6th December 2005
The only thing worse than doctors who can only regurgitate the rote memorization of medical school text books is their apathetic and incompetent staff!
I am on my 4th Neurologist - and the first that has mentioned CSF leak. I research constantly because the Physicians I see are so apathetic and so lazy they don't even try to figure out anything that doesn't fall perfectly into place for the few things they have memorized. The ability to "Problem Solve" and actually think is outside their abilities. Think I'm harsh? Hardly. I am on Doctor 23!!! In just over a year. In that time 3 have offered enough clues to actually help me narrow down my symptoms and someday reach a cause. I will not continue this tirade as most who have been through a dozen or so doctors with no diagnosis (Nor even a hint at trying - once out of sight, out of mind; excep they all bill full tilt).
Anyhow there is a manuever where you lie on a table that is tilted so your head is below the rest of your body. If I recall 45%. I figure that is a pretty steep angle. The position is called the Trendelenburg Position or Reverse Trendelenburg Test (in this case however it is simply the position of the test that increases CSF pressure to see if headache subside). I was reading just yesterday and right now the brain isn't working too well. Always Nauseas.
Anyhow the point is to get your head below the level of your body. I imagine you could to this by lying on a flat board and putting a block or something under the other end so the blood and spinal fluid runs to your head. This creates increased spinal fluid pressure which should relieve your CSF pressure headache very quickly. Unfortunately if you are like me and it's been a while since the onset of origional symptoms positional components start to dissappear making diagnosis more difficult.
My problem is CONSTANT 24/7 but many CSF problems are intermittent. And whats worse is there is no conclusive way to diagnose. You need a physican willing to listen and willing to try. And what is worse (as in my case) once you find one they have to be willing to talk other doctors into believing the diagnosis so you can get the imaging studies and potential treatments. I can not tell you how many POC (Piece of ____) physcians want to just use the it's "all in your head" BS and try to prescribe you anti depressants because they lack the diagnostic skills to determine what is really wrong.
I will check back when I learn more. Too much to read, too little conclusive evidence of how to determine the REAL problem.
article to search for:
NEW DAILY PERSISTENT HEADACHE
Peter J Goadsby and Christopher Boes,*
Headache Group, Institute of Neurology, The National Hospital for Neurology and Neurosurgery, London, UK
Published in: Journal of Neurology Neurosurgery and Psychiatry 2002;72:ii6-ii9
© 2002 Journal of Neurology Neurosurgery and Psychiatry
They maintain their own website and you simply have to cut and paste in the title to find the article. This is FREE material, unlike many other online publications.
theophylline and intravenous caffiene have been used as well. Please publish what you find for the few of us in similar circumstances can research.
------------------- Important-------------------------
Don't check out your films, ask for a copy at the time of the procedure and keep them with you at all times. I have never had to pay extra for a copy. I tell them I need them because I see so many different doctors.
And I am trying to find out how to get a second opinion from a Radiologist myself. On my recent brain scan there was no mention of a condition that was clearly shown on the brain scan 1 year prior. A condition which is life long and does NOT self resolve. So it makes me wonder just how closely the Radiologist reading the films actually looked. I'm tired of paying for incompetency!!! Lives are at stake, and these doctors could care less.
I am on my 4th Neurologist - and the first that has mentioned CSF leak. I research constantly because the Physicians I see are so apathetic and so lazy they don't even try to figure out anything that doesn't fall perfectly into place for the few things they have memorized. The ability to "Problem Solve" and actually think is outside their abilities. Think I'm harsh? Hardly. I am on Doctor 23!!! In just over a year. In that time 3 have offered enough clues to actually help me narrow down my symptoms and someday reach a cause. I will not continue this tirade as most who have been through a dozen or so doctors with no diagnosis (Nor even a hint at trying - once out of sight, out of mind; excep they all bill full tilt).
Anyhow there is a manuever where you lie on a table that is tilted so your head is below the rest of your body. If I recall 45%. I figure that is a pretty steep angle. The position is called the Trendelenburg Position or Reverse Trendelenburg Test (in this case however it is simply the position of the test that increases CSF pressure to see if headache subside). I was reading just yesterday and right now the brain isn't working too well. Always Nauseas.
Anyhow the point is to get your head below the level of your body. I imagine you could to this by lying on a flat board and putting a block or something under the other end so the blood and spinal fluid runs to your head. This creates increased spinal fluid pressure which should relieve your CSF pressure headache very quickly. Unfortunately if you are like me and it's been a while since the onset of origional symptoms positional components start to dissappear making diagnosis more difficult.
My problem is CONSTANT 24/7 but many CSF problems are intermittent. And whats worse is there is no conclusive way to diagnose. You need a physican willing to listen and willing to try. And what is worse (as in my case) once you find one they have to be willing to talk other doctors into believing the diagnosis so you can get the imaging studies and potential treatments. I can not tell you how many POC (Piece of ____) physcians want to just use the it's "all in your head" BS and try to prescribe you anti depressants because they lack the diagnostic skills to determine what is really wrong.
I will check back when I learn more. Too much to read, too little conclusive evidence of how to determine the REAL problem.
article to search for:
NEW DAILY PERSISTENT HEADACHE
Peter J Goadsby and Christopher Boes,*
Headache Group, Institute of Neurology, The National Hospital for Neurology and Neurosurgery, London, UK
Published in: Journal of Neurology Neurosurgery and Psychiatry 2002;72:ii6-ii9
© 2002 Journal of Neurology Neurosurgery and Psychiatry
They maintain their own website and you simply have to cut and paste in the title to find the article. This is FREE material, unlike many other online publications.
theophylline and intravenous caffiene have been used as well. Please publish what you find for the few of us in similar circumstances can research.
------------------- Important-------------------------
Don't check out your films, ask for a copy at the time of the procedure and keep them with you at all times. I have never had to pay extra for a copy. I tell them I need them because I see so many different doctors.
And I am trying to find out how to get a second opinion from a Radiologist myself. On my recent brain scan there was no mention of a condition that was clearly shown on the brain scan 1 year prior. A condition which is life long and does NOT self resolve. So it makes me wonder just how closely the Radiologist reading the films actually looked. I'm tired of paying for incompetency!!! Lives are at stake, and these doctors could care less.