Is it possible for symptoms to come and go?

[Guest guest]

Okay. Is it possible to have your pain (symptoms) come and go? For

some days to be great and hardly tell that there is anything wrong,

and others to be in such terrible pain?

I went back to the neurologist for the first time since being dx. I

told her about the pain that I was having and gave her a list of

symptoms that I've been experiencing (all which are common for

chiari). She was convinced or at least trying to convince me that i

just have migraines, and the other symptoms were just coincidental,

like the pain that radiates through my upper body, the sleep apnea,

and heart problems...all just coincidence. It seemed like she was

doing everything she could to keep me from thinking it was the chiari.

I was having TERRIBLE pain along my upper spine, up my neck, in the

back of my head, it wrapped around my to my right ear, around my

right shoulder blade, along the top of my shoulder and down my right

arm. And sometimes the pain would be in my eyes (I get that alot) and

along my jaw line, along the back of my ear, and once in a while on

my left side of my upper back. Please tell me how a migraine can go

down my arm???

What I find even more curious is that my neuro had an MRI done like 8

years ago and also had a herniation (5mm), but swears that I would

have to have a herniation of 10mm for it to effect me (mine is only

3mm). She basically said that if she did an MRI on 10 people that

every 3 people would have a herniation. She finally said that she

would refer me to a neurosurgeon, but that he would probably reject

my referal because appartently he rejected others. I have my

appointment set up with him on the 22nd. And she kept telling me that

I shouldn't even think about having the surgery. That I should

refrain from having it unless I started experiencing paralysis.

Well, I don't want the surgery unless I have to, but I don't want to

experience paralysis before they do anything. I also was able to talk

her into an MRI of my spine but she refused to do the full spine, she

said that if I had a syrinx it would only be in my C Spine and that

was all she would order for the MRI. But my pain that I have in my

spine is in the thorasic region ( between my shoulder blades). And as

for the " migraines " she could not prescribe me anything other than

the Amitriptaline (which I hate) without risk of kidney stones so she

wants to do Cortizone shots in my shoulders and the back of my head.

And if that doesn't work then she wants to try Botox shots.

I just feel like I'm fighting a losing battle. When I'm hurting,

Motrin, tylenol, flexeril, warm/cool compress, and message doesn't

work. The only thing that worked was Naproxen and Valium (as a muscle

relaxer) and she won't even prescribe me that, that's the militarys'

way of doing things...always motrin for everything.

Does any one have any suggestions? Mind you it's hard to get a

referal of your choice with the military, and if I choose to go where

I want I will pay through the nose.