Thats one thing i was very confused about. I always show very elevated pressures in my spinal taps. Have even tapped out before. So i guess i actually do have pseudotumor ceribri. I have not let them give me a spinal tap since last june though. Thats when i started suspected the chiari. They resubbmited the mri to be reread looking for chiari. And a 3 to4 mm was reported. My neuro optamolgist said thats from all the spinal taps they have give me.
Hello, my friend. I am so happy to say that the book form of The Driscoll Theory should be available any day. I think your doctors may understand the external communicating hydrocephalus thing a bit better once they read it. I’d bet my right leg (my “good leg” ha) that you have EXTERNAL COMMUNICATING hydrocephalus contributing to your presentation of Chiari. Sure, numerous taps don’t help, but the Chiari should basically “pop back” unless it is fully “corked” after a tap — UNLESS the fluid in the subarachnoid space above the brain is pushing your brain down just a bit. Now, pseudotumor cerebri is high intracranial pressure that pushes on the optic nerve, causing a “pseudo-papilledema” appearance. The doctors see blurred optic nerve head margins. You can have high intracranial pressure without having pseudotumor (like me!). Can you talk your doctor into a trial of Diamox? I think it would be well worth your time. 🙂 As far as your original question, yes, the pressure of your eyes (your intraocular pressure — not intracranial pressure) can be lower every time it is checked, especially if they are using an applanation tonometer (which they likely are). It pushes out just a little bit of fluid every time. But this reading is not related to the pressure inside your head. Cool? 🙂