Half body numbness, vision problems and migraines.

[Ronnie_ca]

I have this half body numbness, vision problems and migraines since I was only 12 years old. It never happened more than once in 6 months period, some times it happens only once in 3 years but rare.
When ever this kind of problem occurs, my whole day and the next gets reserved with pain. Some times it triggers by bright sun shine or a camera flash. My vision starts getting impaired and then I cannot see objects clear (see mostly shadows). Some times it directly triggers by suddenly numbing my right hand fingers (I believe this happened to my left hand side body as well) and then slowly moves to my other right hand side body parts i.e. arm, leg, lip, nose and eye etc. I usually try to sleep so by the time I will wake up I will be start feeling better but it never happened. By the time I wake up after an hour or so, I will be having severe migraine pains on the left hand side of my head. I take Excedrin, Advil, Tylenol or Ibuprofen to get rid of this pain but no help. Some times I stay home and some times my family members take me to the hospital so the doctors can do something for pain but it never helped. I usually get big vomiting too. Another important point is that I cannot even speak correctly, I would be speaking incomplete and wrong words, this starts happening after half of my tongue gets numb and I believe one of the reason in speaking wrong and crazy words is that perhaps half of my brain gets numb as well.
I have never done an MRI but got some other brain scans done including blood test, blood sugar, uric acid and blood pressure etc. but everything looked normal. Please help me to diagnose this problem. I apologize of writing such a long essay. Thanks

[noops01]

Hi,

Your symptoms are very suggestive of migraine. What medications have you tried for migraine?
There are some medications that can prevent migraine attacks like topamax, depakote etc. Have you tried any of those?
What other brain scans have you undergone, was it a CT scan? Did it pick up any abnormality?
I would also suggest you to avoid bright lights, loud noisy places as they trigger migraine attacks. Also you can try OTC magnesium supplements, as magnesium has been found to be beneficial in migraine patients.

[Lmschill]

Everything you described happens to me also.. I have had a CT scan and various blood work but everything was normal. They suggested getting an MRI done I just havent done it..

[Vanessa Lacuesta]

Hi,

When was the last time you had a scan done? Are the symptoms similar to your symptoms in the past? Has it worsened/progressed?

I would suggest that tests for coagulation factors ( Pt,aPTT, fibrinogen levels ),evaluation of the peripheral vessels and cardiac function may also be able to shed some light.Given that you have been completely assessed, a complex type of migraine called occipital or basilar migraine may present with your symptoms,This is usually associated with visual symptoms, speech disorders, weakness in the extremiteis, difficulty walking and dizziness. The deficits however should be reversible. You may discuss with your physician the advantages of preventive migraine therapy in your case.

Stay proactive and if you are working or in school, it is important that your friends and colleagues are aware of your condition so they may be able to help in case the attacks happen outside your home.

[Chelsande]

My name is Chelsey Messer...i've had  migranes since i was nine years old and severe migranes with stroke symptoms since i was 12 years old. The only reason i know so much about all of this is because the doctor i had in Coeur d' Alene, Idaho happened to have the exact same problem.  I'm sorry to tell you all of this, but through extensive research there is still nothing that can be done about these migranes, but i CAN tell you how to greatly reduce them. Caffine is one of the leading triggers of these migranes. When you consume caffine the blood vessels in you brain are suppose to dialate more quickly (resulting in more energy...makes sense eh?), however with the very few people cursed with these migranes your blood vessels constrict and dont allow oxygen and blood flow to one side of your brain. Causing numbness on one entire half of the body, blurred vision, communication impairment, and nasuea. Other things trigger these migranes as well such as lack of sleep or stress. Since i've had them for around five years i'm use to them and the best way to deal with it is to sleep it off, but unfortunately thats not always possible. An example would be that my mother stressed me out before my highschool homecoming dance and i felt my hand going a bit numb. I started to cry hysterically. STOP...right now....i can tell you right off the bat that the more you stress the worse this migrane will be. I've been able to bring myself out of a migrane within half an hour. Meditation and other things that calm your mind and body help drastically.  Just try to CALM yourself and trust me it WILL help...doctors have prescribed everything they can possibly think of and all it did was make me nauseated and now i have no faith in modern medicine to deal with my migranes. The cause of mine happens to be the fact that i have severe (even though unnoticable) skulliosis. Your nervous system controls your body and when my mother worked in a chiropractic office getting an adjustment right away would also help, not as much as my own will power though. The feeling two days after my migranes are the worst part. Its like your brain is loose to bang around in your skull. The things the doctors have done to me test wise and prescription drug wise is absolutely unforgivable and i wont go into detail for your sake. If any one wants to contact me and find out more my email address is ***@**** (long story) feel free i'm an open book. -Chels

[Chelsande]

since it wont give out my email...feel free to just message me :D

[browneyedmama]

i get migraines as well... i use to get 2-3 per week... and now i get 1 every 2 weeks or so. they are AWFUL!!  ive had CT scans done, MRI's and tons of blood work. no one can figure it out. i can usually tell the day before i get a migraine that i will have one the next day, so i can somewhat prepare for it. 99% of the time, it effects the left side of my body. i see red spots, my face goes numb on the left side, left arm and fingers tingle, throw up repeatedly, and i feel like im slurring when i talk.i feel like ripping my face off. i always have to go to the hospital for treatment. usually morphine will work... sometimes i will sit there for hours with several different IV medications, and nothing will work. i am now 3 months pregnant... and am getting them more frequently.
i just want to thank chels for her input... that's awesome and it totally makes sense. i will definately try everything you suggested.

[Likesjewellry]

I am Likesjewellry.  The lady who is 50 and just developed over a year and a half this dibilitating problem.  I feel like a three year old sometimes when I can't speak or my words come out like baby talk.   I am sorry you are so young and going through this, you are very brave to reach out and help others.  I am wondering why after such agonizing testing, retesting, that not one doctor suggested anti migraine drugs to me? I would like to give it a try. Please email me and tell me which ones you tried and what reactions you had to them.  I already to the quiet time, space and meditation.  It is the only thing that calms things down but it never really goes away entirely.  Take care.

[Legh]

Yesterday, I started seeing strange lights and was feeling really strange.  Then, about 30 minutes later my left hand went numb and my lips.  I felt very disoriented and could not think properly.  Shortly, after I had a spiltting headache and all my energy was zapped.  I am at work today and the lights here are killing me.  All I want to do is go home and sleep, but I can't leave work.  It is really a frightening experience and very hard to remain calm when your whole body is out of whack.  It is comforting to know that my symtoms don't seem to be uncommon.  I called my doctor and they said that it sounded like I had a food allergy or I was dehydrated, but after reading this sight I am convinced that it was a migrain.  I am 6 weeks pregnant, so am thinking hormones may have triggered it.

[ger11]

hi my ame is gerard, i'm just comeing out of one at the minute, i can relate to you all, when i get the tingleing numb ness it puts me into a panic which makes everyything worse, its a comfort to know i'm not alone. i take migarleve, not sure if i've spellt that right, anyway i'm with you guys.

[cynthia1234]

Hi - I'm a 31 year old woman and I am really glad to see all of your comments!

I have just started experiencing similar symptoms, they seem to be brought on by stress.  I've never really had headaches of any sort so it didn't occur to me that this could be migraine related.  But, I got kind of freaked out the first time the numbness in the right side of my face happened (about 2 months ago); it felt like the onset of Bells Palsy (which I had 11 years ago, accompanied by Lyme Disease).  But, then unlike Bells Palsy, it went away after a few days.  My doctor was concerned about MS, but my MRI came back in good form, so I am hoping that this numbness really is just some sort of migraine reaction.  Of course my doctor's concern about MS stressed me out as well and the numbness quickly returned.  

Along with the numbness I get really tired and my vision is a bit fuzzier than normal so I have to make sure that I wear my glasses.

Have any of you who take medication had success with it alleviating the numbness?  So far, I've self-medicated with coffee and sleep, which both make me feel better, but the numbness seems like it doesn't go away until I am able to get the stress under control.

[Brook711]

My name is brook an I am 18. Just 3 days ago i was at work and started seeing colors and had blurred vision and lost all peripheral vision and then about 20 minutes later my left side of my mouth went numb and my hand finger by finger went numb. Then after that the headache started. From the sounds of things that have happend to all of you I am getting migranes. I have never gotten headaches or anything like that. It just happend and I havent went to a dr yet, but just days before this a small lump about he size of a dime formed right above my left ear in the pressure point area and I am wondering if anyone has an info on this? & is it common to have the headaches for like a 3 day span because ever since the first one i have had them everyday.

[Ronnie_ca]

Thanks a lot to all who have replied to my post. I apologize for replying so late, I never got any email notification from medhelp notifying me of these posts. Anyways my neurologist diagnosed my symptoms as "classic migraines". I've been taking a very good preventive medication which has changed my life, its "Atenolol" i take 50mg every night before bed and it keeps away migraines and ora's away from me so no numbness, tingling, vision problems anymore.

If once in a while I get migraine again, I take Immitrex shot (myself) or 100mg tablet and it takes care of pain in just a few minutes. Let me know If anyone needs more information. Thanks once again

[sewingmom5]

hi everyone,
i am 39 now, and i have been getting migraines for as long as i remember.  at the age of 12 i was put on beta blockers to try to help control the frequency of my migraines, and have been on them ever since.  i have also found topamax and depakote to be very helpful as maintenance drugs, but i've never found a painkiller that has worked for me.  i know caffeine causes migraines, but when i am getting a migraine, i have found that taking a large dose of caffeine has helped stop a migraine in its tracks.  i also get numbness on one side of my body with some of my migraines, and my neurologist says they are considered minor strokes.  i have had mri's and they have shown no damage, but she did say that imitrex is not recommended for people who get this type of migraine, so i no longer use it.  
i was wondering if anyone else has had their migraines effect their ability to function at a job, and how they have dealt with that.  i'm also wondering if there is anyone else out there who has been on inderal (beta blockers) for an extended period of time, like i've been?  i was one of the first children put on beta blockers for the control of migraine, and they are still unsure of the long term side effects of being on it for such a long time.  
it's great to have found this site....i can relate to all of you, and i have finally found some people who are experiencing the same terrible pain that i am.