Migraine with Aura

[Lainie1]

I am just recovering from yet another migraine with aura symptoms. I can go weeks or months without one then they seem to come one after the other and I am left for at least 2/3 days feeling awful. Usually I don't develop a bad headache...occasionally only a slight one or even none at all. Years ago when I was in my 20s (I'm in my 60's now) I used to have migraine with severe headache and vomitting but no aura then went for many, many years with no migraine at all.
Now I've come to this conclusion:
The migraines appear AFTER (not during) a period of stress or upset (had a very stressful and upsetting Christmas this year)
or they appear after drinking red wine (which I love) but have to do without. I may get them when I'm tense, especially when neck muscles are tense, or they appear if really rundown or overtired....which at the moment is most of the time, or occasionally if I've had too much sleep..strange but true!
Had an MRI but all was normal and was given a Triptan drug but haven't taken it.....as yet...for one you can't take it when you are having an aura and the other reason is there seem to be that many side effects I'd rather do without.
There are many types of aura associated with migraine.....may get flashing lights...which usually start as a tiny pinprick then get bigger and bigger or get blurred vision. But occasionally another aura is really cold feet before the onset of visual aura. Another aura is running off to loo with upset tum. Sometimes all 3 of these auras appear together...firstly the cold feet, then running to loo then visual aura. Another aura that has affected me is the feeling that I'm falling over feeling that I'm extremely tired....this too could be the onset of a migraine.
At the moment I treat migraine with crystallised ginger (eating a couple of lumps and chewing it well)...occasionally this will reduce the aura or it will go completely. If not I take 2.5mg diazepam and paracetamol and go to bed., (thankfully being retired now I can do this... when I was at work people thought when I said I had a migraine it was just a headache....IT'S NOT!!). Sleep in a dark, quiet room is a must.
Sometimes I wake up and feel immediately better but other times, like now, I am still feeling the symptoms.
Occasionally after experiencing aura I've tried to carry on as normal when the visual aura has gone but believe me I've paid the price later...having to spend even longer in bed and felt absolutely lifeless for about 4 days.
To anyone experiencing what they believe to be migraine my advice is to get things checked out medically...you cannot self diagnose migraine and to someone, including me on this forum who has problems with anxiety, ect that's a must.
Hopefully some of you will find what I've put useful...it's certainly made me feel better writing it

[milkcarton]

I suffered migraine with aura in late 2010 when I had about 3 bouts in 2 months; two were at work and one was in the house. They terrified me as I only had mild headaches afterwards, I suffer from migraine headaches a lot but never had the aura before those episodes.

I'm on 40mg Propranolol after going to the Dr's and haven't had a full on aura since, although I don't want to jinx myself. I still get bad headaches where I need to lie in a dark room. Ask ur Dr about Beta Blockers as I witness they do work!

[happycarrot]

I have migraine with aura. My aura symptoms are unusual because they mimic a stroke--numbness on one side and confusion along with the visual problems (hemiplegic migraine). The first one I had was one of the strangest and scariest things ever. I had to have a head MRI to make sure they were just migraines. Now I take a beta blocker to prevent them, and it mostly works. I had two attacks this week after not having any in several months, though, so of course that made me worry even though I know what's going on.