Disturbances of the body image affecting its position in space
Following the classification of body image disturbances from Lukianowicz (1967), one category of body image disturbances that may occur as migraine aura symptoms can be labeled as disturbances of the body image affecting its position in space, e.g. sensations of levitation, floating, falling or sinking.
“As the heading implies, the subject experiences an apparent movement of his body in space. The direction of this movement may be various, although most often it seems to be either upward or downward. It seems that sporadic kinesthetic sensations are not uncommon in entirely normal subjects, particularly in the drowsy state before falling asleep…, when they represent the kinetic variety of the hypnagogic imagery…”
Besides the sensation of falling through the bed, which i despise, and thankfully doesn’t happen as frequently or as violently anymore, this would explain the odd sensation, most noticable on waking - i don’t know what part of my body is touching what. Like, is my left foot crossed over my right, or next to it? I have to move one of them to know. I hate that. I used to be so in touch with my body. Thanks for that quote, Jen.
I feel like a, marionette with some of the strings cut.
— End quote
Thanks Jen!
Oh by the way, what a GREAT analogy–the marionette. YES!
I am not doing well today.
Put on reading glasses sitting on the sofa and nearly keeled over.
I also have this thing going on that I am wondering if it’s Tulio’s phenomenon.
The sound of my own voice is vibrating through the back of my skull, rather than being translated as sound.
So when I try to converse with people, the longer I talk, the worse it gets, like I am going to fall over.
My symptoms are insane.
I just popped a Xanax to calm my butt down.
I cannot go on like this every day, invariably just going to my room and hiding.
I’m supposed to go see an eye doctor tomorrow and am terrified to go out.
I’m tired of being shocked when I go out in the office environment–sound, light, chair floating when I sit in it.
“as a matter of fact, vertigo, decreased level of consciousness and tinnitus are well-known aura symptoms of basilar-type migraine”
Ruh-roh.
Ya know ,I’m gonna get deep on you all, but how many of you are into the power of the subconscious?
Back in January when I saw a neurotol, I didn’t have a chance to really give him my full history.
So he only heard pieces of a long story.
But, he asked me if there was a first event that I knew something was really wrong and I said, yeah.
In September, I had just come down the elevator in my building, I cussed out the elevator with the F-word (LOL)
had my hand on the back of my head because it hurt, was hot, breathing out of my mouth, walked into Macy’s
and BAM it hit as I focused on the Ralph Lauren sign on the counter. The “BAM” I went on to explain
was as if my brain was shutting down. I was walking slower, in some altered state of consciousness,
and I could not feel my feet on the ground. I knew I was in big trouble, but managed to get my ass back upstairs.
(had to use the elevator of course).
Now he didn’t talk to ME, he spoke into his little microcasette recorder. (Talk about lacking people skills)
But when he spoke into his recorder in his hand, he said Blah blah blah central nervous system, migrainous.
Had I not been listening to what he was saying into his casette recorder, I wouldn’t have known what was
on his mind! (How do I find these strange doctors?)
Now, why I bring up the subconscious? Every time I tell that story, I use the word BAM. Coincidence?
I have mused for months that the irony of always using the word BAM and eventually getting a DX of BAM
would be poetic, for our subconscious knows more than our conscious. But as of now, I haven’t received a DX
of BAM or anything for that matter.
I absolutely believe (and know from experience) that our unconscious knows far more than our consciousness does (which is just the tip of the iceberg) and that the nature of the unconscious is that it needs to be seen and heard and attempts to communicate with us is a variety of ways. The more we deny it, the harder it tries. The better we listen, the clearer the dialogue becomes. This is what I was talking about in a previous post - losing connection with my inner most self - my unconscious - where everything makes sense in the context of this nonsensical world we live in. I could give many examples, in terms of dreams and daily events, similar to your BAM story, but suffice it to say, for now, that it would indeed be poetic for you to end up with a dx of BAM. (Are you saving your own life?)
Read this post a few days ago and thought nothing about it - until I went shopping yesterday and suddenly felt that my legs were only part mine… :? Still felt a bit funny this morning - how long will this last?
I’d have freaked out if I didn’t remember this post. Thanks everyone!
Heather, is this pain , deep behinde your head almost like a burning and hurts like hell.
I get that too , but only during the times where the episode is at its worse this is when I cant talk afterwoods and have a reduced level of Consciousness.
when I was a young teenager going through late onset menses 16 years old, I had this happen and it would shoot up through my brain , I couldnt walk talk or walk, it was the worst pain in the world.
but never led to migraine head ache pain.
blimmy I thought I would die.
I’ve never discussed this with my neuro.
my neuro said only recently he thought I had bam , but then changed his diagnosis, to complicated migraine , which worries me , due to the fact that bam can be down right dangerous, especially in the ER, you should have a medical ID braclette so they never ever give you triptans.
CAT: sorry Cat I didn’t right you earlier, my doc has since said he isn’t sure, but called it many things anything from complicated migraine to atypical migraine, mav. ect even possible familial drunken ataxia, so blow me down, I would love to see another neuro to have it confirmed as to which one it is.
This upsets me that they haven’t given me a firm, name for it, all’s I know for sure is that it’s from migraine.
my neuro said people with BAM pass out completly , thats why he wasnt happy with the diagnosis.
is this guy right?
Yes, My neurologist said, my migs come directly from the base of my scull, but did’nt explain any
further. In fact he hasnt even sent my results to my GP after asking them, numerous times to do so.
it’s realy peaving me. I think its because he hasnt a clue personaly.
jen
the link: body image disturbances/position of body in space
most interesting.
Interesting link, Jen
I’ve heard those with epilepsy talk about similar symptoms if their problem is in their frontal and temporal lobes - no wonder ACs work for some of us. These epileptics also claim that if your problem is NOT in those lobes, Topamax will make you dumb as a box of rocks. If your problem IS in those lobes, you got the right med.
the link: body image disturbances/position of body in space
most interesting.
Interesting link, Jen
I’ve heard those with epilepsy talk about similar symptoms if their problem is in their frontal and temporal lobes - no wonder ACs work for some of us. These epileptics also claim that if your problem is NOT in those lobes, Topamax will make you dumb as a box of rocks. If your problem IS in those lobes, you got the right med.
— End quote
Going from your reply, without reading the article, I must fit into this catagorie because Topomax did not cause me any cognative issues.
I do not take Topomax for one specific side effect. It gives me a temper with a fuse that is to short, I wanted to keep my freinds, family and job, so I quit taking it. It took several months for the temper to go away. I did find it helpful: I quit falling within a couple of days, and my 24/7 dizziness started to fade to nothing within a few weeks.
BTW, you posted that link a while back and I found a few SE of the meds I take and made some adjustments and the SE that were bothering me are much less now. So I owe you a thanks, I believe.
Now I remember you telling me why you quit taking Top. It must have been bad rage to give up stillness. I’ve heard that complaint quite a few times from people on this forum, but interestingly, NOT on the crazymeds forum (which is full of mostly psychiatric patients and epileptics) Maybe they just don’t complain about it, since many of them are bipolar, not sure.
It’s an interesting site and all their info isn’t up-to-date, but it’s been real helpful to me, as is epocrates.com
Thanks for the reminder Brian, Topamax is looming for me.
Sorry for your recent set-back, you sound like you’re really suffering. I hate to hear that.
Don’t worry about my bad days, I get them about once every week or two. Most of the times I can work through them, but others, like last Friday put me on the couch. Most of the time I am OK and don’t struggle to get through my day.
My “guess” about Topomax causing me problems is similar to women that I have heard complain about mood swings and crying over nothing. My “guess” is that men, (or at least myself,) expereince temper for their (or just mine) mood swings instead of tears.
If your doctor is talking about prescribing it to you, I would recomend giving it a try. Most people have had success and the SE eventually fade away after a few weeks.
how many days did you spend at each cut? The PI sheet states that it takes 4 days to reach a steady state, so that will be my future plan, at this point. And how high did you go before getting SEs? My doc knows I’m incredibly sensitive so he doesn’t want me going any higher than 25 until i see him again.
i’ll be cutting those pills into 1/4 ths