Good afternoon all,
First, so glad I found a forum where others can understand what a migraine is, and how people suffer with them. Such a relief.
For me, I didn't get my first migraine until two years ago (when I was 33). I was at work, had had hazy vision for a while, then the small headache I had exploded and shortly after I lost all function in the right side of my body. I was sure that I was having a stroke so I was rushed downstairs to the ER (I work in a hospital) and put under "stroke protocol". I was admitted for a week, and after a stroke was ruled out by a Neurologist and a MRI, it was determined that I had suffered a hemiplegic migraine. I had never heard of this, but I found out later that it does run in my family. I was discharged home on Depakote, Immitrex, and Percocet if I had an acute migraine attack.
Two months later I had another one, although not quite as severe, and after four days of suffering with it (I didn't take the narcotic because I had read it caused rebound headaches), I finally called my Neurologist who sent me straight to the hospital. I was admitted for three days, and this time switched to Topamax.
After being on Topamax for a few weeks I found it caused horrible changes in me and I couldn't deal with the side effects and stopped the medication and was switched to a blood pressure medicine. But since my blood pressure already runs low, I found it dropped too much and I got hypotensive, so they had to stop that medication as well. Finally, I just stopped everything together as I felt the medications were doing more harm than good.
This was in early 2012. Since then, I had not had a mirgraine and have not been on anything preventive. Everything was fine until mid-June, when another bad hemiplegic episode hit. It hit on Thursday, but Monday when I still hadn't regained movement in my right side I went to the ER and they decided to admit me. Over the next four days they tried so many medications, even lidocaine injections in my head to break it up. By Friday afternoon I had gotten some use back and I was discharged home. By that Sunday everything had returned. I called my Neurologist who stated I needed to go back to the ER, which was a disaster. I'd go to the ER, be given meds that did nothing for me, then sent home. I'd follow up with my Neurologist who'd get upset and send me right back. This went on for four days until finally the last day my husband had a "private" converstaion with the ER doctor, who in turn called my Neurologist who admitted me immediately (Neurology couldn't direct admit me as I was a new patient for them, so I had to go through the ER to be admitted..if the ER had called my Neuro the first time, I would have been admitted right away). Finally, after three days they found the combination that worked...verapamil and dexamethazone. I had full function back by the time I left and have felt great the past month.
However, this morning I woke up and my vision was a little hazy. I thought it was because I had gone to bed late and gotten up early, but I've noticed throughout the day that it's gotten worse, my mind feels "jumbled", and I've got a headache starting. The pain isn't bad, maybe a 3 on a scale to 10, and I do have full function..but what are the chances I could have another episode so close to the last one?
I try to avoid all the triggers, including medications, to keep from having a rebound headache. I've got a call into my Neurologist to see what can be done as I refuse to go into a hospital again for this..
But from experience..can migraines, especially those that very severe, return so quickly? If so, does that mean my medications aren't working or that I have a trigger I didn't know I had?
Sorry for the long post, and any thoughts/advise are greatly appreciated.