In Aug.of 2009 I was getting ready for class to start when I developed panic attack/stroke symtoms and my classmates had to call an ambulance. I could not talk or feel my jaw or hands. The hospital did a CT scan and said I had been having mini strokes for a couple of months.
They transferred me to another hospital to a stroke unit for 4 days. They did an MRI and several other tests and finally said it was probably just a panic attack and that the MRI and CT scan showed that I was having migraines. I had also had a few more of the stroke symptoms in the hospital too. I have had panic attacks in the past and these were not panic attacks.
The doctors would not believe me. I had told them I was getting headaches every day, but I thought they were sinus headaches. I never imagined migraines. So when I left the hospital I went to my familiy doctor and things got worse before she finally figured out my migraines are called Complex Migraines. My hands and feet go completely numb, I have trouble getting words out, and I even hallucinated once which was the scariest of them all. My eyes will even dilate for hours at a time.
If I get stressed, which is pretty much every day, I will get a migraine headache that won't go away and so I have to go to bed and sleep until the next day. I get migraines attacks about 8-10 times a day that come in the form of nausea that last about 15 min and I feel a strange feeling in my head at the same time. Sometimes I get a stabbing pain in my eye at the same time.
I had to quit school with just 4 classes left before graduation and I have three teenagers and a husband who are all very worried about me. I just don't know where to turn. I would love some input. I have been on several different medications and now its been 4 months on the same ones and there has not been much of a change. No one I know understands what I am going through. Is there anyone out with a similar case?
Hello, and welcome to MyMigraineConnection.com!
We are so glad you are here. You've come to the right place for information and support.
First I'd like to say how sorry I am that you are going through such a miserable time right now. It is very difficult and scary not really knowing what is going on and certainly not getting any better. You must be exhausted, so let's see how we can help.
One of the most important things is to get an accurate diagnosis. To simplify matters and make it easier for people to get information and treatment, doctors usually go by the gold standard for diagnosis, the International Headache Society's International Classification of Headache Disorders, 2nd Edition (ICHD-II). Under ICHD-II, there is no diagnosis of "Complex Migraine." We do see it used, but doctors use it differently, so it really doesn't tell anyone what type of Migraine you actually have. You can read more about this in Ocular, Optical, and Opthalmic Migraines and The Type of Migraine Does Matter.
Now, having said that, my (strong) suggestion is to see a Migraine specialist. Here's the thing - a Migraine specialist treats one disease - our- Migraines and headaches. A neurologist treats so many different conditions, like MS, stroke and epilepsy it is hard for them to be experts in any one area. It's important to note that neurologists aren't necessarily Migraine and headache specialists. Take a look at the article Migraine and Headache Specialists - What's So Special? If you need help finding a Migraine specialist, check our listing of Patient Recommended Migraine and Headache Specialists.
Thank you for creating a SharePost. SharePosts are a form of blogging, and there are many things you can do with them. You can share an experience, suggest something that's helped you, use SharePosts as a Migraine and headache journal, and many other things.
We also have a discussion forum that you may want to check out. Especially if you have questions or are looking for information, you may find the interaction on the forum to be quite helpful. To get to the forum, just look for the orange box marked "Manage" and click on the Migraine Forums link. Because our forums are maintained by a third party, you'll need to register for the forum. You can use the same information you used to create your community log-in if you like. If you want to go directly to the forum, you can click HERE.
Along with your personal "My Home" page and the discussion forum, you'll find links to a great deal of helpful information on the main page of our site, http://www.MyMigraineConnection.com. Under the Find, Manage, and Connect tabs at the top of each page, you'll find a wealth of information - educational articles, tips, quizzes, workbooks, support and advocacy information, and more.
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Welcome again,
Nancy Bonk
MyMigraineConnection.com Community Manager
PS: If you receive this message from more than one of us, please excuse the overlap. Thanks!