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Have Shunt Malfunction, Extreme Headache And Problem In Concentrating. Suggestion?
Question: oOPS, i ACCIDENTALLY PUSHED THE WRONG BUTTON. I AM SEARCHING FOR INFORMATION ON HOW TO RECOGNIZE SHUNT MALFUNCTIONS AS I DO HAVE A BUNCH OF SYMPTOMS, WHICH HAVE PRETTY MUCH BEEN SHINED ON BY NS AFTER ABOUT 6 MONTHS OF CHANGING SHUNT PROGRAM, GOING FROM ONE PROBLEM TO ANOTHER, BUT ALWAYS A PROBLEM SEVERE ENOUGH TO INTERFERE WITH MY LIFE. NOW HAS TOLD ME SHUNT IS OK, REFERRED ME TO HEADACHE SPECIALIST. I SEE FROM READING THIS INFORMATION THAT I MUST KEEP DETAILED NOTES, FIND ANOTHER DOCTOR OR HEAD FOR MAJOR CLINIC. IN OTHER WORDS, I DO HAVE TO DO SOMETHING. I GUESS MY QUESTIONS NOW IS, HOW QUICKLY SHOULD I TAKE FURTHER ACTION? I CALLED THE HEADACHE SPECIALIST TODAY AND HIS FIRST APPOINTMENT IS THE END OF JULY. I DO NOT THINK IT IS A HEADACHE SPECIALIST I NEED TO SEE. I HAVE A CODMAN, 3 YEARS WITH ONE ABDOMINAL REVISION. MY LIFE IS MISERABLE AND I FIND IT VERY DIFFICULT TO WORK BECAUSE I CANNOT CONCENTRATE ON ANYTHING. I AM SO HAPPY TO HAVE FOUND THIS WEB SITE. THANK YOU SO MUCH. B XXXXXXX OH, I JUST SAW I NEED TO PAY. HOW MUCH? I forgot to mention i have extreme pain on the back of my head always when lying down (10+) One doc just told me occipital. Goes across shoulders. Wants me to have injection. Your opinion about that? Sorry I forgot all this and also had to run down to get my credit card. Did the thinking when everything started hurting then. Thank you.
Hello,
Normal Pressure Hydrocephalus (NPH) may be the one, which is causing you severe headache.
There may be a block in the pathway of CSF flow and the accumulated Cerebrospinal fluid may compress on the brain, cause you headache, and shoulder pain. There may be meningitis also.
You need
1. CSF tapping
2. CT and MRI of the brain.
You need to consult a Neurosurgeon and not a headache specialist in the first place.
If the cause of the problem is due to NPH then the treatment of choice is surgery (Shunt).
It is called Ventriculoperitoneal shunt.
Prognosis:
Patient improves a lot with surgery.
Post surgery dementia care should be provided.
It left untreated it may cause undesired result.
Hope I have answered your question.
Pleased to answer other queries.
Normal Pressure Hydrocephalus (NPH) may be the one, which is causing you severe headache.
There may be a block in the pathway of CSF flow and the accumulated Cerebrospinal fluid may compress on the brain, cause you headache, and shoulder pain. There may be meningitis also.
You need
1. CSF tapping
2. CT and MRI of the brain.
You need to consult a Neurosurgeon and not a headache specialist in the first place.
If the cause of the problem is due to NPH then the treatment of choice is surgery (Shunt).
It is called Ventriculoperitoneal shunt.
Prognosis:
Patient improves a lot with surgery.
Post surgery dementia care should be provided.
It left untreated it may cause undesired result.
Hope I have answered your question.
Pleased to answer other queries.
Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Shanthi.E
I do not have follow up question now. I already have a shunt. Already have the tests, but not the lumbar puncture. Sorry, I did not make my questions clear. But I sort of got the answer i needed. I need to look elsewhere. My problem is not for a headache specialist. Thank you.
Answered by
Dr. Dr. Basheer Ahamed
Pathologist and Microbiologist
Practicing since :2006
Answered : 1584 Questions
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