Visual aura that goes away and then comes back awhile later?
Okay so I have had migraines since I was in elementary school. In highschool, I started getting auras before my migraines. In 2012, my migraines and auras started to change. The first time it happened, it started out normal (spots in my vision to where I can't see that eventually grows and moves and sometimes has the zigzags along with it). It goes away like normal, leaves me with my horrible head pain, and then 30-60 minutes later my visual aura comes back! It's different, though. The first time it came back it was kind of like tunnel vision almost, just darkness on one side of my vision. The first time it lasted around 3 hours. It happened again a few days later for around a hour or so. I experienced my first hemiplegic migraine last year in July. It was similar in the way that my aura went away and I got head pain. Then I was unable to move my hand and became very confused and the dark vision came back for awhile. Well today I have migraine, same thing, I had an aura and it went away and then came back again about a hour later. It lasted maybe a half hour. No other symptoms besides pain..
After my first hemiplegic migraine I got a MRI which showed either possible bilateral benign cysts in my basal ganglion, or possible lacunar infarcts. I was told this is unrelated. So has anyone else experienced auras that go away and come back again like with me? Is it just because I am getting older and my migraines are changing? Just wondering if this is normal I guess!
Hi Smalltowngirl90,
It's tough to say what's "normal" with migraine, no two people seem to experience an attack the same way. From re-reading your question it seems like the visual aura you experience hasn't really gone away but has changed. You've probably discussed this already with your doctor, but if not, I would strongly encourage you to do so. Any time we have changes in our migraine patterns it's important to talk them over with our doctor, so he can rule out anything serious.
We can have more than one type of migraine/headache disorder. For example some of us have migraine without aura and tension-type headache. Sometimes it is hard to distinguish what kind of attack we are having. This is why it's so important to learn all we can about our particular type (s) of headache disorders. These links have information migraine types; https://migraine.com/migraine-types/ and headache types; https://migraine.com/headache-types/.
Hemiplegic migraine ( https://migraine.com/migraine-types/hemiplegic-migraine/) is a rare form of migraine, which is best treated by a true migraine specialist, one who is board certified in headache medicine. Sometimes a neurologist may say he is a headache specialists but that may not be true. Doctors who are true migraine/headache disorder experts actually have extra board certification in headache medicine. Take a look at this information to see what makes these doctors experts; https://migraine.com/blog/how-are-migraine-specialists-different/ and how to find one; https://migraine.com/blog/looking-for-a-migraine-specialist/.
I do hope this helps, keep me posted on how you are doing,
Nancy
Hi Smalltowngirl90,
I know your post is pretty old, but thought I would still respond.
Yes, I get repeating migraine aura back to back where once one aura ends, I get a 5-10 break and then another one begins. This can happen at least 4 to 5 times throughout the course of the migraine and my auras can last 20-70 minutes each time. I've had migraine with aura for 35 years or so and the first time this happened to me was about 10 years ago. I sometimes get basilar migraine and have occasionally also had hemiplegic migraine. Migraines like this are highly prevalent in my family. My siblings have them. Our children have them. Our mom had them. Her dad and his siblings had them. More people have had them in my family than haven't had them. I had an MRI about 8 years ago to rule out a TIA after having a really bad basilar migraine where I couldn't move or talk during the aura and the results came back normal.
Hi tware,
Thank you for sharing that with us, it's good to know we're not alone!
Your family is more proof that migraine is a genetic neurological disease. Good to know your MRI was clear, I know what a relief that is.
Nancy
