Warning: Complex Migraine Whine

You've been warned and yet you're still reading.  Perhaps most shocking is that I continue to write. 

Yesterday I woke up feeling mostly fine, except for one tale-tell sign, my peripheral vision was all jacked up out of my right eye.  Some areas just disappeared completely.  I took a deep breath, attempted to calm myself, and ignore it.  I've experienced these things before and they are never good.  Yesterday was by far the worst.  After about 10 minutes of getting ready for church, I knew I'd hit the point of no return.  I took out my contacts, told Joel we weren't going, and laid down.  The numbing and tingling in my right arm and the right side of my face began.  The pain hadn't quite hit yet but I knew it was coming.  I can't pinpoint it right now but something scared me.  I knew this was a migraine, I've had them before but something scared me.  I went to talk to Joel but the words that had formed in my head were not coming out.  My mouth was not cooperating.  At All.  I tried to stay strong, telling myself it was just a migraine but I was terrified.  I laid face first on my bed and cried.  Joel came in and told me to smile.  I could feel that it wasn't right.  He had me lift both my arms into the air.  Thankfully that was no big deal.  We got my things together and Joel took me to the ER.  He was terrified, as was I.  I kept telling myself, Joel, and then the triage nurse that I was sure this was just a migraine.  Thanks be to God it was.  A "complex migraine." 

Complex migraines mimic the signs of stroke.  From what the doctors said and what I've read online no one really knows anything.  I've had two before. Both times I was on oral contraceptives and after the second episode I swore them off for ever.  Yesterday's episode was easily the most severe and the pain has continued through the night and this morning.  Thankfully, it's more like a headache than migraine but my head still throbs.  The part that is driving me crazy is not knowing, not even having a clue what brought this damn thing on.  It's not like I can prevent it if I can't anticipate it.

So that's my bitch session for the morning.  I realize this is still public but it's not as public as Facebook and frankly, I just needed to engage in some verbal diarrhea.

If you are familiar with complex migraines and/or Imatrex please comment--I'd like to hear your story and experience.  I tried Imatrex yesterday to help with the pain but hated how heavy and just weird it made me feel.  I slept through much of it but it wasn't always possible.  This morning I'm taking a pass on the Imatrex and using coffee and Excedrin, so far it still hurts but I've got kids to take to school and a full day--sleeping another day away doesn't seem like an option.  That said, if the pain worsens I'll just give up.  I'm hoping it doesn't come to that. 

Comments

Anonymous said…
I can't comment on complex migraines, but I can tell you that ALL of the migraine specific drugs (I haven't tried Imatrex yet although my neurologist I just saw gave me samples of the self injectable for the next really bad one) but Relpax, Maxalt, they ALL make me feel almost as bad as the migraine itself. They're supposed to work well enough for regular migraines that one could take them at work and keep going, but if I don't go back to sleep for a good 2 hours after taking them, they don't work, and even if I do I feel absolutely horrid the rest of the day, even if I am able to go on in to work. For me, the Relpax was much worse than the Maxalt as far as how bad it made me feel, but they're all pretty bad (I can't remember the other one or two I tried as the doc never had more than a single sample of them, these two were the ones I've taken multiple times)

Anyway - I only just stumbled upon your blog today and wouldn't normally go ahead and comment, but I felt that I had to let you know that you are not alone in the meds making you feel horrid. Hopefully you have some readers who have (unfortunately) experienced the complex migraines to be able to comment on that side of it,

Popular Posts