Member Comments are provided by individuals and reflect their personal opinions only. Under NO circumstances should you act on any advice or opinion posted in this forum. ALWAYS check with your personal physician before taking any action regarding your health! MedHelp International and our partners, sponsors and affiliates have no obligation to monitor any comments posted on this site, or the content and/or accuracy of such exchanges. MedHelp International does not endorse the views of any user.
Neurology (Expert Forum)
Vertigo and Headaches
This forum is for questions and support regarding neurology issues such as: Alzheimer's Disease, ALS, Autism, Brain Cancer, Cerebral Palsy, Chronic Pain, Epilepsy, Fibromyalgia, Headaches, MS, Neuralgia, Neuropathy, Parkinson's Disease, RSD, Sleep Disorders, Stroke, Traumatic Brain Injury
Vertigo and Headaches
by kahle, Feb 07, 2006 12:00AM
I am a 34 yr old female with a history of migraines. I have a list of symptoms which seem to come in periodic cycles. I get headaches, dizzy spells, spells in which I can't find the word I want to say, a feeling of weekness and/or tingling in my leg and arm (although not together). I get neck pain and my head feels too heavy to hold up. I have had a feeling a "tightness" in my face. I also get spells where my eyes don't want to seem to focus correctly. I have seen an opthamologist who has dx optic neuritis. I also have had MRI w/o contrast that was negative. I have been told these are cycles of migraines, but I'm not convinced. They can last from one week to one month. Some spells are more severe than others. I am on a migraine prevention medication, I still get migraines frequently and require trips to the ER for pain medication because I can't control the pain myself. My question is do these indeed sound like migrain cylces? or do I need to pursue other avenues. I am getting frustrated and need help.
Doctor's Answer
by CCF-Neuro-M.D.-PW, Feb 11, 2006 12:00AM
I cannot give you a formal clinical opinion as this forum is purely educational, so my advice may be limited.
By periodic cycles, do you mean with your menstruation - some forms of migraine cluster around menstraution (called catamenial migraine)
Migraine can cause focal symptoms such as weakness in the arm or leg that can last beyond the headache for a few days (andin rare cases longer). Other causes of focal neurological symptoms need to be excluded before this diagnosis can be made such as with an MRI to rulout a mass, MR angiogram to ruleout blood vessel blockages and an EEG to rule out a seizure. Migraine does not cause optic neuritis so this diagnosis should be clarified as after isloated optic neuritis, about 15% of people go on to develop MS, although your negative MRI does not suggest that this will occur.
There are a variety of migraine medications that can be used for 'complex' migraine such as calcium channel blockers. In general the triptan medication are to be avoided as they can casue spasm of blood vessels which may be dangerous in patients with focal neurological symptoms.
Good luck
By periodic cycles, do you mean with your menstruation - some forms of migraine cluster around menstraution (called catamenial migraine)
Migraine can cause focal symptoms such as weakness in the arm or leg that can last beyond the headache for a few days (andin rare cases longer). Other causes of focal neurological symptoms need to be excluded before this diagnosis can be made such as with an MRI to rulout a mass, MR angiogram to ruleout blood vessel blockages and an EEG to rule out a seizure. Migraine does not cause optic neuritis so this diagnosis should be clarified as after isloated optic neuritis, about 15% of people go on to develop MS, although your negative MRI does not suggest that this will occur.
There are a variety of migraine medications that can be used for 'complex' migraine such as calcium channel blockers. In general the triptan medication are to be avoided as they can casue spasm of blood vessels which may be dangerous in patients with focal neurological symptoms.
Good luck
9-04. Some of the same symptoms you described are what I have experienced. You may want to consider a EEG or a video EEG. That is how they found my condition. The MRA and MRI showed nothing. Something to think about anyway. Good luck.