First time mom, NEED advice please??
Hi, this is our first baby (a little girl!!) and I have had some health problems lately. Blurry vision, severe headache, and severe dizziness. I can-other drive (or more I don't feel competent enough to drive). We have been to the ER, an opthamologist, neurologist and my OB. I've been diagnosed with pseudotumor cerebri. It means like a false tumor in my head. My spinal fluid pressure is twice what it should be. Your spinal fluid is what runs through your spine and cushions your brain in your skull. So due to the high pressure, like a tumor, there is not enough room in your head for it--causing the blurred vision, dizziness, nausea. I have two options for treatment. A series of spinal taps (but Idk how many how often) which carries a risk of infection like meningitis and a few smaller risks like headache etc. Or, I can take a class c medication called acetazolamide (diamox). From what I understand class c means it has not yet been tested for a long enough period of time to know all the health risks to the baby. But a few risks I found were congenital glaucoma, microphthalmia, patent ducts and sacrococcygeal teratoma. One of those I think causes limb deformities? We talked to our OB about it and she said she prescribes class c medications all the time and does not see a risk. Then added, "You are in the beginning of the third trimesternbow, so the baby is almost fully developed so I really don't see a problem." But I just read that our baby only last week opened her eyes in my pregnancy book! She's so fragile! I'm scared about taking the medications because I don't want my choice now to effect her when she's born, later in life, or for the rest of her life, you know? I was 100% decided upon doing the series of spinal taps and just not doing the medication, but it has now been one week since the ER Dr performed the first lumbar puncture and drained the excess spinal fluid and I'm already beginning to have symptoms appear. I still can't drive, the dizziness is back, the ringing/throbbing of my heartbeat is back in my ears, and my vision has gotten progressively worse in the last two days. So what could this mean? Would I need the spinal fluid drained once every week and a half? Once a week? That means roughly 12 more spinal taps until she's born... When I had decided on no meds and only the spinal taps I was thinking maybe one a month, so three. They're really painful, but I figured I could handle three more... But 12?? I'm so stressed out!! And scared!! My husband is too. I'm going to call the neurologist tomorrow to find out exactly how many spinal taps I would have to undergo, but... I guess I'm just wondering what another mom would do if she were in my shoes??
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