OMG, I Had Another One!!!

pookie-poo

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I just got home from picking up some prescription cat food at the vet's office. As I was backing the car into the garage, I started feeling funny...almost a vertigo/euphoric/drugged feeling. I opened the trunk, and took out the cases of food. As I opened the back door, I realized I couldn't see anything...it was like a bunch of flashbulbs had gone off and blinded me! I set the cat food on the counter and headed off in the general direction of the bathroom, thinking I needed to get to my Imitrex, because I was having a visual migraine. Within 5 minutes, it was going away, and by 10 minutes, the bright lights that obscured my vision had dissipated. This really freaked me out this time. If it had happened just two minutes earlier, I would have been driving down the busiest street in town, during rush hour traffic. Blind. Holy crap, that scares me!!! At least the headache didn't come with this one, lol!
 

mbjerkness

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Originally Posted by Pookie-poo

I just got home from picking up some prescription cat food at the vet's office. As I was backing the car into the garage, I started feeling funny...almost a vertigo/euphoric/drugged feeling. I opened the trunk, and took out the cases of food. As I opened the back door, I realized I couldn't see anything...it was like a bunch of flashbulbs had gone off and blinded me! I set the cat food on the counter and headed off in the general direction of the bathroom, thinking I needed to get to my Imitrex, because I was having a visual migraine. Within 5 minutes, it was going away, and by 10 minutes, the bright lights that obscured my vision had dissipated. This really freaked me out this time. If it had happened just two minutes earlier, I would have been driving down the busiest street in town, during rush hour traffic. Blind. Holy crap, that scares me!!! At least the headache didn't come with this one, lol!
It isthe scariest feeling. I haven't had one for a while, but they scare me to death
 

natalie_ca

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If you are experiencing issues like this, you really shouldn't be driving. It's not safe for you or anyone that is around you because you could cause a fatal accident


I hope you are having this investigated medically, and in the meantime, please, do not drive!
 
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pookie-poo

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Originally Posted by Rosiemac

Oh good grief!. Have i missed a thread on this?. That's really scary, are you seeing a doctor at the moment?
Yes, I saw the doctor when I had my first one a couple of years ago! I have migraines (sometimes I can have several in one week), and have been under a doctor's care for them for years. Fortunately, the visual ones only happen once or twice a year. I've never had one while driving, and this is the first one that I've had since last August. They are so impressive and freaky that I remember them when I have them. I've never thought about what I'd have to do if I had one while driving. This was a real eye-opener for me!
 
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pookie-poo

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Thanks guys...you're the best!


I'm going to call my doctor in the morning and demand that she be more proactive in treating my migraines. I have approximately 10 a month, and that's just too many. Now with this scary experience, I think that the abortive method of treating them (Imitrex) just isn't doing enough.

I have asked several times to go on preventive medications, like beta-blockers or calcium channel blockers (blood pressure medications), but since I tend to run a low BP (90/60) my doctor has been hesitant to prescribe them. I'm even willing to try some of the anti-seizure medications like Neurontin or Topamax. She did try me on a low dose of Elavil for a year, but I didn't notice any difference in the number, or severity of my migraines.

This has really put the fear into me this time. I either need to get my current doctor to work with me to get to the bottom of this, or I need to find one that will!
 

pat

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Oh I am glad you are okay, and that you are going to discuss this with your doctor, about treating it more aggressively.

I only get retinal migraines - nothing as dramatic as what you are describing happen - I only lose some vision and usually just in one eye at a time (it moves from one to the other sometimes)...but it's freaky and it can be dead center of the eye so that I really can not see out of the affected eye until it is over.

Please keep us posted...sending for just the right med/treatment to take care of this for you.
 

strange_wings

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Originally Posted by Pookie-poo

I have asked several times to go on preventive medications, like beta-blockers or calcium channel blockers (blood pressure medications), but since I tend to run a low BP (90/60) my doctor has been hesitant to prescribe them. I'm even willing to try some of the anti-seizure medications like Neurontin or Topamax. She did try me on a low dose of Elavil for a year, but I didn't notice any difference in the number, or severity of my migraines.
I'm actually considering asking for beta blockers... and my blood pressure tends to run lower. People with BP issues like mine still get put on them and there are other things you can do to raise your BP. A low dose, depending on the type used may not even cause a drastic fall.
Just know that ever coming off them could be an issue... like with most medications.

Did you ever consider that, it being low like that, your BP could be causing or contributing to your migraines? Low BP, and low blood flow to my brain in general, is a cause of headaches and migraines for me - and a lot of other people.
Just another avenue of thought for you to consider.


I hope you can find a solution, soon. Otherwise driving, walking, trying to do anything is risky when at any moment you may not be able to see.
 

laureen227

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Originally Posted by Pookie-poo

I'm even willing to try some of the anti-seizure medications like Neurontin or Topamax. She did try me on a low dose of Elavil for a year, but I didn't notice any difference in the number, or severity of my migraines.
i tried Topamax... lowest dose did nothing, larger dose actually GAVE me headaches!
i'm currently on gabapentin [neurontin generic] 200mg every night... i think it's helping some.
'course, getting older is some help, as well!
 

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Good luck at the doctor
Many vibes headed that way! (Have you ever seen a nerurologist?)
 

jack31

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I've been suffering since age 14 with migraines. More seriously since age 17 (I'm now 23).

I started Elavil at 14 and continue to take it every day.

At 17 I started both Depakote and Topamax. Be sure to discuss all side effects of these two meds with your doctor. I had side effects with both meds and am currently dealing with a new side effect. With Topamax I dealt with tingling hands and feet and with depakote I dealth with major weight gain as well as ovarian cysts. I stopped the topamax last year but I'm currently in the process of switching off of the depakote completely and back onto the topamax. I'm doing this to hopefully correct my 45 lb weight gain.

Leslie
 
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pookie-poo

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I have an appointment Monday morning. I asked around to find out the names of the preferred neurologists in town, so I know who to ask for if I'm referred to one. Man, I sure hope they don't take my driver's license away! I'd have to quit work, as we have no public transportation in town. I can't see my nearly 80 year old parents getting up at 6 am to drive me to work, and in the middle of night when I'm on call!

A gal that I work with also has suffered with numerous migraines. She's tried three different beta blockers, with no success. She started Topamax about a year ago with great success. She did say that she has had transient tingling in her fingers and toes, but nothing she couldn't live with. If weight gain is a side effect of Depakote, I'm SO not going there!!! I have a hard enough time keeping my weight under control as it is...I'll try everything else first, and hopefully something will work!
 

MoochNNoodles

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I'm glad your going to the doctor. I work for a neurologist and a major portion of our clients have migraines of some sort. There is so much they can do and so many meds for them now it seems. And it seems like no 2 patients are really on the same treatment plan.

I know the doctor I work for typically will see patients once a month till they get the migraines under more control. Ten a month doesn't sound under control to me! I hope you find a good Neurologist that will work with you. That is just so scary that you get blinded by them once in a while! I'm not sure what they would do here as far as your driving privileges go from that. I know for seizure patients here they have to be seizure free for a year to have a license; but that could be completely different from your situation. I'd think if they just got your regular migraines under better control, that that type would never happen so it wouldn't matter.
 

jack31

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I literally was in a constant state of migraine.

But I am now to the point of next to no migraines and I only see my neurologist every 6 months!

Leslie
 
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