To wonder how Migraines can be harmless?

[FranksBank]

I know they are, and don't cause damage. But the mind boggles as to how when it must impact my brain in such a huge way.

My face drops to one side, one side of my body goes numb. I cannot read and make of sense; my speech slurs. I can't recognise faces and lose my eyesight in one eye

These are just a type of migraine (confirmed by a Dr) and they're horrible. I am baffled now they can have no lasting impact on the brain

Anyone else find it shocking that you can't seen any physically evidence for them on an MRI? I'm not medical. So I'm just talking nonsense really - but it is true they cannot be 'proven'

I the post drome symptoms are nasty too.

Argh! Be grateful if someone could join me in moaning

I've always wondered this.

I used to get migraines so bad I was certain they were causing some brain damage.

Your sounds like a hemi, not nice.

I get migraine with aura, no pain til after the aura has diminished. Though, the actual frequency has diminished as I move through menopause.

Aren't we so lucky!

It’s odd isn’t it.

And scary because I could have a stroke and close family would probably assume it’s a migraine until it’s too late

I here you, 26 years off chronic migraine and I am at a loss as to how they haven't caused some sort of permanent damage. 😕

I do think when they do studies that they can see the physical effects on the brain during a migraine attack. But they have to be watching when one is happening.

Please be aware also if your doctor hasn't told you that you are at a higher risk of stroke then other people, so that is something to be careful about.

I used to get horrible migraines in my brother house always at his house if I spent any lenght of time there. they though I was crazy until I was babysitting my niece one night and was so bad I had to put the baby to bed in her clothes and go hold up in the bathroom pucking from the pain to this day I've no idea what it was about that house all I can think is it was near power lines , thankfully they moved houses

I wonder this too. Just how?

On top of the obvious pain, I can’t think straight, can’t speak and feel like I’m having a stroke or something. My vision can flip the picture of what I see on its side and I’ve also been blind in one eye for 45 minutes. I’ve

How on earth is that normal?

If any non-migraine sufferer described these symptoms they’d be blue-lighted to hospital!

I worry that I will have a stroke or aneurysm and nobody will bat an eyelid.

Migraine sufferers, especially women, have an increased risk of stroke and some forms of dementia. It seems sensible to do what you can to reduce the other risk factors as much as you can. Don't smoke, limit alcohol, address cholesterol and blood pressure problems, eat a healthy diet, exercise. Mine are once in a blue moon since I worked out the 2 triggers - I really feel for those with frequent migraines.

As above, they are a risk factor for serious intracranial events, so I wouldn't class them as harmless.

The bane of my life, and has become worse and more frequent since having COVID. The doctors are reluctant to prescribe more sumitriptan.

But, yes, migraines can be really disabling

I've been getting hemiplegic migraines for about a year. (I'm 40 and probably peri) The very first one, I honestly thought I was having a stroke!
I get at least one a month where one side of my body goes numb, my speech is none existent and the pain in unbearable!

Research shows hemi can cause brain atrophy & damage to the cerebellum. Since I've been getting them, my memory is useless, I struggle with fine motor skills and have a permanent new onset stutter.

The only thing my GP has done is prescribe 320mg propanalol and 500mg naproxen.

There should be more help available, it's such a debilitating condition!

warning might trigger someone into feeling worse warning

migraines make me always feel like I must have a brain tumour to cause so much focussed pain and then I feel like "even if I don't is this what it would feel like?" and genuinely "will dying hurt this much?" then I get very dark thoughts
I don't see how migraines don't cause damage either. solidarity to you all 👊🏽

I suffer from visual migraines and I do have changes on my brain MRI. I have white “spots” scattered around. At first I was petrified I would develop MS, but this was 15 years ago and nothing adverse has happened.

Further to add, I can't imagine it would be very safe to drive with auras.

Yes I have always thought they must be either causing damage to my brain or as a result of some other damage. As you say, complete inability someteimes to manouver my face or head, strange sensations all over my face and head, the sheer pain of it

And interestingly, on the qrisk assessment it does ask you if you have migraines and I have fiddled about with it wondering why my qrisk is higher and heart health is higher than it should be, and the migraine question affects the rating

So this worries me in terms of risks for stroke and heart attack

I did bring this up with the neurologist who confirmed them to be migraines - He said the difference was minuscule and really no more likely than anyone else in the population to have a stroke just because I have migraines he made me feel a bit silly!

I had migraines from a teen and they virtually disappeared overnight once I became peri.

Nothing else had changed about me at all. although I think that my migraines have simply turned into vertigo

Completely hormonal as far as Im concerned

And I have to say, nothing annoys me more than people calling a headache a migraine.

A migraine is such more than a headache. I can't actually function, actually struggle to speak

I used to get Alice in wonderland syndrome, and hallucinate, and vomit constantly. It felt like my eyes were being gouged out and my face was so hot an iced flannel would be hot and dry in seconds. At one point I was admitted to hospital they thought I was epileptic or having a drugs overdose! I was 12. I don't get them as much now but it is so painful it feels like a virus. My whole head throbs and feels boiling. I sweat like mad and feel cold all over my body and can't speak. But yeah, it's not actually permanently damaging weirdly.

My stroke consultant told me that my migraine DID contribute to my stroke.

One of the things that happens during your migraine is that the blood vessels narrow. Helped trap the clot...

Many migraines in women are linked to hormones.

Sorry to everyone joining here to say they get them :(

I've had sepsis from kidney infection and found that more managable than the migraine - Not just the head pain with it but the weird vision, slurred speech and nausea, not being able to comprehend simple words.

Everything as a whole felt much worse than the start of my sepsis a few years ago. I'd also rather have my painful gallbladder than suffer on with these migraines

I'd 100% rather be in labour. That's for sure.

I also suffer with very bad migraines and for the days after an attack feel very groggy and find it hard to hold on to information. It does feel as though they have affected my brain long after the attack. I feel as though I live in fear of having a migraine as they are so debilitating and wish there was more awareness of how awful they are and more support to combat them! My sympathies to everyone else who struggles with them!!

Why are they reluctant to prescribe a Triptan tablet for you?

They've ruined my life. I'm on two daily preventives, sumatriptan, monthly Erenumab injections, I don't drink, smoke, or eat any of my trigger foods, and I still have constant background symptoms so severe that I had to give up driving 20 years ago, I can only work from home, and I often struggle to leave the house - I couldn't even walk my dog round the block yesterday and I feel as if my head's on another planet today. I haven't had a single day when I've felt completely normal for 31 years. My mental health is shot. I'm on my 4th neurologist and I don't think I'll ever feel well again. My DS is 17 and has never seen me well. I just want a brain transplant at this point. Bastard things.

I have got an aura while open water swimming I got out whilst electrolytes before often prevent it, not always

I have the same type as you op, they also then leave my tired for days and have a big impact on my blood sugar (type one diabetic). I once had a colleague in a fairly new job call 999 when I had a migraine at work, I couldn’t speak and by the time I’d managed to scrawl out a note they were here due to strole protocol.