Blackouts for over an hour, and then Migraine

Hi, my daughter who is 18 has been diagnosed with Basilar Migraine - she has periods of blackouts lasting for about an hour and then about half an hour regaining full consciousness and she is generally paralysed down one side whilst regaining consciousness. she then goes into a migraine within 12 hours of these blackouts. There is absolutely no warning of the blackout, just literally keels over. She has seen 2 neurologists who both said Basilar Migraine and have put her on epilepsy medication. This has worked for last 10 months but had another blackout on Friday that was very severe, was hospitalised for possible concussion as cut her head. All her obs were normal by time paramedics arrived, typical! She has had MRI, CT and EEG and ECG's and all ruled as normal. It is very frustrating for us and I am really not convinced she has Basilar Migraine.  Has anyone else out there ever had these periods of unconsciousness with Migraine?????

I suffer from Basilar Migraines and they are quite scary. I have done a LOT of reading on this subject over the years and your daughter's experience is NOT typical. While she shares many of the symptoms, the speed in which she blacks out is a concern. It should take minutes, not seconds. And usually she should have a clue as to the blackout coming on: slurred speech, dizziness, light-headiness, blurred vision, aphasia, confusion, flashing lights, strange odors or sounds (migraine auras). The numbness on one side of the body seems to sound more like Hemiplegic migraines as opposed to Basilar. Take a look at: http://www.healthcentral.com/migraine/types-of-headaches-38571-5.html Either way, they sound like they suck. Epileptic preventatives are the norm for both cases. Triptans are a no go due to the increased stroke risks.

She is of the right age (18) and gender (female).

Go out of your way to find a migraine specialist. They can be rare in some areas but worth the look. I would also post your inquiry on the migraine pages of health central. They have some of the best, dedicated readers and specialists out there.

Lastly, a caveat. I am NOT a health specialist. All I can say is that your daughter's symptoms seem atypical to what I personally experience and all that I have read over the years. Seek expert advice.

Good luck and do not despair.

NMBobblehead