Do many of you get a lot of aching and fatigue when exercising or going shopping or walking too far. If I walk too fast, I get aching in the legs and body within half an hour and crash. If I walk slowly I can last longer. When I start to get tired, I sweat, my neck and back aches and calves of the legs and the fatigue sets in, along with stuffy head etc. Just wondered if this is all part of MAV or something else.
Thanks
Chris
Chris,
I am not trying to sound like the bad guy here, but what you describe, except for the stuffy head, is typical symptoms of standard excercising, especially if you are out of shape. The stuffy head could simply be from allergies if excersing outdoors.
Just to add in, I do expereince the cramping and sore muscles you describe when I excercise, but that is a side effect from the medications I take for migraine prevention.
Brian
My husband, who does not get migraine, has to take a pocket of kleenex with him on his jobs. He’s in good shape, but makes a ton of mucous when he exercises. I’m not sure if that’s what you meant by stuff head ???
Hi Julie, no, the stuffy head thing is like, your head is full of cotton wool, or sometimes like its going to explode.
I used to get the iron bar across the back of the neck migraines that lasted 3 days, very often, the full blown vertigo, before, or after them.
I was diagnosed with menieres, then, basilar migraine, then, vestibular migraine and so on. I see that many people on this board have been through the same. What I dont see a lot of, is people posting about the fatigue and achiness and I am wondering if this is part of the same syndrome or something separate. Getting so exhausted that you feel like you have run a marathon and crawl up the stairs to get on the bed, usually dont recover until the next day.
Best Wishes
Chris
Chris,
Mental fatigue is a very common symptom of anything dealing with vestibular/balance problems. The theory is that your brain spends so much energy trying to compensate that it starts getting fatigued.
Regarding the cramping, I don’t know where your cramping is, but it is common for migrainers to have stiff or sore necks. Also, I know from when I was a kid I found that high endurance activities (8 to 12 hours on a bicycle for 7 days) can and will cause muscle cramping if you are not eating a balanced diet.
Brian
Chris
I get the aching and fatigue you describe, especially if I over-exert myself physically. Its in my back and legs mostly. The week before I became ill I walked 21 miles in a few hours to climb 5 mountains in Wales; as soon as became ill I couldn’t walk a mile without the aching muscles all over my body, so I don’t think it was caused by my fitness levels! Obvoiusly now my fitness is non-existent so its harder to judge but it doesn’t feel like being unfit used to feel like.
Becky
Chris-
I think I know the “stuffy head thing” very well. I’ve only just recently attributed it to my migraines. When you said your “head feels like its stuffed with cotton”, I understand that. I’ve always said that, and people look at me like they just don’t get it. I also get facial pain and sometimes swelling (sinuses) almost as if I had a sinus infection, but I don’t. The pain and pressure is so bad I just sit there and push hard on my face and it gives me relief. (sounds stupid, I know).
I also can relate to the fatigue (mental and physical). As Brian said, its common with balance issues, but, for me, after having a migraine (**especially **after an aura) I get extremely sleepy, almost like I’m drugged. I have to go to bed and sleep it off (Julie calls this a “hangover”). I rarely get headaches though.
Does any of this sound like what you are trying to describe?
Regardless, it wouldn’t be a bad idea to have it all thoroughly checked out if you haven’t already. 
Kim
Chris,
Fatigue is part and parcel with MAV. I’ve heard many stories, especially from the new people on the forum, who are having trouble taking care of their kids because of lack of energy. Even a classic migraine is followed with by a hangover. I once spent six weeks in bed after a classic migraine.
My MAV crash left me bedridden for a year. I won’t bore the rest of the forum with all the gorey details. I’ve told the story too any times. You can find it in threads on this very page. Leave it to say I could barely stand, could walk my dog down 3 steps. Only got up to go to the bathroom. Couldn’t get up from a squat without the help of my husband. And it was all because of MAV.
Think about the turmoil are brains are in. We’re in some kind of a 24/7 migraine state. It’s not surprising to me that we would be fatigued.
Now that you’ve added more descriptives to the feeling in your head, yes, that also sounds typical of MAV. I have that feeling too. And I hate it. I was one of the first symptoms i got and it was a sign that something was wrong. I hate it. When it gets worse, it’s a sign to me that I am worse. It’s just the way i take it.
Are you on any meds? Some meds can cause aching. Also people with chronic fatigue have a lot of aching. MAV doesn’t protect you from having chronic fatigue.
Julie
— Begin quote from “cmoc”
I used to get the iron bar across the back of the neck migraines that lasted 3 days, very often, the full blown vertigo, before, or after them.
— End quote
Hmm Iron bar across the back of neck? Can you elaborate even more? My neck has gotten so bad I am seeing a neurologist next week.
It’s actually scaring me since I can’t even balance my damn head on my neck anymore. I can’t even bend my neck over without it feeling like someone
has a 20 pound weight sitting on my neck!
Heather
Hi Chris, what Julie is saying about the 24/7 state of migraine is so true for some of us with mav,
repeated assults day in day out, and I know this is true for jules and myself.
so yes post drome can consist of stiffness and hangovers that will feel like chronic fetigue, thats for sure!
jen
Thanks all, seems that a lot do get the debilitating fatigue.
Brian, I dont get cramping just bodily aching, especially back of knees, and calves and ankles, lower back and neck, and lots of stiffness if I sit too long also. The mental fatigue is different, thats the eyes hurting, wanting to sleep after being on computer or talking to someone too long.
Cant stand talking to someone who bobs their head around!
Becky, I can relate, going back a good few years, I used to love aerobics swimming and tennis every week. Now I do practically nothing. If I walk more than half an hour, it can leave me aching and fatigued and on the bed for a day. Its hard to adjust isnt it when you like physical stuff. Mine is nothing to do with being unfit, but my muscles are pathetic, they ache very easily after doing very little.
Hi Kim, the last vertigo attack I had, my nose was completely blocked, nothing to do with sinuses causing it, it was part of the attack, also, I notice my nose blocks if I talk on the phone for long. The sleepiness is like narcolepsy, yes, I get that a lot. Plus I get it with my blood sugar attacks as well. I have had all the ENT tests (ugh!) nothing quite conclusive, been to neurologist in Oxford for 10 years and one in London.
They tried so many preventatives and gave up. I may try again.
Hi Julie, I take syndol in half pieces throughout the day every day, I wake every morning with headache and if I dont take anything it builds up to bad migraine, in between I take stemetil, I am permanently on serc and I take stronger painkillers for full blown migraine. They have improved since menopause, but daily crap is still there. Before I take the syndol, in the daytime, it almost feels like inflammation in the body, sweating and tiredness and the heads and the syndol calms it down.
Hi Heather, my three day migraines were always at the back of my head in the occipital region and my neck was horrendous with it, just like someone had hit me over the neck with something heavy. In between, like the last two days, I have had bad neckache. The neckache comes and goes now and I dont get the 3 day back of the head migraines any more. I had an MRI on my neck and is showed no problem. I had an MRI on my head, no problem. I thought they would find something really bad!!
Hi Jen, I am 24/7 and have been so for 25 years, sometimes I wonder how we live like this. The dizziness has improved some since I hit menopause, but not this last week it seems!
Best Wishes
Chris
Chris,
One more thing, i had a lot of aching when i was depressed. my legs would ache as soon as I got out of bed in the morning. Just more griss for the mill.
Julie
— Begin quote from “cmoc”
Hi Heather, my three day migraines were always at the back of my head in the occipital region and my neck was horrendous with it, just like someone had hit me over the neck with something heavy. In between, like the last two days, I have had bad neckache. The neckache comes and goes now and I dont get the 3 day back of the head migraines any more. I had an MRI on my neck and is showed no problem. I had an MRI on my head, no problem. I thought they would find something really bad!!
— End quote
Where the heck did I get the idea you were a guy? As I was reading your story I thought to myself sounds like a woman with a MAJOR hormonal problem, but I said, nah it’s a guy!
I’ll make this quick because I am so nauseated I’m about to throw up on my laptop. I have to get to the lab and have my hormones pulled again. They are worse than ever. Yesterday was cycle day 9 and your estrogen should be about 100 by then. I’m so low estrogen was < 5 and Progesterone= zero. I nearly collapsed in the lab yesterday. Vertigo was horrid-- I get what I call vertical vertigo where the damn motion goes up and down. my legs are locking up and my joints are so weak I can’t even push myself up should I decide to kneel down. It’s insane. I can hardly climb stairs. I now watch people on TV running, and I start to sob uncontrollably. Good grief!
It used to just be the ground, but now it has gone into what I firmly believe is my brainstem. So what goes into my eyes, goes right to the back of my skull and you nearly go insane. Picture an elevator going up and down violently, in the back of your brain. I see a neuro next week. How much you want to bet she thinks I’m insane? I get along better with male docs and if she is mean, I am going to tell her to piss off. I can’t take the looney docs I’m meeting here in this city. I also have some tenderness in what I think is c-7 vertebra. Not good. It feels very “nervy” and I can hardly hold my neck up. I also have hyperacusis and some female doc’s voice was the wrong pitch and her voice literally made me sick. I started to get nausea with dry heaves just sitting on the examining table hearing her voice. I am slowly going insane. The hyperacusis is worse when my hormones are dangerously low. Like now. I have to hold the phone away from my ear when people talk. It’s crazy what kind of symptoms you can get. Jesus . . .
Heather
Heather,
You are not going insane and if the neurologist thinks so, tell me and I’ll come and beat her up 
(not really but I will in spirit).
My head often feels like you describe - like it is too heavy to be held up by my neck; like a bowling ball on a golf tee! I also have intermittant sensitivity to sound and deafness so if you’re mad, I’m mad!
Keep on fighting.
Becky x
Thanks Becky .
Usually I’m the one “beating up others” for the underdog.
I’m not used to being the underdog.
I’m losing the ability to even walk, and I will not go down like this. I refuse.
Heather
Hi Heather,
I am sorry you are suffering so badly. Hormones certainly do add to the picture. My oestrogen was 42 and progesterone practically nil, last time. I had horrendous problems through menopause. Other hormones, I have antibodies to thyroid although the TSH etc. are normal. I have done the cortisol saliva tests and found low cortisol but taking cortisol makes me worse. Blood tests showed low B12 for which I get 3 monthly injections. Glucose tolerance test at hospital showed reactive hypoglycemia (got used to noticing the symptoms and controlling that now).
Autoimmune seems to play its part. Thats why I keep trying to get to the bottom of everything, the drs. are useless unless you have one specific symptom that they can give you a pill for, otherwise they treat you as though you are a nutter. When you do get depressed because of everything you are told that the depression is the problem, so I know and you know that you are not going insane but try telling them that!
Yes, I shall have to start signing Christine, people keep mistaking me for a bloke!
Best Wishes
Christine