First time experience with aura

By CEB56 Saturday, September 05, 2009

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I am a 56 year old female. I have suffered from migraine headaches for the past 10 years but with no aura associated with them. My migraines have been less frequent and less severe over the last 2 or 3 years and I can usually control my pain with over the counter migraine medication. Last night, without any warning, I had an aura for about 5 minutes. I did not develop a headache with it. I didn't know what it was until I researched it today and realized that it was indeed an aura. It was so amazing and also terrifiying that I want to discuss it with others who have experienced it. I saw vivid colors and zig zag lines. Afterwards I felt so drained and couldn't sleep last night.

Great week

Comments (16) | Add comment

Nancy Harris Bonk, Health Guide

9/ 6/09 9:08pm

Hello, and welcome to MyMigraineConnection.com!

It is very scary when we encounter a new symptom we've never had before. It is always a good idea to let the doctor know your Migraine pattern has changed, which can happen.

We have some really good information on the four phases of a Migraine attack in this article: Anatomy of a Migraine.

Thank you for creating a SharePost. SharePosts are a form of blogging, and there are many things you can do with them. You can share an experience, suggest something that's helped you, use SharePosts as a Migraine and headache journal, and many other things.

We also have a discussion forum that you may want to check out. Especially if you have questions or are looking for information, you may find the interaction on the forum to be quite helpful. To get to the forum, just look for the orange box marked "Manage" and click on the Migraine Forums link. Because our forums are maintained by a third party, you'll need to register for the forum. You can use the same information you used to create your community log-in if you like. If you want to go directly to the forum, you can click

HERE.

Along with your personal "My Home" page and the discussion forum, you'll find links to a great deal of helpful information and a spot to sign up for our free newsletter on the main page of our site, http://www.MyMigraineConnection.com

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If you have any questions, please feel free to post them to the forum or send me a message through my profile.

Welcome again,

Nancy Bonk

MyMigraineConnection.com Expert

CEB

9/ 6/09 9:28pm

Thank you so much for your reply and for the information about the discussion forum. I will check it out.

Melanie Jane

9/ 7/09 2:03pm

You might also find helpful information at this website for the "Migraine Aura Foundation." Here's the link:

http://www.migraine-aura.org/content/index_en.html

Explore the tab entitled "Migraine Aura." It has some great images migraineurs have submitted depicting what their visual auras look like to them. It also has descriptions of the many other types of (non-visual) aura experiences. I found this site very helpful when my aura symptoms became more alarming (to me) about two years ago. In my case, my PCP thought I was having panic attacks. Not so, just new aura experiences....

Good luck to you.

CEB56

9/ 7/09 10:05pm

Thank you so much for this information. I did go on the website and found it very helpful. I am calling my doctor tomorrow to explain my symptoms to him. This was not the club I would have wished to join but I'm glad you're out there. Take care. C

Melanie Jane

9/ 8/09 12:44pm

Glad this has been of some help. I know what you mean by the club you'd rather not have joined. I know everyone is different, but in my case, the aura symptoms which were most alarming to me (numbness in my arms and brief but total vision and hearing loss) abated after changes in meds and better migraine management, thank God. Now the most prominent symptoms I have are hallucinatory odors and not being able to find the words I want to say! I hope for the best for you.

cil1971

9/10/09 4:00pm

My son who is now 30 has had migraines since he was 6 or 7. When he first started having them, there was no aura. We had him tested for all types of things: brain tumor, hypoglycemia (which we later learned can cause a migraine), etc. Finally, by the time he was older, he began to notice the aura. The medications have come SO FAR in the last few years that they are literally a lifesaver for him. An aura is really a good thing now - it is an indication that he needs to immediately take his meds. Pills don't work for him because of the nausea, he would usually vomit them up so we went to Imitrex nasal spray. This med has literally changed his life! If he takes it as soon as the aura starts, he experiences no pain whatsoever. So the aura is maybe a little scary but it is very helpful at the same time.

lawsce

9/10/09 5:06pm

Last year, I experienced my first aura after years of migraines (without knowing they were migraines). Just like you described, I saw a vivid bright yellow in the center of my vision with wavy zigzag lines. There was no pain either before, during or after. It lasted about 20 minutes, so I didn't really know what it was. It was a little freaky.

Now, I am on a migraine preventative that seems to help a lot. The only aura type experience I have now is what I call fireflys. When I blink, sometimes I see bright spots that quickly dissapate.

iam2cross

9/10/09 5:53pm

If you don't mind me asking, which preventative has been successful for you?

lawsce

9/10/09 8:01pm

I know that many do not like this one, but I'm using Topamax with minimal side effects and seems to control my migraines very well. I am on a lower dosage than most that I have seen listed.

I always thought I had sinus headaches until finally getting it diagnosed correctly two years ago.

rbcool

9/11/09 6:30pm

I experienced my first aura when I was in high school, over 30 years ago and it really terrified me because I have one good eye, I only see movement and colors in the other one. I had what appeared to be lighting bolts that came on slowly and covered the eye. It lasted about 15-20 minutes then dissapeared and I had no headache before or after. My ophthalmologist called it eye migraine. I have had a few since going sometimes years between one. When I have one I have a grey area in the middle of my eye and I can't see very well. I am so lucky I have not had one while driving. I do have enough time to pull over if I do but it would be scary. I had migraines about one day a month until I had a hysterectomy 13 years ago. I then had daily migraines for about two years and now I have about one a week. I have been on Inderal as a preventive and use Aleve and Imitrex during an attack. I do experience a loss of peripheral vision before a migraine but the vision loss does not extend over the whole eye and I do than get a migraine so I know the difference between the two symptoms. It is nice to know others are going through this too and can relate their symptoms and results.

CEB56

9/11/09 7:38pm

Thank you for your comment. I am sorry that you have had these problems. I didn't have a headache for 3 days. I then had a headache in the back of my head. I had heart palpatations and numbness in the limbs. I went to the ER on Tuesday and had CT scan, EKG, chest xray, and bloodwork. They didn't find any real problems so they sent me home. That headache is gone now but it has been replaced with a, what I call a real migraine(over my left eye). I have had it 3 days. When it rains, it seems to be worse. I am so tired of this. I have an appointment with a neurologist on Oct 9 so I may get more info then.

rbcool

9/12/09 1:05am

I have noticed that when it rains I get a headache. We have been having rain for the last four days and I have had one migraine and low grade headaches the other days. I didn't think of the rain issue until I read someone else had the connection. We have been in a drough for months and I have been better now headaches every day this week. I'll see what happens when the rain stops.

birdrum1

9/13/09 10:27pm

I started getting auras when i was 18. I'm 52 .Perhaps some meds you might be taking. I noticed if i take Decongestants, cold meds etc,. it seems to trigger more of them. i once got an aura in the 2nd song of a show ,I am a drummer, Lights flashing, loud music, and the aura, I kept going, much to my suprise, it went away like it always does. So now I don't panic anymore.My brother gets an aura about ONCE A YEAR!! He is lucky . I hope you are too JG

CEB56

9/14/09 1:19am

Thank you so much for your comment. It has been such a comfort to hear from people who know what this is. I didn't associate this with any medication but I'll think back to that week. I'm sure you really had a strange experience while playing at your show. Wow. I hope mine can at least be like your brother and once a year. I was at the football game on Saturday and the scoreboard had some zigzag lines at times and it kept reminding me of my experience. I really don't want to have it again. Take care. CB

birdrum1

9/15/09 12:22am

talk to your doctorn to be safe, but try not to panic it makes it worse.

key

11/24/09 11:16pm

I am 36 years old female. I have suffered from migraine headaches for the past 23 years I know what that feel like. I hope you find something to control your pain.

First time experience with aura

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