Join Our Community!
Share
Conditions and Diseases > Headache and Migraines Forum > Migraine With Aura Being the Worst Part of the Migraine...
How can you tell if a headache is serious, or not? What types of headaches are there? Get started learning the facts about headache here....
Do you know when to seek help for headache symptoms? Learn more about symptoms of the four different types of headaches...and when to go to a doctor here....
Headaches can be caused by various medical conditions. Learn which tests doctors use to diagnose problem headaches...and who you should see to start diagnosis....
Avatar
Q: Migraine With Aura Being the Worst Part of the Migraine...
asked by: stevie_23 on May 18th, 2006
New User
I've had migraines with auras ever since I was about 19 years old (so for 8 years now), and most of the time the actual aura is worse than the migraine pain aspect. Often I won't even get the pain part, but the aura is just so terrifying it's much worse to me.

What can you do to get rid of this? My migraines are occasional (like once or twice a year) and I used to think they were caused by neck strain and eye strain but the last one seemed to have no cause at all, which I find scary.

I read about people saying they take various things and it stops the pain, but how can you stop the initial phase of the migraine that causes the aura in the first place?

I go basically blind in one or both eyes, my hands go numb, the side of my face and tongue goes numb and I start violently shaking and hyperventilating. Sometimes I can't think or read or write either, and when I speak it sounds like i'm not in my own head. Like my voice is coming from an external source. Very disturbing.
Did you find this post useful?
|
Replies(5)
Avatar
runawaychatter
replied on June 19th, 2006
New User
Hey,
unfortunately, I can't give you specific advice in terms of what to do about your migraines, but I can redirect you to a place where they can. There is this web portal I have been using for my health concerns and so far I really like it. It's pretty easy to use too. It's called health site guide, Healthsiteguide.Com. I would recommend going to the "health concerns" drop-down menu on the left and clicking on headaches. It will redirect you to a page with websites that have all been pre-searched for information on headaches. If this doesn't help, the portal also has medical encyclopedias. Good luck. Tell me if it helps.
Did you find this post useful?
|
User Profile
Birch
replied on August 5th, 2006
Extremely eHealthy
Re: Migraine With Aura Being the Worst Part of the Migraine.
stevie_23 wrote:
i've had migraines with auras ever since I was about 19 years old (so for 8 years now), and most of the time the actual aura is worse than the migraine pain aspect. Often I won't even get the pain part, but the aura is just so terrifying it's much worse to me.


What can you do to get rid of this? My migraines are occasional (like once or twice a year) and I used to think they were caused by neck strain and eye strain but the last one seemed to have no cause at all, which I find scary.


I read about people saying they take various things and it stops the pain, but how can you stop the initial phase of the migraine that causes the aura in the first place?


I go basically blind in one or both eyes, my hands go numb, the side of my face and tongue goes numb and I start violently shaking and hyperventilating. Sometimes I can't think or read or write either, and when I speak it sounds like i'm not in my own head. Like my voice is coming from an external source. Very disturbing.


you have my empathy. I have gotten auras to go along with my migraine headaches since fifth grade, and now I am 27. The first time it happened I (and my mother!) thought I was dying! I go funny in both eyes- if I look at something I can only see "half" of it. This gets worse and soon a wave of squiggly lines crosses my vision for about an hour, and during that time the migraine starts building. I have yet to figure out if the accompanying nausea is a migraine symptom, or something that comes up on it's own because I know what's coming and it makes me sick.

I have tried many things to combat it. Since I am fortunate to only get migraines about 4-5x a year, and I have a severe lack of trust for traditional medicines (research paid for by the drug companies themselves...C'mon people, wake up!) I go a nontraditional, yet illegal, route. If I smoke marijuana immediately when the symptoms begin it relieves the headache pain, it relieves the aura symptoms, and I can function relatively normally in about two hours versus the six-eight hours without it. I also drink several cans of coke and lay down in a quiet room.

I think it is important to also mention that I do not eat one bit of food with msg in it, nitrates, hydrogenated oils, preservatives, hydrolized proteins (or the many other names msg lurks under in food labels) and I avoid excess sodium. I do not partake in dairy products, red meats, or any processed foods. I never, ever drink coke or any caffiene unless I have a migraine-i'm pretty sure that's why the caffiene helps. I also never, ever smoke marijuana unless I have a migraine. Smoking is terrible for you, but the 4-5x a year I do it is a sacrifice I willingly make.

I think you should try this alternative route. I am willing to bet it will help your shakes, your numbness, and you will mentally calm down.

Good luck!
Did you find this post useful?
|
Avatar
beyondthevalley
replied on June 17th, 2009
New User
Try vaporizing some strong medical marijuana at the first sign of the auras. Vaporizing is a VERY good alternative for people who do not like to ingest smoke.

I get migraines with auras about 5-6x a year, and I've had them since 5th grade. Only recently did I discover marijuana can really calm down the entire experience.

I'm actually experiencing an aura right now and crossing my fingers.
Did you find this post useful?
|
Avatar
bell101
replied on June 17th, 2009
New User
I have been having migranes with aura since i was 13, im 19 now, iv been using tablets called migranate, available without perscription(here in ireland anyway)
There are 2 tablets, pink ones and yellow ones! The yellow ones(or is it the pink ones?!) Are taken as soon as you feel a migrane may be coming on, So like as soon as the aura begins, and,for me, when i do take the tablet at the 1st sign of a migrane, and lie in a dark room within say an hour at the aura is gone and the migrane headache didnt even get a chance to start.

Quite a few things can cause migranes like food allergies, for me its too much choclate...

Pity...cause i love choclate!SadRazz

Also...beyondthevalley...what exactly does 'vaporizing marijuana', Like what do you do? I assume its different to actually smoking the stuff?! Just curious....
Did you find this post useful?
|
User Profile
beth1954
replied on June 29th, 2009
New User
I am 55 years old and started getting migraines in the 6th grade. Some years I have 40 or 50 of them. Some years I have 4 or 5. It used to be the only way it would even start getting better was to vomit.
My main thing that I have to do to prevent them is to not eat certain things. Too much chocolate, caffeine (don't forget about meds that have caffeine such as Exedrin.) The aura is HORRIBLE. Really scary especially the first ones when you don't know what is going on. Keep a food diary. Also artifical sweeteners will trigger a migraine for me. Have you tried Maxalt, Imitrex, or any drugs like that? They have been a lifesaver for me. I still lay down, and I still take something for nausea and pain, but headache pain went from a 10 (or maybe a 12 or 13) down to about a 3.
I do still eat chocolate but in moderation. Oh--any kind of alcohol will trigger a migraine for me also.
I complete empathize with you. It's like some kind of curse and when you have several in a row, it's just being totally incapacitated, you feel like you indeed have a true handicap.
Did you find this post useful?
|
Quick Reply
Search