Migraine/numbness?

xan06 · June 24, 2006, 5:11pm

Has anyone ever had a migraine w/ numbness? I have had 2, both in March, one 05 and one this year. It starts out with my hand going numb, then up my arm and then my face (right side). That happens for about 10 mins, then the massive pain starts and the numbness goes away. I also had an aura before my last one but not the first one.

eureka · June 25, 2006, 3:23pm

Hi Zan,
Yes, I have had the numbness, vision auras, and could not balance, or speak until "it" passed. I do not always get the aura, and sometimes get the aura and no pain, but the weak, sick feeling, and be unable to function.

jc28 · June 26, 2006, 10:50pm

Hey there.... I have those too and my neurologist diagnosed them as Hemiplegic migraines -- My arm stays weak for 5 to 7 days afterwards though. Due to the hemiplegia, people that are diagnosed with them cannot take vasoconstrictors such as triptans and ergots -- Imitrex, DHE etc.....because of the higher stroke risk.

History:

Migraine with Aura, Familial Hemiplegic Migraine, Degenerative Disc Disease, Hemilaminectomy L4/5, Depression

Current Meds:

Celexa 40mg, Wellbutrin 300mg, Topamax 200mg, Ambien 10mg PRN, Phenergan 25mg PRN

Meds for Migraine episode:

IV Fentanyl 100 - 200mcg, IV Phenergan 25 - 50mg

xan06 · June 26, 2006, 11:59pm

My arm stayed week for a few days after this last one too. How scary. Couldn't just have the regular old migraine, now could we? UGH. How many have you had? May i ask you age too? They are very scary. I am so afraid of having a stroke since they are so similar.

xan06 · June 29, 2006, 11:50pm

Yes, the midrin was supposed to be for the pain, but I haven't used it yet as they just gave it to me when I had the last one in March. I haven't filled the Topamax but will if I need too. No, I don't get the aura w/o pain, but my mother does. I think I will ask to see a new neurologist to see what they think and be properly diagnosed. I have had a hard time finding good doctors lately.

opie · July 1, 2006, 7:03pm

My family has had this type of migraine for years. We have been followed by the Mayo Clinic for over thirty years and researchers may have isolated the chromosome where this is carried. Incidence in our family is one out of three has this type of migraine with numbness, pain, sickness, etc. It is very scary, however, the docs have said that we are at no greater risk of having a stroke than the general population.
I am 44 and had one last week but had not had one in six years, prior to that it had been 12 years. My 20 year old daughter has had a half a dozen in the last 4 months. Was hospitalized several years ago for 5 days with paralysis, swallowing difficulty, etc. Took her a while to be able to read, tie her shoes, use her right hand, but everything did come back eventually with no residuals.
opie

jc28 · July 2, 2006, 12:49am

I am followed by the Mayo Clinic also. Are you diagnosed with complex migraine or hemiplegic migraine. I just wanted to be clear with the stroke risk -- being diagnosed doesn't raise the stroke risk but taking triptans and other vasoconstrictors does. It is well documented that if diagnosed with Hemiplegic migraines triptans and other vasoconstrictors are contraindicated due to the risk of stroke.

History:

Migraine with Aura, Familial Hemiplegic Migraine, Degenerative Disc Disease, Hemilaminectomy L4/5, Depression

Current Meds:

Celexa 40mg, Wellbutrin 300mg, Topamax 200mg, Ambien 10mg PRN, Phenergan 25mg PRN

Meds for Migraine episode:

IV Fentanyl 100 - 200mcg, IV Phenergan 25 - 50mg

opie · July 2, 2006, 12:50pm

We have been diagnosed with atypical familial hemipelegic migraines. My father actually takes nitroglycerin at the onset of a migraine. It does leave him with a headache but the paralysis and the length of the migraine seems to be shortened. He is going back to Mayo in August to see if there is anything new as the frequency of his headaches is increasing.

dena_pieroni · July 5, 2006, 5:44pm

I also get Hemiplegic migraines with aura. I have the familiar type, and I have gotten this since I was 12. It wasn't until I was 23 that I was able to get a succesful diagnosis.

I have been on a preventative for the bast year now, Inderal, and it has worked very well. I went from 4 migraines a month to none at all. Until today. It's possible that I need to get a stronger dosage.

My symptoms are loss of vision, spots, dumbness starting at my fingers and travels up my right arm to my face. My nose, mouth, throat, teeth, and eyes goes numb. I get severely confused and can not speak normally. Everything takes incredible effort, like dialing the phone - it takes several times to get it right.

I have been very considered about the possibly of stroke, I was basically told that if there is any change in the migraine to get to ER right away.

KtDan · July 10, 2006, 12:59am

I've only been getting migraines for 6 months or so, but the symptoms seem to shift around the gamut. Today was the first time I ever had a migraine with numbness (hand and foot) Also, my face felt the opposite of numb, kind of ultrasensitive, especially my nose.

boot117 · July 10, 2006, 3:59am

Yeah... I have something similiar. I will suffer a gnawing numbness in my upper lip or my right cheek, which disappears, then it feels like somebody just slammed a rock into my head. I also feel an incredible sense of vertigo for hours, and my eyes feel heavy and I feel somewhat disoriented. I have CFS so I am not too surpised by the latter of my symptoms (vertigo, heavy eyes, disorientation) but they still scare me.

Current Confirmed Diseases :Eczema, Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, Chronic Constipation (which varies by time, and is rather emberassing) Chronic Migraine, Minor Asthma

Meds: Aquaphilic Cream (eczema) Non perscription, Albuteror perscription Inhaler

Angie0525 · June 29, 2008, 6:20am

I had no idea there were other people out there that had this same exact thing going on. My migraines were so strange that I didn't even want to tell teachers what was going on with me b/c they would look at me like I was nuts.

I have had migraines with numbness that begins in my right hand or right side of my face. It can travel up my arm, into my mouth and throat (at that point I feel like I can't breathe right...but I think it's just that the numbness feels so weird). The numbness can be just tingling or so numb you could chop a finger off and I don't think I would feel it!. I usually get very confused. SOmetimes I can't speak or if I can my words come out messed up. I forget important things like my own phone number. ONe time I almost fell over from weakness on the right side of my body. Rarely I have vision disturbances. One time my right arm felt so weird I couldn't even look at it....it was like it wasn't my arm (strange). ONe time I had messed up hearing....people sounded as if they were talking to me out of synch or from another room or something. I used to have very bad light sensitivity. I used to throw up too. During really bad migraines, sometimes I experienced strange mood swings. After the pain and everything is gone, I still have pain if I sneeze or cough or move my head to suddenly. I also used to get what I call, "flash" headaches.....where for several weeks after a migraine I wouild experience a few brief but extremely sharp flashes of pain in a specific part of my head.

Oh...has anyone experienced this part.....after the migraine you are really hungry and have to eat right away? My mom and I are both like this. Also...it takes me two or three days to feel like my body is back to normal. I can't describe it well. But after a migraine, it's like I'm wiped out for the next couple of days

They were really bad in my teens and through highschool. Sometimes I got them every other day for a week. Now I am 30 and can go two years without one. The last one was when I was pregnant (3rd trimester). THat was aweful b/c for the first time I got the numbness on the left side and the headhache on the right (reversed from all of my other headaches). I thought that b/c of this reversal that maybe something was wrong in the pregnancy and wasn't sure it was a migraine....ended up calling 911. The headache before that was the day I went home from the hospital after giving birth. I am thinking that pregnancy and childbirth are triggers for me now....hormonal?

The worst thing of all is that every time I am about to get a migraine the first symptom I have is this feeling like, "oh crap...here it comes" It's just this really uncomfortable feeling that I can't explain. There is nothing like it. I just feel it coming on. The only way I can try to communicate it to others is that it's like every inch of my body is sick....all the sudden I feel it everywhere.

SOmetimes I get the numbness and other symptoms and get no headache at all.

As I have gotten older, the painful part of the headache is more easily managed with over the counter stuff (never could have done that before).

My mom had this very same kind of migraine too. My brother and dad are prone to headaches also, but not this kind.

DOes anyone know if the mayo clinic is looking for ppl with these types of headaches still?

Does anyone have these same symptoms with a diagnosis? I have never had a diagnosis for what type of migraine I have. I saw two neurologists when I was a teenager.