Hi and welcome to the Chiari forum.
Since Chiari is most times congenital, we tend to not ne aware of ALL of the symptoms affecting us as we consider how we feel to be "normal" as we have always felt like that, so it may take time b4 we see the connection and realize what we have been dealing with could be symptoms as well.
Plus Chiari symptoms do cycle....since they come and go, we also tend to consider those symptoms from nething from a cold or flu to over doing it and stress...which can in fact cause symptoms to flare...so if u r having a stressful time u could have a flare of symptoms, or a fall, coughing from the flu or a cold can also trigger symptoms to worsen.
And as soon as the flare starts it can also stop....I went yrs with minimal symptoms and stopped going to Drs and when they flared is when I would again attempt to get a DX.
The other issue is seeing a chiropractor, I also went B4 I was DX'd but once I was told I had Chiari I was also told NO Chiropractors as the manipulation of the neck area can cause us more problems and symptoms.
See our list of activities to avoid with Chiari and Syringomyelia in the Health Pages -
http://www.medhelp.org/health_pages/list?cid=186