Brief Answer:
Legitimate concerns

Detailed Answer:
I am a neurologist and have seen a variety of IIH patients in my career. Unfortunately, unless your neurologist can pinpoint the reason you actually have this disorder then, well--- you would've probably had it addressed and fixed by now...that's one thing, right? Hence the name Idiopathic Intracranial Hypertension.....but more than that...there is no real cure for this disorder and the only other way to stop taking medications long term would be to get shunted. I'm sure that's not on anybody's radar UNLESS the medications begin to fail.

So, in short....as much as I dislike saying this...I think medications which continue to work and control the symptoms are your best friend right now. If you'd like to get another opinion on the situation then, you could potentially get the MRI scans read by either another neurologist or neuroradiologist.

What other options have you tried or have been considered in terms of interventions?

Have you controlled your weight optimally? A reduction of 5-15% in body weight can make a HUGE difference to the severity or even the presence of IIH. Therefore, this is worth looking into and doing whatever you need to do to reduce weight. And yes, this even applies to people who are NORMAL body weight. This disease does not necessarily "pick" on overweight folks....normal weight folks get it as well.

Have you reduced your intake of Vitamin A if you took it for any reason? For controlling acne, improving your night vision...whatever the reason? And just in case, decrease your intake of POLAR BEAR meat for the time being since their liver content of Vitamin A is one of the highest among mammals! True story! We know that when Eskimos eat lots of bear meat way up north....they get severe headaches and blurred vision.....Booya! Medicine in action! LOL.....

Has your PARATHYROID function been checked? For unexplained reasons malfunctioning PARATHYROID glands are a clear cut risk factor (especially in women) for the development of IIH. If your parathyroids haven't been checked then, I would ask your doctor to run a quick check.....let's be clear.....PARAthyroid function is DIFFERENT from THYROID gland function.

There are certain medications that can clearly either bring on or worsen symptoms of IIH such as nitrofurantoin, tetracyclines, indomethacin, and ketoprofen among others so be sure if you are put on medications for any condition of infection or pain management that you have the doctor or pharmacist run a check on what its effect could be on IIH.

There are a few other things that should be considered as well in terms of optimization of lifestyle and minimizing risk factors but if you can accomplish the above list first we can work on the rest of issues later to see if you have any of them.

I hope this addresses your concerns and that you will keep me in mind for future queries and questions regarding these or other neurological/medical issues that I may be able to help resolve.

I would appreciate your rating of this interaction on a HIGH STAR SCALE if you find it helpful or informative related to your condition and would very much appreciate a few words related to feedback that you'd like to express in whatever light you wish to express yourself.

Write to me at: bit.ly/drdariushsaghafi for additional comments, concerns, or to provide status updates if this is possible.

This consult request has taken a total of 38 minutes of time to read, research, and envoy as a response to the patient.

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Brief Answer:
Long time effects of diamox?

Detailed Answer:
Thanks for your clarifications....first of all KUDOS/CONGRATS and maybe even an OOGA BOOGA if you like rugby...HA!....for having lost all that weight.....that's tremendous. Now, you can go into BODYBUILDING or enter an IRONWOMAN competition! Really.....despite your condition. Ongoing exercise will only help you overall and you've already developed the habit. I doubt the medication even had much to do with the weight loss as much as your desire and dedication to the mission of losing weight had....but enough about all what the rest of the world wishes they could do when the doctor...."you have to lose weight...." you're the expert! I can't really say if you're losing TOO MUCH weight unless I know more information about your physical parameters. Do you feel good? Are you having normal menstrual cycles? Are you eating sensibly and have you changed your dietary menus...or are you just literally STARVING YOURSELF of everything except bread and water? I have a feeling you're doing things the right way....tough to lose that much weight by simply going on a starvation diet without somewhere along the line saying, "you know what? To heck with this...." and then, you just go back up the ladder again....FAST......The fact you've stayed down says a lot for the discipline and style of your weight loss/exercise program.

Now, as far as the medication is concerned......long term effects? Well, clearly Diamox is a medication which is primarily a diuretic. It works mainly by draining extracellular fluids which if not careful can lower the Intracellular fluid compartments as well....but so long as you're remaining hydrated and not keeping your insides like a DESERT then, you should be OK. There are unfortunate side effects of kidney stones and in some people losing too much potassium could be a potential problem. But these are issues that can be monitored. As I said, your best bet to avoid most complications would be to stay well hydrated....one might say, "But won't that worsen the IIH"....short answer...NOPE......Other thing that can happen is the patient may become "used to the drug." If that happens there are other options such as Topiramate....but overall if you're seeing good effects and are under good control of your prior IIH symptoms then, PLEASE....LOOK AWAY FROM THAT GIFT HORSE'S MOUTH.....his Pearly Whites may Blind you! You get my drift? There are symptoms of numbness and tingling in the fingers and toes.....this may be something that you should consult a neurologist for if it happens and doesn't get better and probably won't be fixed with simple hydration. This could represent a direct side effect of neuropathy...not much you can do there except STOP the medication and either try something else...or possibly go on a drug holiday and hope that the IIH doesn't come back until your symptoms go away and then, you can get back on.....All in all most people find the risks to be worth the benefits since the alternative would be to live with the symptoms of IIH. The problem with that is that some of the consequences of visual loss and tinnitus may actually be irreversible.....headaches can be dealt with to some extent but other things cannot. You could also consider SURGICAL DRAINAGE as an option if long term medication use led to intolerable side effects that could not be abated by any means.

I hope this addresses your concerns and that you will keep me in mind for future queries and questions regarding these or other neurological/medical issues that I may be able to help resolve.

I would appreciate your rating of this interaction on a HIGH STAR SCALE if you find it helpful or informative related to your condition and would very much appreciate a few words related to feedback that you'd like to express in whatever light you wish to express yourself.

Write to me at: bit.ly/drdariushsaghafi for additional comments, concerns, or to provide status updates if this is possible.

This consult request has taken a total of 57 minutes of time to read, research, and envoy as a response to the patient.

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