Paging the Migrainisti

I started to get coloured fractal images on the right of my vision today
and within an hour it was a banging headache, face numb on the left,
couldn't make out words, slurred speech and couldn't even remember the
names of my colleagues. The hospital here reckoned TIA, I had one 15
years ago, and had me over to A&E.

After various tests it was decided it was "just" a bit of a monster
migraine. Something I've never experienced. Discharged myself anyway
after they gave me a bunch of stuff for it. Do those symptoms look the
Usual Suspects? I know there are a few sufferers on the NG.

If this is Migraine it sucks mightily and regular recipients have my
condolences.

 

PFO ?

 

What sort of 'stuff'? Therein might lie a clue or three.

A very, very bad one though. If you get an aura or not (that's the
coloured fractal thing) is personal/depends but it is a typical migraine
symptom. Banging headache, well, yes. Any nausea? Sensitivity to light
or sound?

It's not inconceivable that it was indeed a migraine. I'd go see a quack
who knows about them pronto, even if it's just for some emergency
medication that'll save you from acting/feeling like a stroke victim.

In the longer run if you get more of them, you *have* to find out what
the trigger is. Migraines usually don't come out of the blue and you can
often tie them to certain foods, weather changes (does it for me -
remind me again why I live in the UK?), seeing offensively fat people or
whatever.

 

Yep, banging's the word for them. What you experienced beforehand was the
aura. Mine are usually so bad I can't even see the computer screen, let
alone do anything like drive. Check Wiki for an explanation.

I always thought that you couldn't 'have a migraine' like you 'have a
headache' I thought people either were or weren't susceptible to migraine.
Maybe you're just starting. Are you under stress? Also check for trigger
food types (Wiki again).

I take beta-blockers during clusters of attacks and carry Zolmitriptan in
the event of a real humdinger.

 

I don't know/can't remember. All a bit of a blurr

Nausea and light yes. They dimmed the lights and gave a syringe of
something in my arse.

 

Lack of food perhaps (sugar mong) and shock perhaps.
Son of 9 disappeared for an hour after school yesterday and everyone
from PSNI to Grandparents were out before he was found. On the end of a
phone in England I was somewhat stressed.

 

That'd be a problem for a regular UKRM'er

 

Try to find out what it was if you can. *Especially* if it worked.

I think that's probably evidence enough of a migraine that you might
want to go see a doctor about this. You've seem to have had a lot of
typical symptoms and then some.

 

Check, although other side

Hmm again.

Well, I would get yourself checked out properly. The numbness and memory
'loss' are new to me. The rest really do make it sound like a migraine
though.

And yes, they suck.

--
Catman MIB#14 SKoGA#6 TEAR#4 BOTAFOF#38 Apostle#21 COSOC#3
Tyger, Tyger Burning Bright (Remove rust to reply)
116 Giulietta 3.0l Sprint 1.7 GTV TS 156 V6 2.5 S2
Triumph Sprint ST 1050: It's blue, see.
www.cuore-sportivo.co.uk

 

On Thu, 19 Nov 2009 21:00:46 -0000, "'Hog"

snip>

Are you sure you were at a hospital?

 

Tee-hee!

 

years ago, and had me over to A&E.

Surely that would have caused discomfort at the other end of your torso?

Sounds about right. I've had 3 of them now.

Cheaper than a kaleidoscope!

 

This is Hog we're talking about. Have you ever tried to have a straight
conversation with the bloke? He's the consumate stroke victim.

 

'Hog formulated the question :

I suffer from them occasionally and usually, though not always, when
under stress. The first time I suffered, was when I awoke and that was
a really colourful experience. Moving brightly coloured psycodelic
(sp?) shapes and it affected vision of both eyes - very frightening at
the time and it lasted for several minutes.

Since then I have suffered with with varying regularity, the greater
the stress the more frequent, but of a different sort since the first
attack. I now get an inability to see in some sections of my vision and
what I would describe as a semi transparent 'lamp filament' shape, as
in the shape is quite blurred and wonders across my vision. I also get
an odd feel of being a little distant from my surroundings.

It develops slowly, I recognise the early onset and just find somewhere
to sit quietly out of the way for 20 minutes, while it subsides. I'm
fairly useless during an attack anyway, because I cannot see very much.
I never suffer any headaches at all - which is the part which had me
fooled for a long time.

I had no idea for a long time, what I was actually suffering from. My
grand daughter actually diagnosed it and gave it a name, which then
enabled me to compare the symptoms to migrain and it matched.

Some people suggest the best thing during an attack is to find a
darkened room. I find it makes no difference to my form of migrain.

 

Ex-SWMBO suffered very badly from them. She got pretty much the
symptoms you describe, the bad ones started with peripheral vision
disappearing, then moved on to pins and needles in the extremities,
closely followed by losing the power to speak, tunnel vision, vomiting,
general confusion, lack of motor skills etc.

When we met, she was on Voltarol[0] suppositories, but after they ran
out, she went to the doc and was told there was fabulous new meds[1],
which turned out to be the absolute business, if taken promptly they
meant she felt quite shit for a few hours, but was back up and running
by the next day[2]

[0] I was once told this was a painkiller used in horses, although that
may be, aptly, horseshit
[1] Unfortunately, can't remember the name, this was 2003, but if you go
speak to the doc, they should be able to help. Voltarol is simply a
painkiller, the ones you want are those which expand the blood vessels
in the brain, as IIRC that's what causes it, lack of bloodflow around
the grey matter.
[2] The first one of hers I experienced was 2.5 days of her unable to
speak, which scared me shitless, although it was one of the worst she'd had

 

B 650 wrote :

The most obvious and most disabling symptom I suffer is the visual
disturbance, but I also suffer extremely mild versions of the other
symptoms you mention. I'm also told my speech becomes a little slurred.

 

havent had one in few yrs. Peripheral vision goes black accompanied by
vertigo. About half hour later, pain and nausia, light and sound
sensitivity, cant really talk, disorientation/confusion, hand eye
coordination is impaired. lasts 3-15hrs. A balls of a racket. [1]
Over the years i figured out the trigger, for me, wasnt peaks of
stress/emotional duress but shortly after the release or relief from
them. It was exams that showed me the pattern (despite not really
considering myself stressed at the time). Actually post-stress isnt
the best word for my trigger, post-anxiety is. This tallies rather
well with the day you had. In fact, if i had had such a day, i would
be expecting it shortly after The Lad was located and i calmed down.
Thus i learned that at the early onset of the aura bit, i could think
of something [2] that made me anxious or afraid, and focus on it to
the point that you actually felt nervy in the stomach, and aura would
recede, no migraine. No prescribed pills ever worked for me, but i did
give up trying, cos probability of being organised enough to have
pills on me person at time of need seemed remote.

[1] Welcome to the club of those that would merrily strangle any fish
gilled bags that holds their temple and breezily says "oh, i've got a
migraine" Utter cunts.
[2] As life goes on, the palette in the imagination of such harrowing
prospects, ever broadens

 

eamo wrote:

I don't suffer from migraines, but that has been the pattern for me
getting ill for the the past 20 years or so

 

Same here, mostly. Particularly with migraines.

--
Catman MIB#14 SKoGA#6 TEAR#4 BOTAFOF#38 Apostle#21 COSOC#3
Tyger, Tyger Burning Bright (Remove rust to reply)
116 Giulietta 3.0l Sprint 1.7 GTV TS 156 V6 2.5 S2
Triumph Sprint ST 1050: It's blue, see.
www.cuore-sportivo.co.uk

 

Ha! you rotter