1 year post op in pain

[BClapper]

I am now one year post op and things were going really well. In February I woke up one morning in so much pain I could hardly move. I couldn't lift my legs,bend over or raise my arms above my head. Turning my head to far left or right got the same reaction...a severe burning sensation. down my spine. My neck always hurts but I figure that is normal, except now this burning pain is back. This time it hurts to even take in a large deep breath. The last time this happened my PCP thought I had arachnoiditis and sent me to my NS again after many hours in the ER and multiple MRI's I was told that isn't it but they had no idea what was causing it...any suggestions?....

[selmaS]

  I am so sorry u r having to deal with it like this and then to have pain on top of it....I can not imagine going back to work so soon as I know how I felt at that point....even now, I do have other related issues I am not back to work,and I do not drive.....

U have either issues from doing too much or another underlying issues yet to be DX'd/.

[BClapper]

Yes I had no choice but to go back as soon as I could. There wasn't time to plan for my surgery it was very last minute so my time off was unpaid leave. My herniation was. ad and symptoms got worse all at once day by day. I went to the NS one week and the next week I was in surgery having just found out what CM was and it was crazy! Of course I'd never even heard of it before...today I am not feeling much better.a turtle could beat me in a race my spine feels like it is on fire.

[selmaS]

  OMG u went back at 2 months post op?...at 3 months some symptoms can return as u r healing...it is part of the normal healing....

  I know others that have gone back to week so soon post op and have had set backs....it just may be too much too soon, but getting checked to know for sure would be best.

[BClapper]

No I've been back to work for 10 months..surgery was 12 months ago.
Yeah that does seem wrong to say IIH is from failed surgery...so many unknowns.

[selmaS]

  IIH and ICP are pretty much the same thing....and to test for it they do a LP.....

  U may be doing too much,,,,,so back to work for 2 months?.....U may want to keep a journal....that way u may be better to see other possible triggers.

I am glad u do not feel ur surgery was a failure, but I was referring to the verbiage in the article u had posted the link to that said IIH was the result of a failed surgery.,..I do not agree with that ...JMHO

[BClapper]

I am an office manager with a new boss who has no idea what compassion is or how serious my surgery was. I've been back to work about 10 months post op. If I ever get to sleep and still feel this way in the morning will probably go back to ER. My surgery absolutely wasn't a failure , Google pulled that article based on my search. I'd not heard of IIH.

[selmaS]

  I do not see it as a failed surgery .....as long as CSF flow is restored and the symptoms are from a diff DX, it is not Chiari regardless if it did happen post op.....

Sometimes IIH can develop as a result of  an allergy or the body rejecting a foreign matter like a dura patch.....

But it is possible that stress and the pony tail pull are adding to how u feel.

How long were u back to work for? And what do u do at work?

[BClapper]

Right now I am not doing much at all. My Dr has me off work 2 weeks for stress relief...due to so much stress at my work causing headaches. The only thing I can think of is yesterday someone jokingly grabbed my ponytail as I was walking by them and pulled my head backwards pretty hard. I didn't put two and two together on the ICP and looking that up also found this...IIH..
http://www.conquerchiari.org/subs%20only/Volume%201/Issue%203/Options%20after%20failed%20surgery%201(3).html

[selmaS]

  May I ask have u noticed if u were involved in a particular activity that may have triggered it?.....what do u do on a daily basis....??

Which items r u not familiar mayb I can help?

[BClapper]

I had a different NS looking at Full body MRI when I went to hospital in Feb and he said everything was fine. Then my regular NS repeated the full MRI two weeks later and still clear...now all the sudden 3 months later I'm in this much pain again. What's crazy is last time and hopefully this time too it lasts for a day then goes away...I'm going to research a couple things you mentioned I am not familiar with.  

[selmaS]

  
  WOW 3 post op MRI's....goodness....and they were all clear?

So u have had a MRI of the thoracic and lumbar spine along with the cervical and brain MRI.....

Outside of a CSF leak, or cerebral ptosis or ICP, POTS....all I can think of are related conditions that might cause these issues....have u tried a Dr other then ur NS to get an opinion?

[BClapper]

Thank you for the warm welcome :)
No syrinx or other issues present at original diagnosis time...since surgery I've had 3 MRI's

[selmaS]

  Hi and welcome to the Chiari forum.

I am so sorry u r having so much pain and discomfort,

Were u tested for a syrinx, tethered cord, or ehlers-danlos?

When u went to the NS b4, did they do a MRI? or since u had surgery have u had one, mine was at my 1 yr post op time frame.....