Clumsiness, unreal feelings before migraine

Few days ago it came again - suddenly I began to drop things, my hands became clumsy, and a kind of disorientation set in as if I was woken up frome a deep sleep.
I could not concentrate on anything properly, no matter how much I tried I could not do anything useful, as I was loosing concentration and making mess of things, and so it went on until head pain started. Then it all became clear: I was just suffering from predrome before another migraine.

The predrome, that change that takes place before migraine starts, can take so many different forms, sometimes I become very sleepy, or very exited and active like a burst of energy is driving me on high revs so I cannot stop, sometimes I cannot stop yawning or feeling tearful and emotional.
In other words it is all very weird and unreal feeling and it is part of the migraine condition. It took me years to recognise that this is what it was and to find out that these symptoms are called a predrome.

Does anyone else get this strange symptoms before migraine, and what form do they take. Thanks.

mini that was just like reading my own migraine diary and ive shown it to my husband as hes always worried abut it but now ive shown him its normal and im not the only one!!

No, you are not the only one, Dawn - it is the weirdest feeling at time its as if I was going out of my mind, as I do not udnerstand what is going on, or why, quite scary in a way - so in the end, when head pain comes and I remember "why", it is almost a relief. Funny to think that, but this is what happens. It was "only" a predrome, I say to myself. But since those symtoms vary and are not the same every time, I often forget that when this disorientaion comes again it is just a predrome.

wow its good to know i'm not the only strange one! I've noticed I often get excessive yawning before a migraine....I just can't stop. Its like I don't have enough oxygen or something. I get the teary emotional feeling too sometimes. If only there was regularity in these symptoms.

yes lissy i yawn non stop!! people who know me know im going to have a migraine but it can get you into some hot waters sometimes!!

HI All,

Yes, I yawn a great deal before a bad M. I can also get really mean or irritable for no reason, though I am usually able to stop myself from yelling at someone. I don't usually feel disoriented, but it has happened. However, I often find that I have little to no attention span before or during a migraine.

Pain free days,
sailign

I get clumsy and the burst of energy thing and I don't want to sit still.

I also get aphasia and that is when friends and family notice. My words and sentences get mixed up.

Yes, this mixing of words, or replacing words for no reason with some other, and getting sentences all wrong. It is really weirdest feeling.
I get that restlessnes when migraine starts, but only at the stage when migraine is not too bad, it is like I am trying to get away from it by moving about. Later all I need is absolute peace and quiet, licking my wounds in peace.

The only thing I have noticed is that sometimes I will get very depressed in a very unhappy with world in general kind of way. This is not normal for me as I am generally very positive and happy. I've no reason to be unhappy really. I've recognized that this is a good sign the migraine is coming. It will hit within an hour or so. So very strange.

Mini wrote:Few days ago it came again - suddenly I began to drop things, my hands became clumsy, and a kind of disorientation set in as if I was woken up frome a deep sleep.
I could not concentrate on anything properly,

VERY similar to my common pattern. I often feel quite sleepy, get the yawns, etc. Then I will feel like I'm half-asleep and can't wake up, everything seems unreal and I'm extremely disoriented. This often causes a panic in me where I fight to get fully awake and will often start pacing around trying to fight the sensation. This is call depersonalization by shrinks. I also get extremely clumsy. Cups will just slide right out of my hand. Talking is difficult as is any sort of organized thinking.

This state can last 30 minutes or so in me. I find it quite upsetting. It feels like someone has slipped me a drug without my knowledge. Or like one of those dreams you can't wake up from where you are fighting to breath and wake up.

The interesting thing is I never go "Oh, a migraine is coming on". I never realize what is happening until after the migraine starts. I often feel a little relieved at that point both because I realize what is going on and also because the depersonalization lets up a lot, although in me the clumsiness persists and I actually go numb on one side.

Everything, every single word you said, Charmed Quark, I can rrealte to as well. I had to laugh (with relief) when you said that after migraine starts you feel a sense of relief, and that no matter how many times this happens I also forget to associate it with migraine.

When I am like this I also feel as if I have been accidentaly drugged (even if I did not take any medication of any kind whatsoever) the depersonalisation the whole syndrome is very unsettling. When I am like this my children often give very strange looks. Very embarassing.

I know that predrome takes many forms, but I still forget.

It is really interesting that so many people mentioned yawning attacks before a migraine. There was a recent article about yawning in the NY Times. Apparently scientists really don't know why we yawn. Most popular theories ( e.g. To get more oxygen ) don't hold up. What would tie in an upcoming migraine is even more mysterious. Perhaps general sleepiness for some reason? Anyway, it is an interesting article.

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/12/14/health/14yawn.html?_r=1

Mini, you're not alone...In my case, I get super tired, aggravated, and weepy. I also have a problem finding the right words when I try and talk. It is so frustrating because I feel really stupid. I say a lot of "things"..."You know what I mean, the thing is by the thing!" Not being able to find the words I need to finish a sentence is maddening. I have on occasion, also felt disorientated, like I was drunk or something.

It was scary at first, but now it's just another day in the life of a migraine sufferer.

Hang in there, Dawn

I had to laugh, Dawn, I do that all the time saying things just like that: "You know I met that woman, you know the one who lives on that road...Next to that shop...You know" which is often met by moans of despair:"Muuuuuuum, what woman? what shop? I give up..." but we laugh about it. I get so embarassed at times.
I am also extremely absent minded and loose things, finding them in most unbelievable places, like my sunglasses in the fridge, or packet of beans in my shoe cupboard. So embarassing.

It is so good to know that I am not alone in this, I always felt I was until I came here. It is wonderful to share such details, learning that I am not going insane but that this is just a part of neurological disorder, called migraine.

I am only guessing Migrainegrirl, but I think perhaps yawning and sleepiness is most likely caused by the changing chemical proces in serotonin, or melatonin levels in the brain, which all play their part both in migraine, and sleeping patterns.

Interesting article on yawning, Thank You.
I wonder why we also yawn when we are bored? And why it is so infectious - you see one person yawning and everybody else catches it. All great mystery so far.

But we can try to remember all these above symptoms, as a warning that migraine is about to start, and to prepare better by getting medicines ready at the first sign of trouble, cancelling engagements etc.

Mind you, I also get painless migraines with predrome, but this is another subject.