Headache with strange symptoms and anxiety, Please any information would really help!

[AlleysMommy]

Hi! I am 26 years old.

I have been diagnosed with migraines for about 4 years now..i have been diagnosed with anxiety and panic disorder since i was 19. I learned to deal with my anxiety and i had it under control with occasional full blown panic attacks here and there. I also had my migraines under control..but i guess you could say i have chronic migraines. Usually i will get about 4 a months they always last for 2-3 days. I can control them with advil,aleve,excedrin migraine etc..

So i know the extremities of migraine pain (seriously), But for about the past month they have been alot more frequent and i get a regular mild headache in between. For the past 3 weeks..every 3 days or so..i've been getting these wierd headaches, it feels like a pressure in my head squeezing the top of my head or my neck, my neck muscles hurt and get a tingaling creepy crawling sensation in my neck and shoulder area, my anxiety gets really uncontrolable because i dont understand what the headache could be,Dry mouth, Nasty taste in mouth,Burning eyes, and the most annoying and scary symptom is either behind my ears feel like its burning and so do my temples, My ears get really red and the top of my ears are hot and burn, and my face gets flushed. Sometimes the pain with this episode can either be mild to moderate. Or i can have a migraine while this is going on and get dizzy,lightheaded, sick to my stomach like i'm going to throw up (but i never do) and a little bit of slurred speech. And all this freaks me out so i get so worried i dont know if maybe all this is from panic or what!

ANYONE WHO HAS ANY INFORMATION WOULD HELP ME FEEL ALOT BETTER!!

Sometimes i can get wierd chills in my scalp or in my legs. It's just starting to scare me i made an appointment to speak with my doctor on monday.  

I have been under alot of stress and depression in my marriage lately and have been having severe stressful moments about 3 times a day. alot in my life right now is very sad i dont know if maybe all this is from being under so much stress and having noone to talk to about it with and my body is lettingt it out in a wierd way.

My migraines do get worst when i cry and am stressed.

THANK YOU!

[marileew]

Hi there,

Just because you mentioned anxiety and stuff... you don't happen to be on any anti-anxiety or anti-depressants do you? I know that what you are describing can be withdrawal symptoms of many of the medications used to treat anxiety and depression... and, some of these medications can have very short half-lives and so if you are even a few hours late for your medication, you can experience VERY severe symptoms that sounds very similar to what you are describing... and medication withdrawal from medications with short half-lives are also a common migraine trigger as well. I know all that because I was taking a medication called effexor that can be used to treat anxiety and/or depression, and it has one of the shortest half-lives of all of the SSRIs other than the SSRI called paxil... and if I missed a dose or was even late for a dose then I used to experience something very similar to what you are describing. And, going off of the drug was an absolute hell in terms of experiencing those symptoms 24/7. (although, don't get me wrong, i'm not trying to make those medications sound bad, i would never suggest to anyone experiencing severe anxiety or depression to NOT take such medications... those medications save lives, even if they have nasty side-effects)

But... anyway, you didn't mention being on any medication like that, but I just thought I'd throw it out there just in case... but, some other things it might be:

- blood pressure. have you had your blood pressure checked?
- migraine symptoms can include a whole lot of stuff... including feeling hot, hot flashes, feeling warm, feelings of anxiety, sore muscles, feeling sore all over your body, pins and needles, dry eyes, red eyes, watery eyes, sore eyes, dizziness, being light-headed, feeling flushed, actually looking flushed, increased blood pressure, getting red in the face/blushing, nausea, vomiting, slurred speech, etc.

Also, migraines feed on any sort of change in our lives... this is why things like weather trigger people's migraines... but it is also why stress triggers migraines. You have said that you are currently in a stressful situation right now. Your migraines LOVE that and are totally thriving on it.

There are some things in our lives that we can control... we can control what we eat, we can usually control when we sleep, we can control the lighting in our house, sometimes we can control how much exercise we get... we can control if we go out drinking all night... those are the sorts of things that can trigger migraines that are in our control. Right now, what is trigger your migraines is OUT of your control.

It is important for you to understand and accept that... because worrying about your migraines and stressing out about your migraines is only going to add to your stress level. Right now, you cannot control what is happening in your marriage... what your husband does is out of your control. Also, stressful moments are out of your control. So, please don't beat yourself up over any of that. You are not causing these migraines AT ALL. I think as long as you keep reminding yourself that... the migraines won't get any worse and you will be able to cope with the pain better.

So... what can you do if the trigger... the stress... is out of your control? Well, I think you already did something very good! You posted this, you talked to us... talking to a neutral party is a really good way to let out stress. If you don't have a counselor or someone to talk to, and you can't afford one, then you should keep posting here (and even if you do have a counselor, you should also keep posting here)... and there are also usually 24 hour stress/crisis lines that you can call that are free. Also, I don't know if you belong to a church group... but often times churches will have free counseling... if not, maybe your local community center has free counseling available. Talking to a neutral party in a safe environment is a really is a good way to let out stress.

Also, you can try doing things like exercising (which is a good way to lower over-all blood pressure if you do it on a regular basis and also a good way to let out stress, sadness and anger), meditation (learn how to focus and calm your mind) and prayer (if you are religious... or even if you're not, you don't have to pray to god, you can pray to anything you want). Check out your local community centre for affordable classes and groups if you need help getting started with any of this or if you need support in doing it on a daily basis.

And... please keep talking to us for support. I get migraines too.. and I know how scary and bad and awful they feel... I totally understand what it is like to be in that place, and how much more horrible everything feels like when you are having one. And also how it is so much more difficult to cope with all the other stresses in your life when you are in pain. But, remember, you have all of us to support you and to help you get through this rough period in your life. Please feel free to message me when ever you need to... on my page or privately. :)

[DrNoopurMD]

Hi,

Stress definitely seems to be a factor which may be triggering these symptoms which sound like symptoms of panic attack. However it is important to rule out other causes like minor strokes or TIA by a good clinical evaluation.
I would suggest you to do deep breathing exercises in the morning and evening. Talk to your friends and family about your current issues as this will release some of tension. Take Magnesium and B complex supplements. Also remember stress is a trigger for migraines so once the stress levels are under control the frequency of migraines will reduce.
Take care!