tremors and migraine

[needanswers54]

At one point my ANA was 1:320.  Terrible joint pain.  No other positive auto-immune, thyroid, complement, sed-rate results in blood or LP.

My tremors have become really bad since the development of last large cervical lesion.  Sometimes, my whole body will go into a tremor if the neck is turned a certain way.  I considered a cervical fusion but everyone says that it will not eradicate my problems.  Old neuro still will not believe spots on the last five MRIs as my reflexes are not hyper, etc.  Weird thing is that sometimes shortly before my migraines get really bad I seem to have worsening tremors and fuzzy thinking and get really hyper and anxious and impatient or irritable.  I was always considered easy to get along with and very patient and even-manmnered.  Now, my emotions are labile.  Also peri-menopausal.  At least my hormones drop out when I try depakote.  Then, after it is out of my symptom my cycle comes back normal.  Tried three times.  Cannot take it as I swell up also, eyes become like boiled eggs and severe GI problems and metallic taste in mouth.  No luck with anti-depressants, etc.  Topamax made feet get weird thick and calloused skin and bled.  Doctors say all preventatives have been exhausted.  Use toradol sometimes and then to ER when necessary.

Could my migraines be worsening my tremors as some possible aura or atypical phenomenon?  And, could my migraines be a result of my MS?  My neuro says that such a late onset and their severity means that I will probably continue with them a long time.  He and all others feel that they are a separate issue from my MS.  Noone feels that my migraines are MS related.  Neurorad feels that I may have atypical MS with possible recurrent encephalomyelitis or ADEM which could be the result of the chemical exposures.  But, I am still fighting to find out what I was exposed to.  

Strangely, perhaps, the tremors will often seem better after the migraine has started.  Or perhaps I am just too sick to really notice?  I get really foggy and vertigo and memory problems and irritable before the migraine.  Lots of ear ringing with the migraine.  Almost non-stop until I got some dilaudid.  Need help!

Thank you!

[LifesAHeadache]

Hey, don't beleive a neurologist who says that you will have your migraines forever.  Especially with you so much going on.  Hormones play SUCH a big role.  Remember, depression can cause migraine and migraine can cause depression.  I would go to a psychiatrist, (your not crazy), and have him/her work on the prescription for anti-depressant.  Depression and Migraine go hand in hand and with your side effect problem - someone who specializes in the brain can be useful.  The psychiatrist can communicate with the neurologist.  I hope you read my other post first.  If you just read this one - you might want to bonk me on the head.  Take Care

[LifesAHeadache]

Is there a teaching hospital in your area?  Are you close to the cleaveland clinic, mayo, john hopkins, duke etc.  I would find a good teaching hospital or center that specializes - an aggressive neurology department.  25% of the population has a high ana.  If your joints only hurt the one time, did swell and was a whole Rhumetology panel ran.  Arthritis issues could give you the tremor but rare.  Is it true tremor or is it more like twitching.  A one time joint problem can be a sign of things to come later in life, or can be a sign of Lupus etc..., or can simply be after a virus, sometimes it actually comes out through a swelling condition through your joints.  If this is happening more than once then you could hop over to the rhumetology forum and ask there.  Also, there is a once in a while condiition called Polymyalgia Rhumatica that causes moderate to severe joints pain but only happens once in a while.
I'm betting the tremor is not related to the migraine.  I'm not a doctor just my guess.   Migraine is not a constant which makes it very difficult to treat.  If you go to a Nuerologist appt and you make it through the initial hopping around, eye exam, ect... then you can contribute almost any symptom to migraine.  I walk into walls, can lean over and try to pick up an item four times, then have to stop and think about it in order to pick it up.  But while totally lucid, sending emails, conference calls etc...  I have walked into walls several times without being on any medication or any thing.  My daughter is much wose than I am which when she was little, didn't bother me too much because she was always growing like a weed.  But now she in older, stopped growing and is worse than ever.  I always look for variables that make you look different than everyone else.  You have a cervical lesion.  I would not recommend a fusion.  Artificial discs etc are becoming standard very shortly.  With multiple problems like this, you have to keep a diary.  You have to be able to go to the doctor and say what is doing what or he will be guessing.  Back to variables, that fact that you have such extreme side effects is important - keep digging to see what you were exposed to.  There are probably forums where you can put your circumstance and lawyer aids will call you.  A lot of firms are specializing in cases of certain chemicals, diseases etc...  If you were exposed, you were not the only one.  Find the others.  Now, perimenopause can cause so much.  After menopause the headaches could go away completely.  Also, I doubt if you have tried all preventatives.  Antidressants come in classes.  If you had a bad response to SSRI's, did they try SSRNI's or tricyclics?  Also, concern about toradol.  Are you taking pills or an injection?  The pills are almost never used anymore because they are so hard on your GI system and we are not talking Advil.  If injections, you cannot use them more than five times a month but I am a great advocate of Toradol injections.  They are non-narcotic and can be used five times a month - they work.  Take a lot longer to kick in than fast pain med but last forever and can break a migraine when other things can't.  Now the Dilaudid is great pain med, very strong but will cause constipation.  The migraine does too.  Make sure you are having a bowel movement EVERY day.  Especially with your other problems, if you have to take stool softeners then do that until you are regular.  You have to get rid of those triggers so you find the ones causing the problems.  Good Luck and Take Care - you are dealing with so much.