Around 4 years ago I went to the doctors because I was experiencing neck pain, face pain and eye pain (all left side). To accompany this I was also experiencing dizziness and 'blackouts' (the only way I can really describe it. I would remain standing most of the time but would beome very shaky and lose my vision). Doctor took blood and ran full blood work. Came back that my iron levels were low so he put me on an 8 week course of iron supplements to increase my iron levels. After that 8 weeks, I went back and he re-did my blood work. Everything came back fine. I was however still experiencing all the same symptoms. He told me to just take paracetamol and ibuprofen. After a while it started to settle a little. The dizziness. The neck pain, face pain and eye pain remained. So I went to the opticians. They prescribed me glasses for using when I am on the computer or reading but very low strength. Well late last year I came down with a cold and it all started to get worse again. The cold hung around for 2 months, lost my voice for near enough 4 months, had 2 lots of antibiotics and 1 lot of steroids to clear it but it just had to run its course I guess. Anywho, I got over that, but the face pain neck pain, eye pain, headaches and dizziness came back worse than ever.....I went to the doctors (new doc) and told him all of the above. He diagnosed it as migraines and prescribed Topiramate. They've been working a treat since May, but my pain is now coming back (I know its not very politically correct but I call it my stroke face...only because I can't feel the left side of my face when the pain comes and it feels like my mouth is drooping - I don't mean to be offensive to anyone. It's the only way I can describe it), I'm not sleeping at night (I get 2, maybe 3 hours most nights) and my head is 'fuzzy'. I say fuzzy becuse whenever I try to concentrate on anything its like my brain is working twice as hard to process anything. Even looking at the clock....Looking at it I can tell the time....when I have to then put that on paper or tell someone else, my brain just stalls? Then there is the matter of when I am trying to focus on something. 9 times out of 10 my vision just blurs and sometimes still objects look like they are moving. I also know when it's coming on because I get a 'brain freeze' headache right at the front of my head behind my left eye. Pretty much like i've just drank a slushy too quick but its mostly my left side... Do you think it is worth continuing with the topiramate even though it seems to not be working as effectively as it used to?
Also, could this be something other than migraines because painkillers don't seem to help with the pain at all?