Jump to content

Shiner Kitty

Members
  • Posts

    70
  • Joined

  • Last visited

Posts posted by Shiner Kitty

  1. Hi, I have migraines too with all kinds of visual disturbances and eye pain. I remember everything looking green or red briefly a few years ago. It didn't last long either. I think it was either related to a migraine or possibly a side effect of one of the medications I was on. Whenever I've seen an opthalmologist about my various visual disturbances, I've been told that my eyes are okay, and they are likely either migraine-related or that it's something brain-related. I also had one episode with double vision in one eye with a migraine, and I get the strobe vision effect too. I think you should consult an opthalmologist just to be safe, though. My opthalmologist usually says it's better to come in to be sure I'm okay when I have something new or concerning. I hope this will resolve completely for you very soon.

  2. My neurologist recommended that I take Butterbur for my migraines. He said the only side effect that he found when he did a search was burping, and he said it caused him to burp when he took it. I have extensive medication hypersensitivities and allergies, so I did my own search because I figured it likely did have other potential side effects that he isn't aware of...and of course, there are other possible side effects. The main reason I won't be taking it is because you're not supposed to take it if you're allergic to ragweed, and I have a SEVERE ragweed allergy. I will definitely be letting him know so that he won't recommend it to others with ragweed allergy. Here's a link to the information and side effects of Butterbur: MayoClinic.com

    Apparently, some people are finding that it helps their migraines, though. I hope it will work for you if you decide to try it. You should check with your doctor(s) first to be sure it's safe for you. Unfortunately, I don't have doctors to consult that are knowledgeable about my conditions, and I have to do my own research to try to prevent any further harm from medication reactions.

    I forgot to mention that it might also cause liver and kidney damage with long-term use and cancer. I'm not telling you all of this to scare you, but so that you can make an informed decision.

  3. I'm so glad. I really hope you'll be able to have the newer type of CT scan.

    I forgot to mention that I can't take beta blockers. They make so many of my symptoms worse (breathing problems, anxiety, chest pain, Raynaud's, fatigue, whiting out/graying out and on and on), and they don't control my heart rate or blood pressure either. I took metoprolol for almost 2 years. I think I took 50 mg. or 100 mg (can't remember anymore). My electrophysiologist wouldn't listen to me when I told him I thought I was having extensive side effects. He wanted me to double the dose. I was taken off it for testing at Mayo and diagnosed with POTS in 1998. I didn't go back on any beta blockers after I found out for sure that they were making me worse.

  4. I'm also glad that you had such a positive experience. I hope you continue to feel better every day!

    I'd appreciate it if you could pass along the articles from Dr. Peter Rowe through PM (messages) when you have a chance. My Raynaud's has also gotten much more severe. Thank you for offering to share the information.

  5. There's a new type of scanner that can be used without beta blockers. They were able to get a clear image of someone's heart with a 180 heartrate without beta blockers. I don't know if it's available in your area yet. It said it was only available in 5 hospitals in the country in October. I heard about it recently (I think on the news). I did a search for you, and I found some information about it: http://www.charlestonbusiness.com/pub/12_22/news/7807-1.html .

  6. I'm so sorry you're feeling so bad. I have sleep problems too, and I deal with daily migraines. I know how scary it can be when the chest pain gets bad too. I'm sending lots of positive thoughts your way for you to be able to get some much-needed sleep. I know for me that when I can't sleep at all, the headache, chest pain, muscle twitching, and jitteriness, etc. gets so much worse. I feel so wired but so tired. Like you, I haven't been able to sleep much at all for days, so I haven't been feeling well at all.

    I wish I had some good advice for you, but about the only things I can think of is to suggest that you listen to some type of relaxation music if you can. Or if you can find something to watch on TV that would calm you. Visualizations are good too...picture yourself in a nice, calm, and safe place...a favorite place, vacation spot, some place by the ocean or in nature, etc.

    I hope your arm heals soon, and I hope you'll be feeling much better soon!

  7. Hi, I don't know specifically about the bowel prep you've been prescribed, but I did find information that I thought you should be aware of about people confusing two types of Dulcolax. One is only a stool softener (won't clean you out properly) and one is a laxative. They can both be side-by-side in a pharmacy and both labelled Dulcolax. Here's a link to the warning: Pharmacy Times .

    I've never done a bowel prep, so I can't advise you about that. I would be very nervous too, but I'm sending positive thoughts that you'll be fine during and after the prep and the surgery!

  8. I know you've considered new medications, but I wonder if a medication that you've been taking for a long time could cause you to lose your sense of taste and smell?

    Flonase and Nexium can also cause it. Here are a couple of links: http://www.rockbottomrx.com/products.asp?id=117 and http://www.healthsquare.com/newrx/nex1577.htm .

    I've had intermittent loss of taste and smell over the years. I never knew exactly what caused it, but at times it could have been medication side effects. I used to use Flonase and other prescription nasal sprays. I don't remember if the loss of taste and smell occurred when I was using them or not. I've also had a problem with other types of altered taste and smell, such as foods tasting bad or weird or partial loss of taste and smell at times. Sometimes I have a sweet, bitter or salty taste in my mouth even when I haven't eaten anything, etc. I also have severe allergies and migraines.

    I hope you get better soon. I know it's awful to have your taste and smell affected like that.

  9. Hi, I just wanted you to know that I've been thinking of you since you posted. I just haven't been able to reply until now. You're in my thoughts and prayers. I know you must be scared.

    I also know that so much blood loss can make you very weak due to low iron. If you aren't already taking an iron supplement, you might want to ask your doctor if you should be. I also know how hard it can be to wait for tests and test results. I hope that this will be something that is easily treatable.

    Take care,

    Lisa

  10. Hi, I've had Carotidynia for 4 years. I've had TMJ and neck pain for almost 12 years following a car accident in 1994, but the pain only seemed to be related to the Carotid artery in 2001. They used electro-stim on me when I went for physical therapy for pain in my shoulders and upper back areas. The new P.T. assistant didn't seem to know where to place the pads. She kept asking me if they felt like they were about where the P.T. usually placed them. She also turned it up too high without checking on me, and I couldn't get anyone's attention. They had heat packs on me so I couldn't raise up or stretch to reach it myself. Well, I wasn't right after that. My heart was racing so much and my other POTS symptoms were really aggravated, and then later that day when I was lying down, I noticed that my carotid artery on the right side of my neck was pulsating very hard. It had never done that before. I was afraid it was going to rupture. You can feel the carotid artery pulsing like that when I'm sitting up or standing, but it's really noticeable when I'm lying down, and I'm often aware of it without even touching it when it's really strong.

    The next morning the P.T. was very concerned, and he said I couldn't have anymore electro-stim. My neurologist never did any tests on me, but based on my symptoms (and I guess my migraine history), he diagnosed it as Carotidynia. My neck gets very painful with soreness over the carotid artery, and it often feels like there is inflammation. It radiates into my jaw, ear, eye, and head. It makes me very sick.

    My neurologist said it was a very rare migraine variant, although the article says it's common. I've never met anyone else who had it. I'm convinced that mine was caused by the electro-stim, and possibly the improper placement of the pads, etc. It's interesting that the article that lthomas posted mentions them duplicating the pain using electro-stim, which furthers shows how mine was likely related to the electro-stim. My pain goes down some at times, but the carotid artery has been pulsating like that continuously for 4 years! The left carotid artery never pulsates like that.

    I wish I could tell you what to do for it, but I just have to suffer. I have extensive hypersensitivities to medications, so I can't take anything for the Carotidynia or my migraines and other pain. I hope you find out what is causing your pain and that it's easily treatable.

    Take care,

    Lisa

  11. Hi, I have POTS, and migraines with aura (including complicated migraines). I have all kinds of visual disturbances with my migraines, and I sometimes I see colored spots too. I used to have severe vomiting years ago, but I've found recently that I can avoid that by quickly drinking some cold water and putting cool wet rags on my forehead and/or neck. If my husband hadn't been home to get the water and wet rags for me, I wouldn't have been able to get them myself most times, though.

    I've had the electrical shock sensations through my whole body for 4 years. They are very painful, and I was terrified when I first got them because they were surging so bad. I also have pins and needles sensations with numbness that I've had off and on for 12 years, but that is different from the electrical surging sensation that feels like you're plugged into an electrical outlet. Mine started a few days after my car was rear-ended again.

    I get goosebumps all the time, and whenever I'm cold, the electrical surging gets worse. I also have hotflashes and severe sweating at times that alternate with the chills. A physical therapist thought I had causalgia (or RSD), but my neurologist just thought that the knots that I have from Myofascial Pain Syndrome (MPS) are pressing on nerves and causing the electrical shock feelings (but I had the knots from MPS for almost 8 years before that). I know it's caused by the sympathetic nervous system, though.

    I wish I could tell you what to do for all of it, but I've had to suffer for years with the migraines and the electrical shocks. I can't take any medications due to hypersensitivities. I actually developed full-blown POTS after barbiturates in a migraine medication built up in my system to severely toxic levels over a short period of time in 1995. They didn't believe that I hadn't taken that much, so the idiots gave me huge amounts (much higher doses than I'd been taking) over weeks supposedly to taper it out of my system. You could see through my medical records how my heartrate and blood pressure kept going up and up after the doses. They thought it was from withdrawal instead of because of the medication they were giving me in the hospital. I haven't been the same since.

    I'm sorry you're having these symptoms. I hope yours get better soon. I am definitely not a typical case, and hopefully your doctors will find something to help you.

    Take care,

    Lisa

  12. Hi Lisa,

    I've had problems with Tinnitus for years (ringing sound, airplane like sounds, and a lot of other noises). It developed a few years after I got full-blown POTS. Mine used to be severe and constant in both ears, and I had some hearing loss. It wasn't complete hearing loss but it was bad and long-lasting. I was afraid I was going deaf. I've also had problems with severe hypersensitivity to noise. I never knew exactly what caused it, and my doctors never evaluated it. I was told it could be caused by my migraines or TMJ, but I think it is part of the Dysautonomia. I still get it sometimes. Sometimes now it affects only one ear. You might want to mention it to your doctor, though, since yours is more intense now. I mostly just wanted to reassure you that it can get better, and I hope yours will soon.

    Take care,

    Lisa

×
×
  • Create New...