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Dr. Diana, both a doctor (therapeutic optometrist), and a recovered POTS and ME/CFS patient, offers help and hope for POTS, Dysautonomia, Ehlers-Danlos syndrome, Chronic Fatigue, Chronic Lyme, vascular abnormalities, Fibromyalgia, and Multiple Sclerosis. Dr. Diana is now working full time at POTS Care.

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Reply To: Could someone please explain this upright MRI finding

NEW STUDY! Parasym Plus™ for Multiple Sclerosis › Forums › PrettyIll.com Discussion › EDS/MS/Chiari › Could someone please explain this upright MRI finding › Reply To: Could someone please explain this upright MRI finding

October 22, 2015 at 1:33 pm #5671
Dr. Diana
Keymaster

Yes! This is not uncommon in our patient population, certainly. On caveat: MANY of us (myself and my children included) have this presentation (including the retroflexed odontoid, etc) and yet do not need surgery. Instead, when we lower our intracranial pressure a bit (with Diamox, usually), the brain lifts a bit, getting the offending anatomy out of the way of the brain stem and the foramen (allowing CSF to flow through again). It’s so important to see if you can reduce or eliminate symptoms (and signs) by lowering your intracranial pressure PRIO to considering surgery. Sometimes, we don’t end up needing surgery to correct this (even small Chiari can go away when the brain floats more properly). Sometimes the presentation changes enough to alter the surgery, should surgery still be needed. And sometimes, our high intracranial pressure goes away over time, making both Diamox and surgery unnecessary. Does that make sense? Thanks for sharing — great image captured! 😉

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