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Thursday, August 13, 2009 T. Marie B. asks

Q: Transformed Migraines with Epilepsy, cardiac anomalies, asthma and more! Is it related? Sleep Help?

    Right now my main concern is about my Transformed Migraines and my sleep issues.    I also have epilepsy (complex partial seizures/ the epileptic activity is located in my left temp. lobe.) I take Lyrica for both my epilepsy and migraines. I also take Maxalt for more severe Migraines. 

    I  have cardiac arrhythmias and a heart murmur. (Which I take a beta blocker, bystolic ).  I have other mild cardiac anomalies such as small aortas and false tendons around my left ventricle. I have had a cardiac ablation to correct one of the arrhythmias.   

    I have asthma (take advair and xopenex), Irritable Bowel Syndrome, and severe joint hypermobility with the early onset of arthritis, kidney stones and chronic Urinary Track Infections.(I'm 27 years of age.)   

    However, back to the issue of my Transformed migraines,  I find that I have difficulty falling asleep.  When I do sleep it's a very light sleep.  I am often awaken by headaches or mild dream like (hallucination)seizures.  On the other hand after several nights like this I will become so tired that sleep comes immediately and I sleep deeply.  The conflict with a good decent sleep is that when I wake up I wake up to a full blown-- could cry from the pain-- migraine.   What can I do to achieve better sleep and less migraines?And is it possible that all my ailments are somehow related??

 

Thank you,

T.Marie B.

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Answers (2)
Teri Robert, Health Guide
8/18/09 12:20pm

T. Marie B.

 

-:¦:-•:*'""*:•.-:¦:-•*Welcome to MyMigraineConnection!*•-:¦:-•:*'""*:•.-:¦:-

 

 

Bless your heart! You have quite a complicated case with many good questions.

 

Transformed Migraine (TM) is often related to two things, one you mentioned, the other you didn't. On the issue of sleep, you have information about sleep and TM in this article -- Transformed Migraine Related To Sleep Problems.

 

Medication overuse is a factor in 80% of cases of TM. Medication overuse is using medications for acute Migraine treatment too frequently. Let me explain a bit. To avoid a medication overuse issue, we can only use Migraine abortives such as the Maxalt you mentioned two or three days a week. If we're using pain medications, we can only use those two or three days a week. Using them more frequently puts us at risk for developing medication overuse headache, aka rebound. You can read more about that in Medication Overuse Headache: When the Remedy Backfires.

 

Now, what can you do to achieve better sleep and fewer Migraines?

 

    • Go to bed and get up at the same time every day, even weekends and holidays.

    • Turn off lights and television so you're sleeping in the dark.

    • Use your bedroom for sleep and intimacy only.

 

You can talk with your doctor about safe medications to help with sleep. Many people have found Zanaflex (tizanidine) to be helpful with getting to sleep. It doesn't present any danger of dependence and has a short half-life, so you don't have any medication "hang-over" the next morning. Your doctor would know of the different medications you could try.

 

As for all your ailments being related, some of them may well be, but it's doubtful that all are. Your doctors should be able to review them with you and help you understand which ones can be related and, maybe more importantly, which ones can have an effect on others.

 

Something very important in your situation is to have doctors who will talk with each other. I hope yours are good at that. How do you do with the doctor who treats you for your Migraines?

 

Teri

Reply
8/19/09 12:59pm

I honestly don't think over medication is at all related for me.  I went six months with transformed migraine until I finally saw any doctor about it.  I tried over the counter medications in the beginning..but none worked...so after about the first month of a constant headache and migraines--I gave up on over the counter medications.

 

When at first I saw a physcian I saw an eye doctor.  I figured seeing my GP, that would be the first thing she would tell me: see the eye doctor.  So I did and then I saw my GP and next a neurologist.  A new neurologist who specializes in headaches. But he's also taking over my epilepsy as well.  After several doctors and tests..we end up with transformed migraines.

 

Though he has perscribed lyrica and maxalt.  In ....4 months I've taken maxalt once.  For two reasons...I'm not big on taking medications.   I just don't like to medication if I don't have to.  I've had 3 c-sections...and refused pain medication afterwards for each one.  (REason...I'm not gonna have morphine to help me when I get home anyway...so might as well bare it and keep trucking) 

The second reason is $$.  I can't afford to fill my maxalt perscription.  So when I have only 3 little pills at a time...I better have a full blown migraine for more than two days straight (nights too) before I break out the maxalt.  Besides the one and only time I took it....it didn't help.

 

This is why I don't think over medication for my migraines is the cause.  The only thing I take is lyrica as a preventive.  At first it worked....but not so much now though. Maybe lyrica is over medicating????  But without it....it's the same.  I have a headache no matter what. 

 

I had a full blown migraine for 3 days and 2 nights this weekend.  I thought I would go out of my mind.  It was constant...no relief, even the dark seemed too bright and to cry would only add a cry headache on top of it. 

 

My next appointment isn't until oct.  I've called today and am waiting for the nurse to call me back..hopefully with a close appointment.

 

I do have decent doctors.  They are friendly and they listen to me.  It's taken years of crappy doctors to get to decent ones. 

 

I really appreciate your answering my post.  And the sleep information!!  Thank thank you!  I will get right on that.  No more reading in the bed before I go to sleep. ;o)

 

If I may ask..do you have any articles on migraines and heredity?  My 9 year old daughter suffers migraines.  Fortunately she only gets exactly 1 migraine every six months for the last 2 years.  So she is not on medication. (Thankfully, for now.  I only hope it stays that way for her.)

 

Again...thank you so very much for your reply.  It's nice to have people who REALLY understand.

 

Thank you

 

Reply
12/ 9/11 11:54am

HI there,

I also suffer from transformed migranes as a result of epilepsy, and i have found that changing my diet has helped tremendously with reducing the frequency and amount of pain of my TMs - as reccomended by my doctor. I have stopped eating foods which contain Sulfites/Sulfates, Nitrates/Nitrites as well as aged cheese, chocolate, wine...the preservitives are in everything - bread, lunch meats, salad dressings, you name it.  If you haven't tried this you might consider trying it - it has been life changing for me, allthough your case sounds more serious than mine with more variables.  Good luck to you, and i am sorry to hear that your health is getting in the way of your sleeping.

-Sincerely, Gaelan Mullins

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By T. Marie B.— Last Modified: 12/09/11, First Published: 08/13/09