Weight and Intracranial Hypertension The BIG Debate

Hey everyone,

I just want to say before we start that I'm sorry I haven't written that much as I've been feeling really under the weather.

Recently I've joined support groups on Facebook for Intracranial Hypertension and I've noticed that most of the women who are diagnosed with IH have been told its due to their weight. I haven't personally had this said to me as in my case (and I don't want to offend) I wasn't overweight when I became ill, I became overweight by being ill. 

I know that a lot of neurologist believe IH is due to being overweight although there is no definitive cause. Due to the fact there isn't a lot of research done on causes or affective treatment for IH no-one really knows. Although there is no deviate cause many women find themselves fighting a losing battle trying to convince their neurologist its nothing to do with weight.

I know a few women who have been told that if they lose weight they will GET better, false. Losing weight will not cure you of IH as, as it stands there is no cure for IH. A few women have been told that if they lose weight they will FEEL better, again this is false. Because IH is an unpredictable disease there is no way of determine whether or not someone will feel "better" by losing weight.

If a women with IH wants to lose weight it should be for their own self esteem not because a neurologist or doctor tells them to, to "make them better". I know it makes the women who go through it as well as myself angry that their having to defend themselves. A women I know had an interview with ITV about IH titled "lose 2 stone to save your eye sight". The lady wanted to make it clear that rather then getting better and saving her eye sight losing 2 stone in 2 weeks did nothing but make the situation worse and yet all ITV really centred on was the fact its "caused" by being overweight.

In the medical system its hard to fight against doctors and consultants who don't listen to you without this notion that its all caused down to weight or will be made better by losing weight. Although I agree weight is a common factor as well as being of child bearing age the relation between these things and IH are not known and there are a lot of over factors that can cause it and people who aren't overweight or of child bearing age are not ruled out. Also many women suffer for years with IH before getting treatment which can contribute to them gaining weight plus there are other disease which seem to go hand in hand with IH like under active thyroid and fibromyalgia.

In my view to much is still unknown about IH that it can't be fully determined what if any weight plays in the whole cause of IH and if weight is an issue for you, think more on losing weight for your own well being then on hoping its going to "cure" you.

Talking about weight and IH a few women have got together to lose lbs for pounds in a bid to raise awareness and funding for IHUK. Please check them out and donate as much as possible! Thank you.

http://www.iihuk-pounds4lbschallenge.moonfruit.com/#

Also for any information about IH you can find here:

http://www.ihrfoundation.org/