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Migraine aura w/ no debilitating headache

I have migraines with auras. This is a typical migraine for me. I have become far more in tune with my symptoms and auras over the last couple years. I am finding I on occasion have what are symptoms of aura (visual, sensory and occasionally aphasia & dysarthria) but experience no headache. Sometimes I have head "pain" but not a head ache pain. Feels more like someone kicked me in the head and I have a bruise.
Anyone else have symptoms like those - without the debilitating headache?

  1. Hi cinderbay,

    That's great you've learned to tune into your body during an attack. Yes, there are people who don't experience the headache phase, or every phase of a migraine attack. I typically don't get migraine with aura, but do deal with prodrome, headache and postdrome on a regular basis. Let me explain the phases of an attack.

    Prodrome is the first phase of a migraine attack and can occur hours or even days before the other three phases do. Some prodrome symptoms can include frequent urination, frequent yawning, irritability, and fatigue. The second phase or aura, can include symptoms such as visual disturbances, olfactory hallucinations or smelling things that are really there, aphasia, among other things. The headache phase is the third phase, which not everyone will get. Postdrome is the final phase and can last a couple of days. This article has more information on the four phases of a migraine attack; https://migraine.com/migraine-basics/migraine-phases/.

    I hope this helps,
    Nancy

    1. In the 38 years I have suffered from migraines, I have only had a significant headache perhaps 6 times . My migraines present with visual aura every time, and a variety of other variable symptoms as well (mood changes, fatigue, aphasia, muscle weakness). Ironically today is a day I am experinceing a painful headache, the first in a very long time.

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