ron byrd

I haven't been online much lately due to seizures and passing out with / or
due to having a migraine's. Having these things for weeks on end and days at
a time; each time, robs us all. We miss so much. I am saddened by the
fact, that they seem to be getting worse in lieu of better. Perhaps, it's
the heat and the humidity?

Does anyone out there, besides me of course, have numbness in the hands and
feet? It's difficult for me to articulate, the difference between me having
a migraine ( say classic migraine ) -vs- migraine with numbness in the hands
& feet. However, I must try. I am sure everyone in this newsgroup is
familiar with a classic migraine, say as defined by your doc., treating you
for your migraines, so I will not waste time here talking about something
everyone already knows. On the other hand, the last time I was at my
neurologist ( this is my doc. of choice for migraine treatment, as I noticed
not everyone here uses the same ) anyway it was 6/23/2003 and I asked him to
briefly describe or explain why sometimes I have this condition & what
causes it versus a classic migraine. He said, " I don't know!" I say, I
understand that you can't explain neurology to me, but my appointment was
for 10:15am and I have happily waited an hour & a half to see you.

Now, since I have recently started passing out with migraines, he told me
that he wants to do many tests & with these tests he will get to the answer
to my question. I respect a doctor who says, " I don't know." I prefer that
ten thousand times to one, versus a doctor just making up some kind of
bullshit. However, I do not believe that I have ever heard a bullshit
response, because when I thought that I had in times of the past, I got a
second and sometimes a third opinion. If everyone agrees, it can't be
bullshit, right? My thinking is, how could specialist just make up BS?
Cause, specialist is all that i've have ever been too.

I think of this numbness, as my central nervous system shorting out or
something. I don't know how to properly explain it, I need some help here.
How many people out there, does this happen too? Back in early 2002 when
the numbness started happening frequently, my neuro doc., put me on oxygen.
Oxygen has really helped my migraines and nausea. Anyone else out there on
oxygen for there migraines. The idea here is, when we have migraines; our
arteries in our brains constrict. The arteries is how our brains gets
oxygen, less blood flow, less O2 your brain gets. I can't relate how much
better I felt once I started using it. Of course, like anything it's not
for everyone. But all I can say about that is, I think that everyone should
try it at least once for at least 15 minutes minimum and try a minimum of 6
liters per min in a Nasal Cannula ( anything over 6 liters per min., is too
much volume for the Cannula and you mush switch to the mask ) or 10 or 12
liters per min with a mask. You will feel better. After all, we can't (
for lack of better words ) " Get Doped Up" everytime. Sometimes, when I
think I feel one coming on, I pop the onset triptan meds., then go straight
to the oxygen tank. I feel like this method has saved me from using my
rescue meds., i.e. painkillers / stadol.

I know this is a long post. I have tried to choose my words carefully to
best describe what I've felt. I beg this group to respond, I am searching
to answers concerning the numbness. Also, if anyone wants any further info
about oxygen, suppliers, costs, or anything feel free to send mail to me or
respond to this post so that everyone can benefit from your question. It
makes no difference to me. We all must help each other.

If I get good responses to this post regarding possible causes of numbness,
I will want to discuss some other things that might be related ( as I
believe they are ) I am just reluctant to mention them at this point.

THANKS
R.Byrd
Knoxville, TN


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marty

Hi Ron,
I also have this numbness some of the time - usually with the worst
migraines. Mine is always one sided - usually fingers, side of my face and
sometimes feet to the point where I stumble a bit. My Neurologist said these
are fairly typical symptoms with complex migraines. Because these symptoms
ARE stroke like, I am NOT to take any of the the triptan drugs. I have also
had several seizures and have passed out - but rarely. Nobody seems too
excited. My MRI was clear and EEG's showed to seizure activity in my brain
so I just live with it. I suspect the numbness is because of the lack of
oxygen as bood vessels constrict at the beginning of the migraine. Often,
the numbness or tingling is my first clue that a migraine is coming. The
numbness is often much better as the pain builds - but sometimes stays. My
headaches are also one sided - opposite the numbness. Hope this helps a
little. I have migraines for about 30+ years and these "complex" type for
the 6 years or so.
Marty

aehollister

If your numbness if bilateral--on both sides of the body--you could
very well be describing basilar artery migraine, as someone else who
responded to you suggested. Please mention this to your doctor. I
was diagnosed at age 22 with BAM, and the year before with common
migraine. In the initial years, prior to heavy duty preventatives, it
was common for me to faint. Now, on verapamil (often a drug of choice
to prevent BAM), and Neurontin, I rarely faint, but do get very dizzy,
have vertigo, nausea/vomiting, unsteady or uncoordinated gait, and
numbness in the hands and feet, accompanied by a severe headache in
the back of my head. My BAM attacks last from 24 hours to several
days now. In the early years, they would last up to a week. Years
ago I would also have hearing problems with the attacks, such that it
felt I was hearing people from under water. Does any of this sound
familiar? Best of luck. There aren't many of us out there, but there
are some. And we've all probably been mis-diagnosed, or faced the "I
don't knows!" from neurologists.

BTW, one-sided numb hand is often part of classic migraine; bilateral
is almost always part of BAM, to my knowledge.

Anne

ron byrd

Many thanks to you. Thanks for sugggesting reading up to be informed enough
to ask intelligent questions, GREAT ADVICE ON ANY OCCASION.

My neuro. doc., is aware of everything about my migraine's I keep an
extensive journal. So extensive that, when I went to the hospital ER,
sometimes they checked, with say pins and needles the reality of the
numbness. As they could not do a nerve conduction test at the time.
Anywho, thanks again, to ALL.

RByrd


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jamiekate

i too have numbness in my hands and feet. i have migraines with aura and on
mothers day fell and had 2 seizures. my neuro is telling me they are related. i
feel for you...i didnt know migraines can cause seizures.
*
*
*

carrie

dang marty, i feel that.. and my neuro (ok, he's a military doc so lets just
toss him out the window..) just looked at me silly.... when i said the
hands and feet and face numbness that comes with my headaches has also come
and gone withOUT my headaches..... i dont necessarily always get an aura
so sometimes i wonder if the pain in my damn skull is even a migraine or
just some other type of headache, but its always one sided.. but when my
face gets tingly it kind of makes you wonder what the heck is goin on!!
and when you puzzle what is supposed to be a specialist, it really gets
frustrating...

marty

I can sympathize HERE too! We are military and I have been though ....I
think 5 or 6 Neuros - a couple where total idiots. I had one really good one
for several years - his wife had migraines and so he knew and cared about
it. My current one is also good I think. My headache pattern sounds so much
like yours, too! Wait until you are *retired* military (I am dependent) - we
are 4th class citizens now.
Marty

brittany k.

I have tried O2 treatment to no avail. Over the past couple of weeks
I have experienced numbness in my pinky and ring finger of my left
hand. Some times i have felt slightly numbness in my corresponding
toes. Interestingly enough, most of my migraines are on the left side
of my eye (ice pick through the eye) and very rarely do i experience a
migraine on my right side, and i had numbness on my ring and pinky
fingers on my right side.

My headache specialist requested a MRI and an EMG. Nothing was found
on the MRI, and the EMG indicated that I had nerve/muscle damage from
my ulna nerve in my left hand. the numbness is enhanced when I
experience a severe migraine attack.

Have you considered using a headache specialist?

ron byrd

Have you considered using a headache specialist? Yes, I have. However, I am
insurance-less and paying cash for everything. That said, since I haven't
worked in 18 months, so I must really be choose-i-e.

thanks for responding, I personlly hope that your attacks cease.
Ron


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