Migraine

[contentuser]

Questions to Ask Your Doctor about Migraines(Free Handout)

Overview

A migraine headache is a throbbing or pulsating headache that is often one sided (unilateral) and associated with nausea; vomiting; sensitivity to light, sound, and smells; sleep disruption; and depression. Attacks are often recurrent and tend to become less severe as the migraine sufferer ages.

Types

Migraines are classified according to the symptoms they produce. The two most common types are migraine with aura ...Read the full article

[infois]

If you have a migraine headache
just say out loud now Jesus I believe
and I receive you in my heart
please heal me for more help please
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[Truth Seeker]

I am very curious why you refer to auras as it relates to migraine headaches.
In 1996 I was under high work related stress, which as many times before was followed by a herpes left eye infection and as bad luck would have it, I fell and fractured my calcaneus severely which resulted in surgery and eventually a diagnoses of RSD.
A few month into this RSD I began to have vision changes, at first only behind the left eye were I could see tiny colours far back behind the eye, yet I had no migraine or headache at all.
Eventually these tiny colours became three large patches of white, yellow and red, precisely in this order on the left side of brain. These flashes were present 24/7 for four long years, visual only behind closed eyes.
My eyelids had become very heavy and often impossible to open, they felt as if filled with lead.
Because the flashes were constant, I used them as a focal point while meditating to reduce my physical pain, but also to help and regulate my rapid breathing. After a while these colours became rather hypnotising.
My RSD was progressive and spreading, moving higher and higher into my body, but just as progressive was the enormous amount of electricity in my system, serious circulation problems set in.
The enormous electrical impulses must have triggered something in my central nervous system, because all of a sudden my flashes were gone, replaced by what looked like a Kaleidoscope spinning at enormously high speed in the center of forehead between my eye brows.
My temperature changes went from very high to extremely low, a misty, icy coldness and than a phenomenon happened, my brain and body illuminated with so much light, that I could see and follow my own brain and body functions, providing me with knowledge I simply should not have.
I can assure you, what you call aura in reality are brain map colours.
When any electrical or nuclear circuitry overheats, it will react and blood vessels will expand as does tissue, but expansions have limits.
Overheated, expanded tissue will become very thin, blister and bubble and eventually disconnect forming lesions, which will set off chain reactions of internal destruction.
As we all know, the cause of migraine, as well as RSD is still unknown, consequently I would caution to use the term delusional.
When I learned that the cause of RSD is unknown, I refused to take any kind of medication, therefore my experiences and vision changes were not influenced by artificial chemicals, but they were influenced by speed, light, heat, electrical impulses of magnitude as well as toxicity.
High speed spinning was based upon counter clock spinning to the left, rather than creative spinning to the right.
Overheated circuitries will shift, become entrapped, knot, cross wire and collide with atoms.
Does the third eye open when mercury rises!!

[esullivannn]

I have been diagnosed as having migraines without headache. Since I was untreated for a long time while seeking a diagnosis (I did extensive testing for epilepsy, vertigo, anxiety, and anything that could be wrong with my eyes), I developed chronic symptoms that I have 24 hrs a day. The chronic symptoms are the same as what I would have during an episode, but less severe. I have weird visual symptoms that are hard to explain - basically things look strange when they move like cars going down the street or people moving around in a grocery store. If I am in a crowded place where people are moving around in all different directions (like airports, schools, etc) this sensation can be extremely disorienting. During an intense episode it also seems like my eyes will zoom in on things. Things also look more intense, and it gives me a feeling like I am stoned or haven't slept in days, though if I close my eyes my headspace feels normal. During an episode these feelings can almost feel like an uncomfortable out-of-body or drugged feeling. These symptoms always increase in intensity in bright lights. They are also much easier to cope with if I am not wearing my glasses, so I almost never wear them anymore which has been pretty inconveinent since my vision is -2.75/-3.00. I also experience fatigue, especially after an episode. Sometimes I also experience lightheadedness and dizzyness, especially if I am tired. The dizzyness usually feels like more of a body sensation along with a sea-sick feeling than visual dizzyness although I sometimes get 'the spins'.
Anyways, my doctor prescribed me propranolol which seemed to work for about three weeks. I didn't have any episodes and the chronic symptoms felt just a tiny bit better every day. And then right at the beginning of my menstrual cycle I started feeling worse and the next day I had an episode. I took Sumitriptan (Imitrex) which was prescribed to me to take at the onset of a migraine, and it helped but not as much as I wanted it to. For the next four weeks it felt like I was having an episode every few days or every other day. It seems like every episode I have lowers my tolerence for what may cause the next episode (my triggers seem to be bright lights, strong bad smells, annoying loud noises like bus transfer stations, alchohol, cheese/dairy, irregular sleep, and possibly menstrual cycle). Basically, the Sumitriptan would work less and less each time I took it, so my PCP and I decided I should stop taking it since it is obvioulsy not effective enough. However, she does not want to prescribe me an alternative until I meet with a migraine specialist who can better guide me on when to take the medication (sometimes it is confusing because my chronic symptoms are the same as having an episode so I only have intensity of symptoms and not the symptoms themselves to go on).
My questions are:
Is there anyone else there who suffers migraine without headache who developed any chronic symptoms?
Did you take any abortive medications that were successful for you?
Did you take any preventative meds that were successful?
How long after treatment(s) did your chronic symptoms completely go away?
Is there anyone else out there who suffers migraine without headache who has symptoms that are more similar to mine instead of the more typical flashing-lights?