UPADTE - First MRI since 2012

[LisaM]

Greetings W&W Comrades,

After a 5 year break from getting an MRI scan, my latest 12/8/2017 scan revealed a stable AN.  The initial AN (2011) measured approximately 2cm and after much obsessive focus and determination (acupuncture, meditation, change of diet, etc, etc, etc) the AN was reduced to slightly less than 1cm.

It was a relief to learn that the AN was/is stable.  I have stayed away from MRIs because I had no symptoms and feel that though MRIs are very necessary, I am concerned about the unknown health issues that MRIs might cause.

This weekend I took a yoga class that was very different from my regular practice of Kundalini yoga, about 7 days post MRI.  This class had extended inversion postures (head towards ground).  For the first time ever, since diagnosis, I had severe bouts of dizziness.  I'm pretty sure that the pressure from being upside down put pressure on the AN, which then pressed on the vestibulocochlear nerve.  The dizziness faded when my head returned to an upright position.

I practice yoga on a regular basis and have never had this problem before.  This makes me wonder if the MRI had anything to do with what appears to be some kind of aggravation to this very delicate area of my head.  While it was a bit alarming to feel this dizziness, I feel confident that all is good.  I plan to avoid extended inversion yoga postures and other things that put irregular pressure on my head (scuba diving, roller coaster rides, etc).   

While wait and watch is not for everyone, it still feels the correct choice for me.  Thanks and gratitude to Derek for starting this thread!

Much happiness to all as 2017 comes to a close and 2018 begins!

[judyl]

Congratulations. I'm just starting out with a 1.4 cm AN and have my first doctor's appointment tomorrow. I'm not crazy about having frequently repeated MRIs, especially with the contrast, which they seem to want to do.  I was diagnosed with benign positional vertigo about 9 years ago, and never had a MRI until last month when my vertigo returned with more severe symptoms. Prior to that, I was doing yoga, but still had some sense of dizziness/loss of balance when my head was lower than the rest of my body or when performing side planks but I still kept doing it as recent as August. Then after I went back to work in September and had the vertigo in October, I really haven't been back to yoga.  When practicing poses on my own, I feel like I am cautious because I don't want to fall.  Sometimes it feels like I'm going to have dizziness but then nothing happens or my head just feels strange....hard to explain.  But I can't say anything was worse after the MRI. 

Interested in learning more about your alternative practices, as I am into that myself.

[Mlamb]

I would also really like to know more about diet changes and alternative or holistic practices.. I had surgery and gamma knife and may need to have another surgery.. it's a nightmare

[Houdoni]

Lisa, I'd love to hear more about the things you have done too.  My AN is 3mm and no change in size from a year ago, but the best news is that my hearing came back almost completely.  Here are some of the things I've been doing: keto diet, remove mercury filings and root canals redone, infrared sauna 3x p/w, lots of cleansing stuff like bentonite clay, activated charcoal, spriulina, colloidal silver, frankincense with coconut oil on and around the ear.  And I just started ozone therapy intravenously.  I hope this helps.

[judyl]

Lisa,
I went to a yoga class last month for the first time since diagnosed and I had a similar experience after but I did not recently have a MRI.  I think the rapid sequences of the sun salutations combined with the savasana at the end precipitated my symptoms. I had not had any episodes of vertigo in several months so it was unexpected along with the nausea.  Now I am reluctant to go back to yoga but if I did, I would choose a slower paced class or limit what I do. I've been able to do yoga poses on my own at home without any symptoms, but I have not pushed myself.  Were you able to go back to yoga?

Judy