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Basilar migraine causes
Basilar migraines are thought to be caused by vasoconstriction, or narrowing of the blood vessels. In some studies, basilar migraines occur with menstruation suggesting that it might also be a type of menstrual migraine, or related to the menstrual cycle.
A basilar migraine clinical trial reported that it is the most common type of migraine found in children, striking 3 percent to 19 percent of children with migraines. It typically first strikes around age 7.
Basilar migraine symptoms
Basilar migraine attacks are a described as episodes of overwhelming dizziness, vertigo, vision changes, lack of coordination and double vision with migraine. The symptoms may last just a few minutes, but usually end after an hour. These symptoms are then typically followed by head pain. Unlike most other types of migraine, the pain is often in the occipital region, which is in the base of the skull. Also basilar migraine pain might not be a throbbing pain. Some basilar migraine sufferers experience dizziness or problems with muscle coordination after the migraine attack.
Percentage of people with basilar migraines who have each migraine symptom
- Vertigo, 73 percent
- Ataxia, lack of muscle coordination or unsteadiness, 43-50 percent
- Nausea or vomiting, 30-50 percent
- Vision changes, 43 percent
- Double vision, 30 percent
- Confusion, 20 percent
- Weakness, 20 percent
- Tinnitus, ringing in the ears, 13 percent
Other basilar migraine symptoms
- Speech symptoms, such as poor articulation, difficulty moving the tongue and the jaw, swallowing problems
- Dizzyness or lightheadedness
- Decreased hearing
- Bilateral paresthesias, numbness and/or tingling on both sides
- Bilateral paresis, partial paralysis on both sides
- Decreased consciousness
- Migraine with aura
Basilar migraine often occurs along with sensory aura. Because they share many symptoms in common, basilar migraine is sometimes mistaken for familial hemiplegic migraine and sporadic hemiplegic migraine, however, with basilar migraine, sufferers report no muscle weakness.
Written by: Otesa Miles / Reviewed by: John-Claude Krusz, PhD, MD | Last review date: November 2010. Click the References Link below for a complete list of references.
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There are over 1,000 articles and stories on Migraine.com - but we have the tools you need to find the information most relevant to you.Lifetime Basilar Migraine: A Pontine Syndrome? Headache; Mishra; 2007
HEMIPLEGIC AND BASILAR-TYPE MIGRAINE: EPIDEMIOLOGY, GENETICS,
AND MECHANISMS; Headache Currents, de Theije-Kors; 2006
Basilar-type migraine responsive to lamotrigine: three case reports; d'Onofrio; Neurol Sci; 2007
Incidence of symptoms---A Double-Blind, Dose Comparison Study of Topiramate for Prophylaxis of Basilar-Type Migraine in Children: A Pilot Study; Headache, Lewis;2007
"I had my first migraine when I was 12. I thought I was going blind, the spots in my vision all grouped together and everything went black. The pain was intense and felt like my head would crack open above my right eye." 
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