Shunt draining question

[Guest guest]

Dear Friends,

I have a Medtronic Strata shunt. Usually, I have increased CSF

pressure due to Pseudotumor. I have to not do much or else my head

fills with pressure very quickly and I end up with a headache. I have

to stay elevated on five pillows to sleep because if I am too low,

the CSF just pools in my head and I awaken to the worst headaches and

noises.

Recently, I think the shunt overdrains for some reason and I end up

with low pressure but it is short lived. I have started to notice

that I am having something like sudden dizzy spells where it seems

that the shunt just drains like crazy. I have to hold on to something

and things start to sound very, very far away. The spell will pass

but the headaches I will have are also more low pressure. I spent the

past two days laying completely flat which is something I can really

ever do. It seems to have helped a little with the low pressure

symptoms. I mostly started to lay flat because I could feel the

tubing pulling in my head and the laying flat seemed to help.

This may reverse at some point and return to high pressure. I just

wonder what caused these strange fluctuations.....has anyone else had

something like this?

Dana