Yes, yes. I know I should see a doctor. I will. As soon as I find one. University health center is closed and will be closed because the spring II session ended.
I talked about this before, but I thought it was just the pain medication I was taking.
Anyways, it happened again. I was biking today, and right as I was getting toward the end, I started feeling really strange and wobbly and decied to walk the bike home. My vision got spotty, and the colors looked off, like when you play in Photoshop and turn up the contrast, and I started to feel more and more like I was far away from my body. I sat for a little while and drank some water, and it started to go away. I waited for a while, then got up and started walking again. And I couldn't get half a block before I had to stop for the same reason. My head started hurting a lot in the back, like where your head and your neck meet.
I've been having bad headaches the past few days, but more in the sinus area. But I also have been feeling "off" temperature-wise at night. The first night, I felt like it was really, really hot even though my boyfriend insisted it was freezing. Also, light was kind of bothering me. Ever since, I've been feeling a little chilly when I go to bed. And today while biking, I started feeling COLD. Keep in mind, this is Louisiana in the summer. There is no way in hell it was actually cold. But I got goosebumps and was kind of shivering while I was biking.
I mean, what kind of doctor do you even see for this kind of thing? What could it be? I know I'm getting enough water, and I'm pretty sure I had enough to eat.
-pH
Posted by B34N (Member # 9597) on :
I've had something similar to that happen. It eventually went away but I definitely would at least go to see the University Doctor as soon as possible, like tomorrow. Just to be safe. Could be the flu??? Hope you feel better and try not too do too much until you see the doctor?
Posted by MyrddinFyre (Member # 2576) on :
To me it kind of sounds like low blood glucose.
Posted by Tante Shvester (Member # 8202) on :
quote:Originally posted by pH: Yes, yes. I know I should see a doctor.
I concur. If your regular medical folk aren't available, can't you see someone else?
Posted by Katarain (Member # 6659) on :
You have all of my migraine symptoms.
Vision goes wonky for about 30 minutes, and then it starts getting better. Then the pain of the migraine comes.
Sensitivity to light is also a VERY common migraine symptom, but not one that I really have. The location of your pain is pretty typical of some migraines, too, although mine tends to be located in the front.
It really really really sounds like a migraine to me. And they can last for a couple hours or for days.
If I take some Advil when my vision starts to go, I can often stop the pain before it starts, but I'll still feel nauseous and generally bad.
Posted by Katarain (Member # 6659) on :
Oh, and it very well COULD be caused by your pain medicine. My migraines seemed to be caused by my birth control pills, and my mother's are caused by chocolate and cheese.
There could very well be a trigger for your migraines, and pain medicines could be it--especially if they've only just started.
Or it might not be connected at all.
And in case you wanted to know, getting vision spots before a migraine is called a visual aura. There are other types of auras that precede a migraine, but I'm not sure what they are. What happens to me is that I get a small spot in my vision, that can be seen through both eyes usually. It's a white/clear sort of spot--it looks sort of like a prism or heat rising off of payment. Then it grows into curved lines and gets larger. I can look at something and not be able to see anything to the left or right of it. I can look at a person's face and only be able to see a small part at one time, like just an eyeball.
It doesn't have to be the same for you, though. People describe their visual auras differently.
Posted by pH (Member # 1350) on :
I'm calling my non-creepy female urologist who does NOT ask me embarassing questions in a VERY LOUD VOICE with the door open to ask her for a good doctor. What do I need, general practitioner?
Would it cause migraines though over a week after I stopped taking the pain medicine? My vision doesn't always go...it seems like just when I'm biking. I mean, I worked with my trainer on Tuesday and was fine, except that my trainer generally does whole-body strength training, not really cardio.
But the headaches come whether my vision gets wonky or not.
I was worried about migraines...when I went to the ER a month and a half ago, it was because I was getting this horrible headache around my eyes, and any light at all seemed to make me ridiculously nauseous, as well as sound, so I lay down in the dark, but the light coming in from outside (at 4 in the morning!) was too much, and I ended up throwing up a lot. But I thought maybe it was my UTI getting worse...the doctor said it wasn't, but he didn't even mention migraines.
It could be blood sugar...last night, I drank a couple glasses of milk, which made me feel better, although I was still really tired. -pH
Posted by rivka (Member # 4859) on :
GP would be fine; internist might be better.
Good luck!
Posted by Katarain (Member # 6659) on :
Yeah, light and noise sensitivity are both common symptoms. And throwing up is also a possibility with migraines. It hasn't happened to me, but it does happen to some.
I'm surprised nobody's mentioned migraines to you before--I mean, I'm not a doctor, obviously, but it sure does sound like you have them to me.
You might have something else making you sick, too, like the cold chills that you were getting--I don't know if migraines could cause that or not.
The thing is, migraines can be caused by all sorts of things--low blood sugar is probably one of them. Medicines are definitely a cause. Certain foods can also be triggers. I tend to get mine when I look at my monitor too much... I don't know why.
So just because it might be a migraine doesn't mean that there isn't something else that's causing them that needs to be taken care of.
And if the pain meds are causing it, they're probably still in your system. Or maybe they were just the catalyst that started the migraines. I don't know how it works...
Definitely see a doctor.
I prefer Advil because it is an anti-inflammatory, and I feel that it actually treats the cause of the migraine rather than just dulling the pain.
I've tried Imitrex and hated it. It made me feel even more nauseous and sick. I know at least one person who vomits from taking it. But it works for some people.
Migraines are horrible, but as far as I know, they're not life-threatening. They DO interfere with living your life normally when you have to be out of commission for several hours. And who knows, they could be caused by something serious--which is a good reason to go to the doctor, definitely.
And you know, I could be wrong.. they might not be migraines, but I would be shocked if they're not. Your symptoms are classic migraine symptoms.
Oh, and you don't have to get a visual aura to get a migraine. I don't always get it, but I do most of the time. I'm thankful when I do because I can take pills and stop the pain before it starts. If the pain starts, my only remedy is sleep... It doesn't make the pain go away, but by the time I wake up, it's gone. My brother has light sensitivity like you, and he has to go into a very dark room and sleep it off.
ETA: I'd just like to say... your symptoms DO sound more severe than my migraines, and certainly more frequent. I would definitely recommend seeing a doctor, because you want to make sure that they're not caused by something serious. I just don't want to give the impression that I think that just because they're probably migraines that they're nothing to see a doctor about. Seeing a good doctor is a must, no matter what it turns out to be.
Posted by pH (Member # 1350) on :
Well. My mother is having a spastic fit because I want to go to a doctor. Because "when you think you're sick, you'll just go to the doctor until they find something wrong." And "plenty of people would be HAPPY to have low blood pressure!" Also, apparently this is a divine sign that Wellbutrin is evil and making me sick (even though I've been taking it for over 6 months, and before have taken it for over a year, and have never had any side effects). You see, I bring this upon myself by being weak enough to succumb to the temptation of antidepressants.
Spectacular. Maybe I'm not going to the doctor after all.
-pH
Posted by Katarain (Member # 6659) on :
I really don't think this should be your mother's decision. Go to the doctor and tell them your symptoms--let them tell you what's wrong.
Posted by Katarain (Member # 6659) on :
She can't have it both ways. First you're not sick and you'll only get the doctor to tell you you're sick, and Secondly, you're sick because of your Wellbrutrin. Well, which is it? Are you sick or not?
She doesn't get to answer that question, though.
Go to a doctor.
Posted by martha (Member # 141) on :
Sounds like maybe migraine and maybe low blood sugar.
Low blood sugar, btw, is not the same thing as low blood pressure.
Next time you got biking, eat a banana first.
Posted by pH (Member # 1350) on :
Okay, doctor's appointment Wednesday with someone recommended by the nice urologist's office. I'm pretty sure it's still a women's doctor; they said it was right by her office, and her office is in the women's tower of the hospital.
I know low blood sugar and low blood pressure aren't the same, but I don't know which is the problem (if it's either)...because I tend to have low blood pressure, and I also can tend toward being hypoglycemic. But I've never had problems this severe before.
-pH
Posted by Belle (Member # 2314) on :
Have you had your blood pressure checked recently, preferably when you were feeling these symptoms?
I know for a fact any fire station here will have a paramedic who will check your bp for free, I'm sure your city does the same.
Posted by BlackBlade (Member # 8376) on :
quote:Originally posted by Belle: Have you had your blood pressure checked recently, preferably when you were feeling these symptoms?
I know for a fact any fire station here will have a paramedic who will check your bp for free, I'm sure your city does the same.
Or you can go to just about any large supermarket and they often have a machine somewhere.
From what you wrote ph I immedietly thought Migraine as well but when it comes to head/vision pain I dont mess around, get a doctor's suggestion asap.
Posted by rivka (Member # 4859) on :
quote:Originally posted by pH: Okay, doctor's appointment Wednesday
Good! Posted by Theaca (Member # 8325) on :
Btw Wellbutrin often raises blood pressure a bit. Not enough to cause a problem in young healthy girls, but definitely doesn't cause low blood pressure. Wellbutrin DOES have a 26% incidence of headaches, but that's more at first, and not the migraine type usually.
Posted by pH (Member # 1350) on :
See, that's what I thought, Theaca. But like I said, on the Wellbutrin, I have pretty low blood pressure. I don't know if it's always been that way, or of it's a by-product of some of the medications I had to take from 14-16 (which were known to lower blood pressure, and which lowered mine to the point that I got faint just from standing).
-pH
Posted by jeniwren (Member # 2002) on :
btw, Imitrex is not the only migraine med out there. I take Zomig for mine and other than minor spaciness, I experience no side effects. I never tried Imitrex.
The symptoms sounded like migraine to me too. I am very suseptible to the common triggers during certain times of the month, and the symptoms vary sometimes. Chills and light/sound/scent sensitivity, nausea, overheating and headache behind the eyes or peircing into one of the temples is pretty common for me. Zomig and a nap usually kick it.
Posted by pH (Member # 1350) on :
Question:
If my blood sugar is indeed going haywire and dropping really low, can I have Mexican? Because I really want beans and rice and cheese and chicken...
-pH
Posted by MyrddinFyre (Member # 2576) on :
Rice would be good for low blood sugar, though it would take longer than, say, orange juice or fruit to kick in.
Posted by rivka (Member # 4859) on :
Which is probably all to the good, no? Less likely to cause a rebound drop, I would think. (Keeping in mind that I am guessing.)
Posted by MyrddinFyre (Member # 2576) on :
Good point... I'm thinking like a diabetic hehe. The rice would certainly keep your bg up longer because it's more of a slow and steady glucose. Along with protein, it would keep you stable for the night.
Posted by Tatiana (Member # 6776) on :
It sounds to me like it could be meningitis. She seems to have fever (from the hot/cold anomalies), headache at the base of the skull, neuro symptoms, etc. I say go to the urgent care doctor immediately (unless you feel much better) and go to the emergency room if you begin to feel any worse.
Posted by MyrddinFyre (Member # 2576) on :
Oh my goodness, I hope she doesn't have meningitis Posted by mackillian (Member # 586) on :
Yeah, if you're not diabetic, but hypoglycemic only, the quick fixes would only cause a rebound drop (as rivka said). And that'd just start the cycle All Over Again.
Posted by pH (Member # 1350) on :
I doubt it's meningitis...I don't know where I'd get it at this point, and I was vaccinated. Although, I know that's only a vaccination against one kind. But I don't have any spine stiffness, and it usually hurts in the front of my head, not the back. But occasionally in the back. Actually, it's started hurting in the back now that I'm thinking about whether it's hurting in the back or not. But I thought you were okay as long as you could touch your chin to your chest.
I'm going to try going back on the hardcore hypoglycemic boot camp diet. But it pisses me off. No more onion peels.
-pH
Posted by Kwea (Member # 2199) on :
Zomig is great, JenniK uses it for migraines too. Beats the hell out of Imitrix in her opinion.
Tatinia, stop scaring the girl. She has enough on her plate.
Posted by Tatiana (Member # 6776) on :
Okay, if it were meningitis you would feel really really awful, I think. You do seem to feel too well for that.
Those symptoms sound vaguely neurological to me, though. Don't they to y'all? People are guessing migraine and low blood sugar but both of those things show their effects through the brain, i.e. neurological symptoms. So just don't rule out something neurological.
It's good that you are considering side effects of the meds you are on. That's another thing that seems quite likely to me. After all, those drugs are targeted at the brain, so it's not at all surprising if they have some neuro side-effects.
Bottom line is, see a doctor soon. Posted by pH (Member # 1350) on :
Well, the thing with it being medicine-related is that I've been on this medication for a long time, and I chose this particular medication because it was the one thing I'd taken in the past that hadn't given me pretty severe side effects (weight gain, loss of fine motor skills, blurred vision, etc.). I'd be much more apt to suspect the medication if it were an SSRI or one of those horrible GABA drugs.
I could see how Wellbutrin might aggravate blood sugar, maybe. It seems to speed up my metabolism a bit (it manages to act as a stimulant without making me shake and twitch). But I don't think it would cause any neurological harm, unlike many other drugs I've been given for periods far longer than any normal doctor would ever recommend. I mean, those wouldn't come back to bite me seven years later, would they?
Do people usually just develop migraines out of the blue? My friends who have migraines all found out in their mid-teens, I think. Or is it the kind of thing that can show up anytime?
-pH
Posted by Belle (Member # 2314) on :
quote:Or you can go to just about any large supermarket and they often have a machine somewhere.
I don't trust those. I have no evidence as to why I don't trust them, but I just instinctively feel like they can't possibly be as good as having a professional who has been trained doing it.
For example, even the machines in the hospital and doctor's offices (which I suspect are of higher quality than the ones in a supermarket) never register a blood pressure on me - mine is too low. They always have to take mine manually.
Posted by pH (Member # 1350) on :
Those machines are evil torture devices. I always feel like they're trying to squeeze my arm off!
Although they do have a blood pressure machine at my gym, plus I think they have health consultants who will take your blood pressure and stuff for you...I do need to go over there today....
-pH
Posted by Nighthawk (Member # 4176) on :
While I was waiting for prescriptions once I sat at that machine and had my pressure taken three times consecutively.
The results were all over the place. All I can determine is that my blood pressure was 110-150/70-100.
At least around here, you can go in to any fire station and get your blood pressure taken.
Posted by Katarain (Member # 6659) on :
I think migraines can just start occurring, but I guess I could be wrong.
I got them in high school a lot, and then very rarely for many years. It was only a year or so ago that I started having them again, and it coincided with a time that I changed my birth control for about 6 months. They've continued, though, with my original birth control, so I don't know exactly what causes them.
Even stress can cause them. So there's no telling...
Posted by pH (Member # 1350) on :
It would probably be a bad idea for me to do cardio on the same day as weights, right?
Because the weight stuff doesn't make me feel all sick, so I did that today. I got a little headache by the end, but that's all. And I still wanna do some cardio, but...
Bah, I guess I could walk somewhere. But I don't think that'll get my heart rate up to 140-170.
-pH
Posted by Tatiana (Member # 6776) on :
Yes, it's a good idea to go easy on the cardio until you figure this out, I think.
I didn't realize you hadn't changed your meds in so many years. It does seem unlikely that they would suddenly start causing problems at this date.
My first migraine came the summer I was 12, then I went several years without another one. They seem related to hormones, in a general way. I suppose you could start getting them at any age, though. Did you recently change your hormones for birth control purposes? I forget but it seems like I remember you going to the gyncologist in the last few months? I am pretty sure any hormonal birth control method could cause migraines.
But those are only guesses. I hope you figure out what it is and fix it. It's got to be scary when things like that happen!
Posted by pH (Member # 1350) on :
An update/rant:
Went to the doctor, sat in the waiting room for 40 minutes before I was informed that the student health insurance company was going to make me pay $200 up-front just to walk into the presence of an MD. And of course, I didn't have any way to pay two hundred bucks right then and there. So I left.
Why did this happen? Because I didn't have a referral from the student clinic. Which is closed. And which probably wouldn't give me one anyway, since it took four months and an ER visit to get the last one.
I could go to the freaking EMERGENCY ROOM for less out-of-pocket money than it would cost me to see a regular doctor to PREVENT me from going to the emergency room. Despite the fact that a regular doctor costs a lot less for the student health insurance company.
Yay!
-pH
Posted by rivka (Member # 4859) on :
Oh no!
So now what are you going to do?
Posted by pH (Member # 1350) on :
Not much I can do. If I get into grad school, I can go to the student clinic starting August 28. Until then, I'm SOL.
I might go see my pediatrician while I'm in Florida; she only charges $30 to people without insurance.
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