Migraines - Please Be Aware!

[lvns2my1]

Last night was a scary night for me. I got my daughter off the bus, came back in and we worked on her homework, then I got supper started. I noticed in the corner of my right eye a blurry spot. Then it's like this line grow from it that went across my right eye and then into my left eye and next thing I know I couldn't see. Everything was a blur. I was able to see the outline of things and colors, but everything was blurry.

I called my mom. She told me to call my eye doctor or the hospital. Well, I called one of my eye doctors (I have two - one for my glaucoma, and one for my regular vision check-ups), got no answer, so I called the other. I got through. This one was my regular vision check-up eye doctor. He suggested either I go to the ER or to just wait it out and first thing go to my glaucoma doctor the next morning. Well, I though the ER because I could NOT see. I called up my sister and she dropped me off at the ER and then my mom met me there. On the way to the ER, I started feeling pain behind my eyes.

They took me straight back to the room and within five minutes a doctor was in. He examed my eyes. He then said that he wanted another doctor to check them as well, so a female doctor came in and looked at them. Well, they had to get a third opinion, so another male doctor came in just to look at my eyes. They all agreed that they didn't see anything wrong with them. So, they decided to numb my eyes and do a pressure reading on them. My right eye's pressure was 34 and my left eye's pressure was 32. Both were high. So, the female doctor asked my who my eye doctor was and then she went to call him.

She came back and said that he thinks it's most likely a migraine, but that she though it was something more and wanted to have a CT-scan done. So, I ended up having a CT-scan of the brain (with and without the dye) and some blood work done. This whole time I'm in there my blood pressure was high - first read at 179/114.

Just before I went for the CT-scan, I got a headache. They wouldn't give me anything for it though, or for the pain behind my eyes. CT-scan came back normal on both readings. But the female doctor wanted to keep me over-night and to see a neurologist the next morning. I didn't feel I needed to stay over night, and opt out to go home. So they finally gave me some medicine for the headache and pain behind the eyes and then released me. The doctors who treated me said that I had an ocular migraine.

Well, today, I went and saw my eye doctor who treats me for my glaucoma. He examined my eyes and found nothing wrong. He even told me that he told that female doctor that he thought it was a classic migraine with an aura, but the female doctor kept disagreeing with him and was getting upset. Then he asked me if I have had a previous history of migraines or if I have a family history of migraines. I did and my family does too. He went on to explaine to me what to do when this happens again.

I was very scared that something major was wrong with me. But nothing could be found at either end - the ER or at my eye doctors office. One thing I can say thought that I'm somewhat happy about is that at least I know when I'm about to have a migraine due to having that aura occuing. I hate migraines and even those annoying regular headaches, but it's nice knowing that I experience a warning sign that I'm about to get a bad migraine.

 

Below is some information I found on Wikipedia on Migraines. Please be aware of them and what they can do. I was so scared last night that I thought I had a tumor or something in my brain and that I was going to die. My life kept flashing before me and then the thought of the times that I would miss with my daughter. I was really scared. But now I'm relieved that there is nothing to worry about and that I know what it was that caused the issue that happened to me.

Taken from Wikipedia (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Migraine) on migraines with and without an aura, but you can read more on the site above:

Migraine without aura

The common form of migraine headache; the patient primarily suffers migraine without aura, and might also suffer migraine with aura. The International Classification of Headache Disorders^[9] definition is:

Description: Recurrent headache disorder manifesting in attacks lasting 4–72 hours. Typical characteristics of the headache are unilateral location, pulsating quality, moderate or severe intensity, aggravation by routine physical activity and association with nausea and/or photophobia and phonophobia.

Diagnostic criteria:
A. At least five attacks fulfilling criteria B-D
B. Headache attacks lasting 4-72 hours [when untreated]
C. Headache has at least two of the following characteristics:

1. unilateral location

2. pulsating quality

3. moderate or severe pain intensity

4. aggravation by or causing avoidance of routine physical activity

D. During the headache at least one of the following:

1. Nausea and/or vomiting

2. Photophobia and phonophobia

E. Not attributed to another disorder

– International Classification of Headache Disorders^[9]

When these criteria are partially fulfilled, there are alternative diagnoses, i.e. "probable migraine without aura" or "episodic tension-type headache".

Migraine with aura

The second-most common form of migraine headache: the patient primarily suffers migraine with aura, and might also suffer migraine without aura. The International Classification of Headache Disorders^[9] definition is:

Description: Recurrent disorder manifesting in attacks of reversible focal neurological symptoms that usually develop gradually over 5–20 minutes and last for less than 60 minutes. Headache with the features of "migraine without aura" usually follows the aura symptoms. Less commonly, headache lacks migrainous feature or is completely absent [i.e., the aura may occur without any subsequent headache].

Diagnostic criteria:
A. At least two attacks fulfilling criterion B
B. Migraine aura fulfilling criteria [described below]
C. Not attributed to another disorder.

...[Criteria for "Typical aura":]
Aura consisting of at least one of the following, but no motor weakness:
1. Fully reversible visual symptoms including positive features (e.g. flickering lights, spots or lines) and/or negative features (i.e., loss of vision)
2. Fully reversible sensory symptoms including positive features (i.e., pins and needles) and/or negative features (i.e., numbness)
3. Fully reversible dysphasic speech disturbance
[Aura also has] at least two of the following:
1. Homonymous visual symptoms [i.e., affecting just one side of the field of vision] and/or unilateral sensory symptoms [i.e., affecting just one side of the body]
2. At least one aura symptom develops gradually over [at least] 5 minutes and/or different aura symptoms occur [one after the other] over [at least] 5 minutes
3. Each symptom lasts [from] 5 [to] 60 minutes

...[Other potential aura criteria:]

• Fully reversible motor weakness...
• Each aura symptom lasts [from] 5 minutes [to] 24 hours...
• [In the case of a "Basilar-type" migraine], Dysarthria [difficulty speaking], vertigo [dizziness], tinnitus [ringing in the ears], [and other symptoms].

– International Classification of Headache Disorders^[9]

[twinsplus2more]

Feb. 19, 2009 at 2:40 PM

I too get the occular warnings before a migraine hits.  I call them my electric vision snakes.  My migraines are hormonal and can be tracked month to month.

Your information is great.  Thanks for sharing.

[NorahSethsMommy]

Feb. 19, 2009 at 4:59 PM

OH goodness Edith. I am so sorry. I get these migrains too. These and, more often, vascular.  They are horrible and nothing works for me excpet a barbituate (which works about 1/2 the time). I definitely feel for you. I bet that was really scary if you never had one before.

HUGS!

[KelleyP77]

Feb. 19, 2009 at 5:07 PM

I get them the same way, and I feel so bad for you. They suck! The headache pain doesn't start until my vision clears, so I use the aura as a warning to take something. Usually ibuprofen and strong coffee help. Sorry momma.

[IALUCKYSGIRL]

Feb. 19, 2009 at 7:45 PM

Migraines are the absolute WORST!  I hope you are feeling better today and am glad everything is okay!