Pseudotumor Cerebri Support Group
Pseudotumor cerebri (PTC) is a neurological disorder that is characterized by increased intracranial pressure, in the absence of a tumor or other diseases affecting the brain or its lining. Diagnosis requires brain scans and lumbar puncture. Characteristic symptoms are headache, transient visual obscurations or transient visual loss in one or both eyes usually lasting...
First...The other day I was trimming off some of the dead growth on one of my plants outside. I was bent over at the waist for approximately 10 to 15 minutes. When I stood up, I felt ENORMOUS sharp pain in my abdomen on the left side about 2 or 3 inches down from the bottom of my ribs. I could feel a large knot sticking out in that spot, and it hurt to move. After about 5 minutes, the swelling went down and eventually the pain subsided. Clearly this was my shunt catheter most likely bunching up...and maybe popping out of my peritoneal? Has anyone else ever had this happen?
Separately, you know the "normal" abdominal pains that you get from the shunt tubing. Have your doctors told you...Is it the tubing itself that is causing the pain or does the pain come from excess CSF draining into the abdomen thus proving that the shunt is doing it's job?
And last....Today I had a really bad headache. Vomiting and all! Definitely a pre-shunt headache. Now, that being said...This morning I mowed our lawn. May not seem like a big deal, but we have an acre, we have a push mower and today was quite hot with like 100% humidity! (I know...probably not so bright. But, my husband is out of town and I didn't want him to have to worry about it when he got home.) Either way...now that I have a shunt...I should be able to do these things without getting sick...right? Additionally, we are expecting some nasty storms tonight and tomorrow which always leads to headaches. But, even more than that...as some of you may have heard...being that we live right on Lake Ontario in Rochester, NY JUST south of where a 5.0 earthquake occurred. So, in turn we had a 2.5 earthquake today. Not that the weather conditions and mowing the lawn weren't enough...but do you guys think something like an earthquake can affect my headaches too? Hmmmm....
Okay...those are my three questions for the day. Help!
(Trying to stay out of the ER...sigh)
Khrystine
Separately, you know the "normal" abdominal pains that you get from the shunt tubing. Have your doctors told you...Is it the tubing itself that is causing the pain or does the pain come from excess CSF draining into the abdomen thus proving that the shunt is doing it's job?
And last....Today I had a really bad headache. Vomiting and all! Definitely a pre-shunt headache. Now, that being said...This morning I mowed our lawn. May not seem like a big deal, but we have an acre, we have a push mower and today was quite hot with like 100% humidity! (I know...probably not so bright. But, my husband is out of town and I didn't want him to have to worry about it when he got home.) Either way...now that I have a shunt...I should be able to do these things without getting sick...right? Additionally, we are expecting some nasty storms tonight and tomorrow which always leads to headaches. But, even more than that...as some of you may have heard...being that we live right on Lake Ontario in Rochester, NY JUST south of where a 5.0 earthquake occurred. So, in turn we had a 2.5 earthquake today. Not that the weather conditions and mowing the lawn weren't enough...but do you guys think something like an earthquake can affect my headaches too? Hmmmm....
Okay...those are my three questions for the day. Help!
(Trying to stay out of the ER...sigh)
Khrystine
Healing thoughts your way!
samantha
And since any sort of weather affects me, and we've had a lot of thunderstorms lately (and tornados have struck here in WI), I'm SURE and 2.5 Earthquake would bother your head if that sort of weather normally bothers me. :)
Mandy
MANDY: As for the shunt pulling out of the peritoneal....That's definitely what it felt like and along the lines of what I was thinking. But, after I had been back upright for about 10 minutes or so...it seems it settled down. Did yours ever settle down or is it a thing where once it pops out it stays out? And if it stays out, would the pain remain constant like that? The pain was AWFUL. I can't even imagine having to live with that pain for any length of time while waiting for your doctors to actually do something about it. I think I would go mad for sure!
MM3
My thinking is, that it was the catheter that moved.It seems it can happen and when you experienced such pain, I would think it hit off some organ or a nerve. It still happen to me, if ,i think ,I turn awkwardly. It usually settles down in a few min altho I would be sore after.
This is a different pain to the csf excess pain. I find that pain is lower down and more constant. I have to say , since I have stopped the Diomox, I have not had that pain or feeling! So, what does that mean for my shunt? I know, like yours they are working but...
Next, earthquakes... Wait a min, what about mowing the lawn you crazy woman!? You over did it dear friend hence the headache and maybe a little dehydration. You pay a big price for taking on a big job like that. I understand your reasons but, be prepared, you always owe IIH.
I have been carefully watching the weather here and my head and there is definitly a connection.When the rain or a storm or just a simlpe change in the weather, my head bangs.It s like \i have two pains going on. The daily pressure one and then sharp ice pick pain. Once it rains etc, the ice pick pain goes.
Sorry to hear this is all going on with you. lets take a hoilday together? You up for it? Ill swim half way across the ocean and met you there! Cath.