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Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
bob@dr-bob.orgShown: posts 1 to 6 of 6. This is the beginning of the thread.
Posted by bookgurl99 on June 10, 2003, at 1:31:13
I'm noticing that I'm having far less migraines off zoloft than I did on zoloft. Like, half as many. They are more likely to have pain associated with them now, but the aura symptoms -- confusion, visual distortion, etc. -- are much better.
I have more than when I was on Serzone. What could the difference be?
And, when I was a kid, I often fainted after physical activity such as playing outside or gym class. My vision would go black, or I would just wake up on the floor. Just going from cold to warm weather or playing tag in gym could make it happen. This was annoying, as I really wanted to be tough.
All the usual tests were done (heart, diabetes, epilepsy, sleep studies, etc.). Nothing was found at the time, until I had my last fainting spell in the high Andes mountains at age 16.
I'm wondering now if what I had as a child could be related to that I'm easily triggered into having migraines? Thoughts?
Posted by Snoozy on June 10, 2003, at 1:51:33
In reply to free association on migraines, childhood, zoloft, posted by bookgurl99 on June 10, 2003, at 1:31:13
Hmmm.
>And, when I was a kid, I often fainted after physical activity such as playing outside or gym class. My vision would go black, or I would just wake up on the floor. Just going from cold to warm weather or playing tag in gym could make it happen. This was annoying, as I really wanted to be tough.
All the usual tests were done (heart, diabetes, epilepsy, sleep studies, etc.). Nothing was found at the time, until I had my last fainting spell in the high Andes mountains at age 16.
Were there other symptoms, did the fainting happen in any other situations, did you feel sick before you passed out? And where were you on the night of the 23rd ;) just kidding, I feel like I'm interrogating you with all these questions though.When they tested you, was your blood pressure normal? I have a low blood pressure condition, and it can cause fainting. It can occur after standing without moving for a while, exercise can provoke it, and heat can also provoke it (the blood pools in the legs and bp drops). It started in childhood, but I still have it.
I don't think it has any relation to my migraines though. The migraines do make it harder to treat. Also I have found that my migraines get worse on the SSRIs.
Posted by Willow on June 10, 2003, at 23:22:49
In reply to free association on migraines, childhood, zoloft, posted by bookgurl99 on June 10, 2003, at 1:31:13
> They are more likely to have pain associated with them now, but the aura symptoms -- confusion, visual distortion, etc. -- are much better.
As a child I had my first migraine, with the pain. Now that I'm older I don't get as severe pain but do get the other symptoms that you mentioned. Discussing migraines with a friend who suffers from them, I told her even when the pain is less I'm brain dead; unable to concentrate, read, etc. Wonder if the auras are a substitute for the pain?
>
> And, when I was a kid, I often fainted after physical activity such as playing outside or gym class.I would faint from heat. Last time I remember fainting was because of high blood pressure and before that a fever.
> I'm wondering now if what I had as a child could be related to that I'm easily triggered into having migraines? Thoughts?
In my opinion, yes. I was talking to a mother of a child who suffers from migraines and there were similarities. My question for you is could have injured or had a mild neck or head injury? Have you used any preventative meds for the migraines?
Willow
Posted by bookgurl99 on June 11, 2003, at 7:19:58
In reply to Re: free association on migraines, childhood, zoloft, posted by Willow on June 10, 2003, at 23:22:49
>
> As a child I had my first migraine, with the pain. Now that I'm older I don't get as severe pain but do get the other symptoms that you mentioned. Discussing migraines with a friend who suffers from them, I told her even when the pain is less I'm brain dead; unable to concentrate, read, etc. Wonder if the auras are a substitute for the pain?
> >I wouldn't say they're a 'substitute' for pain, but part of the whole process. Because I don't really feel the pain, or might have a mild dot of pain or a sensation of squeezing or pressure instead, it took a long time to discover that these slow brain spells came from migraines.
Finally, a nice old dr. -- the kind that have been taught to dx using their ears and stethoscope -- figured out what was going on. The rest of them ran fancy tests, didn't listen, and sent me home with a bottle of Zoloft. No help at all. Yay for old doctors!
> In my opinion, yes. I was talking to a mother of a child who suffers from migraines and there were similarities. My question for you is could have injured or had a mild neck or head injury? Have you used any preventative meds for the migraines?
Hmm. . . well, I don't think I've had a neck or head injury, although I guess those things can happen without our awareness. My twin also has migraines, although with more severe pain and less 'aura.' So it may be genetic.I never had migraines like this before developing hypothyroidism. At that time, I was on Serzone for anxiety. The symptoms became noticeable one I came off Serzone. It's possible that the drug somehow corrected the disorder.
Now I take generic (and non-ER) verapamil to prevent migraines. I'm supposed to take it 80 mgs 3x/day. But I take less depending on the time of the month, because I don't like the mood-flattening aspect of it.
books
Posted by Dinah on June 12, 2003, at 2:06:23
In reply to free association on migraines, childhood, zoloft, posted by bookgurl99 on June 10, 2003, at 1:31:13
I used to faint as a teen. But it was usually related to my period, and I fortunately outgrew it. They did a lot of tests, and found nothing major. A bit of anemia, but not enough really to cause it. They figured it had something to do with the emotional problems I was having at the time, coupled with a desire to not grow up (yes, that was actually written by my pediatrician in my chart). However, the fainting spells went on past the bad emotional period to a time when I felt better than I ever had in my life. They didn't end till I was about twenty.
I later developed migraines. Oddly, the first migraines were optical migraines only. No pain, just splotches of blurry vision in the vision field. I had those for a few months, then started getting migraines with pain but no vision problems. I've only had one optical migraine since starting the sort with pain.
Do you notice your migraines run in groups? I have a whole week or two where I get one nearly every day, from the slightest of triggers (flickering fluorescent light, sunlight) and then whole weeks will go by when not even the most obvious trigger will cause one. I've tried correlating it to my emotional state (with some but by no means complete correlation) or to my menstrual cycle (with no luck at all).
Posted by bookgurl99 on June 12, 2003, at 7:42:52
In reply to Re: free association on migraines, childhood, zoloft » bookgurl99, posted by Dinah on June 12, 2003, at 2:06:23
> I used to faint as a teen. . . .They figured it had something to do with the emotional problems I was having at the time, coupled with a desire to not grow up . . .
Funny, when I was in 4th grade, my teacher -- who caught me as I fainted on my way to the bathroom one day -- told my parents she thought I was fainting from 'bottling up' my feelings. But then nothing was done -- no offers of counseling, or anything. I'm amused at how often people make these pronouncements about children and then change nothing about how _they_ handle things.
Plus, it's just silly. Conversion disorders are just not as common as people think.
>
> I later developed migraines. Oddly, the first migraines were optical migraines only. No pain, just splotches of blurry vision in the vision field.Yeah, when I was a kid, I thought everybody had these from being in the sun all day.
>
> Do you notice your migraines run in groups? I have a whole week or two where I get one nearly every day, from the slightest of triggers (flickering fluorescent light, sunlight) and then whole weeks will go by when not even the most obvious trigger will cause one.Yeah, the week before my period I'll get them all the time. Just typing on the computer at work will set me off.
I'm not sure if I'd rather have pain or just the other symptoms, if I could pick one.
What's amusing, though, is when people call them "headaches." I don't need preventative medication for headaches! Those I can deal with, no problem.
This is the end of the thread.
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