Migraine

ARGH!

I've been migraine free for a good three weeks or so. Haven't been around here much as I've been trying to get caught up on work and home stuff....

Anyway, today I'm standing in an office talking to a couple of my employees - and down I went - vertigo and blackout. I've been vomiting/dry heaving ever since and my head is pounding.

I've been on 240 mg of verapamil for the past three weeks and thought we'd found the magic pill. Guess not. I talked to my PC...he's going to do some reading tonight and check in with me first thing in the morning. We're either going to up the verapamil to 360 mg or try something else. Main problem is that I normally have low blood pressure and two days ago my BP was 67/52.

I'm really starting to get scared. This was the worst vertigo spell yet. Lasted nearly 5 minutes. Apparently I kept begging my employees not to move me, but I don't remember it at all. Just the room starting to spin and then black. I'm pretty embarrassed too...that they saw me like that. One of them drove me home - she was too concerned to let me drive myself.

Anyway...I just had to get that out...it's so nice to have a place and people that understand.

Gonna try to get some sleep, if I can stop the dry heaves.

Thanks for listening.

Jodi

Hi Jodi. Sorry for the bad experiance. Don't be embarassed though. You go back in there and hold you'r head high, Don't look down or feel like you'r anything less than anyone else because you'r not. You wern't drunk, You'r not crazy. You have A medical condition that you have no control over. In reality you are tougher than people that don't have you'r problem's in that you can function in society with the problem's you have. That may sound like big talk, In fact I don't have migraine's. But my wife doe's. I've lived the migraine life for 30 year's as of May 24th this year. She's had the same experiance's you described. She's had them at Walmart by herself. Talk about A scene. They call the ambulance, Surround her. Then by the time the ambulance get's there she's back in her mind, But they take her to the hospital. I've had more than one call at work being informed that my wife collapsed at Walmart or someplace and they sent her by ambulance to the hospital. But I won't let that make her feel any less than what she is. I make her go back to walmart and walk in like she own's the place. Self esteem. That's very important. Don't let medical problem's lead to emotional distress. You just hang in there Jodi. And remember you can share anything here. As I mentioned I'am the spouse of A migrain victim. This forun has had A very positive impact on my life. That's due to being able to get stuff off my chest and feel cormfortable. Tim

Glad you knew you had your forum family to come home to. That sounds like it was an awful experience.

Does your doctor know about the blackout? if not, this is something that should be shared ASAP- especially before thinking about raising the verapamil. As you probably know, verapamil is a calcium channel blocker, given to some for high blood pressure, and can have the unwanted side effects for some of us migraineurs of lowering BP too low while attacking the beasties.

I'm personally at 240mg of Verapamil, and my BP was 90/50 when taken at the HA specialist's office. The consensus was that lowering the blood pressure any more could cause my BP to drop to an unsafe level. When I was on proprananol, I had that happen, and did black out and have horrible vertigo and zero energy.

I'm glad your employees treated you so well, and things went as well as they did. It's also good that they didn't let you drive- who knows what could have happened!

Big hugs!

I hope you're feeling better soon!

Jodi -

Sounds awful! but congrats on the 3 weeks - that is a good sign! Hope you feel better soon and make it for an even longer stretch migraine-free!

- Megs

What an awful experience! And as you said, scary. I hope you feel better soon. It is so frustrating to be migraine-free for three weeks, and then get slammed. I hope you get back on a migraine-free track soon.

Jodi-I'm so sorry you went through that ordeal today!! I hope you are feeling so much better by now.

Perhaps it was better to happen at work than while alone because you had people who could help you like they did. No need for being embarrassed, seems like you have caring employees.

Please keep us posted!! Thanks!

Hugs, Jodi, I hope that you start to feel better!

I hope you're much better, Jodi.

I'm sorry the Verampamil might not be the magic med for you. I had high hopes for Inderal once upon a time, but had to stop because it drove my blood pressure way too low. I never did black out from the blood pressure drops, but I did come close a couple of times whenever I went up stairs at school.

I have normally low blood pressure, too, and I know what fun that can be when trying meds that can affect it further. I hope you and your doctor are able to find a solution to all of this, and hope this was a minor, one-time thing.

As for work, don't be embarrassed. It's obvious that your co-workers have concern and care for your well-being. Migraine happens, sometimes with a lot of extra bells and whistles. I'd almost rather black out around other people, if I'm going to, so that there is help there if I need it, than to black out alone.

Jodi,
I am so sorry for that to hit you so hard like that. As if the migraine coming back wasn't bad enough. You are fortunate to work with such kind and caring people. Hope you are doing better now. Did you contact your doctor?
Take care,
Cindy