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Home > Archive > Migraine support > August 2005 > Vertigo?
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| jessielu@yahoo.com 2005-08-11, 5:53 pm |
| Hi,
I'm new to this group...it seems like a great resource for migraine
sufferers.
My question is possibly related to migraines, but possibly not.
About 2-3 years ago I started to have strange episodes of vertigo. I
don't know if "vertigo" is the right word. I'll try and describe it
but it's hard. Out of nowhere I will get a "jolt" or "zap" that feels
like it's going through my brain. At the same time my vision will turn
on its side. I feel like I'm falling. That lasts for a split second
and then my vision returns to normal. Afterwards I feel very dizzy,
like I'm going to fall over, for hours. My vision is back to normal
and I can walk around, but something still feels off. I've never had
this happen while I had a migraine. The neurologist I saw about this
couldn't find anything wrong, and suggested that it could be part of my
migraines. Has anyone else had anything remotely similar to this? It
scares me to death! It used to happen a lot (once a week or more) but
then it gradually slowed down. Now it won't happen for 6 months or
more and then out of nowhere it will strike again. I have tried to
look for some kind of pattern or trigger that might cause this, but I
haven't found any.
Thank you for your help.
~Jessica
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| Trixie 2005-08-11, 10:53 pm |
| Hi Jessica:
I have experienced a similar symptom, where the "zap" comes on, kind of like
a pulse of electrical shock. It doesn't hurt, but it is very disorienting.
About a year ago I had one single episode, and for that split second I
thought we were having an earthquake. Last October I had another session,
started the day after a particularly bad migraine. The first day was really
bad, and they lasted three days, slowly tapering off. I had mega tests done,
including an MRI, and everything came back normal. I live with the dread
that they may return.
Trixie
<jessielu@yahoo.com> wrote in message
news:1123786831.137730.184080@z14g2000cwz.googlegroups.com...
> Hi,
> I'm new to this group...it seems like a great resource for migraine
> sufferers.
> My question is possibly related to migraines, but possibly not.
> About 2-3 years ago I started to have strange episodes of vertigo. I
> don't know if "vertigo" is the right word. I'll try and describe it
> but it's hard. Out of nowhere I will get a "jolt" or "zap" that feels
> like it's going through my brain. At the same time my vision will turn
> on its side. I feel like I'm falling. That lasts for a split second
> and then my vision returns to normal. Afterwards I feel very dizzy,
> like I'm going to fall over, for hours. My vision is back to normal
> and I can walk around, but something still feels off. I've never had
> this happen while I had a migraine. The neurologist I saw about this
> couldn't find anything wrong, and suggested that it could be part of my
> migraines. Has anyone else had anything remotely similar to this? It
> scares me to death! It used to happen a lot (once a week or more) but
> then it gradually slowed down. Now it won't happen for 6 months or
> more and then out of nowhere it will strike again. I have tried to
> look for some kind of pattern or trigger that might cause this, but I
> haven't found any.
> Thank you for your help.
> ~Jessica
>
| |
| Dana Taramina 2005-08-12, 8:55 am |
| On 11 Aug 2005 12:00:31 -0700, "jessielu@yahoo.com"
<jessielu@yahoo.com> wrote:
>Hi,
> I'm new to this group...it seems like a great resource for migraine
>sufferers.
> My question is possibly related to migraines, but possibly not.
>About 2-3 years ago I started to have strange episodes of vertigo. I
>don't know if "vertigo" is the right word. I'll try and describe it
>but it's hard. Out of nowhere I will get a "jolt" or "zap" that feels
>like it's going through my brain. At the same time my vision will turn
>on its side. I feel like I'm falling. That lasts for a split second
>and then my vision returns to normal. Afterwards I feel very dizzy,
>like I'm going to fall over, for hours. My vision is back to normal
>and I can walk around, but something still feels off. I've never had
>this happen while I had a migraine. The neurologist I saw about this
>couldn't find anything wrong, and suggested that it could be part of my
>migraines.
You need a new neurologist. He should have followed up and given you a
diagnosis. "I dont' know" isn't a diagnosis.
> Has anyone else had anything remotely similar to this? It
>scares me to death! It used to happen a lot (once a week or more) but
>then it gradually slowed down. Now it won't happen for 6 months or
>more and then out of nowhere it will strike again. I have tried to
>look for some kind of pattern or trigger that might cause this, but I
>haven't found any.
Yes, it happens to me too. My doctor call it...(now get ready for
this....)
Idiopathic benign positional vestibular vertigo.
That means "I don't know why you have it, it won't kill you, it
depends on how you're holding your head, it's somewhere in your inner
ear (the vestibule), dizziness"
It happens to me in waves, lasts a couple of days, then goes. Comes on
once every couple of months, sometimes it's more severe, but it always
goes away. My doc said there wasn't anything he could do about it, but
I don't think he thought it was connected to the migraines. I have
some other inner ear issues, (tinnitus, Meniere's disease) and I think
it's more likely connected to those.
Hope this helps...
Dana
| |
| jessielu@yahoo.com 2005-08-12, 8:55 am |
| Thanks for all of the replies. It's good to know that I'm not alone in
this.
The neurologist I saw about the vertigo is not my regular neurologist.
My regular neurologist is a really great doctor, who has never given up
on my headaches, and has never said "I don't know." The problem is
that he only specializes in headaches and pain management, so I wasn't
able to see him about the vertigo. The other neurologist I saw is the
one who wasn't so helpful.
Dana -
Nobody ever mentioned inner ear problems to me. That's a good idea. I
never thought of it because it really feels like something is wrong
with my brain. I can feel a jolt go through it. Could that happen
with an inner ear problem?
Trixie -
That sounds like exactly what happens to me! I feel very disoriented
after. I remember the first time it ever happened to me, it really
felt like there was an earthquake. I have had a lot of tests done too,
but everything was normal.
I just don't know if this is worth looking into more. It scares me a
lot, but nobody seems to know what it is. Also, I have a hard time
getting time off of work to go to the doctor.
Thanks for all of the help,
Jessica
| |
| Dana Taramina 2005-08-12, 11:52 am |
| On 12 Aug 2005 06:15:03 -0700, "jessielu@yahoo.com"
<jessielu@yahoo.com> wrote:
>Nobody ever mentioned inner ear problems to me. That's a good idea. I
>never thought of it because it really feels like something is wrong
>with my brain. I can feel a jolt go through it. Could that happen
>with an inner ear problem?
I think so. What you described sound exactly like what I feel when it
happens to me. I'll do some looking around and see if I can find some
stuff for you to read.
Dana
| |
|
| On 11 Aug 2005 12:00:31 -0700, "jessielu@yahoo.com"
<jessielu@yahoo.com> wrote:
>Hi,
> I'm new to this group...it seems like a great resource for migraine
>sufferers.
> My question is possibly related to migraines, but possibly not.
>About 2-3 years ago I started to have strange episodes of vertigo. I
>don't know if "vertigo" is the right word. I'll try and describe it
>but it's hard. Out of nowhere I will get a "jolt" or "zap" that feels
>like it's going through my brain. At the same time my vision will turn
>on its side. I feel like I'm falling. That lasts for a split second
>and then my vision returns to normal. Afterwards I feel very dizzy,
>like I'm going to fall over, for hours. My vision is back to normal
>and I can walk around, but something still feels off.
I knew someone whose sister had exactly this type of "jolt" or "zap".
I don't think the sister had migraines but my friend did.
I get the vertigo feelings usually in response to a migraine trigger.
I know that mould will do this to me. I think inner ear problems may
be a part of this too. As my triggers are mainly odour, I do get
allergy symptoms and with some triggers my ear will feel swollen and
may start popping repeatedly for hours. I will also have the one ear
get wet inside particularly if I lay with it down. I suspect fluid
buildup. My glands will also swell noticeably particularly on my neck
and behind that ear and below the jaw. The vertigo will occasionally
occur without a migraine or with only a less severe one. The vertigo
comes prior to a migraine but may last.
I also have episodes where I feel like I am going to pass out and
everything will start going dark. I have always managed to sit down
though. That is due to my low blod pressure I think and my mitral
valve prolapse. The magnesium and co Q10 have helped me to have much
less pain and erratic heartbeats as well as assist in regulating the
blood pressure etc.
'did
| |
|
| On 11 Aug 2005 12:00:31 -0700, "jessielu@yahoo.com"
<jessielu@yahoo.com> wrote:
>Hi,
> I'm new to this group...it seems like a great resource for migraine
>sufferers.
> My question is possibly related to migraines, but possibly not.
>About 2-3 years ago I started to have strange episodes of vertigo. I
>don't know if "vertigo" is the right word. I'll try and describe it
>but it's hard. Out of nowhere I will get a "jolt" or "zap" that feels
>like it's going through my brain. At the same time my vision will turn
>on its side. I feel like I'm falling. That lasts for a split second
>and then my vision returns to normal. Afterwards I feel very dizzy,
>like I'm going to fall over, for hours.
You might check "vestibular migraine". A diagnosis for this is found
by excluding several other possibilities including Meuniere's, Benign
paroxysmal positional vertigo (BPPV), Basilar artery migraine,
Vestibular neuronitis, Transient Ischemic Attack (TIA) etc.
http://www.vestibular.org/migraine.html
"Benign recurrent vertigo of adults (not to be confused with BPPV) is
the most common vestibular syndrome caused by migraine. This disorder
consists of spells of vertigo, occasionally with tinnitus but without
hearing loss. Doctors must rule out Meniere's disease, BPPV, transient
ischemic attacks, vestibular epilepsy, and perilymph fistula before
making a diagnosis of migraine-induced vertigo."
"The mechanism for vertigo associated with migraine is poorly
understood. It may or may not involve a temporary reduction of blood
flow to the inner ear."
http://www.dizziness-and-balance.co...graine/mav.html
http://www.acpmedicine.com/wnim/acp_0305a.htm#L2
http://cnnstudentnews.cnn.com/HEALT...y/DS/00435.html
http://www.medicinenet.com/vestibul...rders/index.htm
http://www.vestibular.org/index.html
Check the auditory aura symptoms at
http://www.migraine-aura.org/EN/Auditory_symptoms.html
Meuniere disease
http://www.medicinenet.com/meniere_disease/article.htm
http://www.menieresinfo.com/
Transient Ischemic Attack
http://www.ninds.nih.gov/disorders/tia/tia.htm
http://www.tchain.com/otoneurology/disorders/index.html
'did
| |
| bluebeamsky 2005-08-13, 10:52 pm |
| jessielu@yahoo.com wrote:
> Out of nowhere I will get a "jolt" or "zap" that feels
> like it's going through my brain. At the same time my vision will turn
> on its side. I feel like I'm falling.
My boyfriend's boss was having what he described as brain zaps at one
point. It was a somewhat common side effect of a medication he was
taking. He was taking an anti depressant for a period of time but it
was for something other than depression. I don't think he had any of
the other things you described, but maybe this information will help you
or someone else in the group. So if you've been taking any medications,
maybe you could try looking up side effects.
-Becky
| |
| Dana Taramina 2005-08-14, 10:53 pm |
| On Fri, 12 Aug 2005 15:23:11 -0400, 'did <kadee@inorbit.com> wrote:
>. The vertigo will occasionally
>occur without a migraine or with only a less severe one. The vertigo
>comes prior to a migraine but may last.
This was a *really* interesting article I found on my search for
vertigo URLs. I've never heard of "migraine associated vertigo"
before, but it's an older (2002) article.
http://www.american-hearing.org/name/mav.html
>
> I also have episodes where I feel like I am going to pass out and
>everything will start going dark. I have always managed to sit down
>though. That is due to my low blod pressure I think and my mitral
>valve prolapse. The magnesium and co Q10 have helped me to have much
>less pain and erratic heartbeats as well as assist in regulating the
>blood pressure etc.
Read that article and let me know what you think. Some of it sounds a
lot like the symptoms you're having.
Dana
| |
| NAUAuntie 2005-08-14, 10:53 pm |
| Hi Jessica,
I experienced vertigo terribly with my migraines, even when I wasn't
experiencing the pain. I went through so many tests to find out why, and
the neuro I saw at the Barrows and at the Mayo both agreed that it was
migraine-related, and probably a weird form of an aura.
There is a website that talks about migraines and vertigo at
http://www.vestibular.org/migraine.html and also at
http://www.dizziness-and-balance.co...graine/mav.html
I was later diagnosed by the Barrows Institute with benign positional
vertigo, and had a strange treatment that dislodged a clot in my inner ear
http://www.vestibulardisorder.com/bpv.html here is info on that.
Good luck and God Bless!
Jane in AZ
*Courage is the power to let go of the familiar*
nauauntie@cableone.net
<jessielu@yahoo.com> wrote in message
news:1123786831.137730.184080@z14g2000cwz.googlegroups.com...
> Hi,
> I'm new to this group...it seems like a great resource for migraine
> sufferers.
> My question is possibly related to migraines, but possibly not.
> About 2-3 years ago I started to have strange episodes of vertigo. I
> don't know if "vertigo" is the right word. I'll try and describe it
> but it's hard. Out of nowhere I will get a "jolt" or "zap" that feels
> like it's going through my brain. At the same time my vision will turn
> on its side. I feel like I'm falling. That lasts for a split second
> and then my vision returns to normal. Afterwards I feel very dizzy,
> like I'm going to fall over, for hours. My vision is back to normal
> and I can walk around, but something still feels off. I've never had
> this happen while I had a migraine. The neurologist I saw about this
> couldn't find anything wrong, and suggested that it could be part of my
> migraines. Has anyone else had anything remotely similar to this? It
> scares me to death! It used to happen a lot (once a week or more) but
> then it gradually slowed down. Now it won't happen for 6 months or
> more and then out of nowhere it will strike again. I have tried to
> look for some kind of pattern or trigger that might cause this, but I
> haven't found any.
> Thank you for your help.
> ~Jessica
>
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