Migraine vs TIA

[Airmid]

“Migraine” for me
I wake up with severe headache, vomiting, light and noise sensitivity, will last 14/16 hours without meds (Immitrex, Reglan, Fiorinal).  There is no numbness anywhere, no visual problems except for the light sensitivity.  When it stops I will sleep for entire next day and there will still be a throbbing pain when I move my head throughout the next day.

“TIA” or other type of headache I get
Awake, alert, calm, vision is suddenly different, partially obscured by colored, crystal like movement at the outside of my vision, the visual effect seems to close in until my vision is totally obscured.   Pain in head starts at some point and is usually on one side only, mostly right.  During the most recent incidents the pain is mostly on the right, lower, back section of my head and radiates down my neck on the right.  Sometimes this is all that happens but more often I start to get numbness in my fingers, then hand, normally on one side, but it has happened on both sides.  During some episodes my face, teeth, and tongue will get numb.  I lose my ability to talk and it feels as if my throat is numb and closing and I feel as if I can’t breathe.  I have, during recent past episodes lost control of my arms and my ability to walk. I remain cognizant of what is being said and done around me at all times.  I take the usual migraine meds listed above, but if the numbness progresses to my face and throat I ask to be taken to the hospital.  I have suffered from panic attacks for years and these episodes withj the fear of not being able to breath usually bring that on which exacerbates the issues.
For the past 4 days I have had a headache at the lover, back of my head which is radiating down my neck.  I do not have nausea or auras at this moment.  I have had two recent MRI of my brain, the first,in December, followed an episode that I went to the ER for: unable to walk, speak or control the movement in my arms, this all happened within 5 minutes of the start of the aura and resolved in 2 hours.  This MRI states "This patient has had a possible stroke"  "Incidental note made of empty cella."  The 2nd MRI was done last week on the 6th of May.  I have not seen this report yet, but was told by a doctor that there is only "old" stroke damage?  A nerve conduction test was preformed on my forearms and lower legs and I was told there is nothing wrong with me.  He surmised that I am hyperventilating and that is what is causing my "migraines".  He did not have any opinion about my different type of headaches.  He did not seem to listen  when I explained that the TIA type episodes are starting when I am completely relaxed, watching television, reading, chatting with company or going up to bed, and the migraine episodes always start when I wake up. He did not offer me any help and dismissed everything I said.  He did not address my current neck pain/headache.  My question is what do I do now?  See another doctor?  What type of doctor?  I'm really having a hard time living like this.

[Cath278]

Hi Airmid. I have IIH (Idiopathic Intracranial Hypertention) or also called PTC.
The main symptoms are;A very bad headache, but not always.
                                          Blurry vision and other visual problems.
                                          Nausea.
                                          Balence problems.
                                          Tinitus, or being able to hear your heartbeat in your ear,
                                           Some compare it toa whossing noise.

Last summer, for no  apparent reason,. I couldnt speak.When I tried to I sound like I was drunk.After seeing two drs, who did not know what IIH was,said I had a stroke. I knew thaat I hadnt.I was sent in to hospital, where after a series of tests,cat scan, bloods, EKG, ECG, etc,it turned out that I was prefectly fit.
I later met with my neuro , who explained what had happened.It seems, that the extra csf that I have, shifted, suddenely, over to the left side of my brain, where your speech is controled,from.The Broca,s area.
I have had further tests done ,Echocardiogramand Corotid Doppler, to comfirm it was not a stoke.
I also have suffered from migraine for years. I hope this might give you a little bit of information, and to know , you are not the only one. Cath278.
                                          

[dame_wilbur]

(I apologize if you get this twice, but it appears my answer didn't get posted correctly)

I'm very sorry to hear that your doctor was not understanding, and that he did not address all of your medical concerns. I would recommend that you find a new doctor, preferably a neurologist as they are the best trained to treat and deal with migraine. The neurologist should be able to tell if you really had a stroke, or if it was simply a migraine that mimicked a stroke, as that can happen during a TIA attack. I would also recommend seeing a cardiologist.

I also get TIA, and can lose my ability to talk, walk, etc. I was also losing consciousness randomly up to 10x a day because of the TIA. I finally went to see a cardiologist, at my neurologist's recommendation, and had a TEE performed. The TEE (Trans-Esophogial Echocardiogram) is where they inject dye into your bloodstream and send a camera down your throat to do what is basically an ultrasound of your heart from the inside to look for a PFO (a hole in your heart valve left over from the umbilical cord that is usually causes no problems, but can lead to strokes). I did not have a PFO, but it would make sense for you to get tested as you have been told that you have had a stroke. If you do have a PFO, they can perform a (from what I understand) minimally invasive surgery to close the extra hole, and that this surgery can not only prevent future strokes, but can help cure migraines.

If you don't have a PFO, you might want to have a tilt-table test to rule out other heart problems. I had a tilt-table test and it came back saying that I have an autonomic disorder called vasovagal syncope where my blood vessles will randomly dialate, causing my blood pressure to plummit and me to lose consciousness. I'm now on Norpace, a heart medicine, and have only passed out twice in the past seven years.

Good luck and keep us posted,

~Dame