP did suggest eating more protein to help with sugar levels. Kinda think it's been helping. The NS said the fog was not Chiari related, and I had the habit of skipping meals or just eating when I really felt the need (when I had brain fog or was getting weak and knew I needed food) Will defenitely improve on that bad habit!

Thanks for everyone here...I am slowly learning more and more just from this site and feel like educating myself and listening to my own body is the all I have right now as my symptoms are manageable and from just looking at me, I look fine....I am even tired of going to my GP because he just blows me off, since MRI's have not changed, he believes that I couldn't possibly be having Chiari symptoms.  Same story I've read from so many! We have to learn to take care of ourselves!

[Viva001]

Hi, I've maintained a mostly "pure" diet for >40 yr., so it did not prevent symptoms; the way I eat most likely prevented diseases of civilization, which compounds the problem and probably makes recovery more difficult.
I have found that I need to eat a lot of meat to prevent actual or perceived low blood sugar, feelings of weakness, etc.  I'm fortunate though that I have a source of grass fed beef 2 mi. away.

Think how much worse Chiari + poor nutrition must be.

[bookworm79]

Selma just summed me up completely with everything she just listed.  I've had to make diet and lifestyle changes and some are helping because of all the issues she listed above including GERD.