Migraine

When my migraines first started, I was at school in class and I felt really dizzy (I have always been dizzy my whole life and have a history of passing out) and I was sitting in my chair, I couldn't understand what the teacher was saying, like I was loosing my hearing. I felt like I was going to faint right out of my chair. I went to my 2nd class of the day and my friends normally waited for me on the 1st floor because we all had band class together. When I started walking down the stairs, I fainted then and fell down the stairs. When I got up I just walked to band with my friends. I couldn't hear myself playing my instrument, so I kind of just sat there. Then 3rd class came around and I had to go to the 3rd floor. I couldn't even climb the stairs. I had to have help. I finally got to my 3rd class and my teacher knew me really well and said I didn't look good, so she called my mother at work, and she said I was really pale, and I could barely walk on my own, and whenever I talked, I would slur my words together.

My teacher actually ended up leaving school and driving me home because I couldn't drive. I got home and rested and the next day I was fine. One week later was my birthday and I was doing good then. 3 days after my birthday, it was a Wednesday (I still can't believe I remember all these details) but I suffered at school all day with my head pounding really hard and I didn't know what it was. My mother got home and took me to the clinic. I remember sitting there, slurring my words again, looking at my feet. I remember telling my mother that my feet were floating, when there were on the floor. The doctor called me in and I didn't hear the doctor, my mother had to let me know the doctor was ready for me. I remember standing up and not being able to take a step, she had to help me walk to the office. The doctor did the normal tests and said "have you ever been diagnosed with migraine disease?" and I said "no". And she said "Well I can't help you then. You need to go to the ER right now. So my mother drove us to the ER where they already had a room ready for me. I then became really cold, drowsy, slurring speech yet again. They conducted many tests, and even 2 different CT scan tests. The 1st tests they gave me were to see if I was drunk or high, because that’s how I looked and acted. The results came back negative for those. They then gave me this shot, I don't remember now what shot that was, but the doctor said that if the migraine (they finally diagnosed it as migraine after the CT Scans) was not gone in half an hr, that they would do a spinal tap.

Half an hr later, the doctors came in, started getting ready for a spinal tap. When they asked if I was ready, I said "It's gone! My head isn't pounding anymore. I'm ready to go home now!" In perfect speech, no slurs, nothing. The doctors were amazed and sent me home.

I was put on imitrex pills to keep migraines away. At first they started working really well, then as years progressed, it would take 4 hrs or more to go away. I couldn't handle it anymore. I was then given my own imitrex shots to give to myself. They only took half an hr to work. I got really loopy using the shots, and soon after starting them, I had symptoms of my throat "closing". Not all the way, but to where I didn't think I could breathe correctly and though I was having an allergic reaction. I called the doctor and she said that was normal. I'm sorry but I don't think my throat closing is normal, let alone safe. So I then stopped taking the imitrex shot and just started living with migraines, and not using any treatment to get rid of them.

Finally, about 6 months ago, my mother and friends from work suggested going to a chiropractor. I made an appointment with my mother's chiropractor and he took x-rays of my head, neck and back. He called me to come in the next day. He showed the x-rays to me and explained that my neck and vertebrae were not aligned. He then showed me that the vertebrae in the neck that are not aligned are the major problem and are causing my migraines. He said that it is not curved the way it is suppose to be. It is supposed to be curved in such a way that when you walk, your head kind of springs up and down. But mine was curved to where when I walked, my head didn't spring, it just went up and down and caused pressure on the little pressure points on the back on my head, on the bottom where the neck joins with my head. He said this is most likely caused by the concussion that I got way back in the 4th grade. Then he sowed me a portion of the x-ray that showed the very top/first vertebrae in my neck. The right side of that vertebrae is narrow, and is not normally narrow. He said that it is possible that when I got rear ended 2 years ago and got whiplash, that this vertebrae could have been broken. So all this has made my migraines worse. It started with my concussion, but didn't go to a full migraine until I was a junior in high school. He said that the fainting is a part of my migraines as well.

I started going to the chiropractor 3 times a week and it has helped tremendously. I started out getting these migraines 5-6 times a month, and at long periods of time. I am now happy to say that I only get a migraine about 1 time every couple months, and that I only go to the chiropractor 1 time every 3 weeks now.

First off, hello and welcome to the forum.

I'm glad that you have had such great success with chiropractics. I tried that route only to have the adjustments trigger me something fierce and result in two of the nastiest migraines I've ever had. The first one had me so bad off I was folded over and whimpering. It's very nice to hear that it brings others relief, though. That's a good thing.

It's nice to see a fellow Montanan in these parts, too. I think there are three of us now, for sure.

Hi Randi B.


Concussions can do a number on our head and cervical spines. I have been there, and continue to be there.

A word of caution though. Please be very careful about chiro work and your neck. A couple of Migraine experts have said that chiropractice work can be very effective for your BACK. They also cautioned NEVER to let a chiropractor work on the neck.A scary article

Chiropractic adjustments on the neck do, on rare occasions, lead to stroke. An ethical chiropractor should be willing to admit this small, but real risk. If he/she isn't, it's time to run for the hills.

Nancy,
Thanks so much for posting that link. That was a very interesting article. I have seen a chiropractor for the past 8 years, and worked for him for a little over a year. (He is the one that fired me for migraine-related absences!!) He use to adjust my neck all the time. After he let me go, I sent him a letter, because this was a man that at one time I had a lot of respect for, and he fired me out of the blue, AFTER he said he would work with me and to just make sure I called him if I could not make it in, which I ALWAYS did. Anyway, in the letter, I asked him if he did not understand that I had a legitimate illness, or was he just pissed that he couldn't "CURE" me. I think chiropractic has it's place, for the back, but I have never believed they can CURE everything like some claim. He even tried to adjust me for a urinary tract infection!! It did not work, I needed antibiotics.

He has helped ease up migraines I had while I was at work, but never got rid of one, and sure did not "cure me". Oh well, just my 2 cents.

I hope you had a great Thanksgiving!!

Sherry

quote:

Originally posted by Nancy Bonk:
Hi Randi B.


Concussions can do a number on our head and cervical spines. I have been there, and continue to be there.

A word of caution though. Please be very careful about chiro work and your neck. A couple of Migraine experts have said that chiropractice work can be very effective for your BACK. They also cautioned NEVER to let a chiropractor work on the neck.A scary article