Hi all,
I was wondering, after having gamma knife on the brain, how long does that strong blast of radiation last there? It's been nearly two years since my surgery and I still get bouts of "radiation sickness". Do you?
I was told radiation keeps working for three years. After that symptoms should subside.
I am a month in. Just found two bald spots. I hope this doesn’t last that long!
I had the same treatment and it will be three years in May 2014. I have flare ups of my symptoms because of the edema around the spot where the radiation was sent. The big problems like hair loss subsided within a year (most times less), but the long term seem to be from the edema which hasn't gone away yet. I don't have any idea how long it will last, but I deal with the problems as they come. It has gotten better over time though. I wish you the best and I hope this helps some.
After almost 10 years I still have edema in the region of the avm from the gamma knife. My symptoms are loss of vision in my right eye, left side weakness, random sharp pains in the right region and altered awareness seizure activity which resulted in the loss of my drivers license.i was told by the Nero radiology team that apprx 5% of patients experience continued edema. This may be considered radiation sickness??? I have seen 45 Neurological professionals that told me to be concerned if I experience extreme continuous pain and discomfort and then to contact them. I continue to take anti seizure medication. Due to my right side brain bleed gamma knife was my only option of treatment. I have a healthy realizim and life is good.
Dictation by wife.
3 years is the standard time for the radiation to be in your body after a GK treatment. If there is any avm left, they will usually suggest another treatment.
Ben
I never had noticeable issues from the gamma knife, but i did have problems from the embolizatioms. The hospital first tried to deny it was caused by them but finally conceded that the hair loss and skin burns on the scalp. Because of the placement of mine they were also concerned about burns but that is the only one they voiced and I didn't experience anything i would consider effects from radiation. I am sure that the amount,organs that may be near etc. could be affected but the drs. should have been able to tell you of this in advance.
This treatment is so specialized that they know what to expect. The only unknown is how many treatments your body will need. At Johns Hopkins my Chief Neurosurgeon is their with interventional radiologists along with PhD nuclear physicist.
I would push for a consult with the team and ask because at least some of your radiation issues should have ben told,to you prior to agreeing to the treatment.
Best of luck.
Almost 28 months post GK and i feel as good as i can be considering what state i was last yr this time. In my experience things will get better over time…good luck
depends what your side effects are i suppose. my epilepsy got worse complex partials inc from 3 per month daytime up to 6 to12 for up to 10 years and then suddenly changed to mostly night time seizures 4 per month. nunbness on theback of my scalp only lasted 6 weeks. Memory problems more permanent. but could that also be seizure , bleed, and 2 lots radiosurgery right temporal lobe as my dr seems to think.