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How can migraine lesions not have the same effects on the body as MS lesions? Diagnosed with migraines but no previous history. Told that there were "silent" migraines and should not cause any MS symptoms, like dysautonomia and non-epileptic seizures. I have been placed on depakote for my silent migraines which have helped my non-epileptic seizures tremendously (light doesn't bother anymore) but, my body temperature has recently started going up again (100°) for no reason. Also placed on lyrica because after eeg reading doctors said my brain never rests, even in sleep which tells them I'm in chronic pain even though I don't feel I am. Doctors added I have high tolerance for pain which is the reason I can't feel all the pains. Other on and off going symptoms not mentioned are: vision becomes blurry/double, vertigo, and numbness in extremities, and rib spasms. Since starting with the depakote and lyrica I haven't had anywhere near the amount of electric shock like pains all over (worst in the face, jaw). Same for pins and needles, sting feelings. For these reasons I continue with these meds. Now I must admit I have two ruptured discs ( last of lumbar and S1), DDD, and carpal tunnel in both hands, but I still have the symptoms I mentioned earlier. I was previously in awesome shape with symptoms showing more noticeable in 2013. Now I'm out of work and a license at only 37yrs old. I want to go back to work so badly but doctor will not release me to, due to minimal requirements for my job, and safety reasons. Is this all in my head? My CBT and psychiatrist don't think so, or my ENT and optometrist. Should I ask for another MRI or wait if or until something like what happened 2 yrs ago when I couldn't talk, see, or walk normally? I'm so tired of being tired.

Thanks for any help

Migraine lesions are a little different than MS lesions, they're previously ischemic tissue because the main effect of a migraine physiologically is the changes in blood flow. They tend to be much smaller (practically pin point) and more evenly distributed for this reason. It's a judgement call, admittedly, but a good radiologist should be able to tell the difference. MS lesions by contrast are larger (measured in centimeters in bad instances) and are formed not from lack of blood flow which causes the neuron to quietly wink out, but from dymelination which causes it to essentially short out.

Migraines can cause most if not all or your symptoms. It's been something that has been on the table with my own diagnosis but hasn't been seriously considered because of the timing aspect. My symptoms hit very hard then went into remission whereas with chronic migraines they should have gradually appeared and slowly gotten more and more insistent over time without much respite.

That said, the thing from two years ago sounds potentially more serious. How long was your vision effected?

criddybug wrote:How can migraine lesions not have the same effects on the body as MS lesions? Diagnosed with migraines but no previous history. Told that there were "silent" migraines and should not cause any MS symptoms, like dysautonomia and non-epileptic seizures. I have been placed on depakote for my silent migraines which have helped my non-epileptic seizures tremendously (light doesn't bother anymore) but, my body temperature has recently started going up again (100°) for no reason. Also placed on lyrica because after eeg reading doctors said my brain never rests, even in sleep which tells them I'm in chronic pain even though I don't feel I am. Doctors added I have high tolerance for pain which is the reason I can't feel all the pains. Other on and off going symptoms not mentioned are: vision becomes blurry/double, vertigo, and numbness in extremities, and rib spasms. Since starting with the depakote and lyrica I haven't had anywhere near the amount of electric shock like pains all over (worst in the face, jaw). Same for pins and needles, sting feelings. For these reasons I continue with these meds. Now I must admit I have two ruptured discs ( last of lumbar and S1), DDD, and carpal tunnel in both hands, but I still have the symptoms I mentioned earlier. I was previously in awesome shape with symptoms showing more noticeable in 2013. Now I'm out of work and a license at only 37yrs old. I want to go back to work so badly but doctor will not release me to, due to minimal requirements for my job, and safety reasons. Is this all in my head? My CBT and psychiatrist don't think so, or my ENT and optometrist. Should I ask for another MRI or wait if or until something like what happened 2 yrs ago when I couldn't talk, see, or walk normally? I'm so tired of being tired.

Thanks for any help

Welcome to ThisIsMS, criddybug. You asked for "any help" – here are my thoughts:

To answer your question elsewhere… I have no idea if diesel exhaust can cause brain lesions; I know that migraine headaches can cause lesions – I have no idea how the affects of migraine lesions differ from those of MS lesions.

Magnesium deficiency is one possible cause of migraines. Have you been tested for this possibility?

Why all migraine patients should be treated with magnesium. (2012)
A Mauskop, J Varugheser
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22426836

Magnesium, the second most abundant intracellular cation, is essential in many intracellular processes and appears to play an important role in migraine pathogenesis. Routine blood tests do not reflect true body magnesium stores since <2% is in the measurable, extracellular space, 67% is in the bone and 31% is located intracellularly. Lack of magnesium may promote cortical spreading depression, hyperaggregation of platelets, affect serotonin receptor function, and influence synthesis and release of a variety of neurotransmitters. Migraine sufferers may develop magnesium deficiency due to genetic inability to absorb magnesium, inherited renal magnesium wasting, excretion of excessive amounts of magnesium due to stress, low nutritional intake, and several other reasons. There is strong evidence that magnesium deficiency is much more prevalent in migraine sufferers than in healthy controls. Double-blind, placebo-controlled trials have produced mixed results, most likely because both magnesium deficient and non-deficient patients were included in these trials. This is akin to giving cyanocobalamine in a blinded fashion to a group of people with peripheral neuropathy without regard to their cyanocobalamine levels. Both oral and intravenous magnesium are widely available, extremely safe, very inexpensive and for patients who are magnesium deficient can be highly effective. Considering these features of magnesium, the fact that magnesium deficiency may be present in up to half of migraine patients, and that routine blood tests are not indicative of magnesium status, empiric treatment with at least oral magnesium is warranted in all migraine sufferers.

Vitamin D requires magnesium for proper functioning. Have you had a vitamin D blood test (the "25-hydroxy D test)? If so, would you share the actual number results with us?

Humans are known to be deficient in both magnesium and vitamin D.

As for sleep, vitamin D hormone has a connection to sleep:
Low on Vitamin D, Sleep Suffers, 3/3/2016
Dr. Michael J Breus
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/dr-michae ... 32008.html