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headache

I constantly have a low grade headache, but can live with it.  Not long after I cough, there is a burst of headache pain.  It lasts for a short while, this calms back down.  Every cough is another headache.   I have been to a neurologist, had MRI, had spinal tap and the decision was that I have a shingles virus in the white matter of the brain.  While that might be so, it does not explain why my head hurts so much when I cough.  The only logical conclusion to me was a short burst of pressure put on the brain when coughing and as far as I know, the only possible way to get that pressure is through the spinal fluid.  Also, I recall that in the 4 hours after the spinal tap, there was zero pain in my head period, so I assumed that the removal of the small amount of fluid for the spinal tap was the reason for that.  Make sense?
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620923 tn?1452915648

  Horselip does give a few meds for high CSF pressure...they both are typically RX'd for these issues....

I agree not sure how they can tell if it is shingles or not....with the testing they have done to date.

And getting copies is not for u to read but to better able take to get another opinion.....u will also want the reports, but many times Drs will review the MRI itself and do not go by the radiologists opinion....
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596605 tn?1369946627
They can test your csf pressure, via a lumbar picture. Surely when you had that last one they did?  I've been dealing with high and low pressure headaches on and off for the last decade. There are meds used to lower pressure like Topamax and Diamox. There are also procedures such as insertion of a shunt that removes csf.

You need to have a good neurologist to test your pressure, look at your MRIs and evaluate your clinical symptoms. Chiari is one of many conditions that could be causing the exertion headaches.

And you should get copies of everything. you can get your MRI put onto a CD, get the report that the radiologist wrote, get the results for  the lumbar puncture and take them to other doctors for second, third. Opinions. Plus it's good to read what is said. I've had doctors tell me one thing and then read something completely different from the testing summaries.

Good luck!
horselip
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Avatar universal
I could get the copy of the MRI, but do not know how to read it.  Are you aware of any medications that is used for the purpose of reducing the spinal fluid pressure?  And, as I understand it, low pressure also induces terrible headaches as well, so there must be a narrow spread of pressure to avoid a headache. I cannot imagine how the neurologist came up with a diagnosis of shingles virus in the white matter without taking an actual clip of the brain matter itself.  Does not seem logical to me.
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Avatar universal
I could get the copy of the MRI, but do not know how to read it.  Are you aware of any medications that is used for the purpose of reducing the spinal fluid pressure?  And, as I understand it, low pressure also induces terrible headaches as well, so there must be a narrow spread of pressure to avoid a headache. I cannot imagine how the neurologist came up with a diagnosis of shingles virus in the white matter without taking an actual clip of the brain matter itself.  Does not seem logical to me.
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Avatar universal
MRI covered only the brain, Selma
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620923 tn?1452915648

  Hi...may I ask what area ur MRI covered?

Those with Chiari Malformation can cause a HS when u cough, laugh, sneeze or ne straining.....

Do u have a copy of ur MRI and the report? ICP can also cause strain HA's...and it makes sense that a LP would alleviate the pressure.

So yes, it does make sense.

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620923 tn?1452915648
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