My Wife's severe headaches and going knumb

californiasunflower

Hi! Welcome to the Healthboards where you can get much good information with regards to your concerns!

Regret that your young wife is experiencing these horrific migraines. Migraines can cause strange sensations to occur and there is lots of information with regards to those. What kind of medication does your wife have to abort them? Does she have a neck injury? Neck inflammation can cause these headaches as well.

With regards to the hospital's opinion that she may be experiencing TIAs, I'm wondering if she has "sticky blood", which can cause migraines and/or as you referred to them, headaches, as well as TIAs. Possibly she should be tested for APS--Antiphospholipid Syndrome also referred to as Hughes Syndrome. There are blood tests. Also, Factor V Leiden may be a consideration, especially if she's ever had a miscarriage.

Our Boards have a post from our well-informed user, AngelicBrat, about APS on several topic sites. To read the symptoms of APS, you can find info on the board under topics as follows: LUPUS, MULTIPLE SCELROSIS, IMMUNE. AngelicBrat posts the APS info on those topic sites because the symptoms of APS can mimic other illnesses.

Good luck and keep us informed about your wife's condition, etc., as well as any further questions.

Dodge

Thank you for your response.

We call them headaches due to the fact that no one has been able to figure out what they are exactly. They aren't typical migraines. It hurts her worse if she lays down, noise and sunlight etc.. doesn't bother her. So the docs haven't been able to figure out what is causing it.

She started out having panic attacks about 4 year ago and it has just gotten worse from there. So far all the medicines she has taken for the headache/migraines haven't done a thing. I can't remember what all they have given her to ward off the migraines, but she has tried numerous different types and even tried a patch. (not even a shot from the hospital helped ease the pain)

She has had numerous blood test done. I will have her to check with the doctors and see if she has been tested for APS. I really can't remember.

Once again, thank you for your response. It is appreciated.

lilsunshine46

Has your wife had an MRI or spinal tap?
My 10 year old daughter has a pseudotumor cerebri. She doesn't fit the "mold" as she is not a middleaged childbearing or overweight woman. Not on the Pill or taking antibiotics for acne either. She has suffered fro headaches for at least 4 yrs, probably longer. She wakes up in the morning with a H/a and goes to bed at noight with one. Yet she still manages to get thru life. Most adults can't do that.
I wish your wife the best.
B

moylan69

What is Chiari Malformation?

Arnold-Chiari Malformation is a condition in which the cerebellum portion of the brain protrudes into the spinal canal. It may or may not be apparent at birth. Arnold-Chiari I type malformation usually causes symptoms in young adults and is often associated with syringomyelia, in which a tubular cavity develops within the spinal cord. Arnold-Chiari II type malformation is associated with myelomeningocele (a defect of the spine) and hydrocephalus (increased cerebrospinal fluid and pressure within the brain), which usually are apparent at birth. Myelomeningocele usually causes paralysis of the legs and, less commonly, the arms. If left untreated, hydrocephalus can cause mental impairment. Either type of Arnold-Chiari Malformation can cause symptoms of headache, vomiting, difficulty swallowing, and hoarseness.

Adults and adolescents who are unaware they have Arnold-Chiari I type malformation may develop headache that is predominantly located in the back of the head and is increased by coughing or straining. Symptoms of progressive brain impairment may include dizziness, an impaired ability to coordinate movement, double vision, and involuntary, rapid, downward eye movements.


I found this at :

[url]http://www.ninds.nih.gov/health_and_medical/disorders/chiari_doc.htm[/url]

Dodge

Thank you all for the suggestions. We will be talking with her doctor in a couple of weeks.

She has had 2 MRI's done and the only thing that has been noticed in it is a dark spot that they say was most likely caused by the forceps used at birth. The spot hadn't changed in 3 years, so they weren't worried about it. The MRI's have been seen by 5 different Neurologist. The MRI's were taken of the Head and Neck.

Mara

FM & migraines with aura can be wicked. What therapy have they prescribed to treat the fibro and migraine? I have fibro and get wicked migraines with aura like you describe, sometimes with facial numbness (different areas), sensitivity to light, smells sounds the whole sha-bang. If they rule out other possible causes of this limb numbness would they then consider it to be the fibro? Have they checked her sugar to r/o diabetes? That can cause numbness. Did they check her thyroid function? My migraines are vascular and was given amitriptyline and that helped them. After 2 years I came off it due to the side effects but it helped relieve the migraines considerably. Fibro therapy is trial and error. I have to go back to the rheumy to figure out what I'm to do next. Some fragrance triggers mine and so does msg. I also stopped using aspartame. I hope your wife is feeling better soon. Please let us know. Does she wake up with the migraine? How are her teeth?

ps; you can have a migraine without aura.

Mara

Does she grind her teeth at night or clench her teeth? Does she feel tightness in her jaw? I take cal/mag at night to help relax the muscles.

californiasunflower

Avoiding MSG, foods with sodium nitrate (hotdogs, all lunchmeats, ham, etc), foods that are aged (cheeses, avocado), avoiding citrus, and other foods that can trigger migraines/headaches may be something to try also.

Medication
A good medication that aborts the migraine is using Zomig 2.5 mg at the initial onset, followed by Amerge 2.5 mg two hours later.

Hope that she gets relief! We understand how disruptive they can be and how concerned you are for her.

californiasunflower

Hi Dodge!

Is it possible for your wife to try taking an enteric (coated) aspirin 325 mg every morning. Aspirin is used for treatment of inflammation and also to thin the blood.

With a migraine, the blood vessels swell and when the nerve endings can't take it anymore, the migraine pain starts. If the blood was thinned, and with the anti-inflammation effect, possibly she may benefit from this.

Check with a physician first in case she isn't able to take aspirin for whatever reason. Just an inexpensive idea she might want to try.

injured betty

I had a migrane a few days ago.

Couldn't stand the light, unpluged the frig, aquarium, covered the bird, and waited for it to abate. Just my luck, people were out mowing their lawns that day. I am going to buy headphones by Bose that make for total silence.

Symptoms:throwing up, wanted compete silence and dark, pain behind the eye.

Doctors suggested Imitrex but I am allergic to it.

Since inflammed nerves are involved, NSIDs are great if your stomach can take it, mine doesn't.

Mine are hormone related. Maybe your wife can keep a time line for when she gets them in comparison to her period and ovulation. A lot of my friends do this so we know when they are coming. just a thought

Genabeena

Moonlight, hey there! I was just looking around here to see if I could find anything in connection with a condition I suffer from, and I saw your name here. Anyway, not that I know anything about the specific symptoms you indicated, but the "pain behind the eye" sounds a lot like sinus congestion pain (which I get all the time and it can be really bad.) I wonder if you've tried a decongestant like Sudafed. Or if I really want to get right to the source of it, I take Afrin Nasal Spray. It's funny that a nasal product can clear up a headache. Anyway, the only thing about decongestants is that you have to juggle around the different brands, or not use them very often, because they will lose effectiveness. Hope you feel better.

Dodge

I'll suggest to her about trying Asprin. The problem with her headaches is that is she is only sensitive to laying down. If she lays down the headaches get worse. She doesn't have a problem with noise, light or anything else when she gets these.

Mara

A form of vasculitis? Where are the headaches? Has the rheumatologist seen her since they headaches started ?

Dodge

Thanks for all the information that you all gave me. This is Dodge's wife writing you back. I wish my headaches were caused by everything you wrote, but i have thought of them questions too and none of that stuff triggers my headaches. I went to the dentist when they first started to see if that was my problem and my teeth are in great condition. I have tried alot of different medications to see if they might help, but they didn't. I have been taking Amitripyline for 4 years now and they help with the fibro instead of the headaches. The doctors are puzzled about. I have been checked for diabeties and lopus, and all the other stuff that may cause headaches. Everything has come back ok. I am glad my husband had posted this on the internet because you all have gave me somthing to think about and gave me some questions to ask my neurologist next time i see him. If you all can think of anything else or know someone that may can help me, Please post it.