Community Forum Archive
The Epilepsy Community Forums are closed, and the information is archived. The content in this section may not be current or apply to all situations. In addition, forum questions and responses include information and content that has been generated by epilepsy community members. This content is not moderated. The information on these pages should not be substituted for medical advice from a healthcare provider. Experiences with epilepsy can vary greatly on an individual basis. Please contact your doctor or medical team if you have any questions about your situation. For more information, learn about epilepsy or visit our resources section.
Migraines and Epilepsy
Sun, 10/31/2004 - 04:54Comments
RE: RE: Migraines and Epilepsy
Submitted by jennamay on Wed, 2004-10-27 - 07:43
Hi Sydney,
Thank you for sharing your story. If you would like to participate in an interview which will be posted on our website please email me at jenna@epilepsyproject.org
Hi Sydney,
Thank you for sharing your story. If you would like to participate in an interview which will be posted on our website please email me at jenna@epilepsyproject.org
RE: Migraines and Epilepsy
Submitted by mexican_fire on Wed, 2004-10-27 - 14:55
Hi my name is Nancy, and I have been living with Epilepsy all my life, but it was never diagnosed until recently.
I had menigitis when I was in high school, and then when I was in college I had it again with encepahlitis.
I was hospitalized for it from December 1-8 for the meningitis that caused me to miss finals, and after going to the ER, and them releasing me telling me there was nothing wrong with me, it was all in my head. For the next 3 days, I walked around and tried to function as much as I could with this, not knowing what it was, but having a suspicision of it, because you can't forget that kind of headache. The symptoms kept getting wrose, and after I attempted to drive to school, and take a final, I puked all over from the increased cranial pressure, and then I staggered back to the lobby in the other building, and passed out on the couch. Sometime later, I was with a teacher that I didn't know, nad he called 911, and my mom, who came with a friend to get my car home. After they treated me just so I could get the 17 miles back home, my mom made me pack a bag of stuff, because we were paying my doc a visit and he did a half-assed assesment, and told me I had to be directly admitted to the hospital from his office that I had meningitis very bad.
The next day the neuro did a CT scan and found the encephalitis.
After I went home, a month later I developed really severe Migraines, and because the epilepsy hadn't been diagnosed, assumed they were from the meningitis.
The doc treated me for 2 years with Narcotic therapy, but it wasn't enough.
I moved to another location and had to find a different doc, and at the university I was going to then, treated me for headaches, and what she was giving me never worked.
I wasl always in pain, and alot of the time it completely felled me for DAYS.
She kept track of me and the headaches, and when she got her own practice, she ordered up the CT and MRI, and we got Migraine. I was FINALLY diagnosed 5 years after this crap al lstarted and she put me on Elavil, and anti depressant, which I was on for years before I got to her, and it didn't keep them from comnig or at the rate in which they did, with the severity, it was jsut prophylatic.
I took it everyday, and Vicodin when I needed it.
Then I moved to Phoenix in Dec of 2002, and the doc I got now, my D.O., referred me to this top notch neuro who ordered the EEGs--3 of them, and they all came back abnormal, and he started me on Neurontin for the partial seizures that he was highly suspecting, and the Migraines. Guess what. The Migraines are down in number, severity, and intensity.
I was diagnosed with L-TLE with other seizure types last April, and then referred to an epilepsy clinic, where they ran more tests and confirmed it this March.
And I found out that Migraines can go with TLE. So now the two have been put together, so everytime they change my meds, they have given me something that will treat the headaches as well.
I take 3600 mgs of Neurontin, and the normal adult dosage is 1800-2400 mgs.
I also take Depakote, 750 mgs, which also helps Migraines, and the other two types of seizures I have.
I have the typical triad that goes with TLE--SPs, CPs, and SGTCs.
Then I also have Absence, and Myoclonics. The Absence is left from being undiagnosed my whole life, so it never went away, and they don't know how or where I got the Myoclonics from.
The facts that prove Migraine and Epilepsy relation are this, I think. I may be off on my numbers some, but it said that in JUST the epileptic population, 85% of the epileptics suffered from Migraines, most being women. In the non-epileptic population only about 30% ish of the total population got Migraines, again most being women.
My doc told me that the clincher of whether or not my Migraines were epilepsy related or not, was going to be if the AED would control it better than standard treatment, like Imitrex, Zomig, or other Anti-Migraine drugs.
People's Migraines who weren't epilepsy related didn't necessarily respond to it the same way as the ones with Epilepsy who took it.
I still take narcotics when I need them.
Nancy
Hi my name is Nancy, and I have been living with Epilepsy all my life, but it was never diagnosed until recently.
I had menigitis when I was in high school, and then when I was in college I had it again with encepahlitis.
I was hospitalized for it from December 1-8 for the meningitis that caused me to miss finals, and after going to the ER, and them releasing me telling me there was nothing wrong with me, it was all in my head. For the next 3 days, I walked around and tried to function as much as I could with this, not knowing what it was, but having a suspicision of it, because you can't forget that kind of headache. The symptoms kept getting wrose, and after I attempted to drive to school, and take a final, I puked all over from the increased cranial pressure, and then I staggered back to the lobby in the other building, and passed out on the couch. Sometime later, I was with a teacher that I didn't know, nad he called 911, and my mom, who came with a friend to get my car home. After they treated me just so I could get the 17 miles back home, my mom made me pack a bag of stuff, because we were paying my doc a visit and he did a half-assed assesment, and told me I had to be directly admitted to the hospital from his office that I had meningitis very bad.
The next day the neuro did a CT scan and found the encephalitis.
After I went home, a month later I developed really severe Migraines, and because the epilepsy hadn't been diagnosed, assumed they were from the meningitis.
The doc treated me for 2 years with Narcotic therapy, but it wasn't enough.
I moved to another location and had to find a different doc, and at the university I was going to then, treated me for headaches, and what she was giving me never worked.
I wasl always in pain, and alot of the time it completely felled me for DAYS.
She kept track of me and the headaches, and when she got her own practice, she ordered up the CT and MRI, and we got Migraine. I was FINALLY diagnosed 5 years after this crap al lstarted and she put me on Elavil, and anti depressant, which I was on for years before I got to her, and it didn't keep them from comnig or at the rate in which they did, with the severity, it was jsut prophylatic.
I took it everyday, and Vicodin when I needed it.
Then I moved to Phoenix in Dec of 2002, and the doc I got now, my D.O., referred me to this top notch neuro who ordered the EEGs--3 of them, and they all came back abnormal, and he started me on Neurontin for the partial seizures that he was highly suspecting, and the Migraines. Guess what. The Migraines are down in number, severity, and intensity.
I was diagnosed with L-TLE with other seizure types last April, and then referred to an epilepsy clinic, where they ran more tests and confirmed it this March.
And I found out that Migraines can go with TLE. So now the two have been put together, so everytime they change my meds, they have given me something that will treat the headaches as well.
I take 3600 mgs of Neurontin, and the normal adult dosage is 1800-2400 mgs.
I also take Depakote, 750 mgs, which also helps Migraines, and the other two types of seizures I have.
I have the typical triad that goes with TLE--SPs, CPs, and SGTCs.
Then I also have Absence, and Myoclonics. The Absence is left from being undiagnosed my whole life, so it never went away, and they don't know how or where I got the Myoclonics from.
The facts that prove Migraine and Epilepsy relation are this, I think. I may be off on my numbers some, but it said that in JUST the epileptic population, 85% of the epileptics suffered from Migraines, most being women. In the non-epileptic population only about 30% ish of the total population got Migraines, again most being women.
My doc told me that the clincher of whether or not my Migraines were epilepsy related or not, was going to be if the AED would control it better than standard treatment, like Imitrex, Zomig, or other Anti-Migraine drugs.
People's Migraines who weren't epilepsy related didn't necessarily respond to it the same way as the ones with Epilepsy who took it.
I still take narcotics when I need them.
Nancy
RE: Migraines and Epilepsy
Submitted by Sydney on Tue, 2004-10-26 - 17:01
I have had epilepsy ever since i was two years old. At first it was an on going struggle. They were every one to two years and about five to ten minutes long. The good thing was that i had never had one in school...until i was in grade eight. That terrified me for i had always had them either late,late at night like 12 or early in the morning like 5-6. They were pretty bad ones...i couldnt feel some of my limbs,like my arms or my leg after a siezure occured. This only lasted for a hour or so,although. Very few of my friends knew about my condition. Luckily one of my friends in my class did. Everyone heard about it,no one said anything to me though. I wondered why. I wouldnt have minded,i guess they didnt know how to react. Some kids were a bit cruel though. I havnt had one in school since...i am now in grade nine. I think that its getting better. I have gone from having 5-10 minute siezures to now having one for only for 2 or three minutes. I even had one that did cause any combultions.I usually dont have migraines.Not at all in fact. I have my worst headaches i have ever had right after i have a siezure. That is my story. I hope i have helped someone...I came here looking for a support group...i also came hoping to be one as well.
I have had epilepsy ever since i was two years old. At first it was an on going struggle. They were every one to two years and about five to ten minutes long. The good thing was that i had never had one in school...until i was in grade eight. That terrified me for i had always had them either late,late at night like 12 or early in the morning like 5-6. They were pretty bad ones...i couldnt feel some of my limbs,like my arms or my leg after a siezure occured. This only lasted for a hour or so,although. Very few of my friends knew about my condition. Luckily one of my friends in my class did. Everyone heard about it,no one said anything to me though. I wondered why. I wouldnt have minded,i guess they didnt know how to react. Some kids were a bit cruel though. I havnt had one in school since...i am now in grade nine. I think that its getting better. I have gone from having 5-10 minute siezures to now having one for only for 2 or three minutes. I even had one that did cause any combultions.I usually dont have migraines.Not at all in fact. I have my worst headaches i have ever had right after i have a siezure. That is my story. I hope i have helped someone...I came here looking for a support group...i also came hoping to be one as well.