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Welcome to the Migraine Cause and Family History Forum

I have a strong family history of Familial Hemiplegic Migraine. My daughter and two of my nieces have experienced them once or twice, but I have them much more often – 2 a month on the average. I have many more relatives who have migraine with aura and I experience these as well from time to time. Both of my parents have migraine with aura, I suppose that’s why I am so susceptible besides the fact that I have asthma which is linked to migraine.

cindybear, often patients who suffer both asthma and Migraine react well when supplemented with magnesium. Have you tried this for a few months yet?

C A D A S I L an autosomal DOMINANT genetic disorder that causes cognitive vascular impairment a burden of illness similar to that caused by and often misdiagnosed as Alzheimer’s disease. Some early symptoms of CADASIL can be numbness, MIGRAINE headaches , mood disorders and TIA’s. CADASIL is often misdiagnosed as MS. If you suffer from any of these symptoms or there is a family history of stroke, Alzheimer’s or MS ask your doctor about CADASIL.

http://cep.sagepub.com/content/31/6/760.extract

Olivia, why don’t migraine specialists check for this instead of throwing drugs at us? I was just recently told to check out CADASIL and I wonder why my neurologists haven’t checked this in 20 years. I had a TIA 30 Years ago when I was in Iceland and recently have had numbness twice in my left arm. When I informed my neurologist of the numbness he wasn’t concerned. My mother suffered from migraines, a hereditary heart condition and dementia but I don’t know if she had a stroke. I want to be tested for CADASIL but am afraid that my doctor will ignore my wishes again. I don’t want more drugs I want to understand why I have a massive migraine for 4 months.

Ladykricket, Many doctors don’t look into CADASIL because they think it is too rare a disease. However much of the literature now says that CADASIL may not be as rare as previously thought.

Ladykricket you can visit CADASIL support on facebook.

Olivia and Ladykricket, Sometimes doctors don’t want the added pressure of testing patients for longshot ailments. This doesn’t make it right, but it does make it understandable.

I have found that how you word the request can make all the difference in the world. For instance, many doctors go onto the defensive when told “I heard about this and want to be tested for it.” They feel their knowledge has been usurped for some rare longshot crazy disease, and this is a negative feeling they don’t appreciate.

Instead you might try “Dr. I have this information (show printed article) about something called CADASIL. Because so many of the symptoms fit me and my family history, I would really like to rule this out.” In this case you are not looking for the boogie man (which doctors have learned rarely exist in real life) but the opposite – you’re being smart in ruling something out… getting it out of the way so you can go on to continue treatment as recommended.

My grandma,aunt,and mom all suffered from migraines. I had my first migraine at 12 and thought I was going to die it hurt so bad. My doctor has diagnosed me with menstrual migraines. As I type this I am entering my fourth day with one. I need to change my med as the med my doctor gave me does nothing. I want to try topamax as that wards off migraines. Imitrex has worked for me in the past.

Hello babydoll9206, Does your doctor know you are on day 4 of this particular attack? A severe Migraine lasting more than 3 days is a serious situation called Status Migraine that should be seen by your doctor.

Have you tried other preventives yet for your attacks?

My father and his biological siblings all have migraines, my grandma and great-grandma both did. The age the migraines began vary within my family. My dad and a few of his siblings were yonger than 10yo when they started…I had one at 17 and then started getting them more regularly at 18, which is when I was officially diagnosed. My biggest fear is that I will pass this on to my future children and it breaks my heart. My sister does not get them, and I pray that my niece will never have to experience them either.

My father, brother, daughter and I suffer from migraines. My Dad stopped getting them around age 60. My daughter started getting migraines about age 20. They definately run in our family. I don’t get an aura, but my father, brother and daughter all do.

had my first complicated migraine in 7th grade, never got another one until my 30′s when i thought I must be dying. I’m 51 now and was hoping they would be gone by now. My father had migraines when he was young, as did my brother. They don’t get them anymore. My sisters and I started late and still have them. 2 of my kids have them. We found a journal of my great grandfathers from over 100 years ago, in it he often mentions having the “sick headache”. Sucky gene to pass down