What Exactly Is a Complex Migraine?
For the last 2 months, I have had 5 attacks of something. It starts with the feeling of weight, a lead balloon dropped on me repeatedly) and a headache; day 2 is stroke-like symptoms, right side weak, dropping things, speech, vision - spots, stumbling, the headache becomes a 10+, confused and forgetful. Day 3 is incredibly tired with all of day 2 symptoms in place Day 4 right side weak, walking is a problem, stumbling, headache, I sleep most of the day, Day 5 has become the extension of day 4 only not as bad. Day 6 is hopefully back to normal but still weak and tired out easily. 10 -18 days later it is repeated. 4 of these attacks have ended me up in the hospital with diagnosis' of mini-stroke, stroke, complex migraine being used. Is this all just a complex migraine?
Hello joy, thank you for reaching out. I hear how much you have been struggling with migraine symptoms over the last few months. I sense what a draining pattern this is for you. While we cannot offer medical advice or diagnostics over the internet (for your safety!) I thought these articles might be of interest to you:
https://migraine.com/living-migraine/those-complex-complicated/
https://migraine.com/living-migraine/hemiplegic-migraines-what-are-they/
Do you have a neurologist or headache specialist that you see? If not, I recommend you consider establishing care with someone who can evaluate your symptoms and help you develop a treatment plan to (hopefully) better manage when migraine strikes. Please keep us posted on how you are feeling and what you learn. Wishing you a gentle afternoon. ~Allyson (Migraine.com team)I have 4 or 5 of these a year. Have been to the emergency room thinking I was having a stroke. They have done MRIs of my brain and couldn't find anything. The explanation that they gave me was that it was a body migraine. My symptoms were foggy in my thinking, pain in my neck shoulders and legs and feet tingling. The first couple of times that I went I didn't have a migraine as my head was not hurting and so I asked my doctor how could I have a migraine if my head wasn't hurting. She never answered that. But I have had two diagnoses of it from two different emergency room physicians. I knew of other migraines as I get the ocular migraines, cluster migraines, basilar migraines. hemiplegic migraines, vestibular migraines and the projectile vomiting ones but the body migraine was a new one on me. They gave me migraine medication and sent me on my way. I have had one the last three days at work and I feel like crap but I don't want to go and spend all the money at the ER just to be told this again. Good luck!
I hear how confusing these migraine symptoms feel for you, Sherry Searcy. There are many in the community who experience what is known as silent migraine which has all the characteristics of migraine but skips the headache phase. I thought this article might be of interest to you: https://migraine.com/migraine-types/silent-migraine/ I hope your current symptoms begin to ease for you soon. Working while enduring the lingering effects of migraine is miserable. Wishing you a gentle afternoon. ~Allyson (Migraine.com team)
