Chronic migraines for around 2 years

Hi everyone,

I have migraines on left side of head, sometimes with headache, often with facial pain and into jaw and neck and shoulders. I sometimes get numbness in left side face, shoulder and arm. Nausea often. Light sensitivity often. Dizziness and clumsy and fatigue after an attack. Last for weeks and most months I have one. I also get floaters, black/blind spots. I get blurred vision in left eye often.

I saw an eye consultant today, he said eyes are fine and blurred vision likely due to migraines. He said see a Neurologist. Not sure what they’d be able to do? My daughter has chronic migraines and she saw a private Neurologist who told her she’d have to live with them.

I’ve just been diagnosed with hypothyroidism and started on Levothyroxine. I have had M.E for thirteen years. I have Microvascular Angina. I have Adenomyosis. Sjogrens and Raynaurds.

Do you think it’s worth seeing a Neurologist? If so where would I find a good one in U.K.?

[Frodo]

It may be worthwhile, but it really needs to be a headache specialist - I too saw a neurologist who was of no help. You'd need to try and research who you were seeing.

I would also recommend getting your teeth checked and x-rayed on that side. I do have migraine and an autoimmune condition that worsens migraine, however, a lot of the severe symptoms that developed on one side of my head/face over several years were due to an undiagnosed wisdom tooth abscess and referred pain from that. It's worth ruling out.

[Hidden in reply to Frodo]

Thanks. Yeah, I agree. Definitely don’t want to waste time and energy on one that can’t do anything.

I have had teeth X-ray on left side, all normal. Thanks for the suggestion though. Certainly was worth checking.

[bamboo89]

I get all the symptoms you describe and have done for some years, including on one occasion, complete 'loss' of the left arm (meaning I couldn't feel it at all, it suddenly was visible but not part of me) for two or three minutes, which they thought might be a stroke - described as hemiparesis because I also had some weakness down the whole left side of my body. It wasn't a stroke, and the theory is that it was caused by my dodgy neck, which has slipped discs all protruding on the left hand side, with a compression at spinal vertebrae C5/C6. I was referred to the National Hospital for Neurology and Neurosurgery in Queens Square, London, where I saw a neurosurgeon, but after they did their scans, the neck's not quite bad enough to warrant the risk of surgery. Unfortunately, though, it is bad enough for my cranial osteopath to stop treating my neck, which I found enormously helpful for some years.

Although my neck does cause me problems on the left side, personally, I'm not entirely convinced it was my neck that caused the hemiparesis, that it wasn't in fact some form of migraine such as hemiplegic migraine, because I suffered for some years with optical migraine (though the optical migraine has completely vanished since I gave up all dairy a year ago). My local neurologist warned me at the time that, if I had the surgery, I might still be left with the same problem - I think she felt it was more migrainous in origin, though she didn't actually say that. If you do want to see a neurologist, the hospital in Queens Square is the top place in the UK for that specialism, but I think the causes of these symptoms are not clear cut - its possible TMJ is a factor, along with migraine as well as actual physical problems in the skeleton, so getting an accurate diagnosis can be very hit and miss.

Miriam

[Onthemove1971 in reply to bamboo89]

If you see a Neurologist they might recommend Botox and this might help, even with the neck pain becuase rhem gove you injections in your face and neck.

[bamboo89 in reply to Onthemove1971]

Thanks, but the neurologist I saw said it wasn't an appropriate treatment for me... I just manage it with 10% ibuprofen gel, lots of magnets and diazepam to relax the shoulder when necessary.

[Hidden in reply to bamboo89]

Thanks Miriam,

Really helpful to hear about your experiences with the symptoms and appointments with specialists.

I do think TMJ is a possible factor for triggering migraines (alongside other triggers). I also have issues with shoulder joints (especially bad on left) and neck.

Yeah, I think if I consider seeing a Neurologist it’d need to be a really good one.

Thanks.