Migraine?

Can I ask you some questions please.

How severe the numbness is with hemiplegic migraine. Do you have a headache pain that you need to lie down with in a dark room or can you still function just slowly and in alot of pain?

Is the numbness complete numbness or can it be felt as a numbness perception and tingling feeling. I mean like it feels like its numb like your face does after dental work (swollen heavy) but if you touch the skin you can still feel the touch although less in comparrison to the other side.

How quickly does it come on, do you wake up with it or does is it just happen like when a headache suddenly comes on.

Whats the triggers if any and also what meds can you take for it?

 

Hi Charlotte

I can still function although as you said slowly and in a lot of pain and the numbness isn't complete numbness, as you said I can still feel it and it just feels weird and tingly.

Yesterday it came on over the course of a few hours while sitting in work. Head felt tight and then as it gradually got tighter then the numbness got worse. It gradually eased off yesterday by me taking a propranolol and a diazepam and getting a warm shower and then lying in bed but then this morning I have woken up and the numb weird feeling has switched to my left arm and left leg. Head kinda feels weird but no major headache or head tightness. I haven't noticed any triggers for it though.

Thanks

Chris

Hi, the numbness lasted down my right arm for 4 days straight, my arm was useless and could barley hold a glass of water. It started with a pain going from neck into my shoulder and numbness travelling from my fingers up-to the shoulder where the pain was. It took almost 2 weeks to gain full feeling in my left arm. I had a throbbing feeling on the inside of my leg that was pulsating to the point it felt like something was trying to explode from it.

The headache didn't appear until after all the aura symptoms had been- loss of hearing in my left ear with numbness in my face (which was exactly like going to the dentist and having a tooth out) and left arm, throbbing in my left leg, blurred vision, concussion/ lack of concentration, excessive tiredness weakness down the left side of my body.

I'm still waiting for my hearing to come back properly, and for the constant ringing to stop.

So far I haven't found any real triggers which is confusing. I've been given codydromol 500mg/10mg and to treat the auras to prevent a further migraine I've got sumatripitan 50mg. The neurologists has suggested amatriptilain? But I'm waiting for the GP to prescribe it.

Left arm, not right.

Hi Lorna,

I read your message and had to check that I hadn't typed it lol. I also had my first attack the beginning of March and I'm still suffering now. Haven't had full feeling back at all, it's driving me crazy. I feel exhausted all the time.

Hope you feel better soon

It's awful! I've been so poorly with it and there doesn't seem to be an end in sight. My first attack happened when I bent down to pick washing up off the floor and my first symptom was complete deafness in my left ear which went totally numb, I have regained some hearing however in loud places I now have to wear an earplug to make it manageable.

Have you been to see anybody yet? When I first went to see my GP he thought I may have suffered a stoke or had bleeding on the brain but they've since ruled that out with a chest X-ray, 2 CT scans and an MRI but I'm still waiting for my neurologist to look at the scans and then I have an appointment to see an ears nose and throat specialist next Wednesday because I have a marginally enlarged thyroid with multiple cysts on it.

Hope you're feeling better soon and please know you're not on your own! X

With those sorts of symptoms you shoukd really have inflammatory markers checked. Ask your doctor to look at your esr crp and ana to see if there is anything else going on there.

What are inflammatory markers?

I've had numerous blood tests that have all come back normal

They help identify possible underlying causes of chronic disorders and whether there is underlying inflammation at work. That is not seen on scans and was the cause of my migraine thankfully now under control.

My blood tests are often normal. But things like esr crp are often overlooked by gp's anyway even if they are raised but they can point to conditions which cause migraine and fatigue.

I was misdiagnosed with hemiplegic migraine when it was actually quite different. Numbness in my arm and elsewhere was part of my symptoms also.

Are you fatigued whether you have migraine or not?

Always tired, I've had my thyroid checked it's not that, so I'm lost for suggestions, what was your diagnosis?

Lorna do you have any other health issues going on for you? Any gi issues or any joint problems fir example?