Complicated Migranes

[hula1218]

Hello there.

I have been reading the posts on here and have realized that many others have experienced my problem. I have been getting "Complicated Migranes" since I was 16. When it first happened in High School I was diagnosed with TIA simply because they didn't know what else to diagnose me with. I had visual loss and disturbances, numbness of left hand, arm, leg, face and throat, and slurred speech. I had seen a neurologist after that and was diagnosed with Complicated Migranes. From then on I would get one every year or two. Lately I have been getting one or two a month. All the same symptoms, visual disturbances such as spots, squiqqlies, flashes, or blacked out areas. Then numbness/weakness starting in my either left or right hand, then to my arm, leg, foot, face, mouth, throat, and more recently to my chest, back and neck. Then noise sensitivity and slurred speech. My words get all jumbled, and I cant say what I am trying to say. I know its not coming out right but I cant help it. I cant get peoples names right, words right, phone numbers right, etc. After that the headache comes about pretty strong, usually on one side only. It usually takes me the rest of the day to recuperate, sometimes into the next day too. This is VERY VERY scary. I never know when I am going to get one, so they are EXTREMELY debilitating and scary. MRI's, bloodwork, CT scans have all been ok, and my neurologist doesn't seem to think there is much else to do. I however, want answers! Im only 24 and dont want to die of a stroke or something. I want to prevent anything that I possibly can. I take Imitrex nasal spray at the onset of an attack and it somewhat helps, most of the time. Any other stories, treatments or suggesstions from anyone?????

[casse]

I am 19 and it is just starting for me. I have been getting migraines and this one has lasted all day. I had one for 2weeks straight but it feels like vines branching out from one spot. It is like I can feel it shooting through my nerves. It is normal for me to be scared about this after I read this. I cant speak right, or try to explain things to people. And I tend to lose feeling in my left hand everyday. But right now it is on the sides of my head just past my eyebrow on the sides of my frontal lobe. I have had weakness when typing or writing in both my hands. I just cant handle this anymore and they are just getting worse. I went to the doctor and he said it related to my stomach virus. But it has been a while now. And he gave me medicine for it but it doesn't help. What should I do now? I was told if it gets worse to go to the doctor.

[kpizzle]

I've had migraines for years, and thankfully they've gradually gotten less severe and I've had them less frequent. I had the first one at age 19 and it sounds a lot like your descriptions. My others have only included the aura prior to headache and other visual problems prior to headache and sensitivity to light. Two months ago, at the age of 36, with excellent health and no risk factors, I had a stroke. It was diagnosed as a Migraine-induced stroke, which was explained in great detail and seems much more common than we realize. I have partial vision loss, which is most likely permanent, but I am extremely fortunate that it wasn't much worse. They started me on a medication to prevent further migraines, stressing the importance to avoid another migraine to ensure that I not have another stroke in this same way. They also made sure I knew not to take oral contraceptives, told me to take an aspirin a day, and cut caffeine from my diet. I think it is vital that you find a medicine that helps you prevent your migraines, because it sounds like they are leading to an eventual stroke causing migraine with significant permanent damage. I wish you luck.

[Jlynnlee]

Hi! I'm 22 and had a clot related stroke last month. I don't want to scare you in anyway whatsoever but I had identical "complicated migraines" since I was 18. Every doctor I went to said it was migraines and wanted to treat the pain of them. My neurologist now says there was two strokes showing up on my CT scan last month - one was the new one and one was an older one that was somewhat recent as well and I didn't know about it. I know I had it and mistook it for one of my "migraines". However, my headache following these migraines were usually all over. I wouldn't settle for this! I would push on until I found somewhat of a better answer or some kind of relief. If these are TIA's and not migraines then you are at a high risk of stroke. However, if they're simply migraines then you definitely need a different medicine as the Imitrex is not doing it's job. I would have a MRA/MRV done. It's a MRI test that is more advanced and looks directly at the blood flow in the veins. Maybe it will show something the standard MRI & CT scan doesn't. I wish you the best of luck .