I get Hemiplegic Migraines which I was diagnosed with at 20 years of age. I'm now 40. I was diagnosed with MS about 3 years ago. I also have Hashimoto Thyroiditis and Vitiligo - my immune system hates me.

I do take medications for the migraines, which has worked well. My Hemiplegic Migraines follow a very specific and unwavering pattern. I get a small spot in my vision, which ultimately progress into my entire visual field being affected. I then get numbness starting in my right hand, that travels up my arm, neck and the entire side of my face. It ultimately affects my ability to speak, write an text during that time. Generally within an hour, I'm back to "normal" and I have a HUGE, painful headache as a reminder. You can imagine that at first, I thought I was having a stroke. The occurrence of these migraines, are about once a month.

With that little tidbit of history in mind...over the last two weeks, I have been experiencing hand numbness, tingling in my tongue, face and buttocks (yes, my butt cheek), extreme exhaustion (even a shower knocks me out) and what I thought were migraines. BUT, remember that I know these migraines are coming because of the visual effects - the small spot in my vision. Over the last couple of weeks, along with the other symptoms I've been experiencing, I get the spot in my vision, but it never fully develops into an overall visual issue. It stays at that spot in my vision, lingers for about 15-30 minutes and then goes away. I don't get the other physically affects and I don't get even a little bit of a headache. I've had this happen everyday over the last few days, two to three times a day.

Is this a "little" migraine or could this be a symptom of a relapse? I'm going to make an appointment with my neurologist, but I instinctively feel like something is going on which is more than a migraine. I have the ability to work from home versus traveling to the office, which I've been taking advantage of since this has happened while I was driving. Today I traveled in and had this episode happen twice before noon.

Does this sound familiar to anyone else, especially those that do not get migraines?

Well it does sound familiar, but I also do get migraines. Mine are more of the classic train just smacked me in the head variety of migraines that make want to beat my own head against the wall to knock myself out. Just saying, thank god for Imatrex. But many MS patients do report a headache as the initial symptom of an MS relapse. For patients who suffer from migraines already, the majority will complain of a migraine/headache either as an initial symptom of a relapse or during the active relapse phase.

It's kind of hard to weed out those who don't suffer from migraines however as one is twice as likely to suffer from migraines with MS as those without MS. Something to do with the location of the plaque build-up from the demylenization process. Fun stuff, but it would certainly explain the difference in the feeling of the headache if it's a relapse or even just an exacerbation of it.

Here's to hoping your head feels better soon I just finished my own course of multiple killer migraines that wiped out my stores of extra Imatrexes. I'm normally a 4 times a month sufferer so getting 6 pills will pretty much guarantee 2 left at the end of the month... and I just went through 16 in a two week period. I have one left to last me 2 more weeks.... please no more migraines for me this month, I'm done with them.

Migraines and MS sometimes go hand in hand.

So sorry for your pain.