I have been suffering with Hemiplegic migraine for
Over 10 years now. Yesterday I experienced a new range of symptoms
And was wondering if anyone else has gone through this.
Typically I lose site in one eye and present with stroke like symptoms. Last year I did have a mild Tia.
Yesterday was completely different and scary I had trouble speaking had dry mouth my legs and arms felt both tight and tingly at the same time and my heart was racing. I went to my local emerg snd they ruled out heart and gave me that look like " she is having an anxiety attack". Sent me home and told me to check with my neurologist .
Has anyone ever experienced anything similar with a migraine?

Leah <Leah2003@pei.sympatico.ca>
Wednesday, May 9, 2012 at 19:40:35

Hi!
I'm new here, and found this site while looking for treatment options. Currently I am taking fioricette for migraine pain, phenergan(spelling on both meds) for vomiting, and have tried many different prevention meds with no success.
Right now I'm on day 6 of a cluster migraine with no relief in sight.My face is blistered on one side because I fell asleep with a hot pack over my eye & ear (where the pain is always centered).
I've read through a bunch of discussions and no longer feel like I'm alone. I'm especially thankful to have read about migraine and depression and mood problems, as my Dr seems to see the two subjects as not related, even though I've tried talking to her about why I'm so depressed from the migraines. Migraines have stolen my life. Its kind of hard to be happy when you're sick, bed bound and can't interact with the world.

Kattaz <kattaztrophe@gmail.com>
Sunday, May 6, 2012 at 22:28:37

out migraine and depression and mood problems, as my Dr seems to see the two subjects as not related, even though I've tried talking to her about why I'm so depressed from the migraines. Migraines have stolen my life. Its kind of hard to be happy when you're sick, bed bound and can't interact with the world.

Kattaz <kattaztrophe@gmail.com>
Sunday, May 6, 2012 at 22:28:37

I am 63 and have had my migraines since I was a teenager. I am a serious allergic-to-everything sufferer. I suffer from migraines from Jan thru May. I start with the cedar allergy, then oaks, and then the molds. Some years they start with the ragweed in Nov and Dec. They build up month by month until they become a morning ritual in late April and May This year I went to a neurologist
and she said I was a candidate for Botox. By the time I got approval came, the migraines picked up and left after I took some oil and a jointed and consecrated myself to the Lord last week of May. I've had about 3 headaches since them and I'm still wearing my mask in the mornings because of the relentless molds. I get bronchial inflammation but can't take any steroid sprays. My migraine triggers are a windy day, smells, light, caffeine and environments allergies. I have not had any Botox treatments but I did read all the scary side effects, I told the doctor I want to start at half-dose because I react to everything. She complied but said they may not be very effective. I guess if they pick up again, that's what I'll do. I've tried amytripthaline, but it enlarged my liver and did nothing for the migraines. Tried other products, including anti-depressants, but they make my jaws yawn so big they lock on me. My migraines start on my right temple or between my eyes or top of my nose. I take to my dark room with an ice pack. Clonozapem is wonderful, and I take .25 mg if I feel one coming. If I don't catch it, I take .50. If I have a really bad pain day, I will take .1; however, my new dr or any of my doctors will not re-prescribe it. Yet, they give me xanax which I don't sleep off. Makes no sense they won't give u something that works. A 30- day prescription of Clonozapem can last me 2 1/2 months.

I also have fibromyalgia and recently diagnosed with possible lupus.

Glad to finally find a post to read and share!

Herbgeek <Herbalblessings@austin.rr.com>
Friday, July 27, 2012 at 05:32:50

I have classic right sided migraines with aura. Migraines started at 9 years old occuring in childhood about 4 times per year. Frequency kept increasing until for the last 32 years I have migraines 2-3 times daily, every day. I am a 53 year old female. On my maternal side the migraines go back at least 7 generations. I use Cafergot suppositories (under the tongue did not work, neither did Imitrex, Maxalt, Verapomil, anti-depressants, biofeedback, etc). My mother who had migraines found some relief, as do I, using a hot steamed washcloth layed over eyes and sinuses, several, several times. I also use with ice in the back of the neck. I fell on my head at three, so I have a constant neck spasm trigger. I am awaiting approval for Botox injections in back of neck and in temples, forehead, and other trigger spots, as it is now covered in California by Medi-Cal. I developed a parathyroid tumor which was diagnosed 4 years ago which caused the migraines to be non-stop night and day and I could see my heart beat in my eyes 24/7. Prior to being diagnosed with tumor the disability lawyers I saw, and Sacramento disability office, didn't think having daily migraines was a disability! So I ended up selling all my possessions to cover the $350 cost of Cafergot per month. The irony? I was working for Healthnet at Rancho Cordova, California and Blue Shield in Redding, California as a temp worker and still I HAD NO INSURANCE COVERAGE! Prior to diagnosis and removal of the parathyroid tumor fluorescent lights would trigger my migraines, and I would have to lie down in a dark room and wait a couple of hours before I drove home. I was training employees for Healthnet and people thought I was a supervisor. Today there is a lot of controversy about the Supreme Court upholding the health insurance bill. I for one, think it's a step in the right direction with insurance companies. To deny health care because of pre-existing conditions, and really, just the total greed of the insurance companies, is criminal. As employees we used to get letters from the president of Blue Shield about what a shame so many Americans didn't have health insurance, and I, as a temp, working for this clueless greedy man, didn't have insurance either! But he was too busy saving dollars and making a profit to really care, what a hypocrite! I became too ill to work, still undiagnosed with the tumor. Why was I undiagnosed? Because I didn't have enough money to go to the emergency room where I would have been properly diagnosed. I was being seen by a nurse practitioner who did not have the proper training to read lab results. Finally, a doctor saw me when he happened not to be there, and she took one look at my last blood tests and saw I had elevated calcium levels. So I also learned that as much I as I adored several nurse practitioners who assisted pediatricians when my children were little, I learned for myself with chronic migraines that I must have a doctor. I suggest the same for all of you who are currently only seeing a nurse practitioner or physician assistant - have a doctor see you, have a doctor as your primary caregiver. By the time I was diagnosed I had had a 2 year bladder infection (caused by kidney stones - resultant by the tumor and also undiagnosed by the nurse practitioner), was osteoporotic, had a severe D vitamin insufficiency, and a whole host of other rare hyperparathyroid symptoms due to not being diagnosed. After tumor removal headaches have decreased in severity and no longer triggered by fluorescent lights, but still occur daily 2 to 3 times per day. Weather changes are huge triggers, as is the constant neck spasm. I am praying Botox works to decrease frequency and duration. Good luck to you all!

Bonnie Troop <bonnieintuition@yahoo.com>
Thursday, June 28, 2012 at 20:12:30

Hi friends.

I am a serious migraine sufferer in NYC. I see a pain management team and have done all the migraine/headache clinics... Here's some good news. My pain doc put me on Exalgo - it's long acting dilaudid and regular dilaudid for breakthrough. When I get a bad headache that doesn't respond, I go to his office for shots of dilaudid and toradol. It's cut the ER vista down from once a month to like once a year. AND - my productivity is way up.

I take protriptaline in the morning and Zonergan at night for prevention.

There you go friends... one more idea....

However, today, I'm going in for the shots. The Exalgo is very expensive without insurance (more than $300) and you are opiate dependent... constipation, etc... BUT - I'm getting better I think... I hope....

Best of luck friends,
Andy

andy
Monday, June 25, 2012 at 11:09:11

Hello to all, I just found this online journal only after making a post in the forums. I guess I should have put what I said there here. In hope everyone will understand that I did not know where to post and have been feeling the desperation and inability to function from the migraines for almost 5 months now. I have a history of these migraines for at least 8 years, my memory is not good enough to remember if I had them before that. Anyway, I will say more later about my entire history, it is simply good to know that others suffer the way I do and that someone actually really understands what I am going thru.

FaithtoFreedom

Diana aka Faith

Faith aka Diana (faithtofreedom) <faithtofreedom@live.com>
Sunday, June 3, 2012 at 11:17:04

I have suffered migraines all my life, and am having severe ones 4 or 5 times a month, but have a headache of some kind almost everyday. I know some of my triggers....the worst one is aspartame, or any artificial sweetener, pork, alcohol, grapes, aged cheese, and any really strong smells. Barometric pressure changes will do it too. I take relpax for the migraines but am worried because I'm having to take it more and more often. My dr JUST put me on magnesium supplements and vitamin e to try to ward them off. I'm also trying topamax for the first time but have heard some scary things about it, so I'm doing it cautiously! The thing that strangely works the best is an ICE BAG!!! I use it so much my husband refers to it as " my little friend"!!!!
I think the worst part of this is that unless you suffer from migraines, you don't know how painful and debilitating it is!!!! Sometimes I wonder if it will ever stop, and I'm ashamed to admit that when I'm in the middle of one, and nothing is working, I think dying would be better....I have approx 5 good days a month...the rest are spent in bed or on the couch with an ice bag and relax.
Thanx for listening!!! I hope maybe by listing my triggers, it will help someone else who may have not thought mine could be one of theirs!!
God bless all of u with this horrible disease!!!! It sure hurts to live this way!!

Rebecca Zak <rzak1963@yahoo.com>
Friday, May 11, 2012 at 01:21:50

I have been suffering with Hemiplegic migraine for
Over 10 years now. Yesterday I experienced a new range of symptoms
And was wondering if anyone else has gone through this.
Typically I lose site in one eye and present with stroke like symptoms. Last year I did have a mild Tia.
Yesterday was completely different and scary I had trouble speaking had dry mouth my legs and arms felt both tight and tingly at the same time and my heart was racing. I went to my local emerg snd they ruled out heart and gave me that look like " she is having an anxiety attack". Sent me home and told me to check with my neurologist .
Has anyone ever experienced anything similar with a migraine?

Leah <Leah2003@pei.sympatico.ca>
Wednesday, May 9, 2012 at 19:40:35

Hi!
I'm new here, and found this site while looking for treatment options. Currently I am taking fioricette for migraine pain, phenergan(spelling on both meds) for vomiting, and have tried many different prevention meds with no success.
Right now I'm on day 6 of a cluster migraine with no relief in sight.My face is blistered on one side because I fell asleep with a hot pack over my eye & ear (where the pain is always centered).
I've read through a bunch of discussions and no longer feel like I'm alone. I'm especially thankful to have read about migraine and depression and mood problems, as my Dr seems to see the two subjects as not related, even though I've tried talking to her about why I'm so depressed from the migraines. Migraines have stolen my life. Its kind of hard to be happy when you're sick, bed bound and can't interact with the world.

Kattaz <kattaztrophe@gmail.com>
Sunday, May 6, 2012 at 22:28:37

Hi all. Good to see this page. My migraines have been bothering me badly for last 10yrs. I don't exactly know when it started first, probably I couldn't differentiate between and "routine" headache and migraine.

I have identified some causes why I am suffering:
1) I have inherited it - my mom has this prob.
2) When I sleep less(more common) or more
3) When I am dehydrated
4) In summers when the heat is on a kill. ( I live in India - so temp goes to around 42-47 degrees centigrade at its peak)
5) When I eat food that doesn't digest so easily
6) Of course when I am stressed out

Common symptoms include- confusion, "that" feeling before migraine onset. I sometimes know it in the morning that it will come and it comes invariably by afternoon/evening. Motor ability is also impaired, frustration, sweating, irritability.

During migraine attack, its like "OMG save me!!!!!" - I once thought some blood vessel in my brain is gonna burst and I proceeded to scribble (in great pain) on sheet my last notes, fixing blames on people who were even remotely responsible for my condition!

Acupressure doest work a little at initial stages of onset of migraine, but once it is full blown, you only have to face the music, hoping that it is over quickly. During its peak, acupressure only adds to the terribly intense pain. Mine lasts for 2-2.5 hrs. During this time, I take the bed, writhe about in pain, walk, try to lie down, think straight, groan if someone's there to listen (;-)

After the attack, I am like a short circuited battery - over and out.

Anybody out there who would like to connect and share their experience, experiments and lives can mail me at patra2me@yahoo.com - welcome to the gang of cursed lives!

Regards
MOhan Das.

Mohan Das <patra2me@yahoo.com>
Friday, March 9, 2012 at 11:10:50

I saw a very famous neurologist years ago who headed a Headache Clinic near Boston.
He came highly recommended and his name was part of the clinic name. As part of his conversation to me he asked me: "How often do you and your partner have sex?",
I answered and then he said: "That's not very much for a woman your age!".
He later told me that, " All headaches are just tension you know!"
As part of the intake questionnaire there was a section to report any previous abuse history. I reported an event that had happened to me when I was a child. On his report of the visit that I later received a copy it reported it as an "alleged" event against me! Never went back to this guy!

Kathy Currier <kcurrier768@verizon.net>
Tuesday, February 21, 2012 at 12:01:40

Hi! everybody....I wrote before but I do not know how to check or to find if I got in but anyway today I need to express my feelings. I went to my neurologist and he gave samples of CAMBIA in powder (diclofenac potassium) and also an RX for Zonegran w/c I have not started yet since it is to be ordered yet but I started the Cambia for 4 dys now as I noted it helps. I did not take Imitrex 200mg/dy at all. Since I was written up at work I requested to go part time that I have time to try the new medicine but then I notice that the Cambia I feel lightheaded that I have to lie down for an hour. I keep on looking on my schedule and unable to focus and my boss called that I am suppose to work that is at 6:00am so I said that I will not be able to work because I just took the medicine so that is the end of me and my job. Thanks so much for listening as no one else would except for my 23 y.o. son. Again thank you! and until then....... mabel

mabel hicks <mabelh09@yahoo,com>
Sunday, January 22, 2012 at 11:00:00

Thank GOD for this site I felt soo alone that I thought I am lazy since I spend a lot of time in my room. I do not care about this people at work to quote " it is only in your head!" I have migraine since I was 16 y.o I started with 25mg of Imitrex and now at 56 y.o now on 200mg/dy since every morning I wake up I have the headache and at time it can not be controlled by the imitrex. Now, from full time job I am now part time since I noticed and was written up all the time for error in giving medication to client I begged ny boss to put me on the floor instead of dosing narcotics to client. I have tried elavil, topamax, ergots, dilantin, verapamil, depakote and etc. Is there any new treatment for migraines? now I am worried with the part time job I have no insurance at all.

mabel hicks <mabelh09yahoo.com>
Monday, January 16, 2012 at 17:38:05

I suffered from my migraines for 25 years and it has greatly affected my life. The only things that work on me is fioricet and Imitrex. I recently heard on the news and Diane Sawyer about and F.D.A approved "implant" similar to a pacemaker. They allready did studies on people and it has stopped a migraine from coming on. Has anyone heard of this? I would love peoples input on this if anyone knows of it.

Dee <dee77777@verizon.net>
Tuesday, November 29, 2011 at 00:57:16