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Half body numbness, vision problems and migraines.
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
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
I have been getting these for about 10ish years now. I first get weird problems with my vision. It's not quite blurry, it's more like there's clouds that stop me from seeing certain sections of my vision. I also get numb in my fingers, and it slowly moves up one side of my arm, all the way to my lips and cheek. Then I get a really bad headache, and wind up throwing up. This happens 2-3 times per year.
I've gone to a couple neurologists and they all seem nothing is fine and it's just migraines.
I have found something that works for me to stop this. Maybe this will work for others. As soon as I start to get blurry vision or numbness, I immediately take aspirin. Excedrin works for me, no other aspirin works. I also drink a ton of water. Then I close my eyes for about 20-30 minutes, and while my eyes are closed I do some neck exercises. I still get the beginnings of this like the blurry vision or numbness, but I'm able to stop it before it turns into a full blown migraine. I have no idea why this works, but It's worked every time for the last 3 years now.
I've gone to a couple neurologists and they all seem nothing is fine and it's just migraines.
I have found something that works for me to stop this. Maybe this will work for others. As soon as I start to get blurry vision or numbness, I immediately take aspirin. Excedrin works for me, no other aspirin works. I also drink a ton of water. Then I close my eyes for about 20-30 minutes, and while my eyes are closed I do some neck exercises. I still get the beginnings of this like the blurry vision or numbness, but I'm able to stop it before it turns into a full blown migraine. I have no idea why this works, but It's worked every time for the last 3 years now.
At least i now know I'm not the only one that suffers all the symptoms. I'm now 23 years old and the first time i got them was when i had just turned 17. i was in school and i panic because of what i was feeling and also because when i explained my symptoms to the nurse and teachers they looked at me weird, as if i was going crazy. these symptoms are so unpredictable. i some times get them every 4 to 6 months, every 3 months, every month and when it gets real bad its every week. I'm a freelance Professional Makeup artist and hair stylist therefore i can't be having impaired vision, i can take all the other symptoms but the the vision part. I don't know what to do or how to get rid of them completely, it can really have a negative impact on my job/career. it would be nice to at least know how to get rid of these symptoms the second i get them!
hey just im expecting the same its been 3 weeks but its one each day a week, get my right leg started feeling feeling numb, tingly , then on my right hand then to my fingers then to my right face then even lip and toungue . 2 times have i followed by a headache also when look at lights feel blurry im feel better knowing its not me that has happen to me, im going to a clinic get a physical tomorrow. wish me luck.
Hi!
It is important that you check this up immediately the first time it happens to you. You can not be sure it is a migraine until you have excluded other more dangerous possibilities. It could be a transient ischemic attack for example and it often forewarns of a stroke. Go to the ER.
It is important that you check this up immediately the first time it happens to you. You can not be sure it is a migraine until you have excluded other more dangerous possibilities. It could be a transient ischemic attack for example and it often forewarns of a stroke. Go to the ER.
HEY! this just happened to me last night for the first time, i was watching a video on my computer and my leg went numb, then it traveled to my arm and eventually my face, my whole left side of my face was numb and tingly. when i got up i was extremely disoriented and felt very heavy and dizzy. when i tried to talk words wouldnt come out the way i was saying them and i was getting really scared. after the effects died down i got a really bad headache. ever since then im scared its going to happen to me again and i really dont want it to. anyways you guys prevent it??? its good to know im not the only one.
This is migraine. The numbness is part of your aura. The aura is believed to be somewhat like an epileptic seizure that starts in one part of the brain and then travels on. That's why the different symptoms come after each other as the aura is spreading over the cerebral cortex.
These types of migraine are often scary and since migraine actually give a higher risk of stroke these types of migraines should try to be avoided as much as possible. They can be hard to differ from a stroke. A stroke doesn't just go away after a while of coarse.
You could take a preventive medication, like a beta blocker, but if you have these attacks very seldom it might not give you so much benifit.
The other thing you can do is to try out a good medication to stop the attack once you feel the aura symptoms coming on. You must find a drug or combination of drugs that work for you. It might be Asa, naproxen, a triptan, an anti-convulsant, xanax or a combination of drugs. Discuss this with your doctor.
The third thing to do is to have a good escape drug, something to take if the other drugs don't work.
But you must discuss with your doctor what would be your best strategy when these attacks happen.
Good luck!
These types of migraine are often scary and since migraine actually give a higher risk of stroke these types of migraines should try to be avoided as much as possible. They can be hard to differ from a stroke. A stroke doesn't just go away after a while of coarse.
You could take a preventive medication, like a beta blocker, but if you have these attacks very seldom it might not give you so much benifit.
The other thing you can do is to try out a good medication to stop the attack once you feel the aura symptoms coming on. You must find a drug or combination of drugs that work for you. It might be Asa, naproxen, a triptan, an anti-convulsant, xanax or a combination of drugs. Discuss this with your doctor.
The third thing to do is to have a good escape drug, something to take if the other drugs don't work.
But you must discuss with your doctor what would be your best strategy when these attacks happen.
Good luck!
When I first got this a few months ago I was freaking out like crazy because I thought I was having a stroke. I'm only 20 so I wasn't even reasonably expecting it to be a stroke at first, but the symptoms made it an immense worry.
Firstly, I had the symptoms of a migraine aura, which is (unfortunately) usual and common for me, but then, things became extraordinarily worse. Half of my body became numb and I had difficulty speaking. There were some words that I literally forgot how to pronounce and some words which I knew how to pronounce, but physically could not mouth properly and began wording gibberish. I became very confused and wasn't fully comprehensible of my surroundings, like I was a five year old who was aware, but things were just too complex for me to understand. I was panicking so much and was worried I was dying, but it is an incredible relief to find out that other people have (unfortunately) exactly the same symptoms as me to know I'm not alone. I continue to get these every couple of months.
Firstly, I had the symptoms of a migraine aura, which is (unfortunately) usual and common for me, but then, things became extraordinarily worse. Half of my body became numb and I had difficulty speaking. There were some words that I literally forgot how to pronounce and some words which I knew how to pronounce, but physically could not mouth properly and began wording gibberish. I became very confused and wasn't fully comprehensible of my surroundings, like I was a five year old who was aware, but things were just too complex for me to understand. I was panicking so much and was worried I was dying, but it is an incredible relief to find out that other people have (unfortunately) exactly the same symptoms as me to know I'm not alone. I continue to get these every couple of months.
no no no im sure the nerves on one side aren't as great as the side that's never numb but no the numbness doesn't stick around that I can notice...I would most definitely be hounding a doctor if it did.
living in montana I would have to go out of state for any type of accurate testing to be done and im not really sure I want to be some doctors guinea pig :S... I've been on different medication since I was twelve cant really tell you the names of them its been so long... ive gone the supplement direction taking natural calm which works well but tastes pretty discusting I also chew some natural painkilling plants if I have been out foraging lately. I have also been to see a migrane specialist and I threw him for a loop with the caffeine trigger...most peoples migranes are a result of a lack of what triggers my migranes...he did want to do some testing but mostly they just load me up with samples and say "tell me what works" I was even on a combination of three different migrane medications at once and it was so confusing it was like "take these two right away and if its persists take the third one and a second pill of one of the first two" I was probably 19 at the time so like I said the medication names illude me.
The other night I was just sitting here listening to music on my laptop when all of a sudden I started seeing bright like diamond shapes and I thought it was just cuz I was lookin at the screen so I turned the lights off and laid down. Then a couple mins later my arm went completely numb and tingly and also my lips/face. As they were doing tests only then did my headache kick in. They told me I was having a complication/aura migraine. A few hours went by and then my feeling came back but I also got very sick to my to stomach for a couple hours after. They told me it was nothing serious but if it happens again to go to the hospital as I may need medications. Since then I've been getting headaches and numbness but nothing as serious..
Hi , my name is ***@****, first of , bless you all for sharing your most fearfull moments . I too have severe migrane it just started im 32 yrs started with a unstopable headache that lasted days....nothing worked and then went tru stroke like symptoms that rush me to hospital more then once, however im glad to see im not alone and finally i can relate, is hard to explain right? People think im crazy because they cant find nothing wrong test wise , mri,mra,mrv all came back negative. Blood work is super, healthy as a horse. I used to work out hardcore ,lost a lot of weight but over a year took a lot of supplements witch contain ( creatine ) is a legal supplement powder you mix with water and turns you into the HULK for about a good 2hrs. I used to lift weight as well, but i think thats what did it for me . In the gym they call it ( CRACK JUICY ) it gives u a big rush is like a gallon of coffee before every workout and i used to go almost 7 days a week. Well, after explaining thia to my neurologist she said that might of been the case in myself. Well i went tru so many faces of symptoms i thougth i was dying , now is been 3 months No more gym finally gain back a bit of wait. Cuz i didnt want to eat lost appetite ,nausea, dizzyness out of focus, unable to drive and walk by myself . Fear of sleeping and not waking up because also i developed palpitations in my stomach and truout my body. Im really scared because i have a 10 yer old princess and im so afraid of leaving her. My family was worrt to death about me . Now lost all my muscle weight, eating better and my vision is coming back with treatments. No coffee, no more gym, no more protein juice. Devoted myself to god and it has help me a lot . I strongly recommend it. Is the best meditation out there, now only symptoms i have are body palpitations and numbness of left body comes and goes but it happends often. My doctor said it will all be treated and is the symptoms of MIGRANE. Please feel free to email me, it would really be nice to talk to someone to relate .
I am so sorry to hear about your trials with your migraines. Before I had a stroke which caused 24/7 severe migraines which I still battle, I used to get severe migraines every time just before I had my period, then after menopause the timing was all over the place. Several of my friends found that taking hormone replacement that helped their migraines, but you are obviously not that age.
My migraines were severe enough in the past that I would vomit and nearly pass out if I got out of bed. I found that Esgic was the best abortive medication to help them, which allowed me to conduct training sessions. It is similar to Fiorcet. Hope you have been given some kind of abortive medications to help your migraines.
I really wish you the best.
Sara
My migraines were severe enough in the past that I would vomit and nearly pass out if I got out of bed. I found that Esgic was the best abortive medication to help them, which allowed me to conduct training sessions. It is similar to Fiorcet. Hope you have been given some kind of abortive medications to help your migraines.
I really wish you the best.
Sara
I have been on several different preventive meds. Topamax, noritryptaline, celexa and the latest was verapamil which is a calcium channel blocker. I was actually having more migraines on some of them. I see a headache specialist but there are only a handful of them in the country that have actually ever treated this type of migraine. I definitely think that hormones play a role for me, as I have one of these migraines during every period, so there may never be a medication that works for me. The only hormone they will allow me to use is estrogen. I add that before my period to prevent a sudden decrease which can lead to migraines but still doesn't help. My grandfather and my mom also get these migraines. Two of my children do also. None of us see the same doctor and none of us have ever found anything that works.
Above with SoccerMom's recommendation to find a really good neurologist, you might try to find a headache specialist, although there are far fewer of them, so potentially more difficult to find. But since they only deal with headaches, they are more likely to comprehend a more unusual kind of headache.
Good luck to you.
Good luck to you.
Why don't you ask your doctor for a different daily prophylactic migraine medication other than Topomax which you say is the worst. There are others that you could try.
I have the same symptoms. Mine usually start with blind spots in my vision. Then I get left sided weakness and tingling. My tongue and throat get numb. My speech is slurred and I can't come up with the correct words because I get extremely confused. I try to sleep through those symptoms but then wake up with a horrible migraine on the opposite side, which usually lasts into the next day. I have been admitted to the hospital twice because they thought I was having mini strokes. I was eventually diagnosed with Hemaplegic/Complicated Migraines. My MRI comes back abnormal and shows white spots. I have been on Topamax(worst med ever!). Noritryptaline, and Calan(verapamil). With no relief. I take Zomig for the pain and usually end up having to add Advil on top of zomig. I get these migraines, usually once per month or every two months. I am not able to be on any hormones such as birth control pills because certain hormones contribute. Plus these types of migraines raise your risk of having a stroke. I have not found a doctor that is totally familiar with these migraines. Do your best to find a good neurologist that specializes in migraines. These migraines are scary to deal with, especially because they seem to come on without much notice and they are debilitating. Please try to find a good DR! Good luck and keep us updated!
I agree with your pharmacist. Be sure to go to a doctor. This site cannot give diagnoses.
Good luck to you.
Sara
Good luck to you.
Sara
I've suffered from migraines for the past 5-6 years, and they have gradually been getting worse. Now when I get them, I can't move or see anything, and the only way to get rid of it is to be sick and try to sleep. Yesterday I had a really strange migraine where I had the headache the queasiness, and then my body started going numb- just on the left hand side. I couldn't talk, move, or see anything. I've never felt anything like this before. I rang up the pharmacist this morning to get some more of my prescription tablets, and he was concerned about the numbess. Said I needed to go to the doctors and have tests.
I'm reading all these comments, trying to see if anyone else suffers the same, and it is very reasurring that there are others. It drives me mad when I can't do anything and people say 'it's just a headache'.
Now waiting for my partner to get home, as I can't drive. I hate these things.
Does everyone get the numbness on the left hand side? And has anyone had any luck with working out how to get rid of these long term? I seem to have one every 2 weeks at the worst, and one a month at best.
I'm reading all these comments, trying to see if anyone else suffers the same, and it is very reasurring that there are others. It drives me mad when I can't do anything and people say 'it's just a headache'.
Now waiting for my partner to get home, as I can't drive. I hate these things.
Does everyone get the numbness on the left hand side? And has anyone had any luck with working out how to get rid of these long term? I seem to have one every 2 weeks at the worst, and one a month at best.
Hi there, my name is sam and i have been haveing migraines since i was sixteen, i am now 39. I am just recivering from one as i speak, i too have what is largely known as the aura type migraine, the first one i ever experiebced was at the age of sixteen i was rushed to the hospital as my father was convinced that i was having a srtoke, it turned iut it was migraine symtons. I dont always get a headache with mine, i tend to get the numbness down my left side face numb, hand tingle. I have even had the numbness travel up my left arm, to the point of where i wonder if it will stop, but thankfully it always does. They dont get any easier, everytime i have one i panick, i hate it! i try to calm myself down. I have been experiencing lately that the blindness i get in my left side of my vision can come on very suddenly, i can be perfectly fine one minute then the next i cant see propaly.
I have been to the doctors and he prescribed me a drug called " Pizotefin" i have been reading all the other peoples related experiences on this site but have not come across anyone else using this drug. It does help.......i think.....i have to take one tablet everyday. I say i think it works....my migraines have calmed down, i was averaing two to three a week, now on average i get one every six to eight weeks. They are terrible things and no-one knows what they are like until you have experienced them. I i can help anyone out for a chat, just reply. Best wishes
Everyone!!
I have been to the doctors and he prescribed me a drug called " Pizotefin" i have been reading all the other peoples related experiences on this site but have not come across anyone else using this drug. It does help.......i think.....i have to take one tablet everyday. I say i think it works....my migraines have calmed down, i was averaing two to three a week, now on average i get one every six to eight weeks. They are terrible things and no-one knows what they are like until you have experienced them. I i can help anyone out for a chat, just reply. Best wishes
Everyone!!
I have suffered from migraines since I was 8 years old. At the age if 26 I started with similar symptoms, numbness and weakness on one side. Slurring and unable to put sentences together, confusion. My throat goes numb. After those symptoms subside, I get an excruciating migraine on the opposite side. My MRI came back abnormal with white spots. The first neurologist I saw diagnosed me with Hemiplegic migraines. The one I see now just refers to them as migraine with aura? Not sure if they're the same thing? I was prescribed topamax, which is by far the worst drug I have ever been on. I went off that and tried several others with no help. I am currently on calan but I don't think it's doing much to help. I take zomig when I am in horrible pain. I have four children so I'm sure stress is a contributing factor. I also find that long car rides will bring them on, that could be stress again! My mom and grandfather also suffer from these types of migraines. I also am anemic even though I eat a diet high in iron and take a vitamin that contained iron. I don't know if that has an affect on anything or not.
I have been getting bad migraines for about 4 years. I started wearing glasses a year ago and have only had two since. I find my migraines are similar to most on here. I get blurred vision and when at work its the worse time to get a migraine working with machinery ect... After the blurred vision has gone i get numbness on my lips and cheeks and occasionally my hands a tingling sensation . Reading some of the comment on here I'm defiantly going to seek a medication and even get some test done, as its very worrying at times.
I'm 22 and have been suffering since I was 17 or 18.
I'm 22 and have been suffering since I was 17 or 18.
Karen, I'm going through that right now. I have had migraines on and off for years. But this is the first time I went numb. I usually have tracers in my eyes or smell certain things no one else does. I have been numb on my entire left side for a little over three weeks, no head ache ususally, but from time to time I do get one, nothing extremely too much to bare and over the counter meds take it away. My neurologist has me on Proponal, but I think I'm going to start taking Fish Oil and Magnesium as well, seem like they work well from what others have said on this site and others. I have been on the Proponal for a week and I don't feel any difference. I really just want the numbness to go away. I have had MRIs and CAT Scans, all came out ok.
THANK YOU! THANK YOU! I AM 55 AND HAVE HAD MIGRAINES SINCE I WAS 5 BUT JUST EXPERIENCED MY FIRST WHOLE LEFT SIDE NUMBNESS AND ITS BEEN NUMB FOR 10 DAYS. I GOT RID OF THE MIGRAINE BUT NOT THE NUMBNESS. DID THIS HAPPEN TO YOU?
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