Recent change in type of migraine?

Hi All,

I've been suffering from migraines for years, they appear to be mostly linked to my menstrual cycles although I also have scoliosis & osteoarthritis of the neck & back which when my back pain increases seems to increase the frequency & severity of my migraines. Until recently they have always followed a similar pattern, no aura but as soon as I start to feel it behind my right eye I should take something. If I don't get a strong enough tablet down my throat quick enough it will progress to requiring something to knock me out and needing to go hibernate in dark, cool place as far away from noise as possible before the neuralgia, complete disorientation, language skills are impinged, problem solving thinking diminshed, stiff neck & vomiting starts! I have even had one migraine so severe I was hospitalised over night because my doctor (& I) wondered whether I might have meningitis.

However, recently they seem to have changed in the format in which they take - I had one full-on silent migraine - zig-zaggy wavy lines over & over again for about 30 minutes and felt nauseous.

I have also had 4 instances - of which 2, possibly 3, coincided with my menstruation (not normally a time when I would experience a migraine) - where I have had my left eye dilated far more than the right. Other than my eye feeling a little odd I had no other migraine symptoms (or any of those associated with TIA or stroke).

Is it possible for the form of my migraines to change after so long? If so, why wwould they change?

I have informed my GP & have a cerebral MRI scan planned for June 10th, because coupled with some other neurological symptoms, which could just be a result of pinched nerves due to my scoliosis which is perhaps not visible on my spinal x-rays taken nearly 2 years ago I figure it's best to just get it checked out - after all it could be indicative of other conditions which are more serious - in the meantime though any theories on if these even are migraines I am experiencing and/or why the sudden change in form greatly appreciated!

thanks,

Jojack448

[LivingInHope]

Those zig-zaggy wavy lines definitely sounds like a migraine aura.  I have had a "mirage" like aura myself, though I don't get aura very often.  I hope when they do the MRI of the brain, if they notice any abnormality in the blood vessels, they will also order an MRA/MRV study for you additionally, to take a closer look at those blood vessels.  

With your eyes dialating- that's a hard thing to judge at home.  I think I have one pupil dialated more than the other all the time and if your eyes are exactly equal in shadow, the one more in shadow will show more dialated in the other one.  Did you try shining a flashlight toward the dialated pupil to see if it reacted by shrinking as it should?  Were you able to compare that to the other eye and see if the dialated eye was more sluggish (or was non-responsive) than the other eye?  

You are the age where it is normal for your hormones to be varying from how they were early on, so this might be affecting you.  I know when I was close to your age, I started feeling nauseated from hormonal changes.  You may though be now experiencing an ocular migraine, I don't know.  But you may want to check with a neuro-opthamologist since your eyes have gotten so involved here. I'm glad you were able to get that MRI scheduled!

[LivingInHope]

Those zig-zaggy wavy lines definitely sounds like a migraine aura.  I have had a "mirage" like aura myself, though I don't get aura very often.  I hope when they do the MRI of the brain, if they notice any abnormality in the blood vessels, they will also order an MRA/MRV study for you additionally, to take a closer look at those blood vessels.  

With your eyes dialating- that's a hard thing to judge at home.  I think I have one pupil dialated more than the other all the time and if your eyes are exactly equal in shadow, the one more in shadow will show more dialated in the other one.  Did you try shining a flashlight toward the dialated pupil to see if it reacted by shrinking as it should?  Were you able to compare that to the other eye and see if the dialated eye was more sluggish (or was non-responsive) than the other eye?  

You are the age where it is normal for your hormones to be varying from how they were early on, so this might be affecting you.  I know when I was close to your age, I started feeling nauseated from hormonal changes.  You may though be now experiencing an ocular migraine, I don't know.  But you may want to check with a neuro-opthamologist since your eyes have gotten so involved here. I'm glad you were able to get that MRI scheduled!

[jojack448]

Thanks - interesting thing you say about my hormones though - it's possible that all of my hormones have gone way over the top since my miscarriage about 18 months ago, but as we are still trying to conceive I have been charting my PMS symptoms etc and I may just be noticing this happening more...

I did have my eyes checked by my doctor in my last 2 visits (last week & end of Jan) using the flashlight technique and both were normally & equally responsive to light. However when I explained to my doctor that the difference in size was very marked ie: stood in bright sunlight my right pupil was a tiny dot and my left pupil was about 3 times the size he concurred with me that this was considerably larger & not normal. I've noticed the difference when one eye is slightly more in the shade and it just does not compare to what mine look like when this happens.

To be honest, I never even thought about getting an MRI done for my migraines before, I didn't even know you could! It's only because of this and possible other neurological issues due to scoliosis of my spine and advanced osteoarthritis in my neck & back that it's booked at all. But now I have a double reason to go!

[LivingInHope]

Perhaps next time it happens with your eyes, you could try to get an emergency appointment with an opthamologist?  I'd be interested to know what the MRI shows- please private message me when you get results?

[jojack448]

Hi SurgiMenopause,

I think I have worked out why I was suddenly having so many ocular migraines! Whenever I am ill usually it first shows by me going into hyperdrive - full of energy to the point of severe insomnia - but eventually I get a migraine - eg: once I had tonsils so infected the doctor wanted to remove them but as I was on a cruise round the Med at the time he gave me medication instead. The only reason I really knew I was ill, apart from my voice going husky - I got a massive migraine on about the 4th day. Again the same when I was pregnant & had a bladder infection - felt no problems with my bladder, my first indicator was a massive migraine when I threw up about 10 times! I've had this numerous times.

So to cut a long story short - I often get cysts in my groin from in-growing hairs & sometimes they have become infected and swollen to about 100mm across with alot of swollen tissue surrounding it. I've had a little one about 7mm across for quite a while & another which was about 5mm across but quite red & has been for some time. Except about 2 weeks ago I think it started to get really infected. I started applying special cream I have to draw out the infection about a week ago.

At the same time I was about due to come on - which I did. Two of my major PMS symptoms are severe insomnia 2 days before I come on & complete lack of appetite from about 2 days before to about the day after my period.

In addition I think I had a flare up of my chronic sinusitis to a minor acute attack & lastly I realised one of my wisdom teeth was on the move as my bite changed completely virtually overnight & I can feel the wisdom tooth is now completly erupted!! My teeth seemed to have settled down now & in fact are straighter now than they were before!

So - with a huge build-up of staphyloccous in my system pushing my body into 'fight' syndrome, coupled with pms/period & wisdom teeth it's no wonder my body was sending me it's usual warning signal of illness!!

I will still goto my MRI of course but hopefully my theory will be borne out by them finding very little other than confirming I suffer from ocular migraines.

Thanks, I will keep you posted!

[LivingInHope]

I know a change in sleep cycle can trigger migraine & stress is another trigger, besides menstrual hormones.  I don't know if ocular migraines will show up on an MRI, but hopefully you can get some very serious migraine causers ruled out!

[jojack448]

Or it could be basilar artery migraines...well, whatever, I am looking to cancel my account on this site as I have one member on the MS forum site (to which I am also joined as obviously many of my symptoms fall under the MS category too) who seems to have taken great exception to me & I don't even know why really...she's upset me a great deal and so I am no longer happy to be a member here. Thanks for all your answers anyway, I guess I'll go back to being in limboland with no answers or support until my MRI, not exactly what I had envisaged but I'm not willing to be patronised & not listened to & chastised because I thanked another respondent & not her.

[LivingInHope]

Oh, jojack- I hope you don't let one person affect how you are going to be- I will tell you, I had one forum where someone seemed to be giving me a hard time- I stopped going on that particular forum, but I still enjoy going on many other forums.  I have found a number of supportive people on this website.  Please don't give up!