A diagnosis not to be taken lightly
If you have any of the symptoms described above ( #1 What is hemiplegic migraine? ), seek medical help immediately. Don't assume you have a hemiplegic migraine. Your diagnosis must be made by a doctor and a Cerebral Vascular Accident (CVA) must be ruled out. A CT scan or MRI of the head can reveal signs of a stroke, as well as cardiological (heart & blood vessel) exams to rule out any symptoms caused by blood clots. If a member of your family has similar symptoms, talk to your doctor. He may offer you a genetic test . Familial hemiplegic migraine (FHM) means that it runs in your family and you can pass it on to your children . People who do not have problems with the four genes, previously described , suffer from so-called sporadic hemiplegic migraine (SHD).
Divergence on treatments
There are still disagreements among doctors about how to
treat hemiplegic migraines . Your doctor can prescribe
preventive treatments to prevent hemiplegic migraines.
Crisis treatments , to stop them once they have started. And/or
treatments to relieve your symptoms. Consult your doctor, he will be able to recommend the best options available to you. There is controversy regarding treatments used to treat other types of migraines, in the treatment of hemiplegic migraines. Cases, anecdotal, have been identified for which triptans, beta-blockers and derivatives of ergotamine would have caused ischemia (stop or insufficiency of blood circulation) in patients treated for hemiplegic migraine.
CGRP inhibitors are a new class of preventive drugs for the treatment of the most common migraines, but indications suggest that this treatment would not be effective for hemiplegic migraines, studies to be continued.
