I've been dealing w/pain in my head for over 10 years now. The first episode was in 1999 and then I didn't experience headaches again until 2006. In 2006 I began re-experiencing what I now believe is the "auru". I lose my peripheral vision, I see tracers, I cannot complete sentences at times, I cannot do simple math at times, I'm hot, irritable, feel claustrophobic, and then finally my head will hurt. It use to last 24 hrs to 5 days. I have been to ER's, neurologists, internists, opthamologists, etc, and nobody could figure it out. They were all looking for M.S. This year, 2009, has been the worst as the episodes are becoming extremely frequent and lasting for weeks. A new neurologist diagnosed me with status migraineous. It took an occipital block to stop the last one that had been going on for 7 weeks! That was in May 2009. 10 days ago, another episode started and yesterday I spent 3 hours doing an infusion w/keppra. My pain was reduced to a 4 from a 10, but I am miserable. My head hurts continuously, and I am just drained. I have 3 small children and work a lot and don't know what to do. My neurologist doesn't seem to want to fix me, I don't think he's even listened to me long enough to understand all of my symptoms. What should I do?
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Q: Is this status migraineous or should I try to find another neurologist? My head is killing me!
Hi Tricia,
I'm sorry you are suffering so. But at this point it is imperative to get an accurate diagnosis and treatment plan. That means seeing a "true" Migraine specialist, not just a neurologist who says they are headache specialists. See, here's the thing, neurologists treat so many different conditions, like MS, stroke and epilepsy it is hard for them to be experts in one area. A Migraine specialist treats one disorder - ours- Migraine disease and headaches. Clearly, your neurologist is not able to help you, so it is time for that Migraine specialist and 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.
There's growing evidence that Migraine is a progressive brain disease. A recent study showed that Migraines can cause brain damage, and that people with three or more Migraines a month are more susceptible to this damage. For more information, see Is Migraine a Progressive Brain Disease? and Yes, Migraines Can Cause Brain Damage.
Status Migrainous is any Migraine pain lasting from 4 to 72 hours without a four-hour pain-free break while awake. Status Mgirainous may put us at an increased risk of stroke and needs immediate medical attention. We have more information on this in the article: Status Migrainous - The Basics.
Good luck and please let us know how you are feeling.
Nancy
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