New symptoms

Hi All

I’ve not been too well at all for the past two weeks - I’m hopefully almost at the end of a five day migraine, but I have had some strange symptoms. Apart from the general wobbly feeling, and the short sharp bouts of vertigo, I’ve had this peculiar sensation of ‘flashes’ not light flashes but more like breaks in a film. It only lasted for a few minutes but it was very confusing. I’d had the stars and dazzles in my eyes just before (from the exhaustion and poor circulation I think). I was walking to work when all this was happening. Anyone experience the breaks/flashes? I’m taking the maxalt melts but even they are not making me feel better.

I want to curl up into a box, cry and never come out right now, getting to work is proving difficult.

Mrs. G,
My daughter has described this symptom to me: and they’re also described on a site by Dr. Podell, who investigates migraine aura.
He calls what you described: Cinematographic vision (visual illusion whereby the normal perception of moving objects is replaced by seeing a series of “stills” as in a film run too slowly)

migraine-aura.org/EN/Visual_Illusions.html

I found the site helpful. I hope you feel better soon.

Hi Kira

Thanks for that, I’ve taken a look and yes, my new ‘symptom’ does fit into the description of cinematographic visuals. That was a weird sensation, but possibly no weirder than all the others you can get. I wonder if migraines ever stop changing in there form, particularly the visuals as I have had so many variations over the past few years. I still haven’t shifted my migraine completely - and now I’m not sleeping well either - so the vertigo gets worse as I am tired, straight home to my bed tonight. It’s times like this that I feel like I can’t hold a job down.

It’s a shame your daughter has all this to contend with too, but lucky she has an understanding and supportive Mum, it makes a lot of difference.

I just read your other post about how your daughter got vertigo after a tonsillectomy - that is when mine first happened too at about 12, I wonder if that is just coincidence or there is a connection with the operation and the starting of the condition?

Mrs G,
I’ve always wondered about the connection–I pushed her to get the surgery, thinking it would be so routine, and a week later–on her 16th birthday–we’re in the ER trying to break her unremitting migraine. They gave her compazine, which stopped the vertigo (they kept asking her about pain, and she kept trying to explain it was more dizziness–and they didn’t understand her) and then they wheeled us to a distant building to get an MRI, and I started to watch her face writhe with tardive dyskinesia. I recognized it, but didn’t recognize the akethesia that followed–the restless need to move. She insisted we leave the ER immediately, I went home and read about how tardive dyskinia with compazine can be permanent. And none of the ER staff even noticed it: I had to lay on her in the MRI to keep her still.
Later, she saw a pediatric neurologist in Boston who told her to avoid all sinus surgery as the connections led directly back to the part of the brain that controls migraine.
Personally, I’ve had 5 sinus surgeries, and after the last, started to get bad bouts of vertigo, which became permanent after the yoga class.
I’m sure there’s some connection here.
I know what you mean about the vertigo and working. I work part time, and constantly need to tell my office manager that I’m doing all I can do (with a windowless office)–but they keep pushing for more.
My daughter is doing so much better, but there were two horrible years first. Just last week, she woke with vertigo, took ibuprofen, and flew off to visit a friend. At college, she’ll wake with the room spinning, take ibuprofen and a large water bottle and go to class. What a huge difference.
Sorry to ramble.
Kira

Seems like there might be a link to the surgery and the vertigo - I had rotational vertigo within months of the op but long before the migraines. Really and truly a lot changed after that op. Perhaps with the surgery factor attached, it’s possible it could even be some damage caused by the anaesthetic - I guess we will never know! Seeing that ears, nose and throat are linked it seems likely.

I have finally shifted the migraine after about 10 days or so - just exhausted now, as we all get. Bit of vertigo coming and going, I feel confused as anything (I feel like I am brain damaged as I just cannot remember some things easily and make mistakes), but I’ve managed not to take a day off work all through which I am not sure if to be proud of or tell myself off for being a fool! I guess I push myself as I really like my employers and don’t like to let them down as they are kind to me when I have been ill.

Your poor daughter, what a thing to have to go through - I think us MAVs tend to be quite misunderstood, even by the wider medical world. There is a lot of faith put on drugs - sometimes it’s forgotten that they can cause damage, as well as the good they do, saving lives and making peoples lives liveable.

I am really fascinated about the Ibuprofen working for the dizziness - I haven’t taken it for years as it gave me blurred vision, but I may try it and see if it helps. That has never been suggested to me, apart from what I have read on here. It has to be the anti-inflammatory that is having a positive effect on your daughters dizzies. Thank goodness that she is managing to get on with her life having found a way of managing it.

It wasn’t a ramble, it was a really interesting post to read.

Have a great weekend, we finally have summer here after constant rain (I think!?)!

Glad you’re over the ten day ordeal. I hope it never returns.
My daughter takes the motrin as an abortive medication for migraine, and her otologist commented that vertigo that responds to imitrex and/or ibuprofen tends to be MAV.

I completely understand how the world doesn’t understand us. I struggle with how much I can work and under what conditions: they know I have MAV, but I don’t think they really believe it or understand it. I know I have limits, and I have to pace myself.

Enjoy your summer weather. It’s a nice day here.

Kira

ditto Mrs G, i get this right before my worst time , it makes me feel very faint and almost like i need to sit down or go to bed, it happens miostly when i’m in fluro lights anywhere anytime, i was wondering what this was , its very frieghtning and i thought i was having a stroke, i’d love to know what it is.
jenny

— Begin quote from “Mrs G”

Hi All

I’ve not been too well at all for the past two weeks - I’m hopefully almost at the end of a five day migraine, but I have had some strange symptoms. Apart from the general wobbly feeling, and the short sharp bouts of vertigo, I’ve had this peculiar sensation of ‘flashes’ not light flashes but more like breaks in a film. It only lasted for a few minutes but it was very confusing. I’d had the stars and dazzles in my eyes just before (from the exhaustion and poor circulation I think). I was walking to work when all this was happening. Anyone experience the breaks/flashes? I’m taking the maxalt melts but even they are not making me feel better.

I want to curl up into a box, cry and never come out right now, getting to work is proving difficult.

— End quote