Migraine

I had a bout of AIWS on thursday and friday, in the morning, lasting until afternoon as far as I can tell. These episodes seriously mess me up... I can't do anything and everything seems so sureal anyway. So I had to miss work. And since my goal is to consistently go to work, my question would be... is there any specific preventaives geared to this sort of symptom that anyone has heard of, or used. When I get this it tends to be from lack of sleep, which is fine because I am on sleeping pills, but not fine for those weekly migraines where it is difficult to get to sleep or you wake up frequnetly just from the migraine. This is certainly not a frequent experience for me, the last time I had AIWS it is in may of last year, according to my records, so not that often at all. But because of the all comsuming aspect of it, well your just down for the count.

Myth,
It would appear from what I read, the underlying disease, in your case probably migraines, being treated and prevented treat and prevent the AIWS. What I read did not appear to have specific treatment for the AIWS.

Staying home and laying low was probably the best thing your could have done. It doesn't sound like you would have been able to work.

How are you feeling now?

Cindy

Hi Myth,

I've never experienced it myself but I know others on the forum have; hopefully they'll be along shortly to share their experience and personal knowledge with you.

I was able to find this article that Teri Robert wrote:

Alice in Wonderland Syndrome

It sounds to me like you did the right thing by staying home while it was going on. Better to be safe than sorry. I'm so glad it doesn't happen very often for you.

Please take care and keep us posted, k?

quote:

Staying home and laying low was probably the best thing your could have done. It doesn't sound like you would have been able to work.

How are you feeling now?

Hey Cindy,

I definately would not have been able to work, but more importantly drive... I am glad nothing like that occurs to me at the time. I am feeling better now, still have a lingering migraine and some scalp tenderness, but the ALIWS gone.

Hi Myth,

I am glad the AIWS is gone, sorry the migraine is still lingering. I get AIWS at times. Not that often, but when I do I get the feeling I am bigger then the furniture. Wierd, huh! Anyways, mine seems as if it is part of my aura stage. I would talk to your doctor about what to take.

For me, since it is part of the migraine, if I take an abortive in time (maxalt or frova now) it seems to go away with the migraine. I am not giving you medical advice what to take just that it seems to be a part of the migraine for me. Make sense. Hope that helps a little. Let us know what your doc says.

Just out of courousity, what AIWS symptoms do you have?

Dar

quote:

For me, since it is part of the migraine, if I take an abortive in time (maxalt or frova now) it seems to go away with the migraine. I am not giving you medical advice what to take just that it seems to be a part of the migraine for me. Make sense. Hope that helps a little. Let us know what your doc says.

Just out of courousity, what AIWS symptoms do you have?

Hey Dar,

My abortive does not seem to be that effective on this for me, although I get a prolonged aura that the abortive does not help with either.

The AIWS symtpoms I usually get are distorted perception of time... usually faster, and then after I always wonder where the day went. I get a kind of warping feeling under my skin which feels like body parts are bulgeing out. Everything feels surreal, often the walls or floor closer to me or shifting. Sometimes objects seem very sharp, close and detailed in contrast to the background... sometimes a sort of hyper awareness of certain body parts, where I keep thinking there is something not right about them, usually slightly larger. Sometimes it comes with virtigo, spinning sensation in my head, and if I try to fall asleep, like my whole body is spinning and falling.

It is certainly weird and hard to explain. When I was a kid it was more frequent and always at night, and much more with things like feeling my body warp and grow, or the sensation of falling or floating. I used to think it was because of sleep deprivation, since that causes some strage things as well, when your in that stage 1 of sleep. Now, although more rare, is early morning or night and more intense in some ways. The first couple of times I brushed it off as a medication side effect... extreme morning grogginess plus migraine=messed up perception of reality. I only found out about when I asked about the more peculiar aspects, like the body distortions and such that this is what it is. Or at least that is what I hope it is, cause it is way bizzaro.

Hey Myth,

That's interesting. I get the floor shifting thing too. I also get the falling, spinning thing. Almost like I am floating for a minute then fall. Also, I sometimes get this wierd distortion in my reflection in the mirror. It only last for a minute and it usually is right before the confusion part of a bad migraine. It doesn't happen often. It is really bizzare.

I get vertiago with almost all my migraines but not necessarily with all these symptoms. I also get a spatial distance thing. Like objects are far away or too close. Driving is the worst. I never really thought of it AIWS.

Thanks for sharing. Can't say we are boring LOL

Dar

Huh, just curious if you had changed meds or increased doses or anything recently. I knew that Lewis Carroll had migraines and Auras and wrote the book based on that but never put the 2 together. Now I know what they are talking about - duh!

When I started on topomax and every time I've increased the dose I've had periods of this type of phenomenon. It only lasts maybe 5 minutes? at a time for a couple weeks, usually while I'm sitting still (on the computer, watching TV, etc) and is obviously more mild than this. But I get this out of body floaty feeling when everything seems to shrink down. VERY WEIRD!!! I just have to lay down and close my eyes. Good grief, I can't imagine spending all day like that! Then again, I'm fortunate to not have auras (unless you count the hallucinations of little boys fighting in the background and puppies chewing things they shouldn't be.. oh that's always real, isn't it? sigh....)

Anyways, I'm very happy for you they don't happen often either. I would think you'd be a little wacky from such visions after a while. Or write a great novel?

Diane