Last spring my daughter, 16, she had pneumonia & coughing spasms. The coughing was initially treated as an asthmatic complication & she was given albuterol, which made it worse. Then she got .5 mg ativan, which calmed the spasm. Last week she had bronchitis, sinus infection & ear infection. A week into this she began to cough AND hiccup w/intense pain. Ativan was given, first a 1 mg IV dose & followed by 1 mg an hour later, causing delirium & hallucinations. Her MRI discovered Chiari Malformation Type I.
While in the hospital she experienced three cough/hiccup "episodes" One while she was asleep. She had to be suctioned during the last episode because she was aspirating her vomit. She has costal & sternal retractions. She developed generalized left leg pain that she described as "burning" & worsened w/touch.
When she was very young (as soon as she could form a sentence), she told us that "the lines" bother her eyes. As best I can explain it, visual images (including after images & memory images) that have strong contrasts (light/dark, vertical/horizontal) cause intense discomfort that "isn't pain but I don't know what else to call it." She is photosensitive. Her vision is corrected well with glasses. There are other senses (touch, taste) that she has problems with. The "lines" are interfering w/her ability to read music (she plays sax ) do schoolwork, get her drivers' license.
She was diag. w/ Bipolar @ age 11. She takes lamictal, wellbutrin & seroquel. She had a manic episode in December but is stable for 4 months.
We were told the CM was an abberation & her symptoms do not correlate to this since there is no brain tissue compression nor CSF blockage. We were then told all of her symptoms are somatic & sent home w/ advice to pursue psychiatric treatment.
I firmly believe this is not all somatic in nature. Please help, what else should I pursue for her?