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Migraines, sometimes silent, numbness

I am a sufferer of migraines… I think. From about 5 years ago, I started to get unbearable migraine pain, which I knew and was familiar with, that was eased with Topamax, albeit the awful side effects. I eventually stopped the Topamax and the migraines disappeared for years, until now.

I went to an ENT first, and complained of terrible sinus pressure. This wasn’t normal pressure, this was keep you up at night pressure, to the point that the only relief was crying hysterically so that I could blow my nose. He ordered an MRI of the brain, with and without contrast, because I was complaining of a numb and sagging feeling on my face accompanying these weird “psychological” symptoms. This sagging feeling came out of nowhere, and it was stroke-like symptoms. Very scary to not know what was going on.

After being diagnosed with IBS, Bipolar II, Depression, and chronic anxiety from my psychiatrist, I finally visited a headache doctor to figure out just why I feel so “out of it”, “can’t think straight”, “in my own world”, “confused”, “not living life to the fullest.” The feelings are so strange; I can’t even explain them, except that they are so scary, because I don’t know what’s going on or wrong with me. I feel like I’m going crazy.

I have been under tremendous stress lately, to the point where I kind of shut out for a couple months and can’t remember them. But I find it hard to believe that a headache could do this to someone’s body.

He diagnosed me with silent migraine after reading my MRI, which had come back with no lesions or masses. He said migraine is a “complicated” phenomenon, and left it at that. He prescribed some Rxs, which I am too afraid to try, especially because I am on so much other stuff for things listed above.

Has anyone ever had numbness, anxiety, sagging feeling, feeling like you brain is “frozen” in one place, you can’t think straight, you can’t talk straight (even though others are telling you you are), that you are present but not really present—feel like you’re in another universe (this would be the main, scariest symptom).

If anyone has any advice, or has experienced this or something similar and found relief… or ways to make this better, if it can get better, I would appreciate it. Thank you.

  1. Yes, I have a "silent" migraine where I don't feel a headache but I can't form sentences and/or confused and can't focus, and I become forgetful. The confusion is part of my sensory aura in which my right fingers start tingling, then move up my arm. These are all new symptoms, too. I never used to have an aura.

    I've haven't found anything for the confusion or the forgetfulness, which are the worst parts for me. I felt awful when I forgot to wish my daughter a happy birthday when I saw her that morning (however when I woke up, I remembered it was her birthday). I was NEVER like that!

    Right now I"m on magnesium and coenzyme Q10. My abort med is Toradol. My prodrome med is reglan. I started this regiment last month. I don't sense any changes.

    I really need something for the confusion... If anyone has a suggestion, please share!

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