I'm not feeling well and I don't know what to do.

So, I've not been feeling well and could use a bit of support (and maybe some vibes too).

A bit over two weeks ago, I developed, what I thought was, migraine headaches. I have had migraines on and off, but nothing quite as serious as the headaches I had then. The headaches were debilitating, but dissipated after just two days. And, so, despite them feeling different than other migraines, I chalked them up to traveling and stress and let that be that. But, after just 24 hours, the headaches were back -- and with a vengeance.

I started developing auras that lasted for days and then became nauseated and experienced a couple of occasions where I got physically sick to my stomach. And, last Thursday, I collapsed and fainted (or potentially had a seizure) not once, but twice. That sent me to the hospital's emergency room where they promptly diagnosed me with a headache (I know, wonderful diagnosticians they were) and sent me home. They did no testing and just pumped me full of an anti-nausea medication before sending me on my way. I was supposed to get fluids as I was quite dehydrated, but they didn't even give me 1/2 a bag. And, let's not forget that they put me right in front of the nurse's station on a gurney (they had almost all of their rooms available -- it was a quiet night) with no curtain to surround me and with the lights bright above my head and noise all around me. Normally, I'd have gone with the flow, but I had a migraine for goodness sake and was finding their treatment of me inappropriate. I suppose there is no need for me to say that that trip didn't get me feeling any better and, since then, I've only gotten worse...

The headaches (or migraines) have continued and only let up for short periods of time. I almost always am having auras, but I am not particularly light or noise sensitive unless the headaches are at their most severe. I've been faint and light-headed and am often shaky when standing or walking. I sleep a lot and am groggy for much of the day despite sleeping so much. My stomach hurts and I have recently started getting chest pains that come and go, but are very sharp and take my breath away. I've not collapsed since last week, but I have gotten sick to my stomach and have come close to passing out a number of times. I have periods of confusion and times where I can do nothing besides resting my head and eyes. I have trouble staying alert and paying attention to things going on around me. I generally feel terrible and am weak -- I had to sit down after walking 50 feet yesterday and today I almost passed out after walking up the stairs in my house. This is very unusual and abnormal for me and I'm scared. But, at the same time, I don't know what to do about the situation.

I have talked to my doctor's office, but my doctor is out and won't be back until late next week. And, unfortunately, there is no one else I can get in to see. The office's standard response is that if I am having the symptoms that I am, then more urgent care is necessary. And, that would be all well and good, but I am afraid of being rebuked at the hospital. I've had negative experiences before and, because of a lengthy medical record due to other illnesses, the hospital is quick to write me off as a drug seeker. But, everyone is telling me to just go to another hospital. And, I should. But, I'm afraid to...

I have been taking anything from Tylenol to Advil to Naproxen to Excedrin Migraine. None of my current medications have changed and there is nothing going on in my life that has me particularly stressed out. We haven't tried any new scents in the house and all of my personal products are ones I have used for years. I don't typically have allergies, but could consider the headaches a result of the high pollen readings this year. However, even with Claritin, the headaches continue. And, allergies would certainly not make sense of the other symptoms I've been having. I look pale and sallow and my eyes just appear "sick." Nothing helps and, regardless of everything I have tried, I am only getting worse. I occasionally have periods where I feel semi-okay, but they are few and far between. Nothing in my life accounts for how badly I feel and I want so badly to feel better, but aside from going to the hospital, what else can I do?

I keep promising my roommate and friends that I'll go to the hospital, but what if they don't believe me? Even if things are the way they are due to a migraine, is it normal for migraines to last this long and come with this many symptoms? And, shouldn't I be getting better by now?

I am beginning to think this is all in my head. And, I'm starting to think I am going to feel this way forever. I just feel hopeless...

Please, if you have any suggestions or support to offer, it would be much appreciated. We're coming up on almost 3 weeks and nothing has changed aside from the fact that I've gotten worse. So, if you have vibes to spare, those two would be both appreciated and welcome.

Thanks in advance.

I don't have any experience with migraines, but it certainly sounds like you need medical attention. If that means going to a different Dr or a different urgent care, then I think you should. Your body is trying to tell you something.
Sending lots of vibes to you

Originally Posted by Alison Joy

I have been taking anything from Tylenol to Advil to Naproxen to Excedrin Migraine.

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Just how much of these have you been taking? These meds often do nothing to help real migraines or other primary chronic headache disorders - more often than not they send you into a reoccurring cycle of rebound headaches.

At this point you need to just find a neurologist to see you. You need to have a CT scan at the very least to make sure nothing else is going on - an MRI would be better.
How has your blood pressure been these last few months? Do any of the medications you've taken list hypertension as a side effect?

What happened before the fainting? Did you recently stand or had you been standing in place for a while?

Thank you for the replies already to this thread...

As far as the medications are concerned, I'm not taking much at all. And, as of now, have not been taking them at all. Plain and simple, they don't work. They haven't done anything to decrease the amount of pain I am in and they haven't helped with any of the other symptoms I have been having. When I was taking them, I started with the lowest dose and moved up from there. And, when one drug didn't work, I moved on to another. But, I always waiting before taking a different medication. So, I suppose I could have created a rebound effect, but the headaches have never gone away in the first place. It's all quite confusing.

Where my blood pressure is concerned, I always run low. None of my other medications effect my blood pressure, but it is regularly on the low-to-normal end. Also, I do have orthostatic hypotension and so I have trouble with my blood pressure dropping when I change posture. But, even at the hospital last week, my blood pressure was stable and anywhere between approximately 100/60 to 110/70.

I do have a couple of calls in to neurologists, but haven't been able to get an appointment to see them as of yet. But, it is something that I am working on. My doctor wants me to go to the ER because of the chest pain, nausea, light-headedness, and periods of confusion as well as the fact that I have fainted twice and have come close quite a number of other times. I will follow up on some other calls tomorrow, though.

My main concern is that I am calling my headaches migraines, but they feel like nothing I've ever experienced before. And, I've had migraines before. But, this is just terrible. I feel like I can't think -- my whole head hurts. But, along with my head hurting, my chest hurts (I am having sharp pains that radiate from the front center-left to my back left shoulder) and I am faint. And, that's not mentioning the confusion. I have had seizures in the past and wonder if this is not related to that, but after almost 3 weeks, something has got to give.

I feel so pathetic that I have this issue. And, even more so that I can't seem to just "suck it up" and deal. But, this isn't right. My body is telling me so...

I just realized that I never answered the questions pertaining to when I fainted. I'm sorry about that.

I don't remember much about the two times that I collapsed and passed out. I do, however, know that I must have been out cold or completely unaware of my surroundings. The first time, I had been getting ready to take a shower. I had been standing upright for at least 5 minutes and was not doing anything strenuous. In fact, I was just standing up -- I was brushing my teeth and then plucking my eyebrows (wow, that's embarrassing to share ) and taking the makeup off of my face. So, I had been standing for a while before it happened. I remember just waking up off of the floor (and I remember feeling a small knot on my head). And, I also remember that I was very confused. I couldn't figure out what had just happened and I was quite disoriented. I chalked it up to dehydration and so I drank some Gatorade and ate a banana in case my electrolytes were off. The second time was a little bit more than an hour later. I was walking from the living room to the kitchen, where I washed dishes, and then came back to the living room and collapsed before I made it back to the sofa. Again, I had been standing for some time and felt okay before hitting the floor. And, once again, I felt disoriented and confused upon coming to. That's when I called my roommate and asked her to take me to the hospital.

But, the hospital said I just had a headache and was dehydrated. And, the doctor, when I questioned him, said that it was likely just in my head. Well, almost 3 weeks later, it must still be in my head because I feel terrible!

I'm sorry to whine. I just feel so badly. I do appreciate the support and vibes, though, and, if nothing else, that has helped greatly...

Originally Posted by Pami

I don't have any experience with migraines, but it certainly sounds like you need medical attention. If that means going to a different Dr or a different urgent care, then I think you should. Your body is trying to tell you something.
Sending lots of vibes to you

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I haven't any practical advice for you, save that it does sound like you need to get medical attention, however you can accomplish that. But I do have lots of and hope that you will get some answers soon.

I'm sending lots of to you. Please get further care for this, especially since you've had seizures in the past. It sounds like it's more than just a migraine headache to me.Please let us know what happens

The brain-body attack that you describe sounds like it could be related to a ruptured Aneurysm or a Stroke. Something that can lead to permanent nerve damage, or death.

Call 911 or other emergency services immediately. Better yet check yourself into the hospital for testing !!! All the best....

^That's what I was initially thinking. But when you always have low blood pressure it's a lot harder to get that hypertension side effects that can cause those... mainly because it's so hard just to get us to even 120/80.


Ok, so you have been diagnosed with one type of orthostatic intolerance so far? That can complicate things and should be something you make any neurologist very aware of. OI can, in itself, cause or make headaches worse. When my BP gets too low or I have bouts of orthostatic hypotension my head hurts more and I get the coat hanger pain (called so because it goes across the back of your shoulders, up your neck, and into your head - it feels like a "head rush" gone horribly wrong).
Something has changed with you recently, likely due to all the other issues these last few months. You should have full blood work done and could probably benefit from some fluids if you go to the hospital again.

What is causing your fainting is very likely just the orthostatic hypotension. There's a delayed version of it that goes by other names (neurally mediated hypotension is one name) - it happens when you have been standing for a while. Your leg muscles aren't engaged in keeping the blood pumping back up to your heart and brain, the wrong signals get sent and instead of increasing your BP falls more. Illness can bring this about in some people.
I suggest while waiting to get in to see a doctor that you avoid standing in place for very long - shuffle or pace if you must. If you start getting that heavy feeling in your body, sit down right away. Don't let yourself get overheated.

I hope you can find a doc to figure this out soon. I really hope there can be a simple medication fix to help and that it's not too complex.

As for the going to the ER for your other symptoms (non headache ones)... I hope they treat you better over that than many get treated for it. I myself won't go for fainting or the low BP confusion, palps, etc - the attending docs have already proven that they know nothing and there's no attending cardiologist to explain what I have to them. Maybe, hopefully, your hospital has one, though. If not, be cautious.

I hope you feel better soon!

Hope you can get to the bottom of this scary illness soon. Your kitties must be very worried about you!

I have no experience of migraines, but it seems like you're being hard on yourself...I can't imagine being able to "suck it up" if your head is pounding and you can't concentrate for the pain and discomfort you're feeling all over your body.

Like others have said...get yourself back to the hospital...but IMO I wouldn't take no for an answer if they try fob you off with a "headache" diagnosis again. Assuming u have insurance, then I'd demand to be treated by someone else in the hospital, or ask politely for a second opinion. If you're fainting etc, then you're a danger to yourself out in the world, so the medical staff, at the very least should be aiming to treat you so you don't do yourself an injury if you have more fainting spells.

Hope you find out what's wrong and get it fixed asap

Keep us posted on your recovery.

Originally Posted by salsero71

If you're fainting etc, then you're a danger to yourself out in the world, so the medical staff, at the very least should be aiming to treat you so you don't do yourself an injury if you have more fainting spells.

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Just so others know... This may come as a surprise but a lot of doctors don't really do anything to treat fainting unless it's caused by another condition they can easily figure out and treat. For those who have low BP, related issues, and are prone to fainting because of it - they shrug, maybe try a few meds, and just tell you to avoid fainting.

I suppose it could also be anemia (low red blood cell count) dehydration, low blood sugar or a million other things that are contributing to the hypotension and fainting.

Allison - you don't have an eating disorder by chance, do you ? Because I have read somewhere especially people with anorexia or bulimia may faint for a number of reasons and having a pulse that is too slow is a serious sign in these issues.

I get hormonal migraines, about once a year they get like yours. No over the counter medications work. I have to get to the hospital . I have never been told to suck it up. You need to go back to the hospital. I wouldn't worry about them not believing you, You need to see a doctor. The fact that this is still going on is a concern. please get medical attention, it may be something more than a migraine

Even though your doctor is unavailable, doesn't he have someone fielding his medical emergencies in his absence? Call that doctor's office and tell them you need to be seen, and when seen be sure to tell the doctor that you want a CT scan or MRI to find out WHY you are in such intense pain. Let him know that you aren't looking for drugs.

Good luck. Hope you get to the bottom of this soon.

I get migraines and they're horrid. Hope you can get to the bottom of it. Good luck.

Originally Posted by strange_wings

Just so others know... This may come as a surprise but a lot of doctors don't really do anything to treat fainting unless it's caused by another condition they can easily figure out and treat. For those who have low BP, related issues, and are prone to fainting because of it - they shrug, maybe try a few meds, and just tell you to avoid fainting.

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From a personal experience, last year I fainted, in the middle of the night. The next morning I went to the Dr. My Dr did an EKG and a brain scan on me, right then and there trying to figure out why I would have fainted.

Originally Posted by Pami

From a personal experience, last year I fainted, in the middle of the night. The next morning I went to the Dr. My Dr did an EKG and a brain scan on me, right then and there trying to figure out why I would have fainted.

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It's not normal for you. When you have low blood pressure and something like orthostatic hypotension you get told to stand up more slowly. ..How did one doc put it.." that's just how you are". Lovely, huh? But yes, mine is mostly harmless unless I hit my head on the way down.
Docs usually do not like to treat low BP unless it's extremely low - like near going into shock low.