Brain Injury: Atypical Migraine
Atypical Migraines: A Symptom of Brain Injury
The other night I woke up with various neurological symptoms, i.e. ophthalmic migraine and a cold right arm. Since my first TBI, 3 more, I’ve never had typical migraines with aura and headaches. Rather I’ve had atypical migraines with neurological symptoms without a headache, which includes one sided muscle weakness, slurred speech, and droopy facial muscles. In fact, originally the doctors thought I was having a mini-stroke called a TIA or partial seizure. It took years for them to diagnose my symptoms as atypical migraines from a brain injury. From my last TBI in February 2008, my right eye pupil was dilated for days. They first thought I had another brain tumor in the optic area. Only to discover it was am atypical migraine. Ophthalmic migraines fall in that category. In this situation, you see either zagged light or objects floating around.
What I saw was like looking inside kaleidoscope and seeing moving object. My right arm was cold and numb. The symptoms of a mini stroke, seizure and atypical migraines can be similar and what is scary is that most physicians do not know the subtle difference. In fact, in New England, there are very few neurologists that specialize in traumatic brain injury. Hence, you might be put on medication, as I was, when I did not need it, only to have side-effects from the medication that only compounded the symptoms. It took almost 3 years for the doctors to figure out that my symptoms were atypical migraines. Thus, the anticonvulsants were discontinued and I went on the homeopathic: natrum muriaticum and then later the herb, Feverfew. Both really worked for me. It is important and any naturopath or homeopath will tell you, they need to discern what is best for each individual. What I totally forgot about until writing this, was to take these. Instead, I took Bach Flower Rescue Remedy which did help to some degree.
After I calmed down I remembered about the Natrum muriaticum and the symptoms went away. I did contact my neurologist who concurred that my symptoms were from an atypical migraine.
Will keep you posted.
