Could all my symptoms really be migraine related and can migraine symptoms change over time?
I am a 28 year old who was diagnosed with migraines when i was 2 years old(my mom told me i had head pain accompanied by vomiting) and I continued to have symptoms of migraines throughout my childhood and teen years that would occur most likely because of lack of sleep or eating habits.
Since my teen years I know that my actual headaches have decreased and I thought I knew what I needed to know about my migraines to control them but I'm beginning to wonder how much i really know about migraines and that the symptoms that have been developing over the past 5 years (some that have made me question my sanity) might really be parts of a migraine.
In 2004 I had an episode of transient blindness while I was driving (it made all the cars in front of me seem like motorcycles because I could only see one taillight) that I thought had to do with my eyes. I drove on to work after the symptoms passed. I noticed as i was taking report i had trouble writing down words. I kept transposing letters and had trouble concentrating. I never actually developed my typical migraine headache afterwards.
I actually didn't really notice that I was having minor headaches frequently until my doctor had me keep a log for the week before followup. I later find out that the MRI i had the afternoon after the blindness showed a vasospasm in my parietal lobe and i know i wasn't having a headache during the MRI. Although my doctor neglected to tell me about my MRI report he told me to follow up with a neurologist which I never did because he told me my MRI was fine, plus i was 24 and i didn't feel like i needed to see a neurologist.
Well, starting in late 2007 until now I've been having symptoms that scare me. I've had 3 episodes where I feel like I'm going to pass out and something will stop me from passing out but what follows is high blood pressure, heart palpitations, and then I would feel really cold and start shivering and have teeth chattering, I assumed were related to panic. The second time the event happened I noticed that I felt this "gong-like" sensation on the right side of my head at the time. Then the other symptoms would start as usual. I also started to notice other symptoms not at the time of the episode. Sometimes at night I would feel completely numb and almost like I was floating in the air. I also was having dizziness and feelings of disequilibrium all the time but I don't remember these symptoms ever being associated with migraines.
So I went to see my doctor and he did some cardiac tests which were basically fine besides mild aortic insufficiency. He asked me about my headaches and i told him the only time I really have a bad headache is usually around my period so he put me on Paxil 10mg the week before and during my period. Because the Paxil wasn't helping any of the symptoms except decreasing the frequency of my headaches during my period, I went to see an ENT for the dizziness. He thought I might have meniere's disease but no definitive diagnosis was made but he did do another MRI which was completely clear.
Since then I have basically overcome the anxiety related to these symptoms and am coping but have been very frustrated and at times depressed that i can't control what is going on with me. The disequilibrium is what bothers me the most. Could this be related to my migraine history. I haven't had nausea and vomiting with my migraines for years. When they come its just a severe headache. I've only had one migraine that lasted over 48 hrs. and that one was definitely the worst. I had alot of anxiety and experienced numbness in my head. My sleeping patterns have also been different for the past 2 years. my husband says i jerk alot when i'm falling asleep and i wake up in fear at times. I know this is a long explanation but I hope I can find out what is going on. Thank you!
Casey,
I can tell you that all the symptoms you describe COULD BE Migraine. It would take a doctor, however, to tell you that they are.
You hit on something early in your question that is quite true. We all need to learn about our Migraines. Migraine is a genetic neruological disease. It's patterns can change over time, but when those patterns change, it's important to see our doctors to be sure there's nothing additional going on.
There are several different forms of Migraine, and you need to be definitively diagnosed.
I suggest you make an appointment with your doctor to discuss your symptoms. Here's some reading you can do before you go so you have more information about Migraine disease:
• Migraine Without Aura - the Basics
• Retinal Migraine - The Basics
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. 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.
I know you're going through a rough time. If you'd like some additional support, come join our discussion forum. You'll need to register again once there because it's a separate membership database, but you can use the same member name, email address, and password that you used here. You can find our forum at http://forums.healthcentral.com/discussion/migraine/forums.
Good luck,
Teri
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