Just had jugular vein decompression eight weeks ago with left styloid removed,C1 shave, removal of carotid sheath. It wasn’t a miracle, but I was definitely better than I had been for the last two years as my symptoms were extremely severe. The pressure did not allow me to sit or stand.
I am now dealing with another situation. As I approached my 8th post op, I began to work out more, which involved fast walking, and I was working on core strength, which involve straining.
The next day, my head was in full pressure again and I don’t think it’s stopped. Now I have pressure all day long. When I stand, and it’s extremely bad when I lay down, which makes sleeping impossible. The neck pressure is where it’s the worst.
Sleeping used to be my saving grace until two days ago. I am unable to sleep sitting up as my neck goes into high pressure. The same with laying down. Stabbing pains in my skull.
I am looking for suggestions. I have contacted the neurosurgeon. If it is a leak, I’m not sure what I need to do at this point. There is moisture in my nose, but not a lot. Neurosurgeon will order a cine, MRV, and general practitioner is ordering a brain scan
I’m so sorry that you were improving, & are now hit with this! I can understand that working out could cause a return of head pressure (exercise was the worst thing for me before surgery, & I guess probably for you?), but I would’ve thought that as things had been getting better after surgery this would have settled back down again…it’s not like you were only a week or two into recovery!
It might’ve caused swelling of the muscles as you were straining, and pressure on the muscles as they healed so icing could help if you’ve not been doing that, and possibly a course of steroids might help?
Usually if someone has a leak, it then causes intracranial hypotension, & you would expect to see symptoms like a very bad headache, being too uncomfortable being upright but better laying down for example, so that seems different to your symptoms? Some members have been able to collect fluid from their nose and have it tested to see if it’s CSF but doesn’t sound like you have enough of it to do that?
If you can get a CT venogram done as well as the other tests then that could look at your IJV again, they can collapse again sometimes, so maybe this has happened? Or whether the MRV would show enough if that was the case I don’t know, maybe ask your neuro about that…And I’m sorry, but I can’t remember who did your surgery, was it Dr Nakaji? I would get back to your doctor and explain about how you’re feeling too…and do you have bilateral ES?
Sending you a hug and hope this does improve
I am very sorry to hear what’s happened, @Luckee7. I’m also wondering if you had bilateral IJV compression & only have one side opened up, it may be that the workouts you’re doing were too strenuous for that one side to handle 2 months post op, however, @Jules suggestion that the opened IJV could have possibly closed again for some reason is worth checking out, too. I know these are not very encouraging thoughts, but she’s given you other good advice (ice/steroids) that would hopefully help you feel better until you get an answer as to what’s going on.
