Anyone suffer from really bad Migraines?

[StevieC]

Just curious if anyone else has been blessed with such a problem. I get them so bad I loose vision and feeling in my right side and start slurring my words because half my tongue goes to sleep. All the tell tale signs of a stroke but not.

I have had a few of these before, the most recent yesterday while in one of my restaurants and it was humiliating. Had to go to the hospital via ambulance...

Apparently the numbness on one side is very rare, but it can occur more often through genetics passed on by your parents... And both of them get it!

 

[firemachine69]

How's your blood pressure? That's why I get them. (high BP)

 

[Steve S]

I get headaches so bad I can't function. which I get 70% of the time look at the mistakes in my posts . That gives away how my headaches are ,I'll proof read the posts and they look o.k then later I'll read them later and notice the mistakes.

 

[rszappa1]

I would like to tell you a story of my late wife Dawn. After complaining of headaches for a year and one half and being treated as a migraine in May of 2007 they finally did an MRI because the headaches were getting worse. They found a 4.5cm tumor (GBM Cat 4). It was cancer and surgery was not an option. She passed away on the 7th of feb 08. I am not saying that is your problem. But I would not wait and insist they do an MRI or at least a CAT scan....

 

[hate2work]

StevieC, not to scare you, but you should have a head scan for the possiblity of an aneurysm. Migraines are one thing, but when you introduce numbness, that changes things.

I lost a good friend who had bad headaches and numbness over several months but wouldn't go to the doctor, his last headache (aneurysm ) killed him in about 10 minutes. The doctor said it had been building and growing for a while, and a head scan would have seen it.

 

[twentynine]

Okay this is something I know about!!!!!

Unfortunately!!!!!

I have been getting migraines all my life.

I have taken all manner of pain pills, narcotics, trips to the ER for demeral, finergrin. You ask I can tell you.

Have you ever been perscribed any of the rescue meds. Imitrex, DHE, Migranal? Any preventatives amytryptalene, verapamil, lexapro, nortryptylene?

Presently my migraines are ALMOST under control. I am averaging about 1 every two weeks. I use the Imitrex nose spray for rescue along with a couple advils. I can then remain functioning.

The loss of vision on one side or the other or both, nausea, diahrea, that's about normal for the onset of a headache for me.

Have you tracked your migraines to try to determine if they are stress, diet, or evniromentally related?

 

[rszappa1]

Just curious. Did they ever do a CT or MRI on you just to be sure they are migranes or was it just assumed it was and treat with medication....

 

[StevieC]

Hey everyone:

Didn't think I would get this many responses in the time I was catching up on the other threads... Seems like a very common problem.

I have had 2 MRI's 1 with contrast, a CT scan, Blood pressure check, Cholesterol check, regular blood work, urine check, stool check. You name it they have done it and it all checked out fine.

Yesterday in the Ambulance to the hospital my blood pressure was extremely low, then at the hospital 2 hours later it was very high and I felt like I was running a fever and today it's normal.

Usually it's normal: 118/74 with a resting pulse of 70.

I have a very stressful demanding job and try to stay away from fast food, caffeine etc. so as to not set it off. I'm lucky I only get them every 6 months or so and I think it's work related (stress).

What bothers me is that since I had the one before the one yesterday I have been experiencing the blue flashes of light in my vision here/there known as an ocular migraine...

My doctor has tried me on preventative medication, and anti-depressants (sometimes works). I also have med's I can take that help end the migraine fast but unfortunately I forgot these at home yesterday. (of course!)

I dunno, but I would love to find out what's causing it... I have tracked everything from diet, to stress etc. and nothing seems to add up and it's frustrating!

 

[Nyquist]

Originally Posted By: StevieC
Just curious if anyone else has been blessed with such a problem. I get them so bad I loose vision and feeling in my right side and start slurring my words because half my tongue goes to sleep. All the tell tale signs of a stroke but not.

I have had a few of these before, the most recent yesterday while in one of my restaurants and it was humiliating. Had to go to the hospital via ambulance...

Apparently the numbness on one side is very rare, but it can occur more often through genetics passed on by your parents... And both of them get it!

Has anyone in your family been diagnosed with epilepsy in the past? It is possible to have mini-seizures that only affect one half of the brain. After they are over, sufferers tend to be left with massive headaches.

This might make sense since the left hemisphere of the brain controls speech. The left hemisphere also controls the right side of your body.

 

[StevieC]

Nobody has had that... That's very interesting though... I will mention it to my doctor and neurologist that I have seen a few times.

 

[Pablo]

Food allergies.

 

[StevieC]

Tested for that... Nothing.

 

[Nyquist]

Originally Posted By: StevieC
Nobody has had that... That's very interesting though... I will mention it to my doctor and neurologist that I have seen a few times.

It might at least shed some new light on the cause. Most people associate epilepsy with grand mal seizures where the victim loses consciousness and convulses uncontrollably. There are the lower-grade seizures that can cause only half the body to convulse, numbness, extreme pain, and other symptoms. The part that explains the numbness is the brain's vital roles in the central nervous system.

 

[StevieC]

I would be fine with finding out that this is what I'm experiencing... Just want to know for sure, and start the proper treatment, even if it's something I have to put up with for life, is ok, but just to know...

 

[1sttruck]

A friend use to be an EEG technician, and he had fun showing our circle of frineds stuff and checking us out. Epilepsy was interesting as you can evdiently suffer 'grand mal' or 'petit mal' (speling ?) seizures. He would vary a strobe light thru different frenquencies and look for signs of abnormal brain waves.

I had migraines off and on for years but far fewer the last couple of years, dunno why. Use to be I'd sense it when waking, take some aspirin, take some more mid morning, and if it wasn't gone by lunch I'd just go home and sleep, typically being better in the early evening. Pounding headache, couldn't concentrate on anything, light and noise were problem, etc.

Maybe there is just less electricty leaking out of the wall sockets.

:^)

 

[Pablo]

Originally Posted By: StevieC
Tested for that... Nothing.


Sometimes it's just one thing. My oldest daughter has really bad migraines from bananas. Strange, I know. It took a long time to isolate, and is very repeatable.

 

[Cutehumor]

Originally Posted By: Pablo
Food allergies.


SteveC is online too much, look at his post count, ever get that headache from looking at a computer screen too much?

 

[StevieC]

My sister gets them from Peanuts and peanuts related products but she isn't allergic to peanuts otherwise...

She avoids peanuts and still gets them but a lot less frequently. I have been avoiding peanuts and still get them every 6 months...

Might be the change in weather... I read this can affect it too.

 

[vxcalais]

Have they checked your heart ? Some people are born with a hole or develop one, and it either draws in air or something, cant remember and is the cause of many migraines. They seal it with an umbrella type device.......look it up. The tricky thing about brain tumour is the pain associated with it usually shows itself in another area, like sore knee etc etc. Very vicious.

 

[StevieC]

Will bring that up with my doctor too.. Thanks!