Does anyone have any ideas on what this is;?

Question

For the past 7 years I have had daily headaches/migraines that painkillers (inc. prescription) and lifestyle changes won't move, my memory, reading and writing skills are nothing as they were, I also get occasional black outs.

I have occasional 'attacks' where pain gets unbearable, I become highly sensitive to light, I vomit non stop, I become highly disorientated to the point where I've been known to walk into walls and roads, I loose the ability to understand numbers, my eyesight goes, and I become numb; starting from my face, then hands, then my whole body until I am a cabbage and I am not aware of what is going on.

I have been to see a few doctors, however they seem totally unwilling to help, I don't think they believe what happens to me [next attack is a trip to hospital rather than emergency doctor!] the most that has been done is CT scan, nothing showed, but I've had no other tests or treatment.

It has ruined my life, my education went out the window as I was too ill during high school and college to even attend half the time, so I did not do as well as I should and I was too scared to go to university. I honestly cannot remember a day when I was not in pain.

Answer 1

I will suggest you have an x-ray on your scull. My mother had same symptoms for a long time and was taking migrane tablets that just put her to sleep but didn't help much with the pain. She had a tumour in her actual bone that was the reason for the pain. It was not big enough to be felt on the outside but was pressing enough on the inside.
Please insist on every test, even change doctors if you need to, go private, anything you need to do. Don't leave it to them to tell you everything is fine, obviously you are poorly and you must have something wrong.
I realy hope you get better soon, nobody should suffer the pain you are coping with. x

Answer 2

I am very serious about this. Your letter could have been written word for word by myself. It was years before I found a doctor who gave a name to something that had not only cost me to loose a good part of my life, but many relationships. It sounds very much like Hemipaligic-migrains. This is the most severe migraine. Most over the counter remedies are useless. I was perscribed propranolol, which, if I'm not mistaken was originally given to heart patient's. Also Midrin has also helped. I am far from being a doctor but mention these to your's and see if they may work for you. They don't eliminate the headaches completely, but have certainly eliviated some of the pain and instead of being in total darkness, screaming in pain for up to 72 hours, most of the episodes can last less than 24 hours. The 'seizures' I experience have many if not all of the 'symptoms' of a stroke, but show very little on cat-scans. If possible, have another one, and another until someone see's there very well could be a grey mass somewhere on your brain. Again, not curable but, in some form treatable. When some alert, caring doctor put a name to what had been for me torture most of my life starting as a teen, I cried and hugged this man who, to my regret I have not been able to see because he moved on with his training. Just to have it given a name was such a step up. Not to mention someone finally believing me and not just assuming I was slowly loosing my mind. Good luck to you, and God Bless.

Answer 3

Hi, a few weeks ago I was reading up on the fact that magic mushrooms had been made illegal in Britain. One thing that I read was saying how the active ingredient in magic mushrooms can help stop the pain of something called 'cluster headaches' (sometimes called suicide headaches because the pain is so bad and prolonged). I don't know much about these, but here is a website http://www.clusterheadaches.com/ that might help. It sounds as though this is maybe what you are suffering from.

Answer 4

I dont want to scare you but my grandmother had similar problems (shes only 60) She went to the doctors faithfully, they had no clue what was wrong. She now has a rare sisease. I forgot what its called but its a type of clot or something that swells and pushes on her brain causing blackouts/ memory loss etc. In the course of 1 year she is now in a nursing home she cant speak, eat, or remember anyone. (NO she does not have alzheimers) But anyway just wanted to let you know, you could have something totally different

Answer 5

I know several women that have had those types of migraines. All of them were put on a medication called Topamax and it really helped them out a lot. I would recommend asking your doctor about letting you try taking that and see if it helps. Sorry to hear about your problem. I wish you the best of luck.

Answer 6

Demand better treatment, you deserve this, don't go away til they find out what is wrong, maybe it is only migraines, but whatever is wrong, they should be diagnosing it and finding appropriate treatment to fix it. There are several migraine medications that work effectively, Topamax was indicated earlier and that is a good one. You need to put your foot down, this is no way to live life. Good luck, you're going to need it.

Answer 7

Headache is a pain in the head, scalp or
neck. Headaches can becaused by minor problems like
eyestrain, lack of coffee or moreserious reasons like
head injury, brain tumors, encephalitis andmeningitis.
Taking painkillers continuously can have harmful side
effects, so it is better to modify your lifestyle. More information
available at http://tinyurl.com/q8696

Answer 8

Chances are, you have a case of "vertigo" and it can occur at any time. The symtoms you've mentioned seems to manifest it. Next time you visit your Doctor, subtly drop the topic and watch his/her reaction. And listen to what they have to say about it. They'll be repeating what you had said here.

Answer 9

you poor thing. You need to demand further tests, until they find the cause of this, sounds awful. Go back, and demand some answers from them.

Answer 10

i am so sorry for you, wish i could help. Can you not change your doctor? you are always entitled to a second opinion.