Basilar artery migraine (BAM)-anyone have this- need some advice

Hi All,

A couple of weeks ago I was doing some reseach on the web regarding my constat fainting and migraine. I was surprised when Basilar Artery Migraine came up and fainting was listed as one of the symptoms- along with slurred speech dysrthria and a few other things I experience.

I am just wondering if the constant fainting may simply be another part of the migraine.

Here is a link
http://blog.ygoy.com/2010/01/09/basilar-artery-migraine/http://blog.ygoy.com/2010/01/09/basilar-artery-migraine/

I'd love to hear any opinions.

Pain free days,
sailingm

I have basilar migraines and they can have fainting or lower level of consciousness as an aura symptom. Mine started over 30 years ago and originally I would just hit the floor - literally felt like someone had pushed me from behind. Had weakness and fatigue after the initial hit but at that time and for the next 20 years or so no pain and no other migraine symptoms. For the last 10 years or so the symptoms have changed to include pain, numbness, aphasia and a lowered level of consciousness that slowly creeps up. When it first starts I just feel some confusion and then lose my ability to talk and have to close my eyes and I just slowly fade out............this part of the migraine usually lasts between 20 and 45 minutes. When I come back I am exhausted (feels like been punched in the stomach) and it can take a couple of hours before I feel strong enough to get up and move around. What docs have told me is that the migraine originates in the brain stem and that is why it affects my consciousness level. Not sure if that theory is the current one however since over the 32 years I have had these the theories have changed!

So.............to give you a shorter answer......yes the fainting can be a symptom of basilar migraines but as for all migraine symptoms it is a rule out diagnosis........are you planning on asking any of your docs about the possibility that the fainting might be part of your migraine experience? Keep me posted! Leslie