Migraine aura unable to cope

hi staci, how are you going with your auras?

ive recently had mine return and im very upset as i managed to avoid them for 18 months. have you found any relief?

Turn the brightness levels down when watching TV or using the computer.

Dear Staci. I would like to know how you are getting on? I have had three silent migraines with auras this week and they have traumatized me. It feels as if my body is out of control. I relate to everything you say and I have been so reassured by your posts because it shows me that other people experience this too and feel the same way. With love, Julie

Hello everybody,

I started having migraines with auras about 15 years ago, i am turning 41 next month. At first they had been very rare and I managed them so lightly. I only had visual auras back then, nothing numbness or prolonged headaches afterwards. I gave birth to my son when I was 30, and my hormones went crazy. After birth my stress levels were extremely high, and although I have been battling with anxiety and panic syndrome the more part of my life, the migrane attacks have become more intense when I had became responsible for my son's life.

I am in psychotherapy for over 10 years now, and about 2 years ago I decided to take it bloody seriously. Oh my I was so so arrogant before, shame on me. Digging deeper on my sessions the more various migrane symptoms occur. First i had vertigo for about an hour before the headache (thank God I am never having very painful headaches), last I was having an attack in the water park where I brought my son to and after some peripheral vision loss I just couldn't speak the correct words and sentences i've wished to. I thought I was having a stroke so an ambulance was called and all my bloodworks, test and CT scan results came back normal. my migraines now last for 2-3 days and are always come with an aura. I am having a MRI on January.

Here are my experiences and thoughts:

1. My mother was battling with aura migranes, doctors said it could be hereditary.
2. One of my very first symptoms (when i was around 20) was that I couldn't look straight ahead while walking on paving blocks as they seemed like forming a straight 'line' which bothered my vision.
3. I cannot drive at night or at twilight, nor I like walks as I have a sensation that I don't see anything and I can't focus my eyes for too long.
4. Stress, anxiety and unprocessed emotions make it more severe just as too many or too less sleep, caffeine and some foods (chocolate, cheese, nuts). I feel like my menopause have begun (mother started at an early age of 39) and my hormonal roller coaster is having a huge impact on it as well. I'm always having bad anxiety and/or panic attacks when auras start and they last for almost a day after them.
5. I can't stand loudness in any form, not only whilst migrane attacks, but never.
6. I cannot go anywhere without sunglasses, even winter, too bright or flickering lights are very triggering for me.
7. Since needing reading glasses and spending way too much time in front of screens, my vision is just not the same anymore. I see, but I can't see the way I used to. Ugh it is so hard to explain.
8. Because of my anxiety, the muscles in my neck and shoulders are always so stiff which is totally unconsciuos of me, I've noticed it also make my migraines worse and more frequent.
9. I can't stand patterns like striped and dotted walls.

   Sorry for my long post, hope to find someone with similarities.

   Best wishes to you all,

   Angela

Hi everyone. It's comforting to hear all of your testimonies and experiences with this terrifying condition. Thank you for sharing!

I'm pretty new at having these Migraine with Auras. Experienced my first one in 2021. It started with rainbow dancing zig/zag like in center of eye, slowly moving across. Then lost partial vision in left eye, thought I was gonna go blind. Lasted about 20mins. Massive Migraine after.

My second one happened 16months after the 1st one. No loss of vision, just rainbow zig-zag. Approx. 20mins long. Migraine after.

Had a third one today....couple weeks after the 2nd one. Zig-zags and migraine after.

It's nerve racking that #2 and #3 are so close together.

I am 32 years old. I have a son. I stress out alot, I have horrible posture that always causes headaches. I have an iud as birth control which causes me to have no periods. My family has a history of migraines. I think all these factors may cause the Auras.

My aura is the same. starts out small and gets bigger and it is shaped like a C or as described by Anne below, "like a horse shoe" zigzag lines. i started having it around 11 or 12 years old (maybe tied to period) and in 65 now. But when it first started i used to get the migraine headache and nausea. i had to throwup to lessen the pain. but when i turned 50 ish or so headache is not so bad. now i just get slight headache afterwards and a bit dizzy. still trying to figure out the triggers. i find that if i eat less processed foods, soy sauce or msg, chocolate and get better sleep etc i can lessen the attacks. Lately i am associating it with depression and anxiety that i suffer from.

I’m so sorry you are now having it. its awful and debilitating but not the end of the world so don't be scared. i too have my ups and down about it but it seems like there are lots of people out there with it and trying to live a normal life. you are not alone we are here for you.