Is migraine aura stroke risk something I should worry about?

[Dimdim101]

Hi,

I'm 21 (almost 22), and I've had 5 migraine auras that I can remember now, the first being near the beginning of last year. I had 4 in the span of 2017, and none in 2018 until today :weep:

3 times it's been more tame, just blind spot, followed by zig zags for about 30 mins and then a migraine. 2 times it has been more scary, including today, with numbness following the zig zags, which spreads from my fingers, up my hand and into my face, taking about 15 mins. Today I also experienced a bit of word confusion, was saying some words wrong etc. Everything ended after about an hour and I was left with a bad headache on one side which then went away after I had a sleep for a few hours.

Just wanting to hear some stories from others and see if you have had anything similar, as I am very worried now about the next one coming! I always worry it's a stroke :( How are these different to a stroke or TIA, for some reassurance?

[RadioGaGa]

Really this sounds like a classical migraine. I wouldn't be worried about this at all, however you would need to see your Doctor, if only for reassurance.

Good luck

[Dimdim101]

I've read that such symptoms are common in migraine sufferers, but my main concern is that a couple of years ago I had this strange OCD compulsion to shake my head up and down (no idea why), anyway I've obviously stopped that now, but I feel as though the first migraine aura happened right after I did this, though I'm not sure how this could be connected or is it just a coincidence? I haven't done that anymore since then, but have still had 4 more migraines with auras. I'm thinking it doesn't make sense that just shaking my head up and down would have caused some permanent damage, though it's weird the auras started around that time. That was about 2 years ago now, so I would be dead by now I assume if I caused some serious damage, or the auras would be happening more, not less? Do you think they started up for some other reason, just maybe through normal ending of puberty etc

[ErinKC]

I randomly started getting migraines at age 31. I think they can just happen - stress, hormonal changes, posture/muscle tension, electronics, diet, etc... I wouldn't connect that to shaking your head.

[Dimdim101]

I just read about people who had an astrocytoma (brain tumour) and had visual auras and thought they were migraines, and now I'm worried this is me! They had them increasing in frequency though, so here's hoping mine won't :(

[RadioGaGa]

Dimdim101

No, the head shaking will not have caused your migraine.

I thought (quite reasonably, I suppose) you might worry about this as somehow being linked to a brain tumour.

When a brain tumour is causing visual hallucinations, it is most often located in the occipital lobe. This is the area of the brain at the back of your head. When a BT causes this, the visual hallucination is short - less than 5 minutes. If this seizure spread to the temporal lobe, to cause the word finding problems, you would have had a generalised seizure.

Your post describes "classical migraine" in textbook proportions. The only reason I say to see your GP is because we cannot give a diagnosis on here.

But please, book in with him and REST ASSURED - you will be fine :)