It's supposedly a migraine BUT I HAVE NO PAIN please help me!

 

  PLEASE READ AND HELP ME IF YOU CAN

 

Hello there!!

 

I am looking for some suggestions or help in anyway.

 

I am 23yrs old and for the past 3yrs now every winter I have these strange "funny do's" as I call them.

 

To cut a very long story short from November to March (the coldest time of the year)I have:

dizziness

blurred vision

pressure in the face and head

I feel completely drained

can sometimes affect my speach, walking being able to do things I am capable to do ie spell, think rationally, to think at all sometimes!!!

 

At its mildest it's as if I've been on a wild drinking session the night before, but without feeling sick, or that feeling when you just wake up, you know your heads all over the place you can't manage anything untill you've had a brew and some toast... But then it lasts all day??? I will have this feeling alone for 5months now and will not be able to shake it, at it's worst I will get the above symptoms.

 

The thing is I have no pain whatsoever, bright lights and sound can irritate me but only when it's at its worst. I have had CT scan and an MRI which have come back ok.

I've had my blood tested for diabetes, thyroid, kidney you name it and I think I've been tested for it more than once.

 

I am being tried on drugs for migraine and the next step is epilepsy as they say my symptoms are covered by both (I have never had a fit).

 

I am looking for help and suggestions if anyone else can shed some light or that has gone through this themselves. Every winter I am having lots of time off work. I can't go out I can't go to the gym I can't do anything.

 

Short of moving somewhere with a warmer climate I'm a little stuck!!

 

Please please can you help me

Virtual Insanity

 Does any of the medication help at all ?

Thank you for your replies!

I find that the medication doesn't help in the slightest, they don't seem to actually be addressing the cause but the symptoms, and with the fact I only get them in winter I have to wait till then to try anything.

I have a varied diet don't eat fried foods, chocolate and crisps I have as occasional treats. I drink at least 2ltr of water every day I don't drink caffine at all. I try to do at least 3hrs a wk of excersize but when it comes to winter and these start I find it difficult with my balance and walking. My consultant asked me how much I drink, admittedly when it's the "safe" months I drink 1 possibly 2 nights at the wknd with an occasional glass of wine with a meal. During winter I hardly get to drink at all!! Or the suffer the consequences!!

I'd love to chat further with anyone at least we're not alone!! Let me know how though I'm a bit of a technophobe!!

So far it is just the winter ie cold and I have experienced some symptoms after flying (but not enough to ruin holiday!!).

After being off work for over a week I have been at home where the temperature is a constant and has made no difference although I have noticed that my symptoms have eased which I think is from not being at work where they are now pecking at my head which is then again making me worse!!

But I am stuck in a catch 22 situation I want a new job but with my sick record who's going to take me on!!

The consultant is thinking of putting me on topiramate (i have just tried amitriptyline and found this of no use) but I don't think this will be of any use either as from what I have read up is to reduce pain, which I don't have?? I have been on asprin for the past 3days and found that I feel a bit more "normal" and awake! Although I'm not too sure whether this will help in having to go back to work??

AAAAAAAAARRRRRRRRRRRGGGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHHHH!!!

Thank you for that, I do believe at work there is something very dodgy about our work place, there are a lot of people who suffer from vertigo and associated symptoms which i find a little suspicious and I think is related to the lighting and heating of the building. Which I think just meets regulations, but by a margin I'm sure.

when it comes to winter months and i am feeling like this i feel better on leaving work at 5pm, which says a lot!

we don't have gas fires at home but do have carbon monoxide detectors around the house, better safe than sorry!

I'm going to try and sort something out and get it looked into. I have had further trouble at work which has really upset me I'm finding it hard work as it is sleeping at night at the moment, I feel so emotional I just want to cry all the time. It was the last thing I thought of before going to bed and the first thing I thought on waking up, I even dreamt about it.

I've tried to feel really positive this wk as well but looks like I'm back at square 1 again!

It's come as a great relief finding this site and all you guys I was getting to the point I was doubting whether this is all real or in my head - then again I suppose it is hahahaha!!

Hi Virtual,

I'm sorry that you're having such a tough time. I have heard of people who suffer migraines without the pain. I suffer many of the same symptoms you have with the pain (unfortunately).

My migraines get worse in the winter as well and that is because I live in a rainy climate. When the clouds come and a low pressure system I feel like there is a vice grip closing in on my head which triggers a migraine. We visit Las Vegas twice a year where it is generally hot (or at least warm) and dry with very little rain. I generally have a week without a migraine each time we go because there are no low pressure systems that come in and squeeze my head.

It's just a thought, but I definitely feel a lot better in the summer when we don't have as much rain.

Good luck. I hope you find something to help you through.

Hi All,

New to the board and a lifetime migraine sufferer. I went the last 29 years with just migraine pain and light sensitivity, but no other symptoms until I turned 35 and started having erratic migraine symptoms. I started having dizziness, severe nausea, pulsating in my ears, but no pain. I had an MRI done and everything came back normal. My doc told me that as you get older you can start having more symptoms with your migraines and put me on Topamax. He also told me that I was most likely having rebound migraines too because I'd sometimes get a full blown migraine and sometimes just those other symptoms. The doctor also said something interesting about the symptoms without migraine pain. He said that sometimes the body tries to go into a full migraine, but gets kind of "stuck". Whatever that means, the Topamax worked tremendously but I ended up going off of after a couple of months because I started having stomach issues, which my doc said were unlikely the Topamax was causing it, gave me something to help with the stomach issues, and said that should take care of it. I think more than anything I was uneasy with being on an anti-seizure med. I recently started having crawling sensations all over my body on occasion which I strongly feel is related to the migraines since my doctor told me that migraines can cause your body to do all kinds of wierd things. (MS has been ruled out on this symptom). I am strongly considering going back on Topamax and giving it another try.

Jenny,

I had an MRI of the brain done, but it came back normal. That was about 6 mos. ago and my general doc had ordered it. When I started having the crawling sensations about 2 mos. ago, I went to a neurologist who did some "evoked potential" tests, I think is what they are called. Just some basic movement test and reflex tests. I passed all of them, and so this neuro decided to pass me off to a dystonia specialist because I have focal hand dystonia and the neuro that passed me off told me the most stupidest thing I've ever heard. He said he believed the other symptoms I have including the crawling and migraines, are all related to the dystonia because it is rare, he said, for a person to have more than one neurological disorder. I have had the dystonia for years and it only has ever affected my handwriting and nothing else. Plus, I've done enough research on dystonia to know that the migraines and the crawling, etc. are definitely not dystonia symptoms. I feel like I've wasted $50 copay. So now I've kind of put off going to see anyone else right now because I don't know who to go see and I'm afraid of wasting another $50.
Who knows at this point. MS is normally manageable, and in the back of my mind, I think there could be a possibility. I know that they can do more MRI's to determine this, but $$$. Know what I mean. The crawling was horrible the week of Thanksgiving, and I think it was due to tremendous stress at that time. It has slowed down quite a bit, and if it does get bad, I take Klonopin to help with sleeping, but I haven't taken that in a while. It's kind of funny...today I had a severe migraine, took my Maxalt, and the migraine went away, but I am having a more intense crawling sensation today. I think once you turn 30, your body starts short circuiting.

I just want to say thank you to all you guys who have been on here to speak to, in the last 4wks I have had absolutely no symptoms what so ever, but during this time I have not been at work so the common denominator is my place of work, I'm off now with work related stress and the dr has diagnosed depression, even with the symptoms I am having with this I am having no migraine related symptoms, i don't know which I'd rather have right now? I know for a lot of you it is not as simple to be free from it but I just want to say thank you so much for being there and I hope there is something out there to make your lives easier.

I really do hope you all the best and a very merry christmas to you all

lots of love virtual insanity

Hi Daddyo1 and virtual insanity (great names by the way) and hi to everyone else,
Daddyo1 I can't shed much light on the legions, hope someone else can. I know how hard it is to get answers from doctors sometimes. My one daughter was sick for for years and we never really got a straight answer. I feel for you and wish you only the best. I can tell you migraines are different for many people. I can tell you is that I get migraine without headaches and they appear like siezures (they are not siezures) They effect my speech, stuttering, double vision, blurred vision, tunnel vision, fluttering of the eyes, and shaking. (fun stuff huh ha ha) I know that for some reason hot showers can bring them on (wierd huh) also flourescent lights. Virtual insanity, I was also put on topamax and it does seem to help. but there are many other things people have found that help. But I agree with the others it has to be something from your work that is triggering it.
Daddyo1, is the coq10 helping? I heard alot of good things about that? Good luck and best wishes for both of you
Dar