Migraine or Something Else?
 

My daughter (15 years old, 6 months PCS) has apparently entered into a new phase of recovery. As of two weeks ago she was experiencing just two or three "stabbers" every day, noticing improvements in memory and concentration, etc. Not "healed" but certainly better.

Last Saturday she woke up looking a little "off." Her eyes were glassy and bloodshot. She went ahead and did her workout (it's been a long, regulated return to exercise) but then experienced a few minutes of lightheadedness, headache and tunnel vision. She said she was fine and went on to watch a high school basketball game. While there she experienced a feeling she calls "not really there," then got intense headache on one side. We brought her home, Advil, laid in the dark where everything resolved within 45 minutes. She told us the next day her memory of the previous evening was pretty spotty.

She has now had 4 similar episodes this week. I called the neuro after the first and she said my daughter may have begun experiencing migraines. Now that it has happened four times we are making the 250 mile trek to see the neuro in person.

The "not really there" feeling is really scaring her. She seems to be responding appropriately to people around her during these espisodes. Her eyes seem to be dialating and restricting too quickly during this time.

My daughter takes 20 mg Elavil, fish oil, and magnesium/calcium. Any similar experiences or suggestions?

Hi i often get these sort of feelings too. i suffered a concussion over a year ago and was diagnosed with PCS. ( if you want to read my story its posted on a different thread) For me i usually experience these kind of feelings when i do hard physical activities...im playing basketball again and tend to not tell the coaches when im having a bad day...or if there is a lot of noise and movement going on around me like being in the lunch room at school or in a loud class.

at first i didnt really know what it was but i sometimes think now they might be impartial seizures. when she gets these does she feel like shes zoning out and cant seem to pull herself out of it like respond to people and things going on around her as much? this is how i usually feel but when i asked the doctors about it they said it was probably just overstimulation and my brain was shutting down or short circuiting to let me know its too much.

that is probably why she felt that way after exercise and the basketball game (loud noises lots of movement and bright lights) that is just my thoughts on it. i hope the episodes stop and she continues to recover.

do you think you could tell me what the neuro says im interested to hear what another doctor thinks about these episodes. thanks

Hi PCSLearner,

I am sorry for your daughter's recent trouble. It's great that you're going to see your Neuro about this. In the interim, try not to fret too much. Recovery from TBI is seldom a straight path, there are often bumps and mini relapses along the way.

The feeling your daughter described at the basketball game, reminded me of something that happened to me. The topic was discussed in the thread WHAT THE HECK WAS THAT. I'm sorry that I'm not sophisticated enough to put in a link. Anyway, several members weighed in with a lot of good suggestions about possible causes. In my case, it turned out to be a type of seizure. While I wasn't thrilled about that, you can't imagine how relieved I felt to know what was going on.

Cheers

Perhaps ask the neurologist about getting an EEG. She might be having partial complex seizures. They can appear after a TBI. Sound like she may have been a bit post-ictal.

I have similar episodes, where I just zonk out for about 5 minutes, them am totally out of it for an hour or two afterwards.

I don't have any suggestions or advice, but know we'll be thinking about you on Monday as you head to the doctor.

Thanks for all the suggestions and support.

Went to neuro yesterday. She is fairly convinced that what my daughter is experiencing are migraines. Neuro believes she probably would have started getting them anyway, but that the head trauma triggered them.

Here are the reasons 1) strong family history with the women on her father's side; 2) appears to have been connected with her monthly cycle; 3) lots and lots of questions about her behavior, appearance, headache level, etc., before, during and after the episodes.

Apparently the "not really here" feelings aren't unheard of in people with migraine. She could respond to people and events around her, but she lost some memory.

So...now we wait to see if this was a one time event, if migraines will happen occassionally, or if they will come on monthly. We have a prescription for Imitrex (a rescue medication that is supposed to sort of head off a migraine at the pass so to speak).

Other than that the concussion symptoms seem to be lessening bit by excruciating bit. Neuro felt there was definite improvement since we saw her last in December.

Thanks again for the suggestions and support.

I wasn't around to answer.

But I too say it sounds like seizures. Partials like the other person
said.

Donna

Be careful with imitrex. Using it too often (more than a few times a month) can land you in the hospital.

I speak from experience.

You might want to look into Maxalt as well. I find 4 ibuprofen and a maxalt at the onset of a migraine knocks it out for me.