Migraines vs. Strokes

Posted by turner14 @turner14, Mar 8, 2017

While stationed in the Republic of Vietnam as a legal clerk, I was experiencing what I thought were migraines. I was treated for migraines, but not evaluated for stroke. More recently, a neurologist informed me I had brain scarring--indicative of a stroke. I have had several mild strokes. I feel I was misdiagnosed, but getting the VA to admit it has proved difficult. I simply don't know what to do.

Interested in more discussions like this? Go to the Stroke & Cerebrovascular Diseases Support Group.

Colleen Young, Connect Director | @colleenyoung | Mar 9, 2017

Hi @turner14,
Welcome to Connect. I'm tagging @johnjames and @macbeth on this discussion who may be able to advise on dealing with veteran affairs. You may be interested in joining these discussions:

- Video discussion with Dr. Thomas Brott about Strokes http://mayocl.in/1sS5xvN
- Agent Orange and Neurological Disorders http://mayocl.in/2lJzlv5

Turner, what treatment are you receiving for future stroke prevention? Do you still suffer migraine-like pain?

turner14 | @turner14 | Mar 9, 2017

In reply to @colleenyoung "Hi @turner14, Welcome to Connect. I'm tagging @johnjames and @macbeth on this discussion who may be..." + (show)

Because there is no VA hospital in my geographical area, and when I suffered a mild stroke on 12/18/2016, I was treated at Palmdale Regional Medical Center. The emergency room physician prescribed Levetiracetam--500MG. I have been subsequently treated by the VA hospitals, and the doctor prescribed aspirin, which I have been taking. In January 2017, while being examined by the VA neurologist, I had another stroke and was taken to Northridge Hospital where I was admitted. With each attack, the right side of my face sags/droops. The ensuing neurological examinations at the VA involved MRI's, which showed a cluster of strokes on the left side of my brain, top left side of my brain, and the top right side of my brain.

While in Vietnam, exposed to Agent Orange, I started experiencing what was diagnosed as migraines. It was much later, when I was experiencing what I described, to the VA doctor, "swimmer's ear--a sensation that something was lodged within my left ear. He ordered a MRI of the left side of my brain, and the result insinuated I had had a stroke, as there was scaring on the left side of my brain. To confirm this, the doctor ordered a full MRI of my entire brain, which confirmed the result--that I had had a stroke. I feel I was misdiagnosed. Instead of a diagnosis of migraines, the diagnosis should have been "stroke". What's most interesting is that for the migraines, which I felt I was suffering from, I was prescribed Sumatriptan.

My symptoms persist. It is like a crescent forming at the nape of my neck--moving to the front of my head. That is followed by a tingling sensation on the side of my tongue. My right hand starts to move in all directions, and that is followed by the sagging/drooping of the left side of my face.

Recently, the neurologist said I was suffering from "complex" migraines. I disagreed with him, because migraines don't cause scaring of the brain, and his diagnosis was contradicted by the evidence on his screen which showed the strokes, which he explained to me.

I simply don't know what to do except continue to take the aspirin.