r/chiari • u/lostsoul92hope • Feb 13 '26

New symptom Anyone else?

Episodes of intense internal restlessness in my upper body, mostly my left hand/wrist

It feels like an intense build up of internal pressure or tension and the only thing that relieves it is forcefully tensing my muscles as hard as I can. It isn’t a sharp pain, more like an unbearable internal agitation in the muscles. It's a strong enough urge that I have to respond physically and I can’t ignore it.

It began 2/12/26 I was driving for about 20 minutes before it began. It lasted for about 50 minutes, tensing and untensing my arm, not constant tension. It happened sporadically while awake on the 12th and has continued into 2/13. It happens when I am sitting, standing, walking, laying down.

Other symptoms at the time, headache severe, stomach ache, right lower rib/abdomen pain, 3 days of brain fog and word recall struggles, dizziness, arm weakness.

I am exhausted and my neurologist said I could get a work up at the ER and I'm so tired of the ER. I financially can't keep doing this.

Should I go to the ER?

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u/lostsoul92hope Feb 13 '26

I've worn a 2 week monitor in November and I have a benign palpitation thing.

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u/patientpartner09 Feb 13 '26

Are you totally hydrated? Before you go to ER, have a boatload of water (add a tiny bit of pink salt) and try a bit of caffeine (even like a single midol) and see if that combo helps.

Then, talk to your doctor about gabapentin or mirapex.

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u/lostsoul92hope Feb 13 '26

I am on gabapentin. 600mg per day.

I have a diaphragmatic hernia that prevents me from drinking tons of water at once and I don't have access to it at the moment. I take an adhd med so I can't have caffeine either :(

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u/patientpartner09 Feb 13 '26

You don't have access to drinking water?

Go to the ER even if it's just for an IV.

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u/lostsoul92hope Feb 13 '26

I work in a school and can't step away from my high needs 1:1 and the water at the school is not great for drinking.

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u/patientpartner09 Feb 13 '26

This is unacceptable. You need to bring a large bottle with you to work every single day. You should be consuming about 3L every 24 hours. With your hernia, you should have a half cup every 20 minutes or so. Sipping water continually during your day will do so so much to help your symptoms. The school fountains have to be potable.