Is this a migraine with aura?

[SandunesAndRainclouds]

I have had varying degrees of headache / migraine from debilitating in bed skull crunching pain to what feels like the start of a migraine, painful but doesn’t worsen to nausea and needing to lay in the dark (like today).

It’s one sided, over my right temple, more painful than a headache and hasn’t changed with analgesia, but what’s strange is the sensation over the top of my face - in the area an eye mask would be but only on one side - which is hard to describe. It’s almost numb, but not quite and tingles but not like pins and needles.

Is that an aura? I’m on the combined pill and over 40 and was warned about aura but as I’ve never had it, I don’t know how it feels! If the headaches are changing to include aura then I’ll have to come off the pill which I don’t want to do.

My aura makes a crescent shape that is pixilated - like when they try to conceal the identity of a person on the TV. It sits on the bottom LHS of my field of vision. I also get the numbness & if I can get paracetamol into me before my vision gets distorted then the migraine can be headed off at the pass. If not it is days of pain and pukeyness.

My vision is ok. My glasses are annoying me though, too heavy on the side that hurts and without them on my usual non-glasses vision is too much to cope with if that makes sense!

I took paracetamol and ibuprofen early on, I guess it’s holding at bay rather than descending into the proper hell hole of migraine-ness

This sounds like a migraine, but not like aura. I had to come off the Pill as well because of the damn things.

Aura as described by the Migraine Trust:

Visual disturbances can include:
blind spots in the field of eyesight
coloured spots
sparkles or stars
flashing lights before the eyes
tunnel vision
zig zag lines
temporary blindness.
Other aura symptoms can include:
numbness or tingling
pins and needles in the arms and legs
weakness on one side of the body
dizziness
a feeling of spinning (vertigo).
Speech and hearing can be affected and some people have reported memory changes, feelings of fear and confusion and, more rarely, partial paralysis or fainting.

One sided head pain is normally classed as migraine by neurologist. The numbness your describing could be an aura but it would be best to go see your GP about this. All migraine changes should be logged with your GP.

Please don't worry to much about the pill even if they do recommend you come off it, you can still take the mini pill, hormonal coil or injection. It's only the combination pill that is an issue, but do be aware it is an increase strock risk. Which people who suffer from migraine have as well so adding to it if you have aura is why they don't recommend it.

Get yourself to the doctors and see what they can do.

The sensation isn’t dissimilar to when a local anaesthetic wears off - feels numb but normal when touched and the same kind of tingle.

I really don’t want to come off the pill

I’ll give GP a call tomorrow. I’m not on the pill for contraception, it’s to stop awful pre-menstrual symptoms that I can’t go through again. Hopefully there’s a good alternative.

My aura tend to be before my migraines, I feel really ‘weird’, light headed, pixelated round the edges of my vision. I know at that point I have about 30 minutes to get painkillers and anti-sickness drugs on board before my stomach shuts down. I had a weird migraine with a flashing mirror type crescent in one eye a couple of weeks ago. That was new (12 years of migraines!).

You need to talk to your GP.. if they do class this as aura you will have to stop the pill because it’s associated with an increase in likelihood of stroke. The POP is suitable for those with migraines though.

I get the aura. Its like a crescent shape of flashing zig zags, it starts small and gets larger as it moves over my eye. It then gets smaller and disappears. Then I get a thumping headache usually on the right side of my head. When I was younger it would really debilitate me, i would keep vomiting and have to spend the day in bed, i would still feel fuzzy the next day. Now I don't usually need to spend the whole day in bed just 2 or 3 hours. I occasionally vomit with it. I take cocodamol 30/500mg for my spine issues and sciatica and these are the only thing that will help with migraine pain. I tried different things but nothing else has ever worked.

My aura is blindness in my right eye, or just loss of peripheral vision if I'm lucky! Also, loss of speech, hypersensitivity to smells (mostly perfume) and horrendous light sensitivity.

I also get hemiplegic migraines, with stroke symptoms - paralysis of my face, right side again.

This is a very good visual representation of what an aura looks like although, in my case, it takes at least 1/2 hour rather than a minute. When the aura exits the field of vision, that's when the headache starts.

Yours may be different. Mine are in colour but my former boss gets them in black and white (needs a new licence ).

I get migraine with aura, starts off as a blind spot then turns into a zig zag crescent which takes about 20-30 mins to go. I’ve had them 14 years and still panic every time I get them.

This is more like my aura. Unfortunately, if I get this at the beginning, I'll be stuck with it throughout the whole migraine.

Aura are the visual disturbances you can get before a migraine, numbness and tingling, and any symptoms that effect the central nervous system are technically prodrome symptoms. They usually subside before the headache starts. If you've never had numbness with migraine before, I would call 111 for advice.

my auras wander about, start small and enlarge until they take up a quarter or a half of my vision on both eyes

it'll be the same side/quarter each time...if you imagine a clock face it'll be the 12-6 half or a particular quarter and the visual result is like looking through bathroom glass that is just shimmering and moving.

sometimes that's it and I get no headache, sometimes it's just the start of a day or two of migraine.

generally it takes about half an hour to pass and reflected light is a huge trigger for an aura.

I get an aura just like the black and white picture above. It is like a jagged scintillating backwards C C shape. It starts very small then gradually expands until it disappears out of my visual field. I then usually, but not always, get a mild headache and a very tired feeling.

My aura is a strong smoke smell, like cigar smoke. I had no idea it was classed as an aura for about 15 years.. 😬

Afternooninthepark that’s what I had a couple of weeks ago. Never had anything like it before.

Thanks for all the replies and for sharing experiences.

Numbness / tingling has gone this morning it’s all just pain now, no visual disturbances just pain in my right eye. I’m hoping it all eases off as the day goes on.

I have never heard of aura. How interesting. All I told my GP was that I got migraines and they took me off the pill many years ago. Progesterone only had migraines too. I have had the non hormonal coil for many years no problem. Re. aura I get feeling of malaise, followed by blind spots, followed by what I call crinkly tin foil at the edges, then I dull thumping headache and feeling sick They have never been debilitating but I do find them scary. Its quite nice to read others experiences. I do also get facial numbness that you describe and one sided headache. Coming off the pill reduced frequency of migraines for sure.

I have the implant - seems to be working well so far, it’s v safe contraception and isn’t triggering my migraines.

Definitely sounds like a migraine and could be an aura as everyone seems to get them differently! I get tunnel vision!
Get off screens though. They always make my migraines worse. Cocodamol and sleep are your best bets!

If I was on the pill for contraception I’d come off it now, but it’s to stop horrendous pre-menstrual symptoms and I just couldn’t go back to that.

I had a horrible headache yesterday, which I put down to the white light in the sky. Maybe you also get that? I also felt a bit of nausea, but it wasn't a full-blown migraine. I'm hoping I'll get better today as it's sunny.

You will need to see your GP OP.

Just to offer a tale of hope - I was taken off microgynon because I get an aura and put on the minipill instead. Was devastated and put up a fight but obviously the doctor was having none of it. Minipill turned out to be great - no periods and therefore no PMS.

That’s reassuring @Spam88 thank you. It’s microgynon that I’m taking too.