Hrm.. do you think I should see a nutritionist or my doctor?

Background:
So they diagnosed me with silent migraines. Specifically it was my migraines causing my severe benign positional vertigo. I have been taking medication which is anti-seizure medication for epileptic seizures to reduce the cramping of the veins in my brain that cause my vertigo.

My mirgraines are ‘silent’ in the fact that I don’t get headaches. Just the light and sound senstivity and the vertigo.

So with the meds I also take Magnesium Oxide and B2. Here’s my problem. My diet.

The new diet retrictions include:
Only one serving of caffine a day (Chocolate, tea, coffee or soda)
One serving of citrus
No large servings of nuts
No MSG
No Nitrates found in Sausage, ham, bacon or red wine (white is totally fine)
No aspertaime

The diet is no biggie. The problem is I don’t want to eat. When I take the Magnesium Oxide it makes my appetite deminish. I look at food and it’s utterly unappealing. I know I do not react to the the vitamin the way others do. It does not ‘loosen’ me up at all and doesn’t affect my system like that in anyway. Just makes me un-hungry all the damned time. I crave protien and veggies around dinner (hand me a steak with broccoli and I’ll devour it) but until about 6pm I’m just not hungry. I take the meds in the AM and it wears off by dinner. I take the next vitamins (not the drug) at dinner and then by breakfast I’m famished but I don’t eat breakfast (never found it appealing anyway).

I’m beginning to think this is a very bad thing.

I’ve already lost weight for other reasons (my father’s death was a huge hit, dropped nearly 20lbs although I got most back) and although you’d think I’d be happy to be at my pre-wedding, just got to NYC weight (and I am a little) I’m also very aware I can’t afford to lose a lot more weight and realistically we need nutrition in our lives. I’m 40 and I don’t excerise. I don’t need to be 125 thank you very much. I’m happy at 135.

Do I complain to the doc who got me on this stuff?
Do I see my regular doc?
Do I see a nutritionist?

Re: Hrm.. do you think I should see a nutritionist or my doctor?

Are you sure it's the magnesium that is affecting your appetite or could it be the anti seizure drugs?
I take magnesium as well and it has never affected my huge appetite (though I wish it did a little! )

Either way, speak to your doctor first and if you get no answers, then I'd see a nutritionist to find healthy ways to get more calories in your diet

Re: Hrm.. do you think I should see a nutritionist or my doctor?

What is the name of the anti-seizure drug you are taking? If it's what I think it is, it's often prescribed to patients to lose weight because it contains an ingredient that suppresses appetite.

Hrm.. do you think I should see a nutritionist or my doctor?

Hrm.. never thought about the med

Topiramate
25mg once a day

Message edited 1/7/2016 11:14:18 AM.

Re: Hrm.. do you think I should see a nutritionist or my doctor?

Hrm.. do you think I should see a nutritionist or my doctor?

I'm 40 and want no more children
I have an IUD
They did ask me and talk to me about birth control but once I said IUD and god no more children please. They let it go.

They never once mentioned appetite suppression. Bad enough my normal diet is rather light, this is insane! I just look at food and I'm just not interested. How is this good for you?

Perspective.. Thinner but not dizzy.. I'll take Thinner any day. I just don't want to pass out from lack of nutrition either. I drink tons of water now and survive on oatmeal. One packet for all the morning. I figured it has to have good stuff in it. But it's utterly unappealing. And honestly I love apple cinnamon, but its just meh. By dinner though, I'm the first one done with my plate.

I try not to read into side affects unless I FEEL side affects. It's too easy to read and get side affects. Plus I'm just not normal. Magnesium Oxide of 400mg a day is supposed to make you loose. It doesn't bother me in the slightest. Topiramate is supposed to make you dizzy (says so on the bottle).. you know the thing I'm trying to avoid? But it doesn't make me dizzy.

B2 added in probably to counter the mood swings it causes. Vitamin B and I have history. I know very well if I am told to take it.. I ALWAYS take it! The one time I ignored it .... well.. it was scary.

Re: Hrm.. do you think I should see a nutritionist or my doctor?

Hrm.. do you think I should see a nutritionist or my doctor?

It will be a month next week.. not really subsiding :(
I've skipped a dose maybe 3 times.. those days I *EAT*!

Hrm.. do you think I should see a nutritionist or my doctor?

A nutritionist can def help.

Re: Hrm.. do you think I should see a nutritionist or my doctor?

Topamax is horrible. I was on it for one day in the hospital and could not wait to get off.

I also suffer from migraines and take magnesium and butterbur each once per day and it helps a lot. I also drink a ton of water and make sure to rest. I meditate as well which has helped.

I have complex migraines and get very bad side effects from them.

Re: Hrm.. do you think I should see a nutritionist or my doctor?

Re: Hrm.. do you think I should see a nutritionist or my doctor?

Re: Hrm.. do you think I should see a nutritionist or my doctor?

Wanted to add one more thing you may want to try that is natural as well.

I use an essential oil blend called "past tense" off amazon. It is about $22 and amazing. I put it on my temples when I feel a migraine coming and it really helps ward them off!

Re: Hrm.. do you think I should see a nutritionist or my doctor?

Re: Hrm.. do you think I should see a nutritionist or my doctor?

It's the topimax. I was in it for awhile and lost weight

Hrm.. do you think I should see a nutritionist or my doctor?

I agree with the pp- the topamax is the most likely cause of your decreased appetite. I took it for a few weeks several years ago to treat my migraines and I lost 15 pound in the first two weeks and I had absolutely no appetite at all- I had terrible memory loss on the medication and had to come off of it--try taking the topamax at night if you find that taking it in the morning is suppressing you appetite all day--I would talk to the doctor that prescribed the medication about you loss of appetite. As for the magnesium 400 mg is actually a low does and my not affect you GI track- I take 1000 mg and only had stomach issues the first week or so.

Re: Hrm.. do you think I should see a nutritionist or my doctor?

Ever heard of menieres? Google that. And if u do have positional vertigo then they need to literally do movements to ur head to loosen the crystals. I have Migraines silent and not silent and get Botox. Best thing ever. I'm having a feeling u haven't been diagnosed properly bc the vertigo that you are mentioning us crystal and ear canal related not usually migraines. Although migraines do cause vertigo. There are tears to check for crystals. Also Google. "House ear institute"

Re: Hrm.. do you think I should see a nutritionist or my doctor?

Max oxide is useless. Need glycinate or citrate for the bowels. Google best forms of magnesium and all reputable sites say the same xoxo

Re: Hrm.. do you think I should see a nutritionist or my doctor?

Sorry if I wasn't clear. Migraines do not cause the crystals that cause the positional vertigo. At all. Two separate issues. Migraines can cause migraine related vertigo though. But if proven ear crystals two separate disorders xox and yes it's the topamax ceasing your appetite

Hrm.. do you think I should see a nutritionist or my doctor?

Holistic doctor.

Re: Hrm.. do you think I should see a nutritionist or my doctor?

Re: Hrm.. do you think I should see a nutritionist or my doctor?

I didn't want to bore anyone with specifics.. but..

I have been suffering from vertigo for 5yrs off and on. never knew why. Been to an ENT and a Neurologist. No luck. Had MRIs and the ENT thought it was meniere's disease but that was ruled out after 3 months of watching my sodium intake and no change in my hearing. I have hearing loss due to my syndrome, Waardenburg Syndrome.

Finally my neurologist told me I was too young for vertigo (at 35) and it doesn't really affect people until 40.

Now (at 40) I see a doctor who specializes in otology/Neurotology. Who firstly said age makes no difference in the world!

I was put through a battery of tests that bordered torture but yes, it was confirmed to be migraines that cause my vertigo. As well as a follow up MRI that was compared to the MRI from 5yrs ago to rule out MS because I got tingly on one side of my body.

As I went into the tube for my MRI I looked down at my feet because I wanted to take my shoes off last second to be comfy. It set me off into a vertigo episode. I was suffering through the whole MRI and even after, had to sit around until I felt foolish and sat in my car then barely made it home.

Basically for the layman of me.. it was explained that the migraine constricts the blood vessels in my brain the control the portion of my brain responsible for balance and/or the portion that control the hearing centers that result in the displacement of the crystals, therefore causing the severe vertigo. I was seen during one of the episodes and to say severe wasn't just my words but the doctor was literally having fun watching my eyes dart in such a severe state and shocked I wasn't yet vomiting. Mostly cause I already had before I got there. Any movement, including standing, set me off. However, it can be remedied through a technique they have taught me that is in itself rather a bit torturous but it works.

My treatment is meant not to stop the migraines but to stop the vertigo caused by the migraines. So I will still have migraines to some degree but no longer as severe as to cause me to lose the ability to function.

My last episode cause me nearly a week of life really. I am unable to concentrate, memory loss, vertigo beyond the severe state but constant state of borderline moderate to severe and I become irritable (which is tough with a kid at home). It's very difficult to live like that. You begin to hate yourself.

This treatment is option 1. He admits there are dozens of various drugs that can treat me. But we are starting with this. My ironic issue is that since I never felt the migraine pain and only the symptoms of it such as light, sound and vertigo, I can't tell if it's really working. It's not like I had vertigo every single day of the past 5yrs. It was off and on through the year. I would say I had the dizziness 3-4 times a year and the other symptoms (tiredness, light/sound, irritable) about 4 time a year as well. So monthly but not in ways I'd recognize, until now that I know what they were. Mostly I'd just sleep them off. Irritable, is easy.. go have some ice cream! LOL

Re: Hrm.. do you think I should see a nutritionist or my doctor?

Interesting. Has your heart ever been looked at? I have a hole in my heart and that is a major cause of migraines.

Re: Hrm.. do you think I should see a nutritionist or my doctor?

Re: Hrm.. do you think I should see a nutritionist or my doctor?