Hemiplegic Migraine.: Obviously my body thought... - Pain Concern

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Hemiplegic Migraine.

Dunkdl profile image
19 Replies

Obviously my body thought that living with chronic pain wasn't enough, as I ended up in hospital at the weekend with a suspected stroke. Fortunately it turned out to be a Hemiplegic migraine , which can present the same symptoms. I was numb down my right arm and leg and side of face, speech difficulties, right side weakness. When my speech started getting messed up and slurred it was pretty scarey. Anyway drama over, back home. Although they did an MRI of my head to make sure before I left this morning.

I hope you are all having as good a day as possible.

D

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Dunkdl profile image
Dunkdl
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19 Replies
grace111 profile image
grace111

thats very frightening duncan im glad to hear that everything is alright.it must have been a really terrible thing to go through. godbless you duncan.. and keep you safe love grace xxx🙏

NFDK profile image
NFDK

Oh dear....as if you haven't got enough going on already :-( At least it wasn't a stroke. I bet you're glad to be out of the hospital and back home. Take care, Wendy

Jenharri profile image
Jenharri

That's horrible that would scare me to glad it wasn't a stroke and your back home.

Jen X

Pinky2233 profile image
Pinky2233

Keep the faith. I hope you feel better soon.

I too added migraines to the list of chronic pelvic pain. Im writing as the neurologist prescribed vistibular therapy and acupuncture which includes strengthening exercises for my head. Seems all the pelvic pain created guarding and gripping weakening the muscles in my head creating migraines. I didnt know this could happen. The acupuncture releases the tension and the head pt exercises include swimming free style re-strengthening the head neck and shoulders.

Keep posted on what you find helps you! Sending my support from the US.

grace111 profile image
grace111 in reply to Pinky2233

if you think about it. you have the spine and at the bottom of the spine is the pelvis and at the top of the spine is the head. when the pelvis moves the head should move also and when the head moves the pelvis moves. many people have stopped allowing this to happen for one reason or another, if you stand tall and feel relaxed feet just a little more that hip width apart,keep the knees soft, now tilt your pelivs forward. you will see that your head moves down towards your pelvis.if you tilt your pelvis backwards you will notice that your head moves back and your chin comes up slightly in the air. many of us have stopped allowing our natural body movements to occur. once we rediscover them again and we allow our bodies to move the way they should we can be relieved of a lot of pain, you can do this exercise lying in your bed also. bend the knees up towards the ceiling and keep the feet hip with apart. so that the knees do not fall in or fall out. and start to tilt your pelvis up very very slightly of the bed and allow your head to come slightly forward and do the same pressing your spine into the mattress. sort of arch your back very slightly.you will notice that your chin once again wants to point to the ceiling and your head wants to go back. once you get really good at this you can relieve lots of headaches and neck and shoulder pain. there are many other movements for releasing bodily pain. you can also do this sitting on a chair. as long as its not to soft so that you sink into it. a dining chair is best. you can also explore your breathing with those movements first breathing in and lifting the pelvis and breathing out when moving the pelvis back and pay lots of attention to what is happening in your body and what feels good. make the movements as big or as little as you like but at first its best to make the movement small. then you can change your breathing pattern to find out what works best for you. it takes an awful lot of concentration to do this also so its good for taking your mind of worries or things that are not helpful and a great distraction, at the same time freeing up so many badly used musles.i love doing those movements. i hope you try them and get relief from headaches and other aches and pains. love grace xoxoxo

Dunkdl profile image
Dunkdl in reply to grace111

Great advice Grace, thank you.

Dunkdl profile image
Dunkdl in reply to Pinky2233

Thank you for the support. I agree that being so tensed up with pain contributes to causing migraines. Unfortunately the pain clinic I go to for inguinal neuropathy has stopped offering acupuncture, apparently 1 billion Chinese isn't evidence enough!

Have a good day.

D

Pinky2233 profile image
Pinky2233

Many thanks

BeccaWhite profile image
BeccaWhite

I suffer these type of Migraine as part of my daily migraine disorder and they are not pleasant !

I was diagnosed with occipital lobe stroke a few years ago and treated for it at clinic before being referred to neurology for further tests. It was there that it was decided that I didn't have a stroke at all but suffered a migraine...however, I had two MRI's weeks after the attack which both showed damage and three stroke consultants agreed it was a stroke. I didn't actually attend hospital at the time as I suffer so many symptoms through my other disorders and am disabled so the loss of limb function etc were just, perhaps, a degradation of my condition, I thought ( I also avoid hospital like the plague, as the general treatment I have received there has been useless in the 23yrs I have suffered from ill health )

So, I have these types of " events " as my neurologist termed them, quite frequently and they are not pleasant. They are disconcerting and disabling.

But you are not alone....if that is any comfort ?!

Dunkdl profile image
Dunkdl in reply to BeccaWhite

Thank you for the advice and info. it's nice to hear from someone else who suffers, although I am sorry that you also experience these debilitating migraines. They are indeed very scary, mainly because it feels like a stroke. What treatment do you have for your hemiplegic migraines. If you don't mind me asking?

Hope you are having a good day.

D

BeccaWhite profile image
BeccaWhite in reply to Dunkdl

Hello.

As you can see from the responses, you are not alone ! 😊

I had the results of my MRI's through within days and I have damage to the occipital lobe, which is why the consultants were all adamant I had suffered stroke and I was treated for that for months.

However, I am taking some migraine medicine at present..they tried me on different types to no benefit and with varying degrees of side-effects ( I have taken amatriptyline before for my CRPS and had to stop because of the side effects ) I am now on Topamax and Gabapentin, the latter more for my chronic pain than the migraine.

But there are things like Triptans that they try ( mine even gave me those when he shouldn't have because I have severe Raynauds and no-one with circulatory disease should really use them ! I had a severe attack after one tablet and that was that. ) They can help with many types of migraine.

I have chronic daily migraine so have different types, all day, every day. The Hemiplegic and Basilar ones just come on when they feel like it, unfortunately.

I'm sorry you have suffered this. It's scary and a thoroughly unpleasant situation to find yourself in.

And I hope your Dr can offer you some real help.

Becca.

Dunkdl profile image
Dunkdl in reply to BeccaWhite

Hi Becca, thank you for message and advice. Hopefully it won't take too long to get the results of my MRI. So far the doctors have said they are pretty sure i suffered a hemiplegic migraine but have not ruled out a TIA. In the past I have suffered chronic headaches but always put it down to my eyes and suffering from double vision, but maybe I have been suffering from migraines instead.

Have a good day.

Duncan

aineyy profile image
aineyy

Hi, I too suffer with Hemiplegic migraine, like you they thought I had had a TIA/stroke, the MRI did show some damage & I was left unable to use my left leg properly for 4 months, they tried me on all manner of medication from the standard migraine tablets, through to anti-epilepsy drugs, nothing worked, until they put me on Amitriptalyine, which has been a godsend, I started off on a very high dose to stop them constantly firing, but now only take 25mg a day, I have been on them now for 7 years & only maybe have 5 or 6 migraines a year now. Good luck & I hope you feel brighter soon.

Jayne

Dunkdl profile image
Dunkdl in reply to aineyy

Hi Jayne. Thank you for the advice. I'm seeing my gp today to find out possible treatments, although the results of my mri won't be through for a whIle to show whether there is any damage to my brain. I am still having some problems with my speech though, not great for a chatty person!

Enjoy your day.

Duncan

aineyy profile image
aineyy in reply to Dunkdl

Yes it took a while for my speech to come back too, it was rather like having a delay between what my brain was wanting to say, but my mouth not been able to either get the words out, or them coming in a muddle, being a chatty person myself, I feel your frustration, it will come back, best of luck with your GP visit.

Pinky2233 profile image
Pinky2233

Check with acupuncture schools. In the US they offer their own clinic for very little money.

Dunkdl profile image
Dunkdl in reply to Pinky2233

Will do, I have had acupuncture before for sports injuries and it worked well.

Andy58 profile image
Andy58

Sorry to hear your haven't been to good, it sounds scary what you went through my sister had something like that a couple of years ago it scared her to, just remember to take things easy and do not do to much till your feeling a lot better

Dunkdl profile image
Dunkdl

Thanks Andy, I've been chillin out on the couch all day trying to take it easy.

Hope you are having a good day.

D

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