Numbness at night

[Mel5056]

Hi everyone,  quick question....does hand numbness occasionally at night mean i have one of those cysts in spinal column somewhere.  Of course i know we are not docs but i never connected the dots until 1am this morning.  Ever since i have been dizzy (nov 18 , 2013 when it all started) i noticed i would occasionally wake up with my hand numb.  Well i would shrug it off and move on.  But now that the mri shows cm it all clicked.  I might add i am waiting for appt with neurologists that deals with chiari.  Appt set for april.  I am sure more testing will be coming.  Just wondering if anyone has the numbing without one of those cysts (cant remember the name).  And if hand numbness does that signify where that would be in the spine.  Thanks so much

[TinyRN]

Glad to hear that you are anticipating several other tests as they are needed to rule out other conditions as mentioned. As with you I had a sister that recently died prior to this with brain cancer, so I thought when I was having these neurological symptoms I thought I had a brain tumor esp when they had me have to "come in " to review my test results. It is a frustrating ordeal. I was pregnant when I noticed my first symptoms and no one takes a pregnant women serious because of the risks. But I got worse about 4 months after delivering. Not sure if labor and the epidural exacerbated the symptoms but yes I too also just assumed my back pain and other issues were related to being fit all my life and then just from lifting patients, never connected the dots and still said it couldnt be real. The important part is managing it I wish you all the best and please let us know how your testing goes. Make sure the person you are seeing is a chiari specialist because there is a difference between an MD that knows a little bit more about a chiari than most like my primary who did his dissertation on Chiari's, but seeing a neurosurgeon is an important part of this process. Hope this helps.

[Mel5056]

Hi there,

Here is my full story as i know it to date.  On Nov 18 ( i know the exact date because it freaked me out so bad) i was pulling into work and got really dizzy.  (i might add that my mom just died of cancer in the brain and dizziness what her predominant symptom).  I freaked out and went to the doc that day.  He said you are fine..it's stress about the passing of your mom.  Get phsychological help and it will all go away.  Long story short saw two ENT's and the second one said lets do an MRI.  He thought it was vestibluar neuritis because it all happened after i was really sick the week prior.   But the MRI came back with CM1.   The written results show no hyrdrocephelus and no tumors.  So I now have the appointment with someone who supposedly knows Chiari really well.  I will be honest at first i thought i don't have this..i can't.  All i have is dizziness.  Well after connecting some dots i have realized that yes i do in fact suffer from some symptoms.  I guess i just equated the neck/back pain as age, the hand tingling as tennis elbow, and the pinched nerve pain running down my leg as just that... a pinched nerve.  I did have an MRI when i was 21 (now i am 42) and was only told of a bulging disk.  Haven't had much pain over the last 20 years except muscle spasms once a year that would knock me on my butt for a week.  The last time i had the muscle spasms was the exact same time i was dizzy..in November.  Again i am not sure if i am connecting the right dots or becoming a hypocondriac.  I feel like my life has been turned upside down and trying to learn to deal with this and not panic.  Oh..the MRI the ent did was brain as he was looking for tumor of the 8th cranial nerve.  I know i have a lot more testing to figure more stuff out.  I have read about CINE MRI and spinal MRI.  I anticipate those will be ordered, maybe even full brain.  I don't know..just trying to meander my way through this.  Thanks TinyRN for listening.  
Take Care,

Mel

[TinyRN]

Glad to see that you are going to see a specialist. Thats a step in the right direction. When they found your CM did they find it on an MRI? If so what MRI scan did they complete? (Brain, cervial, CINE, etc?) I dont believe that this symptom necessarily relates to what you are referring is a Syrinx but that doesnt rule it out either. More testing would have to be done to confirm it because a syrinx may lie anywhere within the spinal column or there are other causes of CM if not congenital. Knowing a little bit more about your diagnosis may help for us better to relate with you. But as far as your questions go a CM can cause numbness and tingling on its own as well due to the lack of CSF flow from the herniated tonsils. Its kind of in a way like sitting too long and your legs go numb, its because of the lack of flow to certain areas. And the Chiaris from what most people report have numbness in the arms which can be brought on with sleep as well due to our positions. You can try a brace when you sleep. I know that believe mine to originally be carpal tunnel when I was pregnant but later figured out it was this but when I used the braces (you can buy at walgreens) these tended to make sleeping less difficult because I was constantly turning because my arms and fingers would go numb. The CM may cause a lot of pressure on the cervical nerves which interchangeably control a lot of things in the body: the control motor and sensory functions to our arms and also control our breathing which may be the reason behind common comorbidities such as sleep apnea. I hope this helps.