silent Migraine

[Tazman23]

Hi all, I only started getting dizziness and spaced out after bad covid in July which was followed by a lot of stress and an Epliectic seizure , my first at age 70 otherwise fit and no regular needs till now

Told by Gp my weekly attacks are silent migraines no headache but lots of other feeling spaced out dizzy for 2 days and take ms another 2 days to get over them, Tried Topirimate 50 mg but had to abandon after 2 weeks as side effects were more dizzyness!

Now on Amitriptyline only 1 pill for 3 weeks migraines less frequent but not blocked and it makes. Me feel drugged up , I take Ibuprofen to deal with attacks can anyone suggest a prophylactic drug with no dizztbess side effects please I’m just fed up with living like this ,,,,

Thanks

[Cavapoochonowner]

hello there ,I have had migraines for over 40 years.Different intensities and frepuencies over the years.Taken different things, asprin, codeine, triptans etc.I started amitriptyline in 2014(10 mg per night for a couple of years rising to 20mg which I am still on).Due to developing graves disease which affects the thyroid they came back with avengance a couple of years ago.My overactive thyroid caused my heart rate to increase so I was put on beta blockers(propranonol).I take 20mg 3x a day and this has done the trick.I occasionally get silent migraines(just the aura) but nowhere near as frequent or severe as before.Both these preventatives taken together have changed my life.You have my every sympathy, migraines have effected every part of my life, spoiling holidays, social occasions etc.You may just need to get used to the amitriptyline for its drugged up effects to lessen.Propranonol can be used as a preventative on it's own as well so that may be an option for you to try.Hope this helps.

[Tazman23 in reply to Cavapoochonowner]

Thanks and how did you find the Amit with regards to feeling sleepy/drugged the next morning as I am....it has lessened a bit , only been on 3 weeks so has this disappeared now for you? Did it come back when you increased the dosage to 20mg? Appreciate your input, cheers

[Cavapoochonowner in reply to Tazman23]

hello, I didn't really feel sleepy/drugged up in the morning even though I'd been in a deep sleep.And I was so desperate when the migraines came back that I didn't really notice any problems going up to 20mg a night.I still sleep deeply and don't have any problems getting up in the morning.

[Tazman23 in reply to Cavapoochonowner]

Thanks, thats useful info, it does help me sleep so expect I will probably get used to the drug over time...

[Bobherts]

Hello Tazman

I have the same diagnosis.

I have had some success with propranolol and Pregabalin over the pass 5 years, starting to return lately maybe because I am immune to them now.

The spaced our feeling I found out they call derealisation and worth looking up on Google.

[Tazman23 in reply to Bobherts]

😀Thanks!

[Boeingbabe]

You will find flunarazine( Sibelium ) a great medication for dizziness and migraine preventative. Start at 5mg 5 days a week ( weekends off ) it is a calcium channel blocker so blood pressure needs to be checked. Stay on it for 4 months then take a break. I was on this, prescribed by dedicated Migraine specialist who leads Migraine trust in Uk and Ireland +

[Tazman23 in reply to Boeingbabe]

That's very interesting and thanks very much ! I will see if I can try it...

[Maceymae]

I have/had suffered with migraines from the age of 12, I am now 47. I tried every med offered. I am on amitriptyline 35mg now for nerve pain. The only thing that worked for my migraine is Ajovy injection self admistered once a month. It took about 6 months to finally work, a lot of people give up before that. It does cause extra joint pain with me which is not good but not everyone gets that side effect. To be migraine free after so many years is just liberating. I would say before this I remember very little migraine free days.

[Cara71 in reply to Maceymae]

hi I gave up on Ajovy after 3 months because I'd had zero effect and was paying privately so I didn't want to pay another £700 if it wasn't going to work. Did you get any relief after the first 3 months? Starting to wish I'd paid for a further lot now. Thanks

[Maceymae in reply to Cara71]

Hi Cara71, no I didn't have any relief until at least month 6 or 7. I persevered because it was so hard to get in the first place and I had tried everything else they threw at me. I am glad I did now. The bone pain for me is a bad side effect, I was given vimovo for that. Not a cure all but I had no life with the migraines either. The neurologist said no one else has reported joint pain as a side effect from his patients but I see now on their website it is now listed so I am obviously not the only 1.

[Cara71]

thanks I loved Ajovy as I got zero side effects but sadly no relief. Did you get yours on the NHS?

[bennevisplace]

Do not depend on a GP, see a neurologist and insist on a MRI scan of BOTH head and neck.

My experience with GPs was "well that doesn't seem to have worked, so try increasing the dose"... followed a couple of months later by "well, that didn't work, so try this other med" .... and so on for a year or more, until I finally got referred for MRI brain scan and to a neurologist who confirmed chronic migraine. No med combination has eliminated daily migraines, but I have not tried them all, and I am still waiting for a scan of the neck, which my latest GP regrets was not done alongside the first.