Hi about a little over a year ago I had a fainting spell at the gym and apparently compulsed but I was told by some I did and others I didn’t. I am really into working out so I thought I didn’t eat enough or over did it but a few months later I had another fainting spell and this time wasn’t at the gym. It’s happened a good handful of times however it is spread out by months. Every time this has happened I know it’s about to happen because I get this feeling of almost being in a dream state (aura you may say) and then I end up fainting and blacking out. I’ve gone to doctors and all texts come out normal and finally after seeing tons of different Doctors and several months of no answers, I finally got an MRI and I was told they think I have an avm in the right temporal. They want to do an angiogram to get better photos so I am scheduled to get that done. I try to avoid doctors and hospitals at all costs and I don’t even like to take aspirin and I was told this procedure is intense because they put a catheter up through your groin and then through the largest vessel in your body up to your brain and spray dye to get images. (I don’t know about you, but that seems so unnatural and sounds like there could be negative effects long term; however, I could be over thinking things but I want to do things as natural as I possibly can and everything I’ve been told is so opposite. I don’t know what to do and I’d appreciate to hear from anyone who has experienced all of this. I should probably mention this… I never get headaches and ever since I got the MRI and they sprayed dye I’ve been getting headaches and it’s been 2 weeks since I got the MRI. I don’t know but I feel like whenever I do any type of procedure at all it makes me fee worse. Even going to the dentist and getting a cavity filled I feel like more harm then good was done. With that being said, I am super paranoid to get the angiogram and even more paranoid getting surgery afterward if that is what is recommended. I don’t know what to do. I am 21 years old and never heard of avm before my MRI results came through. If anyone could give me insite I’d be so grateful, or if anyone can tell me how they were effected by surgery whether they are glad they did it or if they regretted it because it changed their personality or way of thinking, etc… one other thing I am confused about avms is I’m not sure if it is extra blood vessels that are tangled up or if they are just some of the regular ones tangled up.
“For example” and this is me hypothetically speaking, but let’s say the human brain had “100” vessels in the brain… does someone with an avm have 105 blood vessels, however those extra 5 vessels just grew for some reason and don’t serve a purpose and are causing issues or is it that out of the “100” blood vessels only 95 of them are working and the other 5 are tangled and causing issues and need to be taken out… I ask this because I feel like it’s so unnatural to surgically remove vessels if they are supposed to be there because this is our only body so I don’t want to make any decision that may be regretted. So please reach out to me if you can answer any of my questions, or to just talk or if you are in need of talking to someone as well. Thank you so much!
Hi Corrina…there are some very good websites that explain an AVM in simple language for example mayfieldclinic.com for one. An AVM is a tangle of vessels rather than an excess of vessels. This in itself wouldn’t be a problem if the arterial blood wasn’t redirected through a fistula (joining) vein which isn’t designed to take that much blood pressure flowing through it. That’s when bleeds occur. Some people never bleed, others are not so lucky. Don’t over think an angiogram. It is a lifesaving procedure which gives the clearest picture of what is going on. It sounds scary but actually I felt little discomfort. Just lie still and let the doctors do their thing. You can ask for something to relax you during the procedure if you want. I had a lot of bruising but in the end it is what saved my life so no regrets. If an embolization is recommended this is similar to an angio where a catheter is inserted through the groin and coils or glue is placed to block the vein and stop the bleeding. There’s a time and place for going “natural” and your health my not be the right time. This is a possibly life altering condition and is not going to be cured by eating quinoa and vitamins. Be thankful that there are such talented doctors and facilities available to help you rather than fighting the procedures. Your best chance is to find a doctor/surgeon you trust and follow their advice. Good luck.
Thank you so much for taking the time to reply back to me! It honestly means a lot to me. How long did it take you to be 100% after under going surgery to have your avm removed. And also how long did it take to heel after having the angiogram procedure
Corrina,
Welcome to the family!
A good proportion of us here have found out about our AVM when it bit us, and maybe had a stroke. The rest of us with brain AVMs (and actually, you can have AVMs in a number of places, so there’s bunch of folk here with AVMs not in their brain) discovered them in a similar way to you, or as a result of a scan looking for something else. This last group of folk, we’ve all asked the same questions!
In terms of the MRI that you’ve had, I would doubt has had a direct influence on the progress of your AVM. I’m not clear if you’ve had a scan with “contrast material” (dye) yet but the contrast material can give you headaches and other effects. I was discussing only this week that it might cause visual disturbances for some of us and I had my visual disturbances for about 3 weeks but they went away.
There is no other fix for an AVM than to do “normal” surgical stuff – no homeopathic thing you could follow instead – though in some cases, homeopathic stuff might lighten any symptoms, I don’t know. The best thing you can do to lighten your symptoms is to take life very steady. No heavy work in the gym, no smoking, no drinking, no chocolate, no coffee – i.e. cut out stimulants that will put your blood pressure up and see if that helps.
An AVM is a tangle of veins and arteries. I see it as like two trees - an artery tree, where the blood pumps from the heart under high pressure up from the base of the tree, all the way to the leaves, and the leaves of one tree touch another next to it, the venous tree, and flow back down that, under low pressure, like streams joining together to form a big river, down the trunk, back to the heart. An AVM is where, rather than the blood flowing all the way to the tips of the leaves, there is a tangle of branches, or a big branch that’s grown straight across from one tree to the other, pumping high pressure blood straight into the other tree, at a point that it’s not really designed to go.
The problem it gives you is that the veins are not designed for that pressure and you can get odd flows going on and the danger of the blood pressure bursting out… a stroke.
So… stick with it. Get the angiogram done, because that will tell the doctor what sort of connection you’ve got and they’ll be able to work out what sort of intervention (if any) they think they should do.
Hope that helps.
I know this is all very scary but we’ve been through this stuff. We can help you all the way, I hope.
Very best wishes,
Richard
Hi Corrina…My situation wasn’t typical (but what is? “typical”). I finally had the angio after 5 years of suffering (waiting for diagnosis) and was not in the most ideal state of health/mind at the time. There was no real healing period after the angio…I did suffer extreme bruising but I don’t remember any real side effects. Am I 100%? I’d say about 90% but my situation was critical by the time I had my embolization. I was only semi conscious at the time of surgery and for about a week later. I was in hospital for 3 weeks before I finally got home. It’s been 1 1/2 years and I still walk funny (slightly weak on the left side) and some other quirky stuff like taste and smell but given the alternatives, I’m doing exceptionally well. I bled and there was a time when it was touch and go whether I would live or be permanently impaired. I have no regrets and nothing but respect and admiration for my surgeon and for my husband, both of whom saved my life. No drama, just thanks!
Those are the effects after having the angiogram?
No. Effects after the catheter embolization. I had no after effects from the angio.
What is a catheter embolization?
will I have to get that during the angiogram?
Two separate things. The angio is for diagnosis. The embolization is the treatment once an AVM has been determined; it’s a means of fixing it.
Hi Corrina and welcome. I have an AVM in my left temporal, discovered last May due to a bleed. I’ve had 4 CTs, 2 MRIs, 2 angios and gamma knife in the past 13 months and still don’t glow! I don’t recall the first angio as it was the day after I was admitted due to the bleed, missing a number of days there. The second one I found really quite simple, but really necessary as we were determining what my treatment would be, either craniotomy or gamma. The hardest part was having to lay still for 2 hours after, 2 hours with angio plug and 4 hours without. I understand some docs use them and some don’t. I didn’t have the plug the first time but like I said, no recollection of that at all. I hear you on the steering away from drugs and invasive procedures, I was similar. However since my bleed I’ll do whatever procedures or treatment the experts suggest to get rid of this thing. The folks doing the procedures are really incredible. We went gamma based on their recommendation due to location and less risk, had they said craniotomy I would’ve gone that route.
How long did it take you to heal from the angiogram and do you think it caused any other issues for you? Whether it be headaches, weight gain, anything at all… because after I got an MRI I got headaches and I never do
Hi corrina.i too have avm in left temporal lobe and recently done with cyberknife. First of all I had angiogram to be done.i had headache and feeling of hot like in head for few moment during and after the procedure and blurring of peripheral vision on that day.but I felt good after 2-3 days. Just relax and get it done.it isnot as painful as the way you are thinking .
Hello Corina, glad to see all the reply’s to your post, my two cents, I totally agree with your feelings and approach to this but, the only way to find out is medically, in fortunately, most avms are something your born with and there’s a certain % per year of anuerism, me, 2% chance a year from birth and didn’t know/ find it till a grand mal siezure at 24, so I was basically at 50% chance of anuerism, with 100% chance by age 50, so I elected to have surgery, an avm was discrbed to me like this, think of one blood vessel, like a hose or pipe, instead one vessel flowing at some point, usually surgery site, it splits into multiple smaller ones then goes back to one, mine was discribed as a miniature plate of spaghetti, about the size of a dime, when it swelled it would irratate that area of brain and I would have a siezure, this will be my 30th year post surgery, so I was about your age when my avm journey began, I could go on and on but that’s a start and hope it helps, any questions or more help / info please feel free to ask, were all in the same boat and are here for you, you are not alone, wishing you all the best, take it slow and only do what you feel comfortable with, follow your heart it will never fail you 
Healing from an angiogram is a few hours, really. I dont think your current symptoms are to do with your MRI but your AVM may be changing a bit or your blood pressure might be up a bit.
I must say, I am so grateful to have found this site. Thank you to those who replied to this post. I truly do appreciate it because I have been so scared beyond belief.
We know. We’ve done the same!
I came from the angiogram, laid in the bed for two hours and then got up and walked the hallway until my wife arrived to pick me up. I think it was 24 hours of no exercise beyond walking. I didn’t have any head aches after or other effects, just some bruising around the incision site. I don’t think you’ll find anyone on here who has not been scared to some point, that is completely normal. John
Hi Corinna
Do the angio, it is important to know the facts. It won’t do any bad to you. And if you got the results - if they tell you to get embolisation, do it (avms can bleed an they can get worse). If they offer gammaknife or surgery, discuss it here and perhaps get a second opinion.
That’s what we’re here for and why you got so many reply’s, don’t be scared, be strong
THanks you guys!!! 
️:pray:t2: