Constant nausea, dizzyness, headache, tingling lips&hands

[Traceyanne]

Desperate for some help. I am a 33 year old female with longterm spinal and urological problems. Last week I developed a migraine with aura ( normally get them very occasionally but severley) which has brought with it a host of other problems and I cannot get well. I have felt nauseus and dizzy for over a week, I have inner shakes, brain fog with constant blurred vision-worse on exertian. I am absolutely wiped out with fatique, have muscle spasms and cramps and feel so hideously I'll. I have spent five long years coping with debilatating back pain and two major ops later am still no better so am not adverse to difficulties with my health but I just cannot carry on feeling like this it is horrific. My doctor says I just have' a headache that will go away ' but I have never had a migraine last this long and it doesn't feel right. I am sensitive to light and sound but can tolerate it so don't think it's a viral meningitis like I had a few years back. Could I have ms? Please
someone help!  

[Dr Santos]

Hi,
I do understand about caring for your family despite being sick.What other tests were done? How about thyroid hormones? Thyroid problems are pretty common also and may present with fatigue, tremors, inability to concentrate, tiredness depending if the hormone is lacking or abundant.  I also recommend complementary and alternative medicine techniques such as biofeedback therapy, self-hypnosis and other forms of relaxation. Take care and hope to hear from you soon.

[Traceyanne]

Thank you for your advice. I am still feeling very unwell bug trying to function as best I can as have a young family and am currently a homemaker. I will not be abrubtly stopping the tramadol as have come off it once before following surgery and although it was tapered it was hideous- like heroin withdrawal would be. I have been taking tramadol for aprox 5 years with a Break of only one year so I am struggling to see that this is the cause for what I have going on now. I am sorry if I am confusing people with my questions it's hard because I have so many different problems at the moment! I am trying to see if they link together because I can't get well from any one of them. I am probably on the wrong forum area- sorry everybody!- but still need advice as my doctor really isn't interested. Most of his patients are very old and he doesn't seem to want to investigate things. I have met with some amazing docs in the past so am not being disrespectful to the profession! He is the only one in the practice so j can't see another one- I'd have to change surgery instead.

Maybe if i list the problems that would help?

5 years of back pain, two disc prolapses resulting in disc replacement and spinal fusion. Still have bad back pain and arthritic joints.

12 months of constant cystitis, uti's but with no bacterial problems. Cystoscopy and biopsy showed imfammation but nothing sinister. Taking tramadol for both back and cystitis as chronic.

Exhausted and fatiqued over long period but experience extremes in physical ability. For instance some days I can do a bit of everything and others I can't even get dressed I need my husband to help me and I am in agony. I have been dizzy and struggling with my balance for a couple if years.

Inner shakes, tremors and freezing hands and feet all the time.

Last two weeks I have had bad migraine with aura, brain fog and still feel wretched. I now don't know if the migraine has gone and the residual problems are something else entirely. There are people in this forum who have been suffering with migraines for years and I feel like a bit of a fraud for being here! I have soooooo much sympathy for anyone in pain- cannot believe how many others are suffering.

Any suggestions welcome as am considering paying to go private for a bit of a medical MOT! I am in the uk and am usually seen by NHS doctors.  

[Dr Santos]

Hi,
How are you? I'm sorry to hear what you have been through for the last few days. Indeed, some medications may cause rebound headaches. Tramadol is generally well tolerated and side effects may include any of the following: nausea, constipation, dizziness, drowsiness, vomiting and including headache. . Less commonly reported side effects include itching, sweating, dry mouth, diarrhea, rash, visual disturbances, and vertigo. Ibuprofen also may cause gastrointestinal symptoms such as nausea and vomiting as well as rebound headaches. Talk to your doctor about this for alternative medications. Paracetamol is generally safe to take. What you are experiencing may just be side effects of the medications you are taking.  It is also not advisable to abruptly withdraw from tramadol because it can result in anxiety, sweating,  insomnia, rigors, pain, nausea, diarrhea, tremors, and hallucinations.  I hope this helps. Take care and do keep us posted.

[Traceyanne]

Thank you for taking the time to post a comment- just knowing people are kind enough to offer hope and advice is a huge consolation when you feel this bloomin rough! Not sure I can face another two weeks of the same but will take on board what you've said and see how I go. With regards to the painkillers I am taking tramadol long term for back pain and chronic cystitis so I can't stop that but I could stop the brufen and paracetamol that the doc has prescribed for this migraine attack. I wonder whether the tramadol itself may be causing the problem but if I don't help the existing problems I am then left with intolerable pain 3 fold and to be honest it's jump off cliff painful so not an option! I am not going doolally although that last comment was extreme, it's just the longing to be well  is so strong and this is yet another set back for me. The reason I was thinking ms is because I have been exhausted for months and have so many other symptoms not listed here that match up. It's like my body is attacking itself and I can't fix it! Any feedback is appreciated and I have to say I am humbled by the predicament of so many people in these forums. Hope that you too can get some relief from your symptoms. Again, many thanks.
  

[dame_wilbur]

I wouldn't rush to any dyer diagnosis like ms. I have had migraines that last for weeks or months. Now I have status mirgrainous, which is the same migraine for 8+ years so far. I would trust your doc for now when they say that it'll go away. If it doesn't go away within the next couple of weeks, you might want to ask about a course of Prednisone or something similar to see if that will break the cycle.

I know that it's VERY painful right now, but if you're taking a lot of OTC or Rxed painkillers for this headache/migraine, it might be time to STOP taking them for a while and see if the pain goes away. You can get rebound migraines from painkillers themselves because our bodies have come to associate that chemical w/ pain and can actually CREATE the pain. So stop painkillers for a while, and see what happens.

Good luck and keep us posted!

~Dame