10 Mos post cyberknife

[dizzyamI]

I don't feel any better post cyberknife than I did pre. Swimmy head all the time. Lots of migraine. Bouts of vertigo. Neither my radiologist nor my neuroENT says these symptoms are normal post cyberknife. That's quite puzzling since I see a few others here that have dizziness & headache. They say hearing loss is normal, but not balance problems yet the schwannoma sits on the 8th cranial nerve, which controls hearing & balance. HELLO!!! I don't get it.

[bri-82]

I was told by my neuro that post CK symptoms can appear very early and/or even years later and that there is quite a bit of variability among cases. The time that it takes for things to stabilize can vary widely too (if the radiation worked).

You are not alone. I am also 10-11 months post treatment CK and balance is an issue with some days better than others.

I hope this helps.

~BM

[dizzyamI]

Do you find you have 'swimmy head' most of the time? Do you find that visual stimulation makes it worse and lying down and taking a rest with your eyes closed helps? I do.

[bri-82]

I'm not sure what is meant by 'swimmy head' exactly, but lately I have a feeling similar to having been on a boat in rough seas and then stepping back onto dry land--my feet are solid but there is still ocean motion in my head. When I'm tired or if it's dark I have to be really careful. Thankfully I don't get nauseous with this.

I try to stay optimistic and do what I can to not dwell until the next MRI (which hopefully shows progress). But as I said previously, some days are better than others.

Have you spoken to your neuro about a possible Rx for your symptoms? She/he may be open to prescribing you a steroid or something else to help you along. I was on a steroid for 3 weeks and it helped (note that steroids have their own not so pleasant side effects).

~BM