Migraine with Memory Loss

[phinfan]

I am a healthy 34 yr old male and I have been experiencing migraines over the last 4 months.  The last 2 times I also experienced Memory Loss and slurred speach.  I am unable to remember peoples names or common work terms for 20-30 minutes.  My family has a history of migraines and my brother has had strokes in his late 20's.  I recently stopped drinking and lost over 30 lbs.  The migraines started after this.  Would this change anything in my body to bring them on?  Was my blood being thinned through drinking?  I'm confused.

[DrNoopurMD]

Hi,

Migraines can be triggered by stress of any kind and rapid weight loss is a kind of stress that you have put on your body.
I would suggest you to try magnesium supplements as they are known to help in reducing the frequency of migraines.
Drinking will not thin the blood. I would also suggest you to get a clinical evaluation done to rule out TIA since you also have a positive family history of stroke.

Hope this helps!

[marileew]

Hi there,

My neurologist says that "migraines thrive on change"... any life change, be it a bad one OR a good one, can bring on a migraine or an episode of migraines. So, I do not think that it has anything to do with the fact you stopped _drinking_, it has to do with the fact that an aspect of your life changed. When your body gets used to the change your migraines will probably go away again (and it IS a healthy change, I would not suggest going back to drinking for the sake of your migraines... especially since many types of alcohol can actually be migraine triggers and you probably had a logical reason to stop drinking in the first place... probably due to health, as you said you lost 30 pounds and drinking is a known problem for many who are struggling to maintain a healthy body weight). BUT! This is only if your migraines are directly related to this change in your life... and you should see a doctor about this possibility before making the connection... so....

Have you seen a doctor about these migraines? The memory loss and slurred speach, although they can be a symptom of migraines, can also be serious symptoms of other neurological issue. So... if you haven't seen a doctor about your migraines yet, especially a neurologist, may I please suggest that you see one ASAP.

If you are having trouble getting an appointment with a neurologist (sometimes the wait lists can be long), then I would suggest going to the ER the next time that you have a migraine with the symptoms you have mentioned. This will allow you to see a neurologist at the ER instantly or if not instantly, then as an out patient within a few days.