Symptoms

Hi All,

I'm interested to know if others have had some odd symptoms related to their aneurysms. I have been having problems with brain fog, ice cold spots in my head, sinus pain, neck ache and crunching sounds, blurry vision, weird neck squeezing sensations, squeezing inside my scull, frustration issues, concentration issues.

What about others?

I have been told I may need to wait 2-3 weeks but up to 90 days for an operation. Has anyone had to wait and had one rupture? That is my concern.

Kat.

Hi Kat...I had to wait, but only 1 week to prep due to the fact my brain aneurysm was leaking...I was in and out of ER twice...with high Blood pressure, unbelievable bad headache, blurry vision, dizziness, etc.,...however...for about 5 years I complained something wasn't right with me...and it started with neck pain and off balance...in my late 30's...My Brain aneurysm that was leaking was on my basilar artery tip and it was 9mm...the other one I have that they are watching is behind my left eye...

You need to talk to your Doctor, but for now ... until surgery, you should keep your Bp normal...you should avoid stress as much as possible( this one you are probably rolling your eyes), you should not drink and/or smoke at this time, and overall live your life, but take care of YOU...if you have a faith, hang on to it...

You will see many had to wait for their surgeries outside of the US...one piece of advice...anything feels odd and/or you get that awful headache (worse thing ever)...seek medical attention...be safe then sorry...

Thoughts out to you ~ Colleen

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Thanks so much Colleen for all that info. Mine is behind my left eye but only 3 mm or so. Still feels like I have a ticking time bomb inside my head. I am so grateful it was found. Yes I have my faith.

Kat going to send out to the members and see if we can get some more symptoms, etc., ~ Colleen

Before surgery I started getting neck and back tenderness and headaches - and after my clipping, I had severe back, shoulder, jaw and neck pain and hard headaches. I found out since they had to go through a muscle in my jaw, I had contracted severe TMJ - and I'm thinking I probably had a milder case before surgery from tightening my jaw as a result of stress. An appliance from the dentist and regular inner-cranial massages have helped those symptoms a lot. Could be a possible, albeit perhaps remote, explanation that some of the symptoms you listed could be caused by TMJ???

Hi Kat…I have all of those symptoms you mentioned! And every time I bring It up to the neurosurgeon they say an unruptured aneurism cause no symptoms! But I feel your frustration. I am scheduled to have mine coiled on the 26th after watching it for 1yr! Fingers crossed these symptoms subside! And where is your aneurism located? And how big? Just curious to see if it is in the same area as mine!

HI Kat, I definitely have the cold spots. I have to wear a hat now in the cold weather or it hurts like crazy. Pain in the head, concentration, anxiety, etc. I believe this to be normal, but I still get nervous when I get a pain.

Mine was 4 years ago. Hang in there.

Hi Kat,

I can’t speak about the symptoms but I can about waiting for surgery and having it rupture. In August 2012, my mom was given an October 9th date for a pipeline with coiling on her unruptured annie. On the morning of September 24th, her annie ruptured. We were told she had more of a chance of being hit by a bus than it rupturing so it was a small chance but it did happen. Hope everything works out for you and stay strong.

Thanks all for your insights. That’s a real concern anoninpalms. I am very sorry. Is your Mum still with you? (I dare to ask - I am so sorry).

Donna, for how long were you getting the cold spots before 1. The aneurism was found and 2. You had the surgery? And where was your aneurism, what type and how big? I’m wanting to compare with people. Mine is quite small at only 3mm. Do they generally rupture when so small?

Thank you all for your replies - it is wonderful to be in a community of people who know exactly what I am going through.

Kat.

Hi Kat, welcome to the group that no one wants to belong to! :) I had 2 aneurysms and they were found because I complained of a cold sensation. It felt like the top of my head was in a bucket of ice water and then the cold sensation went down the back of my throat like I had swallowed an ice cube. I also occasionally get a crunching noise in the base of my skull, not sure if that relates or not. No neurosurgeon had ever heard of a cold complaint but I see it all over this board.

Since my PED placement I experience ocular migraines that I never had before. Over the course of about 45 minutes, my vision gets very blurry, looks like crazy zig zags and bright lights. It starts on the left and makes its way across my whole field of vision.

I had an "event" of a sudden onset headache, the cold sensation, and a dilated pupil but no sign of blood so not sure I could call it a leak. I can name the day and time it happend though.

I had my surgery around 4 weeks from when that happened and it was stressful to wait. It didn't leak, but I did end up in the ER twice with headaches while I waited and they did CT scans and spinals taps to rule out a leak/rupture. It will be ok. Stressful, but you can only have the surgery as quick as you can have it so best to not worry about what can't be controlled. Just be attentive to the symptoms.

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I have two behind my left eye, Kat.....one burst in 10-09 and that is when they found both....since then I still and will always residual symptoms....short term memory loss, partial numbness in my legs and the right side of my face, sometimes just trying to speak is an issue...but I am very lucky to be alive today....and I will take all of these set backs with open arms!!

Michele - sorry, I forgot to reply to you. It’s only 3mm or so - a carotid-ophthalmic aneurysm on the left side righ near the ophthalmic nerve - hence the cold spots I think. I really believe the body assumes it is a foreign body and since it shouldn’t be there - sets off a series of signs for us. Generally speaking, I think the intensity of those signs depends on how sensitive we are to pain, touch, our environment. That’s my theory anyway.

Kat.

My aneurism 4" long, ruptured on Jan. 4, 2014. It was in the middle of my forehead. I had no symptoms prior. When it burst, my first sensation was pain across my shoulders. Then the sensation of something leaking through my skull. I KNEW I was in trouble. I thought I was having a stroke. I called my neighbor and she called the ambulance. It took a while to figure out what it was… I never lost consciousness. The did the surgery the next morning. And coiled it and I was in ICU for 2 weeks. Then in re-hab for 3 weeks. I had a Flow Diverter inserted on March 25. Came right home after that. Now I’m waiting for the next procedure which will involve a camera. They want to make sure nothing is leaking, thinning out and that the Flow Diverter has stayed in place. Up through the groin again.
I am very depressed and I have no stamina, no energy. I have no interest in anything. I have had some of those sensations in my neck. And I have had weird tingling in my scalp.
I do Water Aerobics twice a week. I make myself go. I was doing that before. I cancelled the paper because I can’t concentrate.
I’m an artist… I haven’t picked up a paint brush since my “event”. No interest. All I want to do is sleep. They tell me to be patient…
I truly think my depression is due to my lack of energy. Vicious cycle. I don’t feel like doing anything so I’m depressed. However, I have so much to be thankful for and I try to focus on that.

Hi Teresa,

Thanks so much for all the information - so helpful!!

The cold sensations started around 4 July. I am praying this thing does not burst while waiting for the op. Frightened.

Terrifying I know. I would lie at night and think of worse case scenarios, and every little twinged I'd think-is that something?? Then you look around and everyone is going on with their life and all you can think is I don't want this to rupture and drop dead in the middle of a store somewhere!!!it was the first time in my life I ever took Xanax

Soon this will all be behind you. I think I read that your's in 3mm? That is small in the aneurysm world and they rarely rupture that size. That being said, quit spending time on Google searches! They will scare you and what I always say with anything medical on the internet...only the worst case scenario people are on there. Everybody else is busy living their lives :) Easier said than done I know.

Hi Kat, I can totally relate to the anxiety in waiting AND odd symptoms. I have been experiencing very painful pressure headaches for several months now (before diagnosis in July), tingling sensation in my fingers, dizziness and blackness overcoming my vision. At times I begin to panic thinking maybe this is the aneurysm begining to leak. My symptoms haven’t become worse so I think that maybe it’s ticking-time-bomb syndrome where we panic and rightly so as there are very serious consequence of rupture.
I live in the UK and waiting times are very slow,for example the MRI that spotted the aneurysm was taken in April and I only received results in July, an angiogram was ordered but the hospital only gave me a CT with contrast, and today I am waiting to discuss the specific results even though I’m booked in to see a neurosurgeon on Tuesday.
I have to realise that if I don’t take a calm approach to waiting this will be an even more difficult experience Togo through.
Wishing you lots of luckin getting through this! Keep us posted x

I agree Kat! Mint is 2mm in the anterior communicate artery. I did te watch and wait for a year but at my 1yr MRA they said it changed so it is considered “aggressive” and needs to get taken care of! I know how you feel waiting, but try to relax! I get all the stroke like symptoms before and after every migraine…shockingly I have never rushed myself to the ER yet…I guess your body will just know when it happens! But it is so scary to keep thinking about it! Good luck with everything!

Hi Kat, Kimberly here. Very long story short... 1988 aneurysm ruptures, found 2 more. All were clipped (4 clipped. 2 craniotomies). Long recovery, but better than ever recovery. 2002 found #4, few years later #5. (told inoperable .. no coils or pipelines back then). 2010 #6 (on brain stem found), told "we'll watch it. well, I new something was wrong, which is why the angiogram happend. severe headaches, weight gain (for no reason, mostly water retention... just physical symptoms that came on suddenly and were medically unexplainable.. blood work etc.) Finally PCP sends me to neurologist.. who brilliantly orders another angiogram (already had close to 20, neurologists always hesitated due to invasive procedure "your pushing your luck with these tests". So after the test, angiogram dr. and anestisiologist (sp?) came in.. new something was wrong for both to come in. said.. operation for #6 was imperative.. interventionalneuroradiologist was out of town.. meet with him asap, which i did... less than a week later.. (was told after angiogram to "get my things in order") so, interventional neuro radiologist tells me ,"well, its not that big, well do another angiogram in 6 months. I KNEW THE CHANGES IN MY BODY, and didn't buy his solution. He was also the same dr. that didn't repair #4 and #5 years before. ok i get that... where they were..and all. couldn't clip, coil... PED had just barely come out. So my blood pressure is freakishly high (forgot to mention that) for no other reason except my fricken brain grew #6. (along with the other freakish symptoms).. Went to NY to visit childhood friend... BAM! #6 ruptures. Not only did my beautiful NY Neuro guys fix the ruptured (ON BRAIN STEM!) but 2 years later, pipelined #4 and #5!!!!! My Houston Neuro guy has a great rep. blah blah... however, my NY neuro guys FIXED EVERYTHING.. 4 surgeries, "2 lives used up" i'm up to 5 total... hope that old saying is really 9. Dependes on the doctor... I am living proof.. MY Houston dr has a superior rep. but he elected to 'watch' my newest. much less fix #4 #5. while my NY drs. saved my after a brain stem rupture.. and then fixed #4, #5!! more proactive definately... they took into condsideration my rupture in 1988 and the fact that having 3 then... grew 3 more.. fix em so they don't rupture.. If you are anywhere near NY.. i beg you to see my guys... stony brook hospital on long island... dr Woo and Dr. fiorella. The very best in the WORLD>>>

Hi Donna,
I am here because I’m looking for answers about my cold spot sensations on the head and also warm sensations. The most answers I get when doing online searches are anxiety but the symptoms came abruptly and lasted about two weeks now. It moves around to different areas. The cold doesnt feel cold to the touch but on the inside. These sensations have sent me into a permanent worry mode and I constanlty search the web to find others with the same symptoms. I have already had an MRI done but it sas ordered without contrast for the feelings and it came back normal. Now I have found this site from the searches and see the cold sensation is common on this thread. I am curious if you ever found a link between the sensations and an aneurysm? I thought a normal MRI would rule this out but apparently one wouldn’t show on this test, can you describe more on how your sensations felt and if it was in different spots on the head. I was also told it can come from neck tension and I also get tension headaches and forehead tension on one side.
Also How are you doing now?

Hi Kat @Kat4

I am here because I’m looking for answers about my cold spot sensations on the head and also warm sensations. The most answers I get when doing online searches are anxiety but the symptoms came abruptly and lasted about two weeks now. It moves around to different areas. The cold doesnt feel cold to the touch but on the inside. These sensations have sent me into a permanent worry mode and I constanlty search the web to find others with the same symptoms. I have already had an MRI done because of this, it was ordered without contrast and came back normal. Now I have found this site from the searches and see the cold sensation is common on this thread. I am curious if you ever found a link between the sensations and your aneurysm? I thought a normal MRI would rule this out but apparently one wouldn’t show with this test. can you describe more on how your sensations felt and if it was in different spots on the head. I was also told it can come from neck tension and I also get tension headaches and forehead tension on one side.
Also How are you doing now?