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Aura Again After 30+ Years?

I've had migraines for 44 years now. When I first began having them at age 11, and through high school, I had visual aura during the prodromal phase. This would manifest as zigzag lines of light which would build upon each other until they filled my entire field of vision. When they disappeared, the pain would start.
When I was 18 I became anorexic from all of the meds I was on and my periods stopped for two years. I had no migraines during that time (which later led me to choose to have a total hysterectomy because I believed it would help my migraines. It didn't). When my periods came back, so did the migraines, but no longer with an aura.
Lately, however, I've been noticing a weird flickering around the edges of my vision, kind of like the flickering of a neon light. It only happens in one eye at a time, and on the side where the headache will be. I usually don't get the headache immediately, but within a few hours. Sometimes the flickering occurs during the headache as well.
Is it normal to experience auras again after 30 or more years? Hah! Silly question, right? My migraines have changed so much over the course of my lifetime, I don't know why I can even question anything as being normal/abnormal! I suppose it's just the increased risk of stroke which makes me question this, and the fact that my cholesterol is high as well, which adds increased risk.

  1. Hi Jules2dl,

    It is true our migraine patterns change over time, but it's important to discuss these new and/or different symptoms with our doctor.

    We do have information on stroke and migraine that may be interesting for you. https://migraine.com/blog/migraine-aura-medication-stroke-assessing-risk/ and https://migraine.com/blog/comorbidities-migraine-and-cardiovascular-risks/.

    Please talk with your doctor and let us know how you make out.

    Nancy

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