Thread: Nph

This insidious affliction strikes , mostly, when people are in their 60s and 70s.
Sometimes it strikes younger people. Apart from head injuries and/or brain trauma
it has no apparent cause.

NPH stands for Normal Pressure Hydrocephalus - excess fluid on the brain.

I have been diagnosed with this and have just spent a week in Greenslopes
getting the lowdown on my current position and, the prognosis and future
treatment.

Some weeks ago I posted in the "Depression" thread about some strange events
I was experiencing along with a visit from the Black Dog. Because all this was strange
to me ( apart from the Black Dog) I carted myself off to my GP and asked for a CT
of the brain and a scan of the carotid arteries in case the problems had anything to do with
blood flow, or lack thereof, to the brain. Carotids OK. CT showed NPH as evidenced by
enlarged ventricles. So a confirmatory MRI of the noggin was ordered. Sure enough, NPH.

Well, at first I was not worried,, Normal is OK, Right? Wrong!!!

This can lead to dementia, Gait problems and urinary and bowel incontinence. It can also lead
vision problems. At first my GP said there was nothing to be done, I was getting old, it had
probably been there a long time blah, blah, blah. How he could tell that it had been there a
long time has me stumped, as well as the neurologist.

Well, to say all this in front of Ana was a red rag to a bull!! She demanded a referral to a neurologist.
The fellow was full of excuses - all the neurologists were away or booked up. Partly true.
Ana emailed our cardiologist who was horrified and had me booked into Greenslopes where he had
a top neurologist have a look at me.

Yes, radiologically I have the problem, a second MRI confirmed this. The Physical symptoms are in
their inchoative stage.The condition is very hard to determine at this stage and is sometimes confused
with other problems.The condition is also frequently confused with Parkinson's.

So, wisely, a wait and see approach has been adopted. My behaviour and gait will be subjectively monitored
by Ana, a physio, and me, with reports to the Neuro. in a month. It may be up to sixth months before any
action needs to be taken.

In the meantime, no driving for at least a fortnight.

I had a spinal tap and 30ml. of CSF was withdrawn for examination and to see if it relieved any pressure or
made any difference to my gait.

Apart from the triggers that sent me to see the GP there were other things that have been bothering me
with increasing frequency over the last few months. Namely: increasing headaches accompanied by blurred vision,
some loss of balance on occasion, difficulty with descending stairs - I have to see where my feet are and this has
do with proprioception (knowing where the body parts are in space ), and not with depth of vision problems.
Ana says I am more easily frustrated and short tempered as well as forgetful also. I was also finding it imperative
that I get to the loo as soon as the first feeling of needing to go arose. A couple of accidents and near misses sorted
that out!!!!

Treatment?? Eventually a shunt may be needed.

The big plus in all of this was early detection and a wife who won't take stupid bloody assessments from one who should know better!!!!