Migraine auras

Posted , 7 users are following.

Hi all im 45 year old male . I had what i can discribe as zigzag lines in my vision . This happened about 2 years ago for the first time i have had 4 episodes since . Just before this aura happens i seem to get a sign . It feels like by balance goes slightly and feel a bit light headed . I then get the zigzags fo 10 to 15 mins once with a headache . I then seem to be zapped of my energy with a heavy feeling above the same eye as the zigzags and tingleing in my fingers and lips . I find it scary as my anxiety go up ...it all this normal pls help with comments so i can relax abit ...thanks

1 like, 12 replies

12 Replies

  • Posted

    Sounds totally typical of migraines to me. I have hemiplegic migraines with aura. I get up to 25 attacks every month.

    HAve you spoken with with your GP? There are lots of medication that you can take. None of them are working for me so far, but everyone is different.

    Good luck

    • Posted

      Yes i have been to the docs but not much use Just monitor what happens they say .i take propranonol for anxiety . I just find it scary as you can read so much about it and being related to strokes . Just wanted to find out first hand if anyone else gets the symptoms i get bit of resurance in a way
  • Posted

    Hi darryl

    I had exactly the same symptoms as you for 2 years on and off.

    Then one evening I couldn't get up from my chair and my left side felt weak and heavy, within half hour I had worse head pain ever on right side, anyway after about another half hour or so it passed. During the next day and following 4 days I noticed my balance was off when walking, vision was poor and I couldn't speak properly was stuttering slurring couldn't get words out in order, saw GP who thought I'd had a stroke and got ambulance was in hospital (had scan, tests etc) when consultant diagnosed hemiplegic migraine. I have the aura most of the time don't always get the migraine, only since beginning of this year have a new symptom as now also having frequent episodes of left facial drooping.

    I've only tried 2 different meds, didn't make any difference and didn't like side effects but as faye says everyone is different so you might be prescribed one that works well for you.

    All the best.

     

    • Posted

      Thanks for replying . Have you found what triggers your attacks i just cant seem to make any sence of what triggers mine .bam its there
    • Posted

      I understand where you're coming from, unfortunately I can't pinpoint what my triggers are either, if I'm stressed, anxious or not I still have them, if I'm on holiday relaxing I still get them, if I'm exercising, swimming, gym etc still get them. I appear to have some form of the aura a majority of the time, although can be worse at times than other times but still can't specifically say why that is. It gets so frustrating, but I try to carry on as best as I can and wear a medic alert bracelet nowadays.

    • Posted

      Well i had a aura today at our caravan and i now have dull ache above left eye . This morning i had 3 coffees at 8.00 to 9.00 not decaf although i have been drinking decaf for about 2 years . I cleaned the windows on the caravan sort of bending my nrck back to look under the open windows .I took my wife shopping to wilkinsons it was when i was in there that i felt a bit odd and said to my wife i am going to get a aura i now when im going to get one but no why . Flickering lights maybe in supermarket . It would be nice to no how long it takes for the aura to happen after what caused it i.e coffee . It would give us more of an idea what to avoid
    • Posted

      Yes I have tea and coffee decaf, also if using computer, phone, etc, I have brightness turned quite low so it's not too glary, likewise with my livingroom lamp it's an adjustable one. I have home delivery for my weekly food shopping.

      I've woken up in the morning after a good nights sleep with the visual aura, like triangular zigzaggy shapes and also sometimes white flickering like really heavy snow, which is really strange. I don't understand it at all. I mentioned to my doctor if it could be medication aggravated/related as I also have angina and she said it's unlikely.

    • Posted

      Regarding the 3 coffees....I find if I have too much caffeine this will give me a migraine. Even though a little caffeine helps at other times.
  • Posted

    I get migraine auras as well. I've pinpointed my trigger to be my neck position.  When I look down, this brings on an aura for me.  I do have neck issues though....Lots of degeneration in my neck, spinal stenosis, bone spurs, etc.  Do you have any neck issues?

    Laurie

    • Posted

      Hi . I do suffer with stiff necks but thats work related looking up a lot when painting . I never thought of neck positions
  • Posted

    Hi Darry.  I'm a 73 year old male.  Most posters seem to be ladies, but I am anxious to compare with other males, since more likely to have similar life experiences.  Thanks for sharing your symptoms.  My own are;  starting with a blind spot in left eye, evolving into a zig zag aura.  This then evolves bigger and bigger over a period of maybe 20 minutes, then within a short time comes the intense, front of forehead, headache.  This is completely debilitating.  At the onset of the initial blindspot, I take 2 paracetamol or neurofen tablets and 2 hours later, 2 more followed by a further 2, 4 hours after that. All this while sitting with eyes closed.  It takes about 6 hours for the headache to subside to a level where I can function, but I feel delicate for the next 24 hours.  Nausea comes with the aura and stays for roughly 3 hours.  The scary thing for me was that after getting attacks very infrequently, I had 3 in one week.  I have narrowed this down to the fact that I ate only junk food (my wife was away) in that period, all probably containing preservatives etc.  I have been prescribed Sumatriptan, but this has no effect, although my Doctor insists that it will cure the headache !  Apart from the fact that I cannot move during the headache, I do not have your loss of energy or the tingling and I find that any anxiety feeling is better controlled by staying calm and very still.   During this time, I am best left alone, since no-one can help.  What I find frustrating is that there are so many variations of this condition, but no definitive information to help pinpoint an answer, so frankly, we are all casting about in the hope that someone, somewhere, will come up with a way of controlling this awful condition.  I have learned that this is a worldwide problem with an amazing amout of people affected.  I am sure that none of this will be very helpful to you since we all seem to have similar, but different symptoms.  My own seem trivial to some other sufferers.  Best wishes,  Roy.

    • Posted

      I have these exact symptoms but Sumatriptan has worked for me so far. My aura lasts about 30 min and then headache starts. What i have figured out is if i take Sumatriptan around 15 min in to the aura, then it works the best. So i always keep one tablet with me all the time whereever i go. and i take it if i get an attack. btw, after every episode, i get floaters in my eyes. does anyone have that? i have had migraines since 2001. so till now i have accumulated so many floaters in the eyes that now they are kind of bothering.

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