A woman who has suffered from migraines for nine months says it is so painful it feels like she has a drill in her eye – and doctors don’t know when it will stop.
Mitta Quissorcumar, a publicist from Great Britain, has struggled with migraines since she was 20, which could last for hours at a time.
But in January of this year, a migraine broke out that was “relentless” and refuses to go away — even after countless medications and trips to the ER.
Doctors diagnosed her with atypical hemiplegic migraine, a rare form of one of the most severe types of migraines linked to problems with nerve cells.
She has now spent more than $1,800 trying medications – everything from medications to acupuncture and even oxygen therapy – but with little luck, with the only relief from symptoms being cannabis drops to help her sleep at night.
Mitta Quissorcumar, a publicist from Britain, has struggled with migraines since she was 20, which last for hours at a time (stock image)
Writing in the Insidershe said, “The pain feels like I have a drill in my eyes and the top of my head.
‘I am tense and have developed neck and back pain, as well as jaw pain from grinding my teeth. I am sensitive to light, sounds and smells.
‘I feel nauseous all the time. When it started, I had trouble eating.”
She added: ‘I spend my days getting through my workday, which luckily is a desk job that I can do from home.
‘I spend my evenings in my dark bedroom.
“If I try anything extra, like visiting friends or cleaning the house, I’m out of commission for the rest of the week.”
Ms Quissorcumar said her migraines started on January 12 for no apparent reason because she had been eating and sleeping well and avoiding the triggers.
The pain was unbearable for the first four days, but then dropped to a more ‘bearable’ level.
She went to her doctor, who prescribed sumatriptan, a drug that works by constricting the blood vessels in the head and helping to reduce headaches. But this didn’t even touch the pain.
A few weeks later, when pins and needles emerged on her right side, she was sent to the emergency room.
Initially there were concerns she was having a stroke as she was unable to move the right side of her face on arrival, but after tests ruled this out she was diagnosed with an atypical hemiplegic migraine.
A hemiplegic migraine is a rare form of headache that causes temporary paralysis or weakness on one side of the body and can mimic a stroke. It can be caused by changes in blood flow to parts of the brain.
Estimates show that this type of migraine accounts for less than 0.01 percent of all migraines.
An atypical form is an even rare form of the condition that can cause even more severe symptoms.
Doctors performed several MRIs but were unable to identify a cause of the persistent migraine, such as a tumor.
Ms Quissorcumar has been prescribed several medications but said they have not worked – some of which made her situation worse.
She has now tried acupuncture, a hot stone massage, neck and back massagers, meditation, yoga and even oxygen therapy to alleviate the symptoms – to no avail despite the $1,800 invested.
She has also tried cupping, which involves placing cups on the skin to reduce tension, and a migraine hat, which allows people to place cold or warm bags next to the head.
The only thing that has helped ease the pain are cannabis drops, which she takes at night to help her sleep.
Ms Quissorcumar said she also feels “constantly rejected” by doctors who have sent her home, saying what she is experiencing is “just a headache”.