I’m fairly new to this forum… posted in ‘My Story’ but nothing else so far. I’m also pretty new to this whole MAV thing… I was diagnosed less than a month ago.
So - here’s what I’m wondering. From time to time I get these odd periods of lightheadedness… the ‘world is fading out’ kind where I never really pass out but almost feel like I could. I’ve noticed that these seem to be followed by a pretty severe day (or two, or ten) of dizziness. I’ve had some pretty good days, and actually the past week I was almost back to feeling myself. But last night I’m sitting on the couch with my wife and WHAM… lightheaded and spacey all of a sudden… It lasts for about 10 seconds, and then I feel ‘off’ for a while afterwards. Sure enough, the dizziness is back for a visit.
Does anyone else ever experience this? I’m thinking that the lightheadedness is the start of the migraine, the wave that happens right after the trigger. And the the dizziness is the ‘during’ part. I know some of you are dizzy 24/7, but for those of you on the MAV roller-coaster, do you have similar experiences?
Much obliged, and Kudos to the maintainers of this board for their time/effort.
Hi
I’m one of the 24/7 people, but I just wanted to welcome you to the forum. Migraine manifests is people in so many ways, it’s really hard to find two people with the exact same symptoms…and even in one person, they can morphe into different symptoms…
I’m sure you will get some replies…hope you find some good advice/support here.
I am a MAV-spell sufferer. And, yes, I have finally become attuned to a pre-episode series of symptoms that usually last about 12 hours before the main show hits. It all seems fairly predictable now, so much so that I make sure I clean the house and clear my calendar, get a few things accomplished before I cannot for 4-7 days.
It will begin like this: I go to bed, feeling a little more tired than usual. I feel sluggish and “off”. Then, if I awaken in the middle of the night I realize my head feels 3 times heavier than usual, difficult to initially raise it off the pillow. When I awaken the next morning, I know immediately that in about 2-4 hours I will be incapacitated by vertigo. The back of my eyes feel swollen, light bothers me, sitting up to get out of bed takes even greater effort, and I am slightly dizzy. I have a small bit of nausea. By the time late morning comes I have gone downhill to complete immobilization which, up til now, lasts 48 hours. About Day 3 the vertigo subsides about by half, and the headache (like someone slammed my head with a 2x4 about 100 times…) begins. LIght is still an issue, but, weirdly my appetite stay pretty healthy (lots of ginger ale and saltines). I am in bed another 2 or 3 days. I am about 70% by day 7 and back on my feet. Takes about 2 more weeks to feel back to “normal”.
Hope this helps. And, welcome to the group.
SarahAnne
I have always had symptoms…dizziness and lightheadedness will increase, pressure in my ear, muffled hearing, tinnitus may get louder. This is for longer term symptoms, but occasionally I will get what feels like a slam through the middle of my head, as if something blasts through sideways, that will nearly knock me off my feet and leave me grasping for something to keep from falling. Migraine can also cause drop attacks and fainting spells.
Hi,
I’m a 24/7 rocking mav’er, medication has helped to take the edge off most of the symptoms.
I also have similar symptoms to these and during these times I find it very difficult to talk walk or concentrate and the tinnitus becomes much louder.
It’s an awful feeling kinda like being out of control of my body.
That symptom varies with intensity and can morph as kelley says.
I hope you find a good med to help control your Mav, best wishes and I’m sorry you have to be here.
I can list all of the above as signs that my day is about to go bad. I can also add that I start walking into corners instead of around them, I walk into things like the kitchen counter because I misjudged the distance, or I start falling.
Thanks for the replies so far. It is indeed strange to hear how many forms and symptoms can be associated with MAV. My sympathies to those of you of the 24/7 variety. The roller-coaster of good days / bad days is bad enough… but at least when I have bad days I know that there is a light at the end of the tunnel (somewhere… up there… that little white dot…). I was started on 12.5 mg of Amitriptyline and I noticed some improvement already… the good days seem better and the bad days seem not so bad. Sometimes I think if it wasn’t for staring at a computer screen all day while bathed in fluorescent lighting at my work that I could ALMOST beat this thing.
I just wish the anxiety would go away… even on good days I seem to worry constantly that a bad day is right around the corner. It’s almost like someone is always behind you holding a baseball bat waiting to whack you on the noggin … you spin around fast but you can never see them. And then WHAM, randomly, they hit you. No warning or anything. Awful.
