upcoming neurologist appointment

Hi I am new on here so here is a little about me quick, I'm 20 yrs old and have been suffering from migraines since I was 13 with mild dizziness only when I stand up, but the past 3 years I've been getting worse now it's to the point where I am puking, sweaty, no skin color and having a horrible time trying to stay conscious (lasts for about 45 mins) and afterwards I can't walk at all and it is all triggered by the migraine, I am on elavil (a tricyclic anti-depressent) which is supposed to be a preventative measure for the migraines and also on ultram an opioid analgesic for when my migraines do happen but those only worked for about a month. I'm waiting to hear from a neurologist so I can go to my appointment, my doctor was saying I might have vasovagal syncope like my sister, does anyone else get these same symptoms and were you given a diagnosis?

Welcome! Sorry I can't help you out on the vasovagal symptoms in relation to migraine. I have both, but they are quite separate, and the vasovagal is quite infrequent....I've most recently had an issue with it when getting injections like Botox or trigger point. I hope you have a good appointment. You can either build a tolerance to a medication, or, for the case of the Elavil, it can take over a month to test if its helpful. Many preventatives like Elavil are best tried for a few months, as they can take that long to kick in.

There are quite a few treatment options so I hope your doctor is patient and persistent with them. If you are getting these attacks quite often or they are untreatable, it is a good idea they are trying you on a daily preventative. Elavil is quite a popular option. Have they tried you on Triptans? I think its worth mentioning that even if you tried one or two without success, unless you had an allergic reaction, it is worth trying them all, more than one time each, as they can be very different.

Some folks just don't respond to them though. Most headache specialists will have samples at least of some Triptans. Ultram shouldn't be a first line abortive option, but some folks don't respond to other stuff. Ergots like DHE nasal spray (Migranal) are other options. Oddly enough, I tried many of the Triptans at the beginning of my headache journey and they didn't do anything. More recently I began getting different attacks and re-tried them, and was surprised Relpax was helpful. So, sometimes it is worth re-trying a med if some years have gone by or you have had a symptom change.

Make sure you ask about something for the nausea/vomiting too if you don't have anything. My favorites are Phenergen and Zofran. Phenergen works the best for me but it takes awhile to kick in and causes sedation. Zofran is much quicker as its a dissolving form, but can be hit & miss. A lot of folks do have symptoms such as trouble walking, talking, thinking, etc, with migraines, but it is also good to rule out that anything separate is going on too.

Since they have recently become worse, you may want to try to examine if something has recently changed in your life, such as a new diet, medication, stressful event, etc. Keeping a log of the attacks with notes on things like how long they lasted, what you took for it and if it helped, and any guesses on triggers such as weather, food, activity, etc. This can be helpful for your doctor in determining the best course of treatment too. Best wishes.

Thanks! my family doctor is wanting to see if its vasovagal because my sister has it and my mother suffers from high blood pressure, I probably should have mentioned I have heart palpatations and a murmur just like my mother, but the idea to start writing logs of my migraines and what triggers them before my neurologist appointment sounds great, I'm sure it would help the neurologist with his diagnosis, I am glad I found this website I've read alot of helpful tips on here, I have been on elavil for about three months, the ultram does work 50% of the time but the other 50% it just loops me out, I'll ask about triptans too. I guess I am just worrying a little because brain tumors and neurological disorders like M.S run in my family also, I will keep updated on what the nuerologist finds out.