Hi, I have been doing a lot of reading on this web site and have come up with what is probably going to be a very odd question. Let me give a little background on my head pain. I have been having pain that started at the sides and back of my head along with pressure in my head and neck for going on 19 weeks now. I went to my regular doctor at about week 6, and after blood tests and ultra sounds of my carotid arteries, thyroid and heart, my doctor said I should go see a neurologist. I did go see my ENT to make sure he had his turn, he also said I needed a neurologist. I got in to a neurologist at week 10 and after blood tests, MRI, MRV, EEG and a spinal tap, he diagnosed me with Occipital Neuralgia and gave me multiple meds. (Ultram, Mobic, Robaxin and Neurontin). At week 12 I was at his office to sign a medical release and he said he needed to see me. I went back and he said my spinal fluid tested positive for HIV (I was raped in January, so it was possible) and re-diagnosed me with Viral Menengitis. I went back to my regular doctor for a blood test and it came back negative. I was back to see him today (almost 19 weeks) and he gave me another med called Maxalt. I asked about it and he told me it was for headaches. I wrote down almost three pages of information for him today about how my pain has changed. Still the pain and pressure, now horrible eye pain and nothing is going away or helping. "End of my rope" is an understatement. Anyway, I have been reading and there are multiple meds that are given to people who are Bipolar. I was mis-diagnosed as Bipolar and spent eleven years on those nasty meds. I have been off them for 2 years. About a year ago, I experienced several of the same symptoms I am having now, just with no pain. My Mother started having Migraines at age 33. I turned 40 last month (September). I really have two questions..could being mis-diagnosed and on Bipolar meds have stopped me getting Migraines until now, or could me being on those meds be causing my pain now?? It has been non-stop for almost 19 weeks now and the Maxalt 10mg I took an hour ago has not touched the pain yet. I am in need. If there is some help that any of you can give me, well, you just don't even know how much I would appreciate it!!!! Thank You Very Much in Advance!!
- Find
- Manage
- Resources
Q: Migraines and Bipolar, any connection??
Hi Willoweed,
Your question isn't odd at all. Let me first say how sorry I am for your attack in January, that must have been horrific. If I could address a few things that struck me as "odd" in your question though - regarding the spinal tap. If I'm not mistaken, the way to diagnose HIV is with blood tests which include: ELISA, Western Blot Assay, Indirect Immunofluorescence Assay (IFA) and OraSure HIV.Ora Sure HIV is a muscus test that was FDA approved in 1996 that uses salvia and muscus from your mouth. However, having said that, HIV may be seen in spinal fluid if it is present, but it is not the way to diagnose. For more information on HIV testing see our sister site TheBody.Com.
Ok, on to Migraines. Migraine is a genetic neurological disease thought to be caused by overactive neurons in our brains and genetics. If one parent has Migraines, you have a 50% risk of getting them yourself; both parents with Migraine and the risk goes up to 75%. Your mom is probably your genetic link to Migraine disease. At this point, stopping this headache or Migraine that you've had for 19 weeks needs to be a priority. When oral medications have failed, IV infusions will often break the cycle. For more information about this, see IV Treatment of Refractory Migraines.
You also need an accurate diagosis to help with you get the best treatment plan and learn all you can about your Migraine and/or headache. You can read more about this in Ocular, Optical, and Ophthalmic Migraines and The Type of Migraine Does Matter.
If your doctor isn't able to help you, it may well be time to consult a Migraine and headache specialist. It's important to note that neurologists aren't necessarily Migraine and headache specialists - even if they say they are. A "true" Migraine specialist treats one condition all day, every day - ours- Migraine and headache disorders. Neurologists may be fine doctors, but it is so hard for them to be experts in one area because they treat so many different conditions like MS, epilepsy and stroke. 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.
Bipolar and Migraine may be cormorbid conditions, meaning they can occur at the same time but don't cause the one another. For more information on this continue reading; Migraine Disease and Bipolar Disorder, a Link. I really can't answer your question about bipolar and medications, because I don't know what medications were taken. But I can direct you to our Bipolar site where maybe you can get more information: BiPolarConnect.Com.
Maxalt is a triptan, an abortive medication that stops the Migrainous process. How many days a week do you take something to relieve these headaches? Taking Migraine abortive meds such as the triptans or ergotamines or any kind of pain medication -- prescription or over-the-counter -- more than two or three days a week can make matters worse by causing medication overuse headache (MOH), aka rebound. See Medication Overuse Headache - When the Remedy Backfires for more information on this.
It is all rather confusing, I know. But after you read all this (and boy is there alot!!) let me know if I can help you further.
Nancy
Hey Willow,
You might want to call back and ask to be put on the cancelation list. Just a thought.
It can take up to three months to see a reduction in Migraine frequency and severity. It can take this long for our body to adjust to new medications. With dose increases it can take longer. Hang in there...and please keep talking, you won't feel so alone.
Hey again,
I've been thinking about you....if you are feeling poorly and it sounds like you are, I would try to get more answers regarding your spinal tap. Viral meningitis is nothing to fool around with and needs to be treated. Please get the results of your spinal tap from the doctor, so you will know what it said. You are entitled to the results of any medical tests - they are your tests!!
Important:
We hope you find this general health information helpful. Please note however, that this Q&A is meant to support not replace the professional medical advice you receive from your doctor. No information in the Answers above is intended to diagnose or treat any condition. The views expressed in the Answers above belong to the individuals who posted them and do not necessarily reflect the views of Remedy Health Media. Remedy Health Media does not review or edit content posted by our community members, but reserves the right to remove any material it deems inappropriate.
Featuring Content From:
By using this service, you accept our Terms of Use. Please read them. The consumer health information on is for informational purposes only and is not a substitute for medical advice or treatment for any medical conditions. You should promptly seek professional medical care if you have any concern about your health, and you should always consult your physician before starting a fitness regimen. Copyright © 2012 Remedy Health Media, LLC. All Rights Reserved.
Nancy, first...thank you so much for taking the time to answer, I have some answers for you. I was very suprised when when me neuro told me about the HIV. My fiancee went to his doc to get a blood test for HIV (he is negative) and his doc told him it didn't make sense to him and he thought it would make more sense if they found HSV (I have HSV 2). So after the blood test came back negative, we figured someone mistook the "S" for an "I". I am however going to see an infectious disease doctor this month to make sure.
I will read about the IV meds. and if the Maxalt does not work I will try to see if I can go that route. I am ready to have some pain free awake time!! I will also read about the Ocular Migraines, the Types of Migraines and about the Bipolar link. Thank you for those.
I have read the information about Migraine Specialist and I called the Doctor in Nashville. The young lady that answered the phone told me she didn't have a New Patient appointment until the beginning of February and another doc would have to call and make my first appointment, I had to be referred. I go back to my neuro on Oct. 25th, I will see about the referral then.
I quit taking any OTC meds after I saw my regular doc at the beginning of July because she talked about rebound headaches from that. I take only what my neuro prescribed in the amounts he prescribed. I take 100mg Ultram twice a day, 7.5mg Mobic twice a day, 1,000mg Robaxin at bedtime and yesterday my doc doubled my Neurontin to 600mg at bedtime. I took the Maxalt 10mg for the first time last evening. I did not feel better before bed and no better now. I am going to try another one.
Again, Thank You so Much!!!!! It is nice to have someone listen and to know that other people hurt like this.