Are you normal in-between attacks? (Poll)

I just wanted to see who is constantly dizzy?

Dr Robert Baloh, MD

‘‘Most migraine patients, in-between attacks, are perfectly normal. Vestibular function returns to normal’’

I’m not sure I’ve gotten enough control over this to HAVE a sense of “between attacks” as yet. I have “ebbs and flows” of acuteness.

My “no” vote probably needs clarification. I am not constantly “dizzy.” I am not constantly “off balance.” I am however not ever “normal” between the dizzy and off balance at this stage. I am on a precarious ledge–and it is a tangible ledge that I can literally “feel.” Like almost any “wrong” move will push me over the edge to full blown attack.

My Dr. gave me one of those threshold graphs to describe how triggers take you over your threshold–at this point I would say that I am living ON my threshold and that any tiny little misstep pushes me over the edge, where even three months ago, I was living 100% over that line.

i have up and downs throughout the day. I have good weeks and bad weeks.

I find it hard to work out when i am having attacks.

I am never 100% normal!!

interesting quote… would be great if it were the case… is this an old quote? or is the guy on some hallucinogen?

Dr Baloh has obviously never had VM! I’ve personally forgotten what ‘perfectly normal’ feels like, but I’d love to feel it again!

I wouldn’t say I’m constantly dizzy, but I’m definitely unable to function at 100% as the symptoms come back regularly and not completely predictibly. So, no, I’d say that’s not ‘perfectly normal’! Everyday living has been affected - the brain fog, the fatigue, the aches/pains, the inability to have a normal social life…

The way he, and other doctors I’ve met, describes it, it’s as if we just have dizzy ‘episodes’ and in between those ‘episodes’ we are perfectly able to function at 100%. If there is anyone like that on these boards, I’d be really surprised!

Haha, I love that quote, wish it were true for me. Unfortunately, I’ve had undiagnosed VM for ten years (misdiagnosed as ear problem and chiari malformation problems) and have never gotten back to “normal,” now that being said I did have manageable years (where I relied heavily on Advil cold and sinus, haha), but the complete dizziness and balance issues never went away (I don’t want to scare anyone, I was not following the migraine diet and not taking any preventive meds and I was still functioning fine, just not like before). Also, too it’s important to take our responses with a grain of salt, ie. those of us who get better usually aren’t on here as much as those of us who are really having a constant hard time with this. So maybe it’s true for some, but unfortunately not me.

I haven’t been normal since a year ago January. My MAV has improved but I have never felt 100% in between attacks. :roll:

I think we have proven that the majority are not normal between attacks :smiley:

But if you have Chronic migraine then do you have attacks?

— Begin quote from “hillsta”

I think we have proven that the majority are not normal between attacks :smiley:

But if you have Chronic migraine then do you have attacks?

— End quote

good question! according to Dr S he did believe I was having attacks where I would have an increase in symptoms and that these were prolonging the recovery. He said each attack was resetting my brain to vestibular hell and in between attacks it was trying to compensate again.

I don’t have typical migraine attacks but I have some days where my dizziness seems to get really bad and this is in my view the migraine attacking

I have forgotten what ‘normal’ feels like but I’d be very happy to one day,
once again feel ‘normal’.
I’m not even sure if I am ever normal in-between attacks or if my attacks
ever trully stop. About the closest I get to
being ‘normal’ in-between attacks is, not having an excruciating migraine
headache. However, I still live with at least a mild headache 24/7 and
have all the wonderful other symptoms that are associated with this horrific
disease.
Brain fog, disequilibrium, nausea, blurred vision, tinnitus etc.
I hope some of you are ‘normal’ in-between attacks but at this stage I am still
just trying to get through each day and keep my sanity :!:
Thinking of you all :slight_smile:

— Begin quote from “dolfnlvr”

My Dr. gave me one of those threshold graphs to describe how triggers take you over your threshold–at this point I would say that I am living ON my threshold and that any tiny little misstep pushes me over the edge, where even three months ago, I was living 100% over that line.

— End quote

I still have constant mild dizziness that fluctuates throughout the day and feel that I am on the verge of a headache. But much better than before when my symptoms were completely out of control. I too feel like I am living on my threshold but improving.

I haven’t been normal in 3 years and never have “attacks”.

hillsta - I agree with you. Dr Baloh may be referring to patients who are diagnosed with Vestibular Migraine.
In the recent paper Scott posted on the forum: Vestibular Migraine - Diagnostic Criteria para (2) - “the Duration of episodes are variable - minutes to four weeks.” Under the Chronic vestibular classification (3.11) “it is seen as an episodic disorder. However, a chronic variant of vestibular migraine has been reported & following research may become a recognised category.”
Most of us would fall into the ‘Chronic variant’ I think - so the question is probably not relevant to us!
Barb

— Begin quote from “awalkerphoenix”

I haven’t been normal in 3 years and never have “attacks”.

— End quote

Exactly that- I don’t have attacks.

Chronic VM isn’t ‘attacks’. It’s chronic. ie all the time.

For 20 years, I was hit with migraine vertigo attacks. The room would spin so fast for about 30 minutes and then go away. I was normal in between but never know when it would hit me.

Now, I am 24/7 rocky and since taking topamax I have not had a mav attack.

Dr. Cha at UCLA also confirmed with me the difference of mav being episodic and spontaneous mdds being constant.