just a migraine?

Today had a doozy of a migraine..........I have basilar migraines and I do realize that I can have some odd stroke-like symptoms but today's just has me a bit rattled. It started off pretty normally but about 30 minutes into the lightheaded/pain sensations my body stiffened up, my back arched (that lasted about 5 minutes) and then I could not speak, move, respond to questions and even though my eyes were open I could not focus on anything.

This lasted for about 90 minutes........it was like I was trapped in my body - part of me was still there - still aware - just could not move or respond........frightening for me and for the person who was lucky enough to be with me. The other thing that really was weird was that during this time I had what must have been complete sensory hallucinations about apples. I could smell them, hear them being eaten, see them and taste them. Now 7 hours later the only lingering symptom I have is numbness on my left side.

I know that we can experience stroke-like symptoms but when should I (or the people with me) chalk it up to just a migraine or something more ominous. Leslie

Is someone there to do the basic tests for stroke Leslie?
Is your smile still even, hands above head still even?
No speech problems?
The continuing numbness is concerning, perhaps a visit to the doctor might be in order.

So why apples? Maybe an apple a day keeps the doctor away... Don't we all wish.

I'm sure this was quite a scary experience, Leslie.

The stiffening up and arching of the back sounds like seizure-like activity. Have they ever found evidence of seizures on any tests?

Hope you're feeling better.

Perhaps we shouldn't chalk these kind of symptoms up to migraine. I am begining to think that the doctor should know just in case.

Hope you are feeling better now.

Di

If it is a change in your symptoms I would definitely call your doctor. Sounds like more than the M. I know the basilar symptoms are bad enough but as was suggested by someone else the stiffening does sound more seizure like and the lingering symptom stroke like.

Hope you are feeling better now.

I so appreciate the responses.............this morning I have lingering numbness on the left side of my face, down my throat and my arm (numbness like this is a fairly normal symptom for me but does not usually last this long) - have called my GP to let him know. I have had almost every test in the last couple of years that they could throw at me and of course all normal..........the only test I declined to do was the one where they wanted to put leads on my brain stem to record the activity there during an episode - way too intrusive for me. Just emotionally starting to unravel..........

Glad to hear you're feeling a bit better and that you've put a call in to the dr.

I get the same numbness but usually both sides. I'd be more concerned about the seizure like symptoms - especially if they're new symptoms.

Debbie

That's just one more scary part of migs. If we did have any type of head bleed we would just attribute the pain to a mig. By the time it became bad enough to realize it wasn't it could be too late.

My wife gets very concerned any time I get a bad one. She is a paramedic and has seen so many healthy adults with spontaneous brain bleeds. It always starts out as extreme head pain. So she insists on giving me a neuro deficit test each time a monster hits. So I humor her and do it.

I assure her that mine always come on slow and originate from the same place. But ultimately I am not sure if I would know that it was not a mig. A friend of mine was 52 and had the typical "thunder clap" head pain attack. It dropped her right onto the floor. She was dead in 20 minutes.

So saw my family doc today..........I take darvocet for my migraine pain (only prescription pain killer he will let me take) and have had a lot of pain this week. He thinks what I had yesterday was a seizure from the darvocet. I hope he is right because I never want to have an episode like that again! So no more prescription pain meds for me.

My husband did talk to him about how he can distinguish between a stroke and a migraine. During yesterday's episode the friend that was with me did do the basic stroke tests but it is still hard to tell the difference. The doc pretty much said it is a gut instinct based on my past episodes.......he also told my husband that if he thinks it is a stroke to not take me to our local hospital but to go to the one that is about 40 minutes away.