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Chiari and doxycycline issue?

Some back story:

A month ago I had a staph infection which the dermatologist treated and gave me doxycycline to combat it. 5 days with the medication I started getting headaches/pressure daily, starting from the back and then making it's way to behind the eyes where it would stay for ~2-4 hours. Before bedtime the pressure would die down/not prevent me from sleeping and when I would wake up the pressure wouldn't come back till 3-4 hours later. Before taking the medication, I never had these symptoms, and for a decade or so I been lifting heavy with no issues with balance, pressure or any common symptoms with chiari.

Pressure was never bad, mainly just a dull feeling, I would say the pain was a 3 or 4 out 10 at the worst.
A week later I tell my GP and I go around to various specialist, Ophthalmologist, ENT and then finally I ask my GP to get me a MRI prescription. The week leading up to the MRI, the staph wound had healed and I decided to start lifting weights again at a lower weight, which I felt relieved the symptoms of the pressure/headache.

Roughly two weeks have gone by since the start of the pain when I finally get the MRI. The pressure has mostly subsided in the front of the face, and mainly I have light/moderate pressure here and there in the neck/back of head. Radiologist notes Chiari Malformation, 6mm.
Another two weeks go by before I see a neurologist(who has dealt with chiari), who believes the malformation is only 3mm, and based off my descriptions of the pain/MRI he thinks is asymptomatic. Some days I can feel the pressure come and go within 5 minutes, and other days it will last for a few hours, but overall I think it has improved since the original symptoms started.

So, my question does anyone here know if doxycycline has a negative impact with people with Chiari? I have read some nonscientific links that say doxy can increase cranial pressure, but non of the doctors I've talked to have said anything about that. I am going to get a second opinion, using one of the NS listed on here that are proven chiari specialist. Just found it odd 5 days after taking doxy I started to get the pressure in my head. Coincidence?

Thanks, John


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620923 tn?1452915648
COMMUNITY LEADER
Hi and welcome to the Chiari forum.

I have never heard of this med causing an issue like you stated , but I have heard those with Chiari ( which is a congenital condition meaning since birth)that an infection , flu or any stressful situation could trigger the symptoms that were not noticeable before to flare and be more then a nuisance.

A cough, sneeze or a fall with a bump to the head can also cause asymptomatic symptoms to change drastically.
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