confusing migraine & stroke symptoms

- Hi there- Thanks so much for sharing your experiences with us. What you described would be very frightening to experience. I'm sorry you went through that twice!
Encountering difficulties with speech (challenges with finding and/or enunciating words) is something known as Aphasia: https://migraine.com/blog/migraine-symptoms-transient-aphasia. This is a fairly common condition/symptom that people with migraine experience. It can be startling and upsetting to experience- but it, alone, does not mean you are having a stroke. We each experience migraine in our own unique way and it's important to become familiar with our specific set of symptoms. If Aphasia is a common symptom for you- and you've been evaluated and diagnosed by a doctor as having migraine- it, alone, is not likely a reason to go to the ER. That said, migraine is a complex neurological condition. Its symptoms can be disturbing to experience and sometimes come close to mirroring those of a stroke. So, if you experience anything that is outside of your normal list of symptoms, you must pursue treatment and evaluation immediately.
Have you been evaluated by a migraine specialist/neurologist or any doctor and been diagnosed as having migraine? That would be a good place to start in gaining clarity as to what is going on and how to proceed when/if you experience these symptoms again. It would likely help you a lot to create a plan of action so you know how to proceed in the future should you encounter these symptoms again. Do you have a GP who can get you started on this? If you'd like we can send you some referrals to a migraine specialist. Let us know if you'd like that kind of information. We are here to provide information and support anytime. Thinking of you- Warmly - Holly (team member)

Thanks for that thoughtful response. I need to see a migraine specialist. Working on that. I've had migraines since I was 11 years old.