Saturday, June 7, 2014
I read some more stuff about optical migraines and TIAs. Of course, I can't find the precise websites now, but here's a synopsis.
Optic migraine and classic migraine come from the same cause, which "they think" is likely constriction of blood vessels in the brain. Up to several days before a migraine, you can get hints that it's coming, usually a feeling of tenseness, or depression, or nausea, or constipation ... buncha stuff.
For the past two weeks I've had a feeling of impending doom, and I didn't go to the country house on Thursday as planned because I didn't feel right in my belly.
Next you get the aura. Various kinds. An optical migraine is the enlarging jagged flashing in the visual field.
The migraine starts from the constriction of blood vessels. With me it's all aura, no pain. The flashing is not in my eyes - it's in my brain.
This is followed by the next phase, when the blood vessels release and dilate, which can cause other symptoms and a throbbing headache. Those "other" symptoms are interesting. They can include physical weakness, difficulty speaking, difficulty understanding language, memory problems, and so on.
That can look exactly like a TIA (mini-stroke)!
The whole thing, for an optical migraine, shouldn't take more than an hour or two, with no lasting deficits. My episode was less than an hour altogether, and the scary garbled speech and blanking on names was maybe a half hour tops. No headache after.
Then after it's all over, you feel wonderful, light and healthy.
And I did, no remaining impending doom of the previous two weeks, I felt fantastic, energetic, EVEN THOUGH I was afraid I'd just maybe had a bit of a stroke.
So, my conclusion is that if you experience the symptoms of a stroke or TIA but have NOT experienced any kind of migraine in conjunction, then take an aspirin and go to the ER immediately.
If you experience the symptoms with or after a migraine, classic or optic, then see your doctor and get checked out, because who knows. Maybe it was coincidence. Maybe not, especially if strokes run in your bloodlines.
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I am not aware of experiencing any garbled speech or memory problems after any other ocular migraine I've had, but then again, for most of them, I was alone. I very well might not have noticed, not having done anything to expose or test it. Reading once the jagged flashes were gone didn't seem to be a problem.
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Showing posts with label TIA. Show all posts
Showing posts with label TIA. Show all posts
Saturday, June 07, 2014
Friday, June 06, 2014
3951 Migraine
Friday, June 6, 2014
Just for the record, I just started an optic (or ocular) migraine about a minute ago. It's spreading, and soon I won't be able to see anything. No pain, no danger, this is just so I can look up a record of how often I have them. (I'm glad I'm not driving.)
--------------------------------
I looked up the past ocular migraines:
1996
02/25/06
12/05/06
05/12/07
07/20/07
11/11/10
10/13/11
06/06/14
--------------------------------
The above was about 12/30 pm today. When it started I was reading an article about WWII American soldiers in England, and the article mentioned Hyde Park, in England. That sounded familiar, like there's a Hyde Park in New York state, but I couldn't remember where. I tried to bring up Google maps to look it up, but I couldn't remember how to get to a website. I was very frustrated, but finally figured it out. Hyde Park, NY, is the next town south of Rhinebeck, which is south of the country house. I know it well. Have to drive through it to get to Poughkeepie. I was very confused. How could I not remember where Hyde Park is? Within a few minutes the ocular migraine had spread to most of my field of vision and I was unable to read the laptop screen, so I gave up and went upstairs to take a bath.
I was soaking in the tub trying to read a book (the visual disturbance had pretty much dissipated by then), and I came across a reference to Franklin Roosevelt. I couldn't remember who he was. Then I couldn't remember my daughter's name. I could remember the Nugget's first name, but not her middle or last name. I panicked. I worked very hard, and was able to come up with some names that sounded right. I tried to say them out loud, and what came out was garbled. I knew what I wanted to say, I could make the right sounds in my head, but what came out of my mouth was a mess.
Finally I said them right. I ran through some other names, like Piper's, the Hairless Hunk, The Man. It was very difficult to remember them, especially their last names, and even when I thought I had them I wasn't sure it was right. Over the period of maybe 15 minutes it got better. I could remember names and I could say them out loud. Within 20 minutes I was not only 100% ok, but I even feel good, better than I have in the past two weeks..
So, maybe this was a TIA (a.k.a. mini-stroke). Perhaps a tiny blood clot that dissolved quickly. Or maybe a blood vessel spasm (I've had those in my legs). I called the doctor I have been assigned by my new insurance, but his Friday hours are 8 to noon. I refuse to go to the ER.
My history regarding names is poor. I've had problems remembering names all my life. One time when Daughter was in high school I called the office to tell them I would be picking her up early for an appointment - and I couldn't remember her name! I had to hang up and look her name up. Not being able to remember names is for me normal. Sometimes I completely blank out. What was not normal was not being able to speak.
Whatever it was, it was over quickly, but I guess I should have some tests. Bleck. I'll call the doctor Monday. I am not happy about that.
I didn't want to, but I went over to Daughter's house about 4:45 and told her what had happened, and that for the next two days or so I will call her every two (waking) hours, and if I don't she should check on me. Naturally, she freaked out. So she insisted that I accompany her and the Nugget to the grocery store.
I didn't keel over dead or say anything weird, so she seems to have relaxed a bit.
Jeeze! Am I ever going to get up to the country house? This is getting ridiculous.
.
Just for the record, I just started an optic (or ocular) migraine about a minute ago. It's spreading, and soon I won't be able to see anything. No pain, no danger, this is just so I can look up a record of how often I have them. (I'm glad I'm not driving.)
--------------------------------
I looked up the past ocular migraines:
1996
02/25/06
12/05/06
05/12/07
07/20/07
11/11/10
10/13/11
06/06/14
--------------------------------
The above was about 12/30 pm today. When it started I was reading an article about WWII American soldiers in England, and the article mentioned Hyde Park, in England. That sounded familiar, like there's a Hyde Park in New York state, but I couldn't remember where. I tried to bring up Google maps to look it up, but I couldn't remember how to get to a website. I was very frustrated, but finally figured it out. Hyde Park, NY, is the next town south of Rhinebeck, which is south of the country house. I know it well. Have to drive through it to get to Poughkeepie. I was very confused. How could I not remember where Hyde Park is? Within a few minutes the ocular migraine had spread to most of my field of vision and I was unable to read the laptop screen, so I gave up and went upstairs to take a bath.
I was soaking in the tub trying to read a book (the visual disturbance had pretty much dissipated by then), and I came across a reference to Franklin Roosevelt. I couldn't remember who he was. Then I couldn't remember my daughter's name. I could remember the Nugget's first name, but not her middle or last name. I panicked. I worked very hard, and was able to come up with some names that sounded right. I tried to say them out loud, and what came out was garbled. I knew what I wanted to say, I could make the right sounds in my head, but what came out of my mouth was a mess.
Finally I said them right. I ran through some other names, like Piper's, the Hairless Hunk, The Man. It was very difficult to remember them, especially their last names, and even when I thought I had them I wasn't sure it was right. Over the period of maybe 15 minutes it got better. I could remember names and I could say them out loud. Within 20 minutes I was not only 100% ok, but I even feel good, better than I have in the past two weeks..
So, maybe this was a TIA (a.k.a. mini-stroke). Perhaps a tiny blood clot that dissolved quickly. Or maybe a blood vessel spasm (I've had those in my legs). I called the doctor I have been assigned by my new insurance, but his Friday hours are 8 to noon. I refuse to go to the ER.
My history regarding names is poor. I've had problems remembering names all my life. One time when Daughter was in high school I called the office to tell them I would be picking her up early for an appointment - and I couldn't remember her name! I had to hang up and look her name up. Not being able to remember names is for me normal. Sometimes I completely blank out. What was not normal was not being able to speak.
Whatever it was, it was over quickly, but I guess I should have some tests. Bleck. I'll call the doctor Monday. I am not happy about that.
I didn't want to, but I went over to Daughter's house about 4:45 and told her what had happened, and that for the next two days or so I will call her every two (waking) hours, and if I don't she should check on me. Naturally, she freaked out. So she insisted that I accompany her and the Nugget to the grocery store.
I didn't keel over dead or say anything weird, so she seems to have relaxed a bit.
Jeeze! Am I ever going to get up to the country house? This is getting ridiculous.
.
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