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LadyPenguinBevSUCCESS!
LadyPenguinBev
Q.

what are complex migrains

I had an incident at work where my right arm went numb, I had problem speaking for a few seconds and felt like I might faint.  I was in the hospital for 5 days undergoing stroke tests.  I was diagnosed with complex migrains and was told that it produces stroke symptoms.  What exactly, or as close as I can get, is a complex migraine, and how can I treat it without medication?

Related Topics: Migraine, Stroke, Arm, Lightheadedness
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Elizabeth HanesElizabeth HanesSUCCESS!
Elizabeth Hanes
General Medicine
Nursing
976 Answers
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A.
I'm sorry to hear you went through such a scary episode, but I'm glad it was a migraine and not a stroke!

"Complex migraine" is a term used to identify rare types of migraine headaches that have specific symptoms not usually associated with a common or classic migraine.

For example, a classic migraine usually starts with a visual disturbance (called an "aura"), and then proceeds to a painful headache.

A complex migraine may fall under one of these types:
  • Hemiplegic, which includes temporary paralysis or weakness on one side of the body (often mimicking a stroke)
  • Retinal, which includes loss of vision in one eye
  • Basilar artery, which usually affects young women and includes symptoms such as confusion and difficulty speaking
  • Ophthalmoplegic, which includes pain and paralysis of the muscles surrounding the eye
  • Status migrainosus, which is a severe migraine that lasts for days

It sounds like you may have experienced a hemiplegic migraine or a basilar artery migraine.


Just because you had one migraine doesn't mean it will ever happen again. That's the tricky thing about these headaches. Often, doctors will wait to treat a patient until they've had multiple migraines over a course of time. That may be why you were sent home without any treatment.


If you have any questions about your migraine experience, I suggest you follow up with your primary health care provider. He or she can help you understand what happened and if you need treatment.


Wishing you all the best!

This answer should not be considered medical advice...down arrowThis answer should not be considered medical advice and should not take the place of a doctor’s visit. Please see the bottom of the page for more information or visit our Terms and Conditions.up arrow

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