What is Intracranial Hypertension – Pseudotumor Cerebri?
(video below)
Intracranial Hypertension is a rare neurological condition in which spinal fluid pressure increases around the brain and spinal cord, often times for no reason whatsoever. This condition also goes by the name pseudo-tumor cerebri, meaning “false brain tumor”, because the symptoms often mimic that of a brain tumor.
Symptoms Include:
- Headache
- Fullness or pressure in head
- Nausea
- Vomiting
- Dizziness
- Balance Issues
- Back Pain
- Jaw Pain
- Neck stiffness & pain
- Whooshing noise in ears (Pulsatile Tinnitus)
- Auditory changes
- Ear Fullness
- Vision changes
- Pain when looking to the side
- Papilledema (swelling of the optic nerve)
- Vision loss
What It Feels Like:
- Like thick caulk is filling up your head and body beyond the point of maximum capacity and then pulsating repeatedly.
- Like waking up with the sick achiness of the flu every morning as though it’s Groundhog’s Day
- Like the muscles in your eyes are too bruised and sore to look around or that they will be pushed from their sockets
- Like a full body labor contraction (complete with peaks and breathing through it)
- Like your neck cant support the weight of your head
- Being unable to stand to let gravity relieve the pressure because you’ve been up for nights in a row with no sleep from the pain
- Unable to stand also because your back feels broken
- Being unable to turn your head because the circulation in your neck feels cut off… as well as the circulation in your arms
- Like you might as well have an actual brain tumor because the nausea and vomiting surely must be as bad as the side effects from chemotherapy
- Like your body hates you because it is yelling at you like roaring angry waves inside your head
- Never knowing which headache or episode is going to disrupt your vision again
- Like there’s no escape
What Can Be Done:
Unfortunately, IH is still a mystery to most, and many will say there is still no cure.
Medications most often tried are diuretics to reduce the fluid content in the body. Various forms of pain and nausea medications are available as well.
Some doctors may see the need for their patient to have shunt surgery to divert the excess fluid elsewhere.
Other doctors prefer stenting to help open the veins, allowing the spinal fluid to flow more freely.
Spinal taps may be performed to relieve the pressure.
Oftentimes, simply reducing salt intake and losing excess weight can be the cure. Some natural remedies may also help relieve symptoms.
Every patient must work and pray to find the method that works best for them and ultimately the cure for all.
Learn More : All About Intracranial Hypertension
For You formed my inward parts; You covered me in my mother’s womb. I will praise You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made; Marvelous are Your works, And that my soul knows very well. My frame was not hidden from You, When I was made in secret, And skillfully wrought in the lowest parts of the earth. Your eyes saw my substance, being yet unformed. And in Your book they all were written, The days fashioned for me, When as yet there were none of them.
– Psalms 139:13-16
If you believe you may have Intracranial Hypertension, please seek a medical professional for a proper diagnosis and treatment plan.
If you have or feel you may have this condition, regardless of whether or not you have been diagnosed, please reach out to us.
For information on Intracranial Hypotension (low levels of spinal fluid), please click here.
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4 Comments
Sarah
I am trying to get more information on birth control, my 21 year old daughter has PTC and her old, her gynecologist said she is fine to have an IUD, so she has had it for 3 years, her new primary care provider said no she shouldn’t have it, so we are going to a new Gynecologist on Monday for it to be taken out. For those of you on birth control may I ask what you use? Have you gained weight from it, or have any “negatives”? I just want to have some extra informative so we can make an educated decision with the Doctor.
April Normand
Thank you so much for reaching out!
My neurologist actually prescribed me birth control for my PTC. Since symptoms can be hormonally triggered in some people, this was an experiment to see if my PTC would be affected.
While I have never had an IUD, my neurologist did recommend a low hormone birth control. If I remember correctly, he advised against something like an IUD (but it has been a couple years since that conversation).
His goal was for me to skip the sugar pills and never have a period in order to avoid that drop in estrogen which can trigger headaches in some.
I have not gained any weight or had negative side effects from it. It did not have any affect on my PTC either.
I am taking Kurvelo.
I would be more than happy to discuss this topic further if you would prefer to email us: hello@weatherinapril.com.
Thank you so much!
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