Where to start, where where - I've ready
SO MANY of the topics and have to admit it
helps.
2 months ago I 'went blind' for a half
hour, to say I freaked out is an
understatement, I felt like someone had
just canceled the rest of my life.
I got over it and then BAM one month ago
it happened again - 30 min of
semi-blindness with some flashing lights.
Sort of like a bad mushroom trip I had
many years ago.
I did research and realized it was classic
symptoms of 'migraine with aura' - wow,
sweet - so I'm not going blind - i just
have migraines..
In my case I believe (and I'm throwing it
out there for anyone elses benefit) my
migraines were caused by EXTREME eye
strain - each time i had been wearing my
one-day-disposable contacts for up to two
weeks (stupid) each time I had a migraine
it was when I just woke up and I could
barely open my eyes cause of extreme dry
eyes and walked out into the sunlight...
Hello migraine.
Since then I've gotten some glasses and
taken care of my eyes and have had no more
symptoms of migraine with aura or even the
usual 'spotting' that i used to get on
daily basis.
Not the rough part.
my last migraine with aura (one month ago)
passed in about 1/2 hour - but it came
with pain.. yikes - around my eyes and
temples - as many of you know; NOT FUN.
I was traveling in Japan at the time and I
had to stay in my hotel for the next 3
days because of severe motion sickness,
riding in taxis, riding on the train made
me want to vomit (I didn't)
This too I've read is a classic symptom of
vestibular migraines.
it's been 4 or 5 weeks since then - the
migraine w/ aura is long gone, the motion
sickness is gone - but every day I (try)
to live with this awful light-headed
sensation, 'light-headed' is not exactly
right - almost surreal - like a bad trip.
When I wake up I feel GREAT, I can work
out, have sex, lift weights with no
problems, I can drive my motorbike no
prob.. But send me to the grocery store
and I feel like I'll fall over and pass
out - I'm extremely over-sensitive to
visual stimuli..
I don't fall over, don't pass out, but I
DO just feel like something is very very
wrong' - I usually run home take a nap and
as soon as I wake up everything is fine
again. The light-headed symptoms don't
develop until I'm up and about for about 3
hours.
I also suffer from panic attacks - (since
I was 15 - I'm 35 now).. It can do some
really strange things to me - 2 years ago
I walked around with 25+ daily heart
palpitations for no good reason until I
got over that. So part of me wonders if
'going blind' was just really traumatic
and that the dizziness is just the panic
attack coming around for a visit.
Why I don't think it's a brain tumor -
I read you get headaches (I don't), esp in
the mornings or when exercising, lifting
things - nope.
Why I don't think it's neurological -
i did all the self-tests; walking heel to
toe with my eyes closed, balancing tests,
scraping the bottom of my foot to see
which way my toes curl, neck exercises -
all fine
It could be sinus?
I did have some unpleasant drainage last
week? Not normal for me
It could be inner ear?
I do have my ears pop for no reason very
occasionaly - something that never
normally happens.
Also when the 'event' comes on I can click
my teeth together and can hear it loudly
in my head - as if there were pressure in
my ears or head - just like when I have a
head cold.. weird eh? but when the
dizziness is gone I click my teeth and
it's normal..
If I drink a few beers the sensations dull
(or masks it) and if I take half a xanax
it calms down a little but not fully - the
only treatment seems to be to take a nap
(i'm sleepy alot lately) or to avoid
situations that really freak me out -
stores, malls, people..
has ANYONE got any advice for me? Or has
anyone gone through this?
I live in the Philippines (a remote place)
so there's no easy access to a Dr, and
even if there were - I doubt I could go
find a migraine specialist like I could if
I were back in New York.
I have access to meds and was thinking
about taking magnesium supplements, or
trying out topamax or effexor.. any
advice?
THANKS SO MUCH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Good luck.
