If you get Migraines with aura - do periods or dehydration or bright sun set you off?

[AbsentmindedWoman]

Posting for traffic as it made me so panicky.

My period's due and I feel crappy - woke up this morning starving which is unusual for me, ate breakfast and ended up back in bed, so didn't drink as much water as normal this morning.

We decided to go out and pick up a salad for lunch and it was extremely bright out - I thought I was ok but in the dark shop fucking hell, gradually about half my vision became vibrating shimmering zig zags.

Oddly, it started to resolve back out in the bright sunlight instead of getting worse and was ok after lying down for about twenty mins. Eyes seem back to normal now.

My mum and gran are familiar with these auras but they sometimes used to get a lot of pain - I think they are hereditary? I do notice an odd temporary shimmer now and again but only ever had one this bad before, again out in bright sun with no sunglasses, a few years ago.

Anyone got any experience of these? They are fucking awful.

I only very occasionally get migraines these days, but all through my childhood, teens and twenties I suffered with them terribly, always accompanied with aura that would eventually cut out the sight in one eye. Horrendous.

Dehydration, time of the month/PMT and certain light (strip lighting indoors/white but not sunny skies outdoors) all triggered them.

The wirst migraine I ever had was on holiday in Florida on an extremely hot and humid day. The aura was insane, came on SO quickly and intensely and almost completely lost the ability to see for a few hours.

Sympathies!

Bright sunlight, constant noise, a very sudden loud noise. A dehydration headache can easily become migraine without much hqppening. Cigarette smoke, or exhaust fumes and the smell of coffee are all triggers for me.

I’ve only had one of these, no pain but shimmering zig zags for 20 mins exactly as you say. It scared the life out of me, thought it was the onset of a stroke. Think it was stress combined with bright sunlight , not sure. Bright sunlight disorientates me frequently.

I had this exact same thing earlier (just vision no headache) but I think mine was caused by low blood sugar. The aura disappeared about 10 mins after eating. If you Google kaleidescope vision NHS they have a list of potential triggers and all of the above are on there. Do any of you get really really tired after it goes away?

Spring is hell for me. Bright sun and cold air. Sets me off every year.

Pre menstrual mostly. At peri menopause age.

But also flickering sunlight. Like driving along with sun going in and out of trees. Have to pull over. And makes me very tired but no headache.

Also numb finger and thumb for short amount of time.

I always get the aura. It starts much like yours. I can pin point the exact second it starts, a blind spot which moves onto wavy, zig-zag lines around the edge of my vision
Bright lights, stress and disturbed sleep seem to be my triggers. I'm not sure about dehydration but drinking a lot of clear liquid helps

Hormonal changes, moving from a very bright to a dark environment, driving in the dark and needing a poo all seem to be triggers for mine! Thankfully fairly infrequent and don’t usually turn into a full blown migraine just a dull headache when they fade.

Yes, bright flickering or sudden light, like sunlight off a passing car or, like today, my toddler playing "light party" with a torch.

I get the what I call the 80s style flashing zig zags at the edges of my vision, then the pain starts. I go to bed if possible.

Hello fellow migraine with aura suffers

Dehydration, tiredness and cigarette smoke were my triggers when younger. Since having my second child it changed and I am now light sensitive. I have sunglasses with me at all times and definitely wear them in supermarkets.

I control then pretty well now because I know the triggers. But I can easily lost vision and sometimes full speech for an hour or so on a bad one which can be quite scary.

For me it is the contrast between moving from bright lights or blinding sun to somewhere dark. I getting a flickering in my eyes and my vision is vastly impaired and definitely not safe to drive. A dark room or just quiet time and my vision returns to normal after 20mins or so and I'm just left with a manageable headache.

Sunglasses are a must for me all year round.

Dehydration, too much sugary crap food and not eating enough proper meals always gets me like this

Always bright sunlight in the eyes for me.

Dehydration and getting too hot definitely. And it's worse if I'm on my period, but I think that's due to being a higher temperature when you're on your period.

So having a really hot bath (sweating and be hot) when on my period definitely results in a migraine, something I forgot yesterday

Tiredness, stress, alcohol (can’t drink anymore) and diet drinks. Every now and then I’ll have a Diet Coke as I love it, then get a aura migraine a few days later. Starts with pressure around my head then my vision goes. Pain not too bad since I quit smoking- I had one so bad it triggered a seizure once.

There are lots of triggers for me and when 2 or 3 combine I get a green aura so thats when I drink water, take migraleve & lie in a dark room for an hour or two.
Avoid dehydration, stress, poor sleep, cheese, chocolate, Red wine, blue strip lights
Usually hormone/PMT related so not much can do a out that trigger.

Try at least a litre of water a day & selfcare with relaxing baths and low lights & candles when you're due on and try and eat as healthily as possible.

Much love💘xx

Bright sunlight is a trigger for me, too. The last one I had was on my wedding anniversary, we were out 40 odd miles from home and I had to get DH to stop the car so I could be sick, was awful! 😣 Just couldn’t wait to get home, completely ruined our anniversary that year.

I recently had my first ocular migraine, scared me more because it was right in my line of vision, although thankfully it didn’t last more than a couple of minutes. Migraines are awful 😣

Bright sun/ reflected light
Dehydration
Hormones
These are my usual triggers. I get an aura and my brain feels scrambled. I don't get a headache. I feel sick and need to sleep. Horrendous hangover feeling for a few days afterwards.
I take naratriptin (sp?). If I do get pain (unusual) I take 3x aspirin in a can of 'full fat coke. Seems the sugar and the painkillers boost it away until I can sleep.
Hugs. It's rubbish. People who think it's 'just a headache' give me rage!

Mine started after my first pregnancy. Mine are hormonal but definitely triggered by dehydration.

I'm lucky that 80% are aura only and the other 20% the pain is more irritating than severe and passes in about an hour if I can lie down in the dark. I get the hangover the next day with those ones though.

They seem to be getting less frequent with age so fingers crossed menopause might see them off.

To add, I wear sunnies year round. Even if it doesn't appear too sunny it can trigger them.

Hi all , another spin on them here.

So I don't get Auras! . I get this sudden onset of severe pain in my shoulder , travels up to my head like the worst brain freeze ever constantly. I wail around in pain for most the week, with oxygen etc and all the various drugs prescribed. I have had them since I was about 13 in now 35 I used to get 3 or 4 a week , it's calmed to about 2 a week that last a few days , . It goes and comes back the other side.
Numb face , slurred speech etc nausea, the pains the worst part .
I have no triggers that we can work out. I usually get woken from my sleep with one.
Specialist believe mines to do with chemicals in the brain .

Whereas my mum GETS aura , no pain in shoulders like me , just throbbing head , sensitive to noise, light , smells , etc
She looses her vision, speech and her memory on severe ones she HAS triggers mainly bright strobe lights or the sun etc.

They are so different to so many people yet so unrecognised as being disabling.

They are so interesting to read about,
You get predome , migraine , postdome etc.

My predome is days before I can't stop yawning; this is when I take an injection or spray !

Migriane few days ....

Postdome - exhausted , sick , dehydrated etc.

I feel sorry for you all that get them :(

There's an interesting listen on BBC radio 4 the other day with the top migraine /brain guy in London and it's so interesting to listen too .

Sorry for the LONG post ! Just thought would share another view/example X

Yep! Hormones, coffee, chocolate, citrus fruit, stress, anxiety, hunger, strong smells, being over tired 😩
Identify your triggers and certainly go to your gp. I've ried a lot, the triprans worked best for me, however they knock me out.
I have a daith piercing, which has helped loads too.

I get the zigzags and blind spot in the middle of my vision almost like a piece of a jigsaw missing.
I find it terrifying and the first time it happened I went to A&E.
I rarely get the headache however I feel confused for an hour or so afterwards and I feel tired for a couple of days after an attack.
I think sugar esp chocolate is my main trigger and weirdly the last two attacks were when I was eating walnuts ( which I don't do very often)

This might be worth a listen

Radio 4 programme on migraines