I posted some of this on the new member forum, but maybe this was a better place to go. I recently went to the eye doctor because I was having trouble with my peripheral vision. Sometimes it would go away if I looked to the side or if I went into a room with a different type of lighting (I wasn't sure if this was because of my migraines or not, so I ignored this for a while). They saw something wrong with my eyes, so they sent me to ophthalmology. They said that I had Papilledema (bulging of the optic nerve), and sent me to a neurologist. He had me go through an MRI, diagnosed me with pseudotumor cerebri (Idiopathic Intracranal Hypertension) around 28March and then did a spinal tap (which freaking hurt! He couldn't find the space between my spinal bones... ) to check my CSF pressure. My husband was with me for the spinal tap, and told me all about it afterwards (he tried to tell me during, but I kept freaking out and told him to stop). He said when the doctor tried to test my CSF pressure, it shot out of the top and the doc stepped back so he didn't get hit. The doc said my pressure was too high to read, so he just drew quite a bit of it out to test it. Hopefully I get to hear the result of that on 7April, when I go back in. I've also got another MRI scheduled for later April, but I'm not sure why, since I've already had one and they didn't see anything. I've already been to the ER once since diagnosed about a week ago, for debilitating migraines (which I was told could be caused by the lumbar puncture or could be a sign it was all getting worse; but I also get migraines anyways, so it could be that too). I've been getting migraines ever since i turned 20 (I'm now 27), and they can get so bad that I will completely lose my sight for up to 30 seconds (I'll see just a bright white light and nothing else); lose the ability to talk; or I might start mixing up words and start stuttering (which makes it impossible to understand me); I sometimes lose the ability to think clearly (which is super frustrating to me, because I know i have something to say, I just can't figure out what); sometimes it will make me dizzy or make me stumble; sometimes it will make me stumble (that was all just for the migraines). Now I'm wondering if my migraines have been regular migraines all along or if I've had this for way longer than I thought and it's been slowly getting worse. I mean, at some points I've thought I was having a stroke and went to the ER, because of some of the symptoms. But that's all speculation on my part. Please talk with me! Thanks.

P.S. - I don't want to go blind!!!!!

OK, that's all.

Hi Boo, welcome.

The only help I can offer at the moment is to suggest you spend some time with the archives, seaching for Pseudotumor Cerebri . There have been many threads & posts in different forums; you are definitely not alone.

Doc

Hi
I am 37 years of age and just received my VP shunt less than a month ago. I too was having problems with my vision because the pressure in my head. I was told that once my eye site is gone it is gone for good. since I received my shunt the first thing I noticed was the pressure and pain behind my eyes was gone. I am still recovering and they will set my shunt higher on the 24th I am hopping that I just keep getting better. please feel free to ask me any question I am not a doctor so I can not give medical advice but I would make sure you go get your eyes checked and make sure you don't have optical nerve damage. I have/had optical nerve damage and that's when the blindness kicks in and the clock has started. GOOD LUCK