Anybody here suffer from vestibular migraines?

[z1ggy]

Still need an MRI to confirm I don't have M.S., but a neurologist has just diagnosed me with vestibular migraines. More or less, I random "attacks" of dizziness, lightheadedness, sensitivity to light, and eyesight issues. He gave me some medicine to help, but I kind of suspect I'm stuck with this for life. I'll be getting some physical therapy to help, but I don't know how effective it will be.

Anybody else have this happen, and if so, did it ever get better?

 

[ControlD]

Still need an MRI to confirm I don't have M.S., but a neurologist has just diagnosed me with vestibular migraines. More or less, I random "attacks" of dizziness, lightheadedness, sensitivity to light, and eyesight issues. He gave me some medicine to help, but I kind of suspect I'm stuck with this for life. I'll be getting some physical therapy to help, but I don't know how effective it will be.

Anybody else have this happen, and if so, did it ever get better?

I have pretty much had this my entire life, or at least since I was two or three. I am assuming you are also getting a headache the follows these symptoms? I generally get the symptoms you described above, along with a very sour mood, some hours before I get a migraine proper. I have never heard of migraines being diagnosed without an actual headache being involved. Lots of migraine sufferers have vestibular symptoms.

For me, there really isn't any "cure". I simply treat the headache with pain meds. I have tried various medications over the years to prevent migraines, but either they simply don't work or the side effects aren't worth dealing with.

 

[z1ggy]

Well, the odd part is, I don't get the splitting headache many migraine sufferers get. I get everything BUT the headache basically. That's why my g/f who is a physical therapist who specializes in neuro rehab thinks I have a small potential to suffer from the beginning stages of MS. I also get some leg cramping and muscle fatigue, along with some minor depression. I'm hoping it's just a flare of vestibular issue and medication and therapy will make it go away.

 

[Platypus]

I have a different type of migraine, but one thats symptoms so closely resemble a stroke that I immediately get admitted into see a doctor when I have to go to the ER from them (few times a year). My symptoms are basically ocular distortions and 'phantom limb' (I will look down and randomly feel like my arm is not my arm, like it's someone else's arm next to mine, a very strange feeling of disassociation) where I know a headache is coming on hardcore. Arm/hand numbness and confusion follow shortly after. At that point, I usually try to take my medicine before it gets much worse. I don't get the 'classic' pounding headache as often as the other symptoms just lasting for hours. I don't bother waiting to find out anymore as I just immediately take my med and pound water.

I would look into Maxalt (medicine) for your migraines, but I assume this is totally subjective too. This was the only medicine that actually worked for me and continues to be effective. I saw neurologists as well fwiw.

I dramatically reduced the amount of migraines I get a year by staying very hydrated and avoiding certain types of food that seem to trigger it for me (I started keeping a food journal) as well as avoiding large amounts of caffeine. I don't think there's any kind of silver bullet here, wish you luck in reducing them. I just figured I'd let you know that I've had success in reducing mine so don't lose hope for yours.

 

[ControlD]

^^
Yeah, knowing what your migraine triggers are is a big step in controlling them. For me it is peanuts (legumes in general I suppose), MSG and apple cider that will almost always result in a headache for me. Changes in sleep patterns are a big one too.

 

[Platypus]

^^
Yeah, knowing what your migraine triggers are is a big step in controlling them. For me it is peanuts (legumes in general I suppose), MSG and apple cider that will almost always result in a headache for me. Changes in sleep patterns are a big one too.

Yep, changes in sleep, or drastic changes in weather (going from very warm to very cold or vice versa) always seem to do it to me.

 

[sdifox]

I haven't had migraine attack in over 20 years. Used get so bad I would puke. I don't remember the drug I was prescribed but it restricted the veins in the brain from expanding. Not a good thing to take if you have high blood pressure.

 

[z1ggy]

My BP is on the lowerish side - 110/60 last time it was taken. I don't know the meds I was prescribed but I don't think it was anything listed here.

Still don't know what triggered it... I haven't really done much differently. I've been consuming LESS carbs of late, I am on a diet to lose fat after having done some muscle/fat gain in the past few months. I've done this several times before and never had issues.

 

[Crono]

I used to get migraines a few times a year. Haven't had one since I figured out the trigger (prolonged exposure to bright sunlight/glare) and switched to a vegan diet about 4 years ago.

Except I did have a migraine without aura (almost always with aura before) a week ago with getting BPPV (from an inner ear infection - know someone who has it too, presume it's from a cold going around) which has mostly subsided now.

I think chronic inflammation of the inner ear may be the cause of migraines for a lot of people. An anti-inflammatory diet (not necessarily the anti-inflammatory diet, but a diet rich in unprocessed anti-inflammatory foods) may help. Inflammation in general is linked to a whole host of health problems, and it certainly wouldn't hurt to try heavily modifying your diet first versus some of the nasty side effects from medications, or in addition to medications.

Good luck with the MRI, OP, hope it's not MS or anything more serious than migraines (which still suck ).