Brain Aneurysm

[tedm]

I had an MRI and an MRA and they discovered I have a 3-4mm aneurysm in the left middle cerebral artery. It showed I have a dominant left Pica. I also have Abnormal Dilatation of the left middle cerebral artery region. The called the aneurysm a Bulbous expansion of the trifurcation on the left middle cerebral artery. I also had some Sino-Inflammatory or Sino-Polyposis changes. Other than that they didn't find anything wrong. I was wondering what treatment they will do for my aneurysm if any at all. My family doctor told me to continue with normal acitvities and exercise. He was not to concerned about it bursting. He told me it was something I probably have had for years but is going to refer me to a neurologist for a second opionon. I had the MRI because I have been having dizzy spells, numbness in my upper left palate and just not feeling very well. I have not had a lot of headaches and have never passed out from my dizzy spells. He told me he didn't think any of the symptoms I am having are being caused by the findings on the MRI.  It is going to be over a month before I can get into a neurologist and was was looking for some information on this type of a condition and what I can expect. Should I be concerned about this thing bursting on me while I am working out?  Thanks for any help you can provide. Chris

[crwstar]

tedm, makes a very good point as well. relaxing and reducing anxiety is a good point. The balancing act comes when you are so worried something is wrong but it can be done ;-)


Tedm, glad to hear things are as they should be. Sounds like you are very taken care of.  And you are welcome for the support.

Be well ;-)

[crwstar]

Hi, I'm sorry to hear what's going on. Really hard to say what's it is- a ct scan does not always pick up on things. I had a ct scan and it picked up nothing and an mri picked up a pituitary tumor but I'm told its not the cause of my symptoms. The aneurysm was pick up by an mra. I've been seeing doctors and still have no diagnosis for the fatigue, dizzy spells and ear ringing I also have - I don't have muscle spasms though. You know I read your other post from Sept 28 - did it say you were diagnosed with sinusitus?? It would seem that if things continue that a mri could be the next step. Might try a B-complex as well. That helped with some of my fatigue.

My symptoms have been going on for years as well - night sweats, intermitent veritgo/dizziness, drop attacks, blurred vision, vomitting, nausea, headache for 11 months, sharp shooting pains in head and other parts of body, deja vu episodes, thunder clap headaches and more. They all intensified last year and my headaches became daily, I was sent for a ct and then an mri. I also took something for my ears which hurt incredibly bad. I couldn't have the phone next to my hear it hurt so bad even with volumn down......Hopefully, you can get in and get a mri. If you are having daily headaches start a headache journal and make note of what's going on. Can make it easier to see any kind of pattern.

God bless,
Crwstar

[tedm]

Hello and thanks for you support. My sister in law is a nurse with the doctor that did the angio. I spoke with her late last night and she told me that what I am experiencing is normal. She told me they are not concerned about blood clots because I have not exhibited any signs of clots inside the artery wall. She advised that if my feet get cold or numb that I needed to call the doctor. I have not had that yet, and hope I don't.  

Again, thanks for your support.

Chris

[tedm]

Hello,

Sorry to hear you are experiencing the problems you described. I have been having dizzy spells, upper palate numbness and fatigue for a long time. The doctors told me the symptoms were not being caused by an annie. A CT angiogram is the test my doctor ordered and is very good test to help rule out an annie, which is rare, even with your symptoms. My test showed I had an annie, which it turns out I don't. So, even it can show false positives. I would recommened you find a good doctor and tell them your concerns. A good doctor will do what is needed to make sure no serious problems exists. My doctors have done several tests and are not able to find the cause. I do have High Blood Pressure and my GP thinks it is causing my problems. I take medication for it, which helps, but does not eliminate my symptoms. The best thing I found is to try and relax. It makes everything easier. If you are having a lot of stress over your symptoms, your doctor can prescribe something to help relax you until the test results come back. I was not big on taking medications to help me relax, but it did help me get through all the down time between tests. After getting the results from my last test I was able to relax and stop taking the meds.  Good luck and let me know what you find out.

[kirisman87]

hi i have been experiencing head problems for the last 5 months i get dizzy spells horrible headaches and feel fatigue all the time i also have ringing in my ears 24-7  and some muscle spasms i was just wondering if either of you guys had these symptoms i have had a ct scan done and it came back clear but i dont think it shows everything im really scared is there anything you guys can tell me about your symptoms!

tony

[crwstar]

Congratulations that is fantastic news!! I am thrilled for you. Not having an annie is the best news - Yeah. Now that's what I call a stress reliever ;-)

I had pain for quite a while after the angiogram but mine extended from the hip to my foot. And I would get these zingers in my legs. Also ended up having a decent size lump that was blood outside the artery that eventually went away. I don't know about pain moving up to the bottom of the ribs, although it could make sense....I would suggest signing up for brain aneurysm connection on msn...they have a pretty good community of people that have been through multiple angiograms and may be able to anwer your question.  The doctor I saw sent me to a vascular tech to have the artery looked at as we watched it over a week or so and I felt really taken care of. His response to my concern is what helped me trust that this blood clot would dissolve on it own. Turns out it was outside my artery but I was glad he took no chances. I would stay on top of it and if it gets worse call your docs office.

Again, I am thrilled to hear the news!! You take care. And if you have anyother questions let me know - otherwise have a blessed life annie free ;-)

[tedm]

Hello,

I had my angiogram Monday and learned that I don't have an aneurysm. It was a small blood vessel that looked like an annie on the other tests I had. It was great news. The angiogram was an experience. I had one on my heart a couple of years ago and never had any problems. On this one I didn't feel good while they were doing it and still have not got my strength back. I also had a small bleed after they released me and I had to be put in the hosptital overnight for observations. They said it was rare to have a bleed after one of these but I had one. I am now swollen and bruised in the thigh, but am glad I did the exam because I don't have to worry about the annie. They used a clip on my to prevent a bleed and I stayed in bed for hours, but still had a bleed. They advised it will not happen again. I hope they are right. I also have pain on my right side (from hip to bottom of ribs) since the procedure. Do you know if this in normal. The doctors said everything went well and that the pain will go away in time. They said my vitals are good and that I have nothing to worry about.

Thanks for your prayers-they worked.
Chris

[tedm]

Thanks

[crwstar]

I'll say a prayer for you when you go in for your angiogram!  

All the best,
Crwstar

[tedm]

It is located in the trifurcation of the left middle cerebral artery.

Thanks
Chris

[crwstar]

I'm glad to hear that you are headed in a good direction. Your doctor is doing everything by the book. He probably is trying to keep you calm while taking the necessary steps to know exactly what needs to be done. From what I've read people have had surgery on aneurysms at your size and for some of those people it was a good thing because once they went it it was found that the wall was thinning. And on the flip side the watch and wait protocol is pretty standard too. I think calm comes over time too - you know once you've gotten past the reality that you have this thing in your head.  It really sounds like you have a good doctor - that's excellent.

Oh and good that you are having an angiogram - Boy that was a test of my patience. After the procedure which was quite easy I had to lie still for 6 hours solid. They had to give me an anxiety pill at some point - who knew lying still for that lenght of time could elicit such feelings as a need to jump out of the bed ;-) They had to role me over to go the bathroom etc etc. That was the only unpleasant part but they do this everyday so I quickly got over it. Let me know if you have any questions about it - it is suppose to be the gold standard in testing for aneurysms.

By the way where is your annie located?

You take care! Hopefully, I'll hear from you before or after your angiogram.

[tedm]

Hello, I went to the neurologist yesterday and he ordered a CT angiogram. He called me today and advised the ct varified that I have a 3mm anuerysm. He scheduled me for an angiogram in 2 weeks. He told me that he and his co-workers will review the results and give me my options. He advised they could recommend that we only watch it and do nothing  unless there are changes or we could go as far as surgery to fix the problem. He advised he didn't think I was at risk of a rupture at this time and that I probably had this thing all my life. I don't know if he is trying to keep me calm, but he told me to continue my daily routine, with the exception of heavy weight training for now, and told me that the risk of rupture is under 1%. He advised he sees patients daily with my problem and many of them choose to only watch and wait. He advised he wouldn't be able to give me better advise on treatement until after the angiogram.

Thanks
Chris

[tedm]

Thanks for your response. I will let you know what I find out after I go to the neuroligists. I don't get many headaches, but I do get numbness in the my palate that drive me crazy and I have these dizzy spells that are not fun. My GP doctor does not think they are related to the aneursym though.  I will let you know what I find out. It sounds like it will be a few weeks before I get to see a Neuroligist.  If there are any doctors reading this post could you give me your thought.

Thanks
Chris

[crwstar]

My neurosurgeon did not put me on any restrictions - I've done that myself because I've had a headache for 10 months now and for what ever reason all my symptoms increase with activity. Don't get me wrong I'm still doing things but I definitely notice a correlation between activity and my head hurting, short term memory loss, fatigue and other stuff. My doctor just said come back in a year for another MRA/MRI - which was before I knew someone else in the family had an annie.  So my new neurologist is having me go in sooner for the tests just to make sure nothings happening and from there we'll decide how often I need to be checked. I honestly haven't heard anything about alcohol consumption...maybe in moderation its fine. That would be a good question for the doctor.

Just make sure you pay attention if your symptoms change or if you get the worst headache of your life...its time to change plans and get help immediately ;-)

I'd be curious to hear what your specialist says - let me know how it goes. Wishing you well and again feel free to post to me. I'm always interested in hearing from people who are in the same situation.

Crwstar

[tedm]

Thanks for your response. I am going to see a specialists next month. My doctor doens't seem to concened. He told me they will probably just watch it to see if it grows before anything is done. Hope things go well for you. Did your doctor put you on any restrictions (no alcohol, limited exercise etc). My doctor told me to continue doing things as usual.

Thanks
Chris

[crwstar]

Hi, sorry to hear of your aneurysm. I also had an MRI/MRA and found a small aneurysm. When I went and saw a neurosurgeon they had me do an angiogram as well. Its considered the gold standard in finding aneurysms. I would suggest finding out your family history and see if anyone else has had them. If there is a familial connection the medical community can take different more aggressive tactics.  I was rather surprised to find out a family member had had an annie. Mine is being watched as it is too small to do anything about as of yet. And they may not have to do anything to it at all. Usually, if its below certain mm they just watch it but I'm finding that that number is different for doctors.

When my neurosurgeon talked about what would be done he spoke about clipping the aneurysm which is behind my eye. When he started talking about a craniotomy I quickly agreed that surgery was not an option right now due to the size and calmly agreed to the watch and wait approach. I don't know what your options would be - maybe someone who has one in the same location can come along and let you know.

All the best