Hi please can you help me?

Hello, I wonder if you coud help me please as I'm at my wits end! I am praying that this rings true with somebody and I might get an answer.... Are you sitting comforatably?
I am a 43 year old female who has suffered with 'typical migraine with aura' since I was 11 years old. I had a stroke 8 years ago and then another 5 years ago. After 5 nurologists, 5 MRI scans, MS tests & loads more theythink that they were possible migranous strokes. During the last 8 years I have had 76 possible mini strokes or "weird" migraines. These are not the same as my aura ones which I still get from time to time. During this time I get a pain in my neck to start and then have a very strange spaced out feeling. Then come the palpitations and my bottom lip and chin normally go numb. Next is slurred speech and an overwhelming feeling of fatigue. Sometimes my right side feels a little numb and my walking is strange.This can last for anything from a day to a week.
At the moment they are coming in a cluster and I've had nother 4 week bout. I don't always have a headache but sometimes do.
Does anyone else have the same symptoms please? I would be so so grateful if anyone could help me x x

Your story is somewhat similar to mine. I started getting normal migraine with aura when I was 14. This went on for a number of years - sometimes I'd go a year without one, sometimes they'd be more frequent. About 10 years ago, when I was 39 (I'm 49 now) my migraine pattern changed. I would get palpitations and then what would feel like stabbing pain in my neck and my chest, then it would radiate down my arm. I would get the spacey feeling that you described, short of breath, fatigued like I could fall asleep right there. Sometimes that would be the end of it, sometimes it would lead into numbness and tingling in my extremities. Very rarely would I get a headache. It could last a day or a few days. I was concerned it was heart-related - my doctor sent me for a bunch of tests - all normal. I've had 3 MRIs done, cat scans, etc. all normal. I saw a neurologist who at that time diagnosed complicated migraine.

About two years ago I got a sudden bout of severe vertigo to the point where I couldn't work - I was at home on sick leave for 3 months. I was also getting daily chronic migraines with bad tinnitus which led into what I think was depression. Not sure what caused THAT. Never in my life had I had it before - my life was fine, low stress - a very stable, happy, even-keeled person. I really sunk into an all-time low - never would I want to be there again. Anyway, I finally got in to see a migraine specialist who again, diagnosed complicated migraine. He attributed it all to perimenopause and that 90% of women who finish with menopause will see their migraines go away. I have tried everything, and I mean everything from drug combinations to botox to acupuncture to naturopaths. Right now I take 10mg of cipralex and 20 mg of nortryptaline. I also take 500 mg of magnesium before bed. My neurologist doesn't think I need the drugs but I'm scared to go off them - I dont want to sink into the depression again and if something is working I say leave it. I also find that regular exercise helps. I'm hoping that when I get thru menopause in a couple of years this will all go away. I wouldn't say I'm completely better but I'm functional. I've kept a journal for the past 3 years trying to find a common denominator - the only thing that I've noticed is my symptoms are way worse before my period and weather changes. Stress is a big factor for me too - that's why I try and exercise. Unfortunately migraine isn't like diabetes where one cure fits all. Its all trial and error. I still get daily symptoms of some sort or another - whether it's ringing in my ears, neck pain, numbness - some days are worse than others. Very rarely a headache - mainly migraine variants.

Anyway, I don't know what more to tell you but it sounds like we are similar. Have you talked to your doctors about it being perimenopause related?

Migraines do not go away after menopause; they get worse.

For some, migraines do subside after menopause. My mothers did.