headaches

[kahle]

I am a 33 year old female with a history of migraines.  Two months ago while shopping with my family I experienced an episode of vertigo with counter clockwise spinning and blurry vision.  I experienced nausea, tingling in the left side of my face and left arm at the same time.  Since then, I have been left with the tingling in the arm and face almost on a constant basis and a continuing headache. I also have spells of dizziness and lightheadedness on a daily basis.   I have had a brain and neck MRI both neg. EEG neg.  Neurologist has me on topamax right now that seems to be helping a little with headaches but tingling is still there along with the feeling of lightheadness.  At the same time all of this started I was diagnosed with optic neuritis of the left eye due to extreme blurry vision of the left eye.  I have a stabalized visual field defect of the lower left quadrant that the opthamologist says there is nothing they can do about.  My question is - the doctors are writing all of this off to my history of migraines.  They are telling me the migraines are just mutating.  Is this possible? Or am I looking at a completelly different problem all together?  By the way- currently trying PT because I do have history of neck problems.  Have had neck fusion of C3-C4 due to herniated discs due to neck trauma.  At that time had pinched nerve.  Doctors telling me this is not related but I insisted on trying the PT.

[dizzydan]

In Nov. of 2000 I had a brain aneurysm rupture while lifting weights. I had a 3 gdc coil placed to fill 80% of the aneurysm. Over the next year I had extreme feelings of lightheadedness and facial tingling. I had 2 additional follow up angiograms and 5 MRA/MRI that revealed I was totally healed. I am greatful for this however I do from time to time get lightheaded and that is followed by facial tingling and tingling around the back of my arms. I am starting to believe that the initial lightheadedness may be related to arterial constriction due to occasional caffeine use. I think the numbness may be anxiety as the only relief I have found over the past 3.5 years is extreme exercise (Pulse around 180) or a good wine buzz. I know it sounds strange, but it truly is the only thing that helps me.

[dizzydan]

In Nov. of 2000 I had a brain aneurysm rupture while lifting weights. I had a 3 gdc coil placed to fill 80% of the aneurysm. Over the next year I had extreme feelings of lightheadedness and facial tingling. I had 2 additional follow up angiograms and 5 MRA/MRI that revealed I was totally healed. I am greatful for this however I do from time to time get lightheaded and that is followed by facial tingling and tingling around the back of my arms. I am starting to believe that the initial lightheadedness may be related to arterial constriction due to occasional caffeine use. I think the numbness may be anxiety as the only relief I have found over the past 3.5 years is extreme exercise (Pulse around 180) or a good wine buzz. I know it sounds strange, but it truly is the only thing that helps me.

[BigAngel925]

This is all so amazing to me.  I thought I was the only one going through this.  I'm 40 years old and for the past couple of months I have been suffering with a constant headache which doesn't go away.  I am dizzy/lightheaded, have had Cat scans and only indicated inflammation of the sinuses.  However, I was on antibiotics for 4 weeks and to no avail, my internalist put me on steriods, tomorrow is the last dosage of steriods and I don't feel better about the headaches.  It's constant throbbing, my vision becomes blurry, my eyes ache... I don't know what's wrong, I've been worried could I HAVE A BRAIN TUMOR?  I can't take this feeling, I was a woman who exercised every single day, ran 2-3 miles daily and now, I can't barely get up in the morning.. I can't concentrate, I think I am going to lose my job.  Someone tell me what do you think I could do?  I want to get better and start living a normal life again.  I feel as if I was trapped in a strange body.. help...

[renee1]

Its really hard to go through what we have been going through. Seems like I have had my probelms since 2003. with my eyes that started to burn. From that I had been to the doctors for my stomach problems, had one great docotor from the GI to find that my gall bladder does not work, but I was still have other probelms like my ear, ringing, my head has been light headed for about 1 year or so. sometimes I feel dizy. I have been through doctor to doctor that said it was my heart and I was not getting enought oxgyen to my brain, which is causing my head to be light headed.  Ihad to finally go to the emergency room for my head and one of the doctors said i need to see a neurology docotor for possible pseudotomor cerebri. i saw them about 2 weeks ago, she does not belive that that is the problem, so i had a mri done and she has me taking imitrex and also nadolol. the x rays at the hosiptal look good, i am waiting for some other head test. I have another referral from the neurologist for spector evalusation of optic disc next week.  But there is still a problem with my ears, they tingle and some time my skin feels itchy and tingly. THis all feels like i have some type of ear infections. I have had test, after test and test and no answers. If I did not know the lord, I think I would do somthing dumb. I'm trying to be patient. my job will be ending in july and so will my health insurance. I have no clue and seems like they don't either.

[CCF-Neuro-M.D.-CS]

This could represent a complicated migraine. These are migraine headaches with various other neurologic symptoms. Topamax is being used for migraine prophylaxis, if this does not work, considering a medication such as Verapamil may be reasonable. Second, given that you were recently diagnosed with optic neuritis, inflammation in the area of the brainstem should also be excluded. This can be excluded with a MRI with contrast of the brain. Also dizziness and facial tingling can be rarely due to a cervical spine problem, called cervicogenic dizziness. However if the spinal MRI is negative then this becomes less likely. Other disorders which could present with similar symptoms, but which have been excluded by the MRI, include a vascular event or stroke. If the symptoms do not improve you may wish to seek a second opinion with a neuro-otologist (dizzy doctor), Drs. Cherian and Oas in our department are excellent. Good luck.

[Thompson983]

Sorry to be posting this question here. Hopefully there will be replies to my post as well. I'm posting here because its hard to create separate threads and I seem to have a somewhat similar situation as you, but for different reasons. I'm very concerned and I'm desparate for some helpful info. I have this dizzy/lightheaded feeling for 3-4 months now. I don't have spinning, but feelings that maybe it will happen or will be knocked down. Its kind of like a tight, pushing,pulling rocking like feeling. I also have shaky hands. I have had numerous blood tests, MRI's of my brain and cervical spine and an EEG which all came out to be normal. What should I make of all this?