Shunt

Hey, do any of y’all have shunts? I do, and it really bugs me. I can’t sleep on my side because of the pain it brings. It makes me cry and sometimes I can’t move because it hurts so bad. Does any one else have this problem? If so, what do you do to help or fix it?

Bearcat, I've had a VP shunt for about 5 years now. Never any pain, but I did have a shunt revision about a year ago after a malfunction. My initial shunt lasted 4 years without any problems, then out of the blue, it became clogged and malfunctioned. I posted a discussion or blog about it somewhere. From what I have read, if you think it might be infected or blocked off, get to the ER asap. A common symptom of hydrocephalus is vomiting with a headache. Sorry I couldn't help with your pain question. GK

Bearcat,

It sounds like the shunt is interfering a lot with your ability to function. I would ask your doctor to check on it and make sure there's nothing wrong and see if there isn't something they can adjust to make it a little less intrusive.

Hi Bearcat and I think you have received some great advice here. I would follow Shirasaya's suggestion and consult your physician. I have a shunt and I remember asking the neurosurgeon how I would know if there was any problem with it and his response was that I would definitely know. Like Greg, I have not experienced any pain and I will celebrate 4 years in May and God willing I will continue to be without problems. Please keep us posted.

Hey Bearcat, I was thinking about your shunt situation recently. If you've had your shunt for a year or more with no pain, a sudden onset of scar pain could be indicative of infection in my opinion. I thought about this because I recently had shunt connected to my existing shunt. Fun I know. I had the initial pain along the side of head along my scar like you describe, but it improved after about a week. GK