vision,hearing, balance disturbances...

[shay_nicole]

my husband is 29 years old. He is taking the medication finasteride (5 mg, taking 1/4 of the medication each night) for alopecia. that is the only medication he is on. He as been experiencing SEVERE dizziness to the point of brief (2-3 sec. blackouts) memory loss, he can't remember what things that happened a few hours prior, hearing disturbances, like the volume is being turned down and when he lies down he hears wooshing sounds. he also is having visual disturbances. he is unable to focus on objects near or far randomly throughout the day, other times he can see and hear perfectly. it comes and goes. he also loses his balance and it has been happening for the past 6 months and it is getting worse each day... it was only happening a few times a week and now it is happening several times a day. He has been tested for diabetes, and the Drs have ruled that out... is there any connection to the drug that he is taking or could this be something more serious?

[Dr Santos]

Hi,
How is your husband? The shunt procedure is done to relieve increased pressure inside the skull due to excess cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) on the brain. A small hole is often drilled in the skull and a small thin tube is passed into a ventricle of the brain and another behind the ear to the abdomen or chest. A valve is placed also beneath the skin behind the ear and attached to both catheters. When extra pressure builds up around the brain, the valve opens, and excess fluid drains out of it into the abdomen or chest area, decreasing the intracranial pressure. Antibiotics and pain medication may be given after. The major complications to watch for are an infected shunt and a blocked shunt. Hope to hear from you soon and do keep us posted. Take care always.

[shay_nicole]

Thank you for your advice! well, we ended up back at the hospital this passed weekend. we had a doctors appointment with the surgeon, and he told us that CSF was building up in his head behind his ear. they tapped it to drain it out and sent us on our way. then saturday, there was more fluid than before, so they advised us to go to the emergency room to have it drained. we had it drained once more, but now, it is HUGE! worse than ever. they told us just to call monday and let them know what is going on and to schedule a shunt surgery. and what symptoms should i watch for with my husband collecting so much csf in a small location?

what exactly is a shunt and how is it put in? the doctors in the emergency room were very vague about everything.

[Dr Santos]

Hi,
How is your husband? Swelling is a common effect of brain surgery. It usually comes and goes then disappear as your husband recovers. It may take days to weeks and even months. Swelling may also cause effects such as dizzy spells, poor balance and coordination, and even confusion. If he is cleared to go to work by his surgeon, that is a good sign. It means that he is recovering well. However, it is still important that he goes for consultation regularly. Continue his medications and ice packs may also help. Take care and do keep us posted.  

[shay_nicole]

Hi! Well, my husband has been home for about two weeks now, and things seem overall, good. His double vision and hearing come and go, but other than that, he's functioning just fine. He's going back to work ( just in the office) in a few days ( I am driving him-Doctor's Orders!) there is ONE thing I'm concerned about though.... He's on Dexamethasone (Decadron) for the swelling in his head... The doctors said that after the removal of an Epidermoid tumor, things seem to become irritated, and they didn't give us much input on how much swelling is too much. He had his staples removed (all 40 of them!) about 4 days ago. his swelling comes and goes, and the doctor did raise his dose of the decadron (steroid) after seeing him, but still didn't say really what would constitute a hospital visit. I guess what I was wondering was how much swelling is serious? right now, above his ear, there is a large squishy lump where is head is swollen, and it's about the size of a golf ball right now. all around his incision is swollen as well, but there's no fever or redness, or even tenderness. He is NOT leaking CSF or anything of that nature, but his head is really hurting him tonight. Contacting his doctors and nurses is very difficult, and it sometimes take about a week to get a response, so any input would be good!

Thank you so much!

[Dr Santos]

Hi,
So nice to hear from you and its so good to hear that your husband is recovering well! Now that the surgery is finished, regular monitoring and follow-up are essential. After surgery, your husband will be closely watched in the intensive care unit  and will be transferred to a regular room once stable. There will also be plenty of medications to help with pain and prevent infection. The symptoms he is feeling now maybe effects of these medications. However, it would help also to inform his doctors about these symptoms. Recovery and post-op period are the next phase that you need to prepare for. You need to be strong and have plenty of patience at this time. Your husband is very lucky to have you by his side. Take care of yourself also. Stay positive and hoping for your husband's very speedy recovery.

[shay_nicole]

Well, My husband had his surgery. He is doing so well! it lasted about 12 hours, and they removed 99% of the tumor! I was completely amazed with the outcome, and with how quickly he is healing and recovering. As far as the surgeons can tell, there is no permanent damage. The only things that we are concerned with is his hearing and having no taste. When they went in for surgery they tested his hearing, and couldn't get a response from his nerves in his right ear, and after surgery, they couldn't either. Other than that, He cannot taste anything. that's not something the doctors mentioned at all, and my husband just mentioned it to me today, after being home for 3 days. is that something that is common with brain surgery, or could it be because he has partial temporary paralysis on his right side of his face? the paralysis isn't even noticable really. he just says it feels a little numb. either way, the surgery went well, and we're both very happy. there were very few set backs so far, he had a slight CSF leak from his nose at one point, and the drain had come out partially in his sleep, so it leaked from his back as well, but other than that, he was fine! thanks for all of your support through all of this! it means a lot to me.