Does this sound like MAV to you? Anyone...? Scott.....?

Hello,
Im really having a hard time, I just dont think I fit the profile of MAV. I read the posts and articles and I dont feel I fit in to this category.
What do you all think…? I was told MAV by 2 docs and Chronic Subjective Dizziness from 1 doc. ( due to anxiety that my headache and vertigo will come back, and note Im very anxious, I dream about it most nights)

It started with a headache off/on for 2 weeks. Then I was playing with my son and twisted and felt a pain in my neck down my arm, neck hurt all day, next day headache full on. CAR accident 8 months prior. Rear ended. Also prior Neck surgery in 2009. on C5… did wonders!!! Gave me my life back.
Vertigo did not come until a month later, after constant worry, as i did not knw it was my neck at first and went to several doc’s that had no clue. Becasue
my Head hurt bad, worse with movement. 100% GONE when I would lay down or recline in chair. So that was def. not a migraine. Its 90% gone. I say 90% because… analogy… If my head was a campfire… the pain would be the fire, the fire is out, but its still smouldering.

  • I have had 3 migraines in my life. Which I get aora, Lose speech, and then headache pain. Gone within 2 hrs of sleep.

  • My mom and grandparents used to suffer bad migraines

  • I had a headache for 74 STRAIGHT days. Due to neck. Had surgery, went away, came back, took a dose of steriods and pretty much gone. The day after I started medrol

  • After headache started and before surgery, I got Vertigo, BPPV- Epley got rid of it.

  • Came back November 1st. Epley again got rid of it. ( it was 7 weeks since the first one)

  • EVERY since I got the vertigo episode, I have always felt dizzy/yucky.

My symtoms only come from positional head movements, and reading on the computer. Sometimes when Im sitting, I feel like im moving a little bit.

Better when Im standing and moving around. Worse when I sit down and lean back on couch, WAY worse when I lay down. I feel like I dont know how to describe it. Like my face feels weird, like the blood is draining from it, and then I feel super yucky, and my head feels heavy and fuzzy. Sometimes its bad enough I feel like im going to spin, but I dont.

Its also hard to be on the computer after a while. However, I did get a new moniter, I had the old school, and all the new stuff sucks.
Its hard to focus and sometimes, I feel like my eyes like blanked out or something and felt a little dizzy.

When I look in the mirror, I do feel off, just like weird.

My balance is great! Never feel like Im going to fall, even when I had the vertigo. The first time I had it, I had it for 14 days. Before I figured it out and went to the PT for an epley. It was again, only at night in bed, or when I layed back in the chair.

Last but not least, If it is MAV…

I tried Celexa, a few side effects… may try again, but dont know as it made my head hurt, rash and ear noise.
I tried Topamax, but was only on 25mg for 3 weeks. I had a bit of a foggy head, and a little depression, but handled it fine. Got off, because a diff. doc wanted me to go on Propranolol or Effexor, which Im not so sure of. When I stopped the 25mg, I actually had a migraine 3 days in a row! Not my normal headache. And had major anxiety. Withdrawl lasted about 4-5 days. So maybe 25mg was enough for me…? IM afraid of it, because my second episode of Vertigo/BPPV was when I was on it for 2 1/2 weeks. COINCIDENCE…? SHOULD I NOT FEAR THAT, AND REALIZE, IT WASNT THE MED…?
I took klonopin with it. That actually gave me real vertigo, not BPPV 3 times, after taking it. I was told to stop taking it, and never had that sort of vertigo since.

Im torn. I have the bottle of Topamax still. Do I give it another shot? It helped me sleep… which I have not been able to since I got off of it.
I totally lost weight, which I really dont need to do, but hey if It doesnt work, then my next med will put it back on and i will be even…!! :slight_smile: LOL

Or do I try the celexa again, and wait it out to see if the side effects go away. Although even after I quit, my ear sure was weird for a few days after.

Or maybe those 2 together?

It would be nice if there werent sooooo many options, and just a few that worked for the entire population!! Dreaming I know. :slight_smile:

If its not MAV, then I really should be on an anti-anxiety med. Maybe try Cymbalta after Celexa.

Those are the only meds Im really considering at this time.

I know its alot of questions, and Im a pain in the ASS as Im AlL over the place. But give me a break, Im new at this, and my mind is a cluster F***

Thanks all!!!
Kristina

Kristina,
Yes, you have Migraine. WHether or not your neck got hurt and you have a cervical neck injury that is exacerbating your condition…you have Migraine. That being said, Migraine is so hard to describe because it affects to many areas and things that you would never think stem from a “headache condition” (most people’s idea of what migraine is).
You can have different things going on with the body, so maybe someone has a condition that is separate from migraine, and it isn’t related. BUT, there are a bunch of things that will and do fall under the Migraine umbrella.
The fact that you have had auras, that you have family history…all seals the deal.
There is so much info on this site…you have found what I consider to be a life saving place. Tool around and read the Migraine Constitution…you can search people’s reactions to different meds…books that help etc…
Celexa is a good med…a lot of people get help with it. I personally take Cymbalta, and it’s been a good one for me.
Good luck on your journey…
Wishing you wellnes…
Keley

Thanks Kelley!
I guess its hard to believe, because like right now, the sun is blazing in my eyes, and the brightness does not bother me at all.
So its just weird to me. I didn’t start having any of these problems until after I got the anxiety from my original headache that was
for sure not a migraine, do to the fact that it went away 100% as soon as I layed down. Then returned upon standing.
But I did get migraines after I went off of topamax. I ran to lay down, thinking “my other” headache came back, I quickly relized it was
different as Iayed down and it was still there. So ya, that was a migraine for sure! If it is migraine, then why do I feel worse when
I lay down? Or if someone touches my head, or my pillow that my head is on… that makes me feel sick. Im so confused.
Im not arguing at all, Im just confused. And I appreciate everyone’s input. Im just trying to wrap my head around all of this… no pun intended. :slight_smile:

I do see one last doc today… neurologist.

Just sent you a PM.

ALSO…
I also had a diskogram done where they stick a needle in your disk while laying down (remember I have NO symptoms of pain while laying down) and it gave me symtoms. Confirming cervical issue. I did this before surgery, just to make sure it was my neck! Neck pain was gone after surgery and did not come back. :slight_smile: The doc said that my cervical headache would be gone soon as well after the muscles just relaxed, as they were tight for 74 straight days and that did happen as well. So maybe the combo of anxiety and stress from all of it, brought on silent migraine…??

The bad neck can be a trigger to your underlying migraine issues…it is quite probable you have a bad neck, and migraine. There isn’t a true diagnosis that would include all of it…we all have underlying issues I think…
Get the book “heal your headache”…sooooo good…worth reading!!
Kelley