Ashley, sorry to hear this. Time to call your NO, pressure is up. These symptoms call for eye exam

Sorry forgot to ask. What have you been eating and drinking?
Also, dont forget the barometric pressure has been swinging badly so we're all feeling that too. This artic air mass is kicking our butts.

Mary - Thank you Right now my NO doesn't believe anything is wrong with me just some migraines here and there. Just had an eye exam two weeks ago everything seemed fine then. I am not eating to much good though. I been drink a lot of water. Going to trying eating healthier and working out starting this weekend. when I don't feel good like this I can't seem to go in the Kitchen and cook anything so we end up with take out. Hoping that I can get back on track. Actually trying to find a new NO because the one I go to seemed to just give up what I was diagnosed with and change it around I had only been to here for 2 years and I have had this since 2006 so I will find someone who really will believe me when I don't feel good that its just not migraines just because you can't see something is wrong doesn't mean its not wrong.

Sorry to keep hammering on this topic. Apples and nut butters, celery, pecans, and my handy dandy majic bullet for fruit n veggie smoothies served me well. They used to take the place of my meal when family had takeout. The thing with the NOs is they see paps, even though the grading in below a 1 YOU STILL HAVE PAPS, its still caused by the same thing. They try to detour you by throwing in a migraine dx to make the little lady seem less significant. You now the old saying, women dont get equal treatment, it holds true even in medicine.Call your NOs office today ask them to fax your last result from dilated exam to include his grading, Ibet one million neuros its still there just ever so mild they like to ignore it. Any grade above 0 is significant because the causative is still there, just giving it a pretty new name, MKGRAINE VARIANT. My ass!

I have focus issues, but as fat as I can tell it's unrelated to IH.
It was recently suggested to me that I have ADD, by the school's therapist, but also recently pointed out to me that I've coped pretty well, and that I'm handling it fine.

I am, however having an increase in lack of spacial awareness. Predicting how far a car really is when I need to pull out onto the street. I always think I don't have enough time, when I had plenty, I'm also increasingly walking into walls, bumping into people, in places i spend most of my time in. I don't even know.

I just completed round 2 of neuro-psych testing and have been reassured of two things. 1) I do not have dementia or Alzheimer's and 2) the problems I am having in thinking and concentrating is not "in my head." Let me explain, or at least try to.

The first round of testing I had no shunt and was being referred to see what, and if any changes had occurred - she told me that I basically had developed ADD. I wish I had asked her where to find the studies, but she said new research was showing long term pressure on the brain was causing this kind of effect. That, and added with chronic pain was her reasoning. I did not follow up with any of her recommendations due to changing doctors soon after, but I had that info.

Fast forward to last Wednesday, I've had shunt surgery and had no pain or symptoms for 2 months, then whammo I'm back in the old IIH symptoms plus some new ones. They did a new neuropsych test and found the same thing - ADD like symptoms. This time, medication is mentioned as a possibility but first, they have to figure out why the new symptoms.

The issue of not bein able to focus and concentrate is very frustrating, I get that. But you are not alone in this! I understand deadlines and due dates well, I was in school when I was diagnosed, but listen to your body when you can. I learned very quickly I could no longer wait until the night before to finish an assignment, not if I wanted a decent grade. If I am reading, and I notice myself not comprehending what it says, look at the area around, is it good for studying or is the radio and tv on? If all checks out, then I need a five minute brain break - and then I can come back and do some more. These are just things I have to do - they may or may not work for you, but I encourage you to let your dr know you are having trouble concentrating and focusing.

Sorry this is so long and if it sounded bossy I apologize,
Kristena

I am fortunate and I am still able to work and I have found that my coworkers know when I am going to have a bad head ache day before I do as my ability to multi task, or string words together in normal order for a sentence goes out the window. I will also have focus issues. If I start having a lot of word order or speaking issues my admin has found in about two to three hours my head will be killing me. If she can lock me in my office and get all of my lights out before that happens I do better and it won't be as bad. I am usually still feeling fine and don't notice it thankfully she has noticed this pattern and i am learning to listen to her. I also deal with discalcula and dyslexia symptoms when my headaches are bad. I had the joy if one of the nuero psychologists that I work with point that out to me when I was trying to get him information on a referral and couldn't for the life of me get him the correct phone number for the client and that is normally a simple task. So now I get to verbally and in writing send all information to him, at least he is some what helping me track for any further deterioration of my silly brain. So yes, I am finding a whole slew of cognitive symptoms that go with my IIH and they seem to come with the type of headache or where I am in the headache cycle.

OSA causes ADD/ADHD.
OSA raises ICP
OSA causes IIH
OSA causes papilledema
OSA causes cognitive problems
90% of Alzheimer's patients have OSA.
OSA damages the hippocampus: the seat of memory.

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/?term=23541562
here is a paper on OSA and the blood brain barrier and cognitive issues.
what happens, by default, when the blood brain barrier is damaged?
the brain swells. when the brain swells, ICP goes up, according to the Monroe-Kellie doctrine.

wow, really?
My ADD can be fixed when finally go get tested for OSA?
That'd be incredible! I mean, as I said, I cope with it quite well, minimizing distractions when necessary, keep a tight list of stuff I need to be doing, and working out makes me incredibly focused. I can minimize all my thoughts to my heart rate, breathing and pace when running, it's a beautiful break from my crazy head.

But not to have to work to shut my crazy head off, not to make a 5 step process 25 steps, to not come off as cold because I seem like I'm never listening. That'd be incredible.

I am going to get tested soonish. I'm currently switch GPs, but I think instead of waiting on that, I might bring it up to the NS when I see him this month.

well, it's been shown that in children with OSA and ADHD, that 50-80% of them can lose their ADHD diagnosis after tonsillectomy. the stats are that tonsillectomy only cures 50% of OSA. so.....maybe. the data is in kids. what is going on in the brain by the time you are an adult and have had OSA all that time, it's hard to say. there is evidence that up to 25% of people with mild OSA have silent strokes. how much of that damage to the hippocampus and other structures is reversible? I have a friend who is wanting to do research in mild cognitive impairment to prove that treating OSA can prevent progression to Alzheimer's. but we don't know that answer yet. I do know many people who have had significant cognitive and emotional issues from OSA that reversed after treating OSA. OSA will shorten your lifespan by 20 years if you don't treat it. and it will make your IIH worse. I wouldn't treat it just because of your ADHD, but for a whole host of reasons.

Of course.
Treat it for ADD, for IIH, for damage lack of oxygen does to the brain in general.

Sorry to hear about your cognitive troubles, softball. So frustrating when you are trying to maintain a busy life. I would echo what a couple of others have touched on. When you are having a flare up like this, do your best to take breaks and decrease stimulation to rest your brain. Powering through will not get you anywhere. I know it's super tough to manage to rest more when you are already busy balancing school and work, but hopefully if you can listen to your body/brain and give it more downtime, you will be able to be more efficient. I have issues with fatigue - physical and mental - and I do my best to accept the limitations on the days they are worse because it is the only way to improve them. Hopefully you can find some flexibility to be able to do this!

I hope you can get some help from your NO regarding the blurry vision too...

Thank you all. I was doing better most the weekend as I stayed off the computer for the most part and rested a lot. My husband helped me out by taking care of the kids. It was nice to have some rest. Started back to work to day and my eye is blurry again but my focus is back I seem to be able to focus on my work again. I have done the balancing of school and work and kids for years but this week hit me hard because a teacher pointed out how bad I did on my homework which isn't like me and then I started a new job a month ago and I didn't want to mess up my job. I will look into getting my paps so I can see what the dr is saying. I am also in the process of whiching NO because my new job is an hr from my old NO now. Thank you all once again.