Extreme Pain, Neck Pain, Headaches..etc..

[xmelax35]

I am so sick of feeling this way and just want a good week! Well I want to feel better period! I have been through 2 decompression surgeries for Chiari, after the last one I have felt even worse and I have symptoms worse than I had before and newer symptoms. I recently turned 40 years old.  My recent MRI's were NORMAL (as stated from the doctors). The Brain MRI, just states previous decompression surgery for Chiari Malformation and also mentions a lipoma in the supersellar region (it didnt' give the size and it differs on all my MRI's & CT's as to size and whether a lipoma, dermoid, or rathe clefts.

As to my Cervical MRI, they state:

Findings: There is a vertrebal body hemangioma of T4. The curavature of the cervical spine is within normal limits (weird because other MRI's stated lordosis). Theere is disc space narrowing and osteophytess at C2-3, C3-4, C4-5 and C5-6 and C6-7. The bony spinal canal is congenitally small. No abnormal signal is identified within the spinal cord.

C2-3 There is disc protustion or osteophytes causing mild narrowing of the left neural foramen. The thecal sac and right neural foramina are intact.
C3-4 There is disc protrusion and osteophytes measring 2mm. The thecal sac measures 9mm. There is mild narrowing of the neural foramina bilaterally.
C4-5 There is disc protrustion and osteophyte measuring 2-3mm. The thecal sac measures 9mm. There is mild narrowing of the neural forimina bilaterally.
C5-6 There is disc protrusion or osteophyte measuring 2-3mm. The thecal sac is flattened anteriorly. The thecal sac measures 8mm. Disc and/or osteophyteds result in narrowing of the neural foramina bilaterally.
C6-7 There is disc protrustion or osteophtye toward the left measuring 3-4 mm. The thecal sac is flattened anteriorally. The thecal sac measures 8mm. Disc osteophyte narrows left neural foramen greater than right.
C7-T1 The thecal sac and neural foramina are intact.

There is no abnormal enhancement in the cervical region. There is a suboccipital craniectomy.
Impression: Disc Protrusion and osteophytes throughout the cervical region resulting in mild stenosis of the thecal sac and narrowing of the neural foramina as discussed above.

Now could any of this be causing my symptoms? I know it is not in my head and it is NOT depression causing my issues! Something has got to be causing this. I want whatever it is gone and fixed.

Here are just a small amount of the symptoms I have of many:
I get severe pain in my neck and into my face to eyeball and above (all at once - starts in neck) - mostly my right side, but once in awhile I do get in the left - mostly the right though, big time!
I get severe pain/migraine that feel like an icecream headache times 100!
Pain in upper back area worse in one area.
Pain extending into arm.
All kinds of migraines!!! Different kind/areas
Bad memory/concentration
some tinglng and pins needles
nausea
lightheadedness
face freezes up like paralyzing almost - feel like can't breathe, feel like going to pass out (and i have before so I know what that feeling is like), weak, get dizzy but is not spinning dizzy, it is up and down up and down. It is very strange!
I have much weakness in my arm/hand (left side) and my left leg! Big time! I am having trouble typing and more trouble writing. Can't hardly hold pen to paper.
Off balance

Those are just some! (that is just my upper half).

So why are those results considered normal? They don't cause symptoms? I am in pain here and I need someone to help me but so far, a lot of the people I have gone to see, look at my MRI's for literally 30 seconds and say, "you have a headache, that is normal", etc...  or they say, "everyone has those things in your MRI'.  I want to feel better. I miss going to concerts, football games, and fishing! I can't stay at family function but for an hour or less. Sitting up etc..makes my neck pain much worse and then I get that into the face, eyeball, etc...!

Any help would be appreciated.

Thanks ahead of time!

[jemma116]

It is not all in your head, because the MRI and other images have shown up that you do have a problem with the bones in the neck area.

Bad mistake falling apart in front of the doctor.  Happened to me when I broke down in tears with the severe pins and needles I had - got put on antidepressants and was told that if the symptoms do not go in 6 months time to get back to him.  I was no better after 6 months so he then sent me for xrays.

Best wishes.

[xmelax35]

p.s. He never said anything about age. The weird thing is that when it came to my lumbar disc and the broken part of it, etc... he said I was not old enough to have that happen, that it usually happens in people older than me. I just don' t get it! Was it the part where I cried saying I need an answer and said I am sick of waking up with this pain and just the everyday migraines or what?! I am so sick to my stomach. I am not depressed, but I am very anxious now and very mad.  Plus hurt t at the fact he said it was all in my head!!!

[xmelax35]

He might, but he also added in when I questioned if there was anything that could be causing this kind of neck pain at all and the migraines, and weak arm/hand. He said there is nothing in this report showing me that it would cause any symptom you have! You need to see the Psychiatrist (more or less because he is saying I am crazy). 1.) it is not all in my head and 2.) I am NOT a hypocondriac! This is literally painful. I don't get him at all! My husband said that I should have said, "Wast the broken up disc all in my head?"  Did I have surgery for nothing"?! (when I had my lumbar disc broken - a big piece was in another spot and I was herniated.

I am just so upset.  My husband has been trying to encourage me to not give up and that it is now a fight. We are going to fight for my medical issues and fight to get an answer.

[jemma116]

I can't understand why your doctor has told you everything is normal.

I have read the results of your cervical area and it clearly says that you have disc protrusion and osteophytes.  

Disc protrusion and osteophytes (bone spurs) can press on nerves causing pain.

The narrowing will also cause problems with low levels of oxygen via the blood stream reaching the brain causing sensations of dizziness.

Just take care how you move your neck and head and get up very slowly from a sitting position.  The sensations of dizziness and feeling unstable is called postural hypertension.  I suffer with this and have to be vary careful how I move.

It is no wonder that you have all those problems that you wrote.

Perhaps you could see a different doctor in the practice and ask for referral to a bone specialist and physiotherapy for help with special exercises to stop the neck are seizing up and possible traction on the neck. Having a physical problem can cause depression.  

You need to speak with someone who can explain to you the bone problems that you have and help you with pain management.  

Do you think the doctor said that it is normal because people over a certain age do tend to get bone problems?  Your report certainly is not normal.

Best wishes.

[selmaS]

  I am so sorry....it seems the resident learned something recently in med school the Dr has no idea about.....

Try not to let this get to u, we all have had Drs say this to us, as Chiari is not well understood......and it is ALL in our head just not the way he implied.

((hugs))....I wish I could do something to help u....hang in there and try and see a Chiari specialist to see if they can figure it out for u.

[xmelax35]

I am so upset beyond belief. I am so upset that I am in tears! I just came back from my family doctor. The Resident told me that my head MRI for my head was fine but my Cervical was not normal. She told me I had a lot of stuff going on in here (and she pointed to her neck and moved her hands along her neck). She said you have a lot of that narrowing and....I will just let Dr. S explain it to you. Well he came in and said it was all NORMAL. He is sending me to a psychiatrist because the Chiari and The Neck stuff is ALL IN MY HEAD!!!!  I am beyond words at this point and I came straight home crying all the way. I do NOT need a psyciatrist bec it is not all in my head. This kind of pain has to be coming from something.  I can't hardly type right now my hand is still week and it doesn't help that I am crying.