Which are the symptoms of Arteriovenous Malformation AVM?

Headaches, dizziness, and nausea are the easiest symptoms to spot. However, if you are feeling something that seems “off”, talk to your doctor. If it’s an emergency, DON’T WAIT- Call 911/ get help immediately.

{LISTEN TO YOUR BODY}
^ I walked around for over a week, and traveled from China back to the US with an active brain hemorrhage due to my AVM rupture. I didn’t listen to my own body and am lucky to have lived. I was not smart... don’t do this.

Daily; inescapable pain all the time at a base level which rises with triggers such as smells, sounds, stressors, exercise, blood pressure, heart rate, fatgiue.

Monthly; horrendous cluster headaches which include blindness, further pain, vomiting, memory loss. Results in hospital stays.

Occasionally; bleeds from the AVM, life changing consequences

Eventually; death, condition is likely to cause death, the risk of this increases over time.

Symptoms widely vary dependent on the location of the AVM, which can be anywhere arteries & veins are present. Mine was in the spinal cord, which led to a loss of function to my right leg.

A bleed and then instant heart attack or stoke

I have a High Flow Pelvic AVM that affects my rectum, bladder, kidneys, sacrum, spine, female anatomy, hamstring/buttock. And it is also wrapped around my sciatic nerve.

1)Pain, Swelling, unable to sit or stand for long periods.
2)I would definitely want to take away the pain and pressure.

Before rupture: headaches
After rupture: headaches, nerve pain, nausea, sharp brain pains.

If you start to get to the point where you are thinking should I have an apple or a pear, you just start to break down go to your doctor. You should get an MRI.

Headaches, sometimes confusion, in my case the AVM was behind my right eye, so would lead to swelling that would come and go, the medical term for this is Proptosis

hemorrhaging (bleeding), seizures, headaches and neurological problems such as paralysis or loss of speech, memory or vision.

Husband. Diagnosed with epilepsy about 13 years old. Life long migraine sufferer. Only ever saw him have 5 grand mal seizures in 37 years. Last one in 1994. Developed Leucopenia in 1986 resultant from the many different types of barbiturate medication poisoning his system. Weight drpped from 10 stones 7llb. About 2002. Migraines became more frequent. Lost his job because of too much time off work even though employers knew of hos condition. Local GP sent him to the Walton Centre for Neurological Excellence at Aintree in Liverpool. Via a brain MRI scan an AVM was found just behind the optical cortex. Open brain surgery was therefore not possible neither was embolisation ( glue). Procedure was gamma knife radiotherapy. Took 2 YEARS to plan this procedure. Carried out at the Royal Hallamshire Hospital in Sheffield. Home next day. AVM's are usually found post mortem. Heart, legs or brain Was told at the time that due to his age ( then 45 years old) it would be likely he would develop a cerebral oedema as a result. This did happen but does it stop him climbing mountains? No. He also has eleven ( yes, really) types of migraine and ME. Question I wpuld like an answer to please if anyone else has any knowledge of behavioural changes in patients who have undergone this type of procedure? My husband has.