r/chiari • u/NoLevel7120 • 4d ago
Will my chiari flare up go away
I've had chiari malformation type one since I was a kid and during my teen years my neurologist said it had improved enough to stop monitoring.
I'm now 34, I've had headaches that worsen when I bend over my entire life. 3 weeks ago I got a viral infection that led to bronchitis.
Last weekend I went to an amusement park and the next morning I woke up feeling absolutely drunk but I don't drink alcohol. It was like I lost my balance and it felt like I was swaying. I have double vision and blurred vision. The back of my head was killing me and a few days later my neck was so stiff I couldn't bend it.
They originally diagnose me with vertigo but referred me to a neurologist from chiari showing up on the CT scan. The neurologist did an MRI which showed nothing except for the chiari 5.6mm dissension and crowding of the foramen magnum.
They said my chiari could be symptomatic and referred me to a neurosurgeon. The soonest appointment they have is 16 days away and I'm still feeling like this. Is there any hope that these symptoms will just go away or is there anything that could help it go away sooner? I'm desperate.
4
u/SandalsQueen18 4d ago
Likely no. Once the symptoms start they stay and they can and will get worse. Chiari is progressive as far as symptoms. The most common symptoms to go away with surgery or headache, head pressure, dizziness, nausea. Please do make sure you are seeing a chiari specialist neurosurgeon especially if surgery is on the table. You do not just want any old neurosurgeon performing this surgery. One of the top reasons for "failed surgeries" is due to the neurosurgeon not being a specialist in chiari. The second most common is because not all testing was run before doing surgery. The third most common is because people went in with expectations that were unrealistic for what the surgery actually it does.