Vestibular migraine: What symptoms do you experience?

My migraines came after a Concussion in the left prefrontal lobe. The headaches were very site specific occurring at the point of contact Left prefrontal lobe and where the brain probably sloshed back at the back left Cerebellum. I still have headaches today but have found some relief from 400mg Magnesium-L and 400 mg of Vitamin B2 Riboflavin daily. This was accompanied with Vestibular issues that kept me from walking without touching something (so I knew where I was in space) and from Driving. Vestibular Therapy has helped, me drive safely and walk more steadily. There are still good and bad days and I limit my activities on bad days. I then find some relief. In reading books where I can stare at the same small space while sitting. My doctor recommended the Vitamins as being very helpful for people who have migraines and I found them to be so and much better than taking aspirin or Tylenol.

I know all too well what vestibular migraine is. Mine are directly related to rising and falling of barometric pressure. I found something that helps to eliminate half to 2/3 of these naturally.

Disclosure: I've had migraines most all my life and know mine have a heritable cause, they run in my family. I also know there are no cure-alls because migraines are a disease, and cannot be cured.

That said, I wear WeatherX earplugs that have tiny ceramic baffles in them, which help to equalize the barometric pressure when there are going to be dips, or a rise in pressure.

Weatherx.com has the information, and explains everything thoroughly.

Also, I have an app on my phone which will alert me to changes in pressure so I can insert them, to hopefully avert a migraine. It either reduces the feelings of a migraine or I don't get one!

Since I found these several months ago, I haven't had another vestibular migraine.

Whatever your doctors have prescribed for migraine disease, please follow their instructions. These weatherX earplugs may be helpful for you.

Perhaps your doctor
Would be interested in hearing about these earplugs?

Cheers!

Hello my name is Michelle, I also have suffered migraines since 2005, my family physician put me on Rizatriptan Benzoate 10mg and it really has made a huge difference on my Migraines, before I would have to leave work and be in bed up to 2 days, I can take up to 3 between 3 hours apart, one tablet usually dose the trick and not in bed sick and in huge pain for 2 days. I sure hopes this helps you!!
Michelle

Hi Dawn,
I was put on Gabapentin 300mg as a back up medicine for Epilepsy, my question is to you, has your Physician talked about long term effects from taking it, I have been on it for 9 years, and was wondering how it has helped you? I feel sometimes it’s over powering with my pain meds I take at night, some mornings I have trouble getting up and moving almost like a hangover feeling and I do not drink, only a glass of wine at Christmas.
Sincerely
Michelle from TX

Hi I was diagnosed at Mayo for these migraines with the same symptoms. I also have peripheral neuropathy and fibromyalgia. They put me on doloxtin 60mg. I was on gabapentin but new doctor is helping me get off it because of so many side effects. It’s hard to deal with at times understand what you are going through. Dawn

Welcome, @2young460. I'm confident that members @nrd1 @jenniferhunter @erin38 @uldiver @klhe to offer their experiences with vestibular migraines with you. Because you mention upper respiratory illness, I'm also going to tag @sueinmn on this discussion as she has experience with both lung conditions and vestibular issues.

Hello, I know this is an old thread but I am hoping someone is still looking at it. Last May, after an upper respiratory illness, I started having what I thought were episodes of motion sickness. 8 months and $25,000 in med charges later, I am still not well and don't have a diagnosis. My "episodes" are now waves of pressure rising and lowering in my head almost constantly and sometimes for an added bonus I walk with a drunk stagger, and since everything else has been ruled out (MRI normal, CT normal, ears normal, ENG normal, not vertigo, not meniers, not aied, etc. ) they are guessing Vestibular Migraines. They started me on Topamax 2 weeks ago and no improvement yet. Can someone please give me something to go on? Any advice is appreciated. Thank you.

@nrd1 You are welcome. I would encourage you keep working with physical therapy because a muscle spasm that twists a spinal disc can be treated and the problem may be resolved. I know for myself, if either C1 or C2 is twisted a little forward, it causes the occipital headaches by stretching those muscles and tension, and that progresses to vertigo if I would look upward because that also stretches the vertebral artery in the vertebrae and looking upward then compresses it. Thanks for confirming that is your experience too. If I feel a headache at all, I will lay down to put the muscles on slack and check my alignment of C1 through C4. I'm fused at C5/C6. I can realign my neck very gently because I have worked with my therapist on correcting this. I had muscle spasms and thoracic outlet syndrome making my neck too tight on one side. I address all of that tightness with myofascial work, and it works. I have a lot fewer problems with this since I had spine surgery and my neck spasms have calmed down. Any neck therapy can be a risky business, so you have to work with a PT who is an expert, and not a chiroprator. I can still provoke a spasm if I have my head turned for too long, like watching TV if I don't have my body facing forward with my head, and then I stop and correct it, and massage out the kinks.

Here is our discussion about myofascial release.
https://connect.mayoclinic.org/discussion/myofascial-release-therapy-mfr-for-treating-compression-and-pain/
This link has a lot of articles on head/neck/jaw issues and vestibular problems related to spine alignment.
https://mskneurology.com/category/jaw-head-neck/

@jenniferhunter-thank you for your detailed input. I appreciate the time you take to explain. It started with feeling like I got hit in the back of head with a baseball bat. Could not get head comfortable on a pillow. It felt like cement when I laid down. I have had xrays, MRIs. All show “normal” which of course I am thankful for that. All of the physical therapy, such as massage and MFR, say my C2 feels slightly twisted forward. This feeling has slowed moved up over my forehead and into eye area. They want to throw meds at me, of course, while I am trying to get to the root cause. It is 24/7. Does not go away. And I’ve now developed vertigo with it upon looking up. The stress of the sensation only causes more tension and guarding, so it’s difficult to release the additional stress it’s caused. I greatly appreciate the links you provided. Thank you.

@nrd1 I think myofascial release physical therapy may be able to help you with the scalp tightness. There is a lot going on with the head and neck and jaw muscles. Here is our MFR discussion and a link to lots of detailed articles about related physical issues. If you haven't consulted about your cervical spine and had imaging, you may want to do that do in case spine alignment could be causing the ocipital headaches.
https://connect.mayoclinic.org/discussion/myofascial-release-therapy-mfr-for-treating-compression-and-pain/
https://myofascialrelease.com/find-a-therapist/
https://mskneurology.com/category/jaw-head-neck/