OT: migraine auras

[HeartfeltDawn]

Do any of you get these? I had one last Friday when cycling that lasted for 20 minutes. There was a full jagged rainbow aura that lasted for 5 minutes in the right eye before sliding over to the left and then disappearing. Now I've got one starting again this afternoon. There's no actual migraine, just as there wasn't last Friday.

[RoboPimp]

FULL DOUBLE RAINBOW!!!!!!

[goodhonk]

my wife was telling me about these; she gets them on occasion.

 

i do not, but i do get headaches when the barometric pressure drops or rises, or something like that.

[SunofNothing]

you're a witch. We'd better throw you in the lake to see if you float or not.

[goodhonk]

build a bridge out uv 'er.

[HeartfeltDawn]

my wife was telling me about these; she gets them on occasion.

 

 

It's so strange when it happens. When Friday's aura appeared, I was six miles into a 13 mile cycle to the next city and was stuck in the middle of nowhere. I was worried the aura was linked to last year's brain bleed initially but other symptoms that would have had me calling an ambulance didn't show up. Today's aura is a lot less pronounced and seems to be fading away already. Two in a matter of days does get me curious as to what's causing it.

[Ben Co.]

Do any of you get these? I had one last Friday when cycling that lasted for 20 minutes. There was a full jagged rainbow aura that lasted for 5 minutes in the right eye before sliding over to the left and then disappearing. Now I've got one starting again this afternoon. There's no actual migraine, just as there wasn't last Friday.

Yep... I'll get something like that a couple times a year... started 15 years ago when I was a Junior or Senior in college I think. No pain associated with it, just the creeping "scintillating crumpled tinfoil" thing going... I know what you're talking about. Sucks if you have to drive because it actually creates complete blind spots.

 

I was working with a few psychiatrists several jobs ago, and one of them who I really respected suggested that I get a neuro eval just to make sure nothing is really abnormal up there . Never got that done though.

[goodhonk]

brain bleed!?

 

what happened there?

[gae86]

It's possible to have auras without migraine, it is called hemicrania sine hemicrania (migraine without migraine) because basically the pathogenesis is the same, just lack of the painful phase.
Anyway just to be sure you could want to see a specialist. I think a TC or MR is enough to check if everything is ok:thu:

[arcarsenal72]

They're a pain in the neck... I get them about once a year, depending on how stressed I am.

[PerFusionist]

Sorry, double post. I definitely need to get my head checked

[PerFusionist]

I get one maybe every other month. Yeah, complete blind spots that move from one side to the other, but with no pain. I guess I need to get my head checked

[HeartfeltDawn]

Yep... I'll get something like that a couple times a year... started 15 years ago when I was a Junior or Senior in college I think. No pain associated with it, just the creeping "scintillating crumpled tinfoil" thing going... I know what you're talking about. Sucks if you have to drive because it actually creates complete blind spots.

 

 

Totally! When it cropped up last Friday when I was cycling, I had to stop as it was a gloomy dark evening and I couldn't see a damn thing properly. With all the neuro tests I had last year, I think anything bad would have shown up but I will consider contacting my consultant and asking for some neuro tests in the future. I love going into the MRI chamber, it's such a cool feeling!

[goodhonk]

yow!

 

did you make a full recovery?

[Dolf]

Yeah, that's an optical migraine, usually either a precursor to a migraine or experienced during one for a time.

 

They suck. But not as much as the skull-splitting rage of the PAIN of a migraine.

[HeartfeltDawn]

yow! did you make a full recovery?

I'm still recovering. The paralysis left quite quickly but I'm still not quite up to the same speed with the left hand that I used to be, whether it's guitar playing or fapping Physically I've been pushing myself hard with the fitness regime, as six months out doing nothing but recovery was bad for the fitness. Now I've done a couple of half marathons in the last five months, a good 10k this morning...

The actual mental recovery has some way to go. Sometimes I scramble words a little, put things in the wrong order, and my mental cognition isn't as good as it was. This might recover more in time. A few years ago, I had a knee reconstruction after years of sporting abuse and it took over three years for some of the nerves to connect back together properly. it's the same with the brain. It's still repairing itself. Most people meeting me for the first time wouldn't imagine I'd had such an injury but I'm aware of the changes and one of the hardest things to do is to get yourself to accept the changes and to cut yourself some slack with the limitations. I have to keep reminding myself that it's only been a year and that it could be another 12 to 24 months at least before I feel more complete.

[tronus]

I think I've gotten this twice. Is it the glowy'ish kinda vibe that precedes horrible blind spots? Then after all that goes aways, in comes the pain. Good times.

[asynchro_nous]

Wow, best wishes for an ongoing successful recovery.

I've had classic migraine problems on and off since I was about 20.

One thing that has helped me tremendously is making sure that I'm getting the proper amount of magnesium in my diet.

Magnesium is a commonly underestimated electrolyte essential for proper neuromuscular function, and it's very easy to have low levels in your bloodstream by drinking too much alcohol or caffeine, or being under prolonged stress, or by just having a {censored}ty modern diet that is unnaturally devoid of this mineral.

Once I learned about this and took steps to correct matters, the difference was truly dramatic -- and conversely, if I let things slide nutritionally for a while, almost like clockwork I start getting the auras/visual dropouts, etc.

Sounds like you have more going on than just low magnesium levels (sounds like due to your injury there's an asymmetry there that may cause you chronic problems that will be hard to manage unfortunately) but maybe watching your magnesium intake could help somewhat.

[cryptosonic]

I get cluster headaches every six weeks or so but rarely have auras or visual disturbances. During the headache though I am extremely sensitive to florescent lights and CRT's. I don't exactly see them flashing but I can perceive them pulsing and it can make me sick to my stomach in about five seconds. Anyone else experience this kind of thing?

[CicadaSilence]

Yeah, I get 'em. Technical term is teichopsia, which I love to say. Mmmm, teichopsia.

 

First time I had one, I tripped the {censored} out. Why the hell would and eleven year old think he had a brain tumor?

[goodhonk]

Wow, best wishes for an ongoing successful recovery. I've had classic migraine problems on and off since I was about 20. One thing that has helped me tremendously is making sure that I'm getting the proper amount of magnesium in my diet. Magnesium is a commonly underestimated electrolyte essential for proper neuromuscular function, and it's very easy to have low levels in your bloodstream by drinking too much alcohol or caffeine, or being under prolonged stress, or by just having a {censored}ty modern diet that is unnaturally devoid of this mineral. Once I learned about this and took steps to correct matters, the difference was truly dramatic -- and conversely, if I let things slide nutritionally for a while, almost like clockwork I start getting the auras/visual dropouts, etc. Sounds like you have more going on than just low magnesium levels (sounds like due to your injury there's an asymmetry there that may cause you chronic problems that will be hard to manage unfortunately) but maybe watching your magnesium intake could help somewhat.

 

 

do you take magnesium supplements? what kind of food contains more magnesium?

 

i could google, but i prefer conversation.

[foodeaters]

I take magnesium powder for migraines. I don't remember the exact name something "Calm". I also can't eat peanut butter, aged cheese, spinach,

red wine or chocolate. They give me about 75% chance of triggering a migraine. Really blows.

[HeartfeltDawn]

Wow, best wishes for an ongoing successful recovery. I've had classic migraine problems on and off since I was about 20. One thing that has helped me tremendously is making sure that I'm getting the proper amount of magnesium in my diet. Magnesium is a commonly underestimated electrolyte essential for proper neuromuscular function, and it's very easy to have low levels in your bloodstream by drinking too much alcohol or caffeine, or being under prolonged stress, or by just having a {censored}ty modern diet that is unnaturally devoid of this mineral.

 

 

Good info and thanks for the kind thoughts. My diet is pretty good. Once I got the medical all-clear to hit the gym again in March, I bought a juicer and dumped out a lot of {censored} from the diet. After every gym session, I make sure to make in a protein shake with a vitamin pill and make sure to take enough electrolyte replacement fluid in. I eat a lot of fruit and vegetables, not much meat, and seem to have gotten my addiction to sandwiches under control. Oh, really cut back on the chocolate too.

 

I'm thinking I might be reacting to the weather and atmosphere more than a dietary change. The temperature has dropped around here a lot in the last week and we've had a couple of thunderstorms. I'll note it all down in the diary I keep relating to my health and exercise regime. Maybe a pattern will form. I haven't had many migraines over the last year, maybe three, but having two in the space of five days is a little unusual for me.

[Mitchell?]

I get them. Starts as blurred vision in the center of my field of view in one eye, then sometimes it goes into full blown kaleidoscope-ish business. The first time it happened, I was kind of worried. The migraine that came after laid me out.

[asynchro_nous]

do you take magnesium supplements? what kind of food contains more magnesium? i could google, but i prefer conversation.

 

 

Yep, supplements (too many give one the runs, though, careful) and try to keep magnesium rich foods in my diet (whole grains, legumes, nuts, green leafy vegetables, orange juice, the good stuff generally speaking...).

 

Well water can be rich in minerals like magnesium, too.