Re: Questions, questions

[Guest guest]

Pat,

I have said this before, but I would like to remind you as I am very

forgetfull and don't know how long you have been here. I jumped into

this forum without even reading all the great info at the WACMA home

page.

If you go back to : http://www.pressenter.com/~wacma/info.htm and

scroll down the page there are some lists of questions to ask the doctor

among a ton of other great helpful items. These are things writen by

some everyday people, so they are not as difficult to follow as some of

the very technical and scientific other articles that might scare others

away.

I know that the others here who have had the surgeries can add a

bunch more input(I am not one as have not had surgery). My suggestion

would be to print out the list of questions from the WACMA page, along

with the various informative emails you will receive and take this with

you to your doctor.

I believe that doctors can be almost like politicians sometime. They

seem to talk around your questions, lead you off to other directions and

cut you off quickly to get on with the next patient. They really almost

have to be this way, as they need to know answers to their questions and

I don't see how it is possible for a doctor to see so many patients and

have time to listen to every symptom and question.

If you go in prepared with the lists in hand and get right to them,

hopefully you can get more answers and also " more for your money " .

Good Luck,

Debbie

[Guest guest]

Pat,

Doctors prescribe antidepressants for chronic pain. If you were to

read a PDR or a drug book you would find that they even say they don't

specifically know why they work for chronic pain. I take Flexeril(

cyclobenzaprine is the generic name) for chronic muscle spasms. In

pharmaceutical terms is it called a tricyclic amine salt which means

that is is sort of a " cousin " to the other tricyclic antidepressants. I

don't think they even use it for an antidepressant, but mostly for

muscle spasms.

Anyway, they do use antidepressants for all types of chronic pain

such as chronic headaches and muscle pain etc.. It does not suggest in

any way that the doctor thought you were depressed. They just happen to

work extremely well for chronic pain. I don't think I could have made it

the last three to four years without the Flexeril.

Some of the antidepressants will make you feel very hungry all the

time and will cause you to gain weight. The first one I was on was

called Elavil. I think it has got to be the worst for causing the hunger

and weight gain. It did work for the pain, but I had to quit it because

of the massive weight gain(my decision). However not everyone is as

susceptable to this side effect as I was.

Best of wishes,

Debbie

[Guest guest]

Pat,

I also forgot that I wanted to mention something about your remark

about symtoms increasing. I do not believe it is all in your mind(other

than physiologically). I think we have these symptoms for so many years

that we begin to believe they are normal. Only when we start learning

about ACM and the symptoms do we realize some of our little oddities are

actually symptoms of our illness. This in turn, I think(only an

opinion), makes us more aware of symptoms that we have taught ouselves

to ignore for so many years.

Also, stress and/or nervousness will actually cause the symptoms to

increase, as it puts a higher call for action from the parts of our

brain that are being affected by the Chiari.

Good Luck,

Debbie