Is it possible to have big vents and low pressure?

[Spiritgal]

I know lots of folk here have high pressure issues but was just wondering if the vents are always smaller with low pressure. I've had my new gravitational shunt in 8 weeks now (I had teeny-weeny vents and very low pressure before that was put in) and as I've been overdraining for potentially 4 years, my NS is trying to raise the pressure very gradually. I'm on a setting of 3 now (range goes 0-20) but my vents now look a little on the large side. Nothing scary but way bigger than they were. But I think I'm still having low-pressure issues. I have headaches all the time and I think they're worse by the end of the day, although they're not loads better when I wake up. NS wants to raise pressure again by 1 notch on Monday...I think it was DystoniaGal who had hers raised by 2 recently and ended up with high pressure problems? I just find it so hard to distinguish between low and high pressure symptoms...am scared of going too high if my vents are already big. Any similar experiences? Thanks guys! :)

[DystoniaGal]

You can have non-compliant ventricles. Meaning no matter the ICP, your ventricles wont change in size.

[Spiritgal]

Thanks for the comment..this is where I get muddled. My vents can't be non-compliant as they went from very small indeed to slightly too big in 24 hours. But having low-pressure symptoms with big vents can't be right! :confused: Oh, who knows! I guess I'll find out when the pressure's raised on Monday...just bit anxious about going too high.

[Austinsmom]

Hi,
It seems your vents are compliant and that is a good thing, it seems to be working too they did this with my son too, and now his vents are at normal size when we look at his CT's his vents were slit, and now they look huge but are what "is normal" for average everyday folk, They showed us on his CT that he had no pressure easy to see by the one smooth white line around the brain, when Austin had increased pressure problems and slit vents he had many squiggly bright white lines around the outside of his brain
Symptoms are hard to figure out, time helps all that but wondering is always a problem:rolleyes: How did your test go?
hope this helps a bit
Deborah

[Spiritgal]

Thanks Deborah. My pressure increase isn't till Monday. But I'm not too concerned...my NS is great and the slightest hint of pressure getting too high and he'll lower it again. You're right...it's a case of time settling everything down. I keep having to remind myself it's only been 8 weeks since the op and this is the first time in 4 years I've not been overdraining! So of course things are gonna take time to settle and adjust. I guess I'm not a very patient patient! :)

[Lemontree]

Hi,
Sometimes if the vents have been large for a long time, it may cause damage like broken vessels stroke, etc. if there was a suddent decrease in them.

Mine are kind of large, and I've had a shunt for nearly my entire life. I'm not having headaches or any other strange symtems and since I've only just recently had an MRI, it's difficult to tell how long they've been this way.

Good luck to you!

Lemontree