Painless Migraines

[Headcased]

I know this might sound stupid, especially to those of you like a mate of mine who describes it like someone driving an axe into his skull, but please bear with me.

After an Mild Tbi and cord trauma, resulting in decompression surgery (laminectomy) a year later, I started with wierd vision (AIWS) photophobia/phonophobia/synethstasia etc.

But NO headaches ,

I described 'Gormlessness' to Neurologist, she says "Brain fog", "Migrainous symptoms" been through three years worth of meds. Five courses of Botox....

Still as bad as ever,sunglasses and noise cancelling earphones a must.

PPPD has just been floated as reason for dizziness, (wake up EVERY morning dizzy), but subsides on good days stormy weather/sudden barometric pressure drops and I want to hide in a dark room.

BUT NOTHING HURTS (at least not like I relate to pain, eg. Broken bones, burns etc).

Can anyone relate? Or is Gormlessness the simple explanation,?

TIA

[Nonameavailable]

I occasionally get painless migraine....I have all symptoms other than pain..

[meggiemog]

Interesting! I am under investigation with a neurologist at the moment - who thinks I am getting regular migraines - I do occasionally get a real stinker of one where I have to lie with a cold compress over my eyes - but mainly mine is wooly headed and dizziness- and feeling like I need to change my glasses on a regular basis (had eyes checked earlier this year) . I also have hearing loss - which is being looked into as well - which could contribute to the dizziness. I have been told to do a headache diary to see how much pain relief I take - and that's not a lot - I only take anything if my head is bouncing.

[Joyceito]

Yes, my migraines are always painless and took many years to get a diagnosis. Yes, there is no pain, but sometimes they are baaaad. Nausea, dizziness, feels like I am on a boat and seasick.

Not always that bad, though. I relate to your gormlessness, I find it really hard at work as it has an effect on memory and I cant remember what I’m doing or where I’ve left things.

I was on flunarizine for a while when it was very bad and it really helped with the nausea and dizziness, but brain fog was just the same and they made me really emotional and weepy which is really not like me.

[Womble18]

Painless migraines are very common in HM migraine and Vestibular migraine..I have both and I also get Silent migraine (no bad pain headache ) it’s my most common and it’s several times a week..ziti didn’t start like that, few years it was bad head pain with it, but I get the chronic pain only monthly now. HM FB group that many many others also describe the same, so your not alone at all, lots of us with Chronic Migraine who suffer the Silent ones.

[bamboo89]

You're not alone - brain fog I experience when I'm dizzy, which is a lot of the time, its hard to think straight. PPPD I also experience, particularly when sitting up from laying down, but it passes rapidly, though general vertigo is a recurrent problem. I have light sensitive aura migraine (though these have almost vanished since I stopped eating dairy) and occasional hemiplegic migraine without pain too, though this migraine brain of mine does often make me feel odd - slow. lumbering thought processes, slight tremor in the hands and arms, a feeling of twitchiness throughout my body, like things aren't firing properly, dizziness on moving my head so I have to be careful not to make rapid head movements or I'll fall over... but no real pain, maybe a mild headache here and there. If you think of the brain as the motherboard (as in computer), mine needs replacing with one that doesn't misfire... along with a new neck, which I'm convinced causes a lot of the troubles.

I just put up with it all, no drugs other than painkillers if I do have a headache, though I wouldn't be without my soft neck collar (stops you moving your head around) or my 10% Ibuprofen gel and magnets, plus the occasional 3 nightly course of 2mg diazepam to relax neck/shoulder muscles... for me, all of those help much more than any of the drug treatments, and no ongoing side effects either...

[BitBrokenBrain]

Sure do. My painless migraines often last longer than those that are incredibly painful. Also, my hemiplegic migraines can happen with or without pain. That brain fog and vertigo is rough. I think the worst part is that because we're always reading the signs of the body, at first I kind of dismiss it as pain that's going to start, but it seems to kick in faster, which is pretty inconvenient when you're at work or out running errands. Nothing like having to call someone to come pick you up from the grocery store because the whole world just went sideways.

[tog12]

Hi you are not alone, I've had migraine from age 4. Over the last 30 years I'ved realised I had migrainge symptoms without the pain. I now take medication for the symptoms. of the silent ones

[Bea66]

Yes me too. Just another sh*tty variety of migraine, the gift that keeps on giving...

[cc-dyson]

Yes, completely feel your pain......or lack of!! I get really bad memory blocking, visual disturbances and just a general feeling of head fuzz and floating but no pain whatsoever.

I am 35 and only had my first migraine this year. I've had scans and neurology appointments and the neurologist is pretty certain I am having migraines. I did have dizziness almost daily for around 2 months after the initial migraine which i had with aura but the dizziness is quite intermittent of late. I had bad sleep last night so am suffering today in fact!!

The main trigger for mine seems to be computer games though - if i play a first or 3rd person game where your character moves on the screen i am almost guaranteed to get migraine symptoms the next day and for around a week or 2 after. It's been really tough as i was an avid gamer before any migraine.

Just keep drawing from other peoples experiences on here - helps loads

[Toysoldier]

I can very much relate to it - I think your choice of word is perfect - I have very little real pain either, pins and needles, particularly on my right side, tingling on my forehead and my biggest issue - feeling gormless and disconnected. My dizziness comes and goes.