Aura but no migraine?

[Spangles1963]

Is it normal/possible to have what I can only describe as an aura,but not get a migraine? I'm 53 and until my early 30s used to get a migraine about 2-3 times a year,never with an aura beforehand though. By my early 30s,I seemed to 'grow out' of them. I still get the occasional bad headache,but definitely not migraines. Yesterday,just after I had got on a bus,I noticed a strange,shimmering-zag pattern in front of my left eye. It was there even when I closed one or both eyes. This continued for about 30 minutes,getting gradually larger until I could barely see out of that eye. Then it suddenly went,vanished completely in seconds. I thought I was going to get a stonking headache,but no. Nothing. Anyone else had anything like this?

Hi Op, I often get auras in both eyes either before a migraine or just the aura and the migraine doesn't rear it's head till a day or so later! If you haven't had auras before maybe go to GP or have an eye test just to rule out anything more sinister? The way you described it though is just like how mine appear, all squiggly and clouding my vision till it's almost gone in just one eye or both, and then after resting my eyes they just disappear...

Get it checked, however it sounds like an ocular migraine. Quite a few people get them - migraine but no real headache. Mine are exactly as you describe and I tend to get a slight headache for a day or so after. Have had it checked by optician but have had the odd one for years.

Yes I often get those, then sometimes, after a window of about 20 minutes I sometimes, but not always, get a fairly minor headache. I still get the migraine "hangover" of feeling like crap for a few days though.

Yes, my dad gets them. Stomach issues, aura and no pain. Lasts 30 mins.

Jammy bastard (said after another 6 day migraine with excruciating pain!).

I seem to get my migraines in a pic 'n mix fashion, sometimes nausea, sometimes headache, sometimes aura or any flavour of combination. Or they can come consecutively. That's always fun.

If you're worried about a change in pattern might be good to get checked.

This happens to me. It was particularly bad when I was pregnant. Sometimes I get the crippling headache, sometimes I just get the auras.

I get them too, the first time I thought I was having a stroke! Visual disturbance and also I can only talk in very simple sentences when it happens. Lasts 30 mins maybe to an hour. Everything else is fine and I get no headache at all. I think it's called a classic migraine

I've just had the same experience for the first time but I had a headache the next day which then lasted a couple of days. It was a strange experience though and just came out of the blue - I normally just get a migraine.

Yes. Sounds like a silent migraine. I had them constantly during my last pregnancy - to the point where I ended up having an MRI to make sure nothing sinister was going on. Final diagnosis was migraine (some with headache but many just severe visual disturbance, facial & hand paralysis/pins and needles, mental confusion. Absolutely horrid and entirely hormone related in my case.

I get thE aura with no pain. It improved when I cam off hormonal contraception. I do still get it usually by drinking too much coffee. Only get the pain every couple of years.

Yes, this happens to my partner. He gets the visual stuff really badly, so he can't even see but no headache whatsoever! I get the aura followed by splitting headache and vomiting though.

Hi OP. I'm the same. Awful migraines in my childhood and teens with severe pain, aura, sickness, numbness and even trouble forming sentences on occasion. First one when I was 10! I'm now in my 30s and they have faded to just an aura for about an hour then a slight headache/pressure. My mum was the same.

Aura here but no pain. Just a funny spacey feeling afterwards. I get phases of having lots then none at all.

I also get bad, sick headaches. But this is different.

Check it out with the gp too.

I get this. It's an ocular migraine.

The confusion and speaking thing is weird. I got one when I was having a Spanish lesson, and eventually I couldn't read the page at all but before that I could say Spanish words I already knew but I couldn't work out how to say words I didn't know even though I generally have no problem with this as Spanish is written as it's said.

I've had this when pregnant, sometimes with headache sometimes not - but only ever when pregnant. The mental confusion and pins and needles/numbness described by a PP was my experience too - it was so bad on one occasion that my neighbour called me an ambulance! Really frightening and horrible.

I get visual disturbance and nausea without a headache too.
Like a previous poster mine is sometimes triggered by too much caffeine, or sometimes too much sugar.
If I lie quietly in the dark it goes away after about an hour.

Thanks for all the speedy responses! I will do as advised and get my eyes tested,will also make an appointment to see my GP just to make sure it's nothing to worry about.

I asked my GP about these. They whipped me off the combined contaceptive pill as a) it's a contraindication to taking them if you have visual migraines and b) they can cause the migraine in the first place.

I then didn't have another for 5 years. Had my first one since then a few weeks ago.

While having a check up with my GP I asked that if they were no cause for concern (especially coming out of the blue like that) and she shrugged. Said they were no concern at all, that she got them herself and they were 'one of those things'.

I had this during ivf and my first trimester.

I get these too. First got them during early and late pregnancy now I get around 4 or so a year but always in the third day of my period?! My mum has always had this as well. Even though I know it's a visual migraine it still scares the crap out of me especially if it's a bad one and my vision is really disturbed. Occasionally I've had it where my lips, tongue and finger tips go numb and I can even remember things properly, scary.

Same thing here! Apparently they often occur during the menopause.

Yes. I have them and have had all the tests but they couldn't find anything wrong. I worked out myself that they are from underlying stress - e.g. Starting a new job, moving house etc, these are situations where I've had them consistently and they've stopped as soon as the situation is over with. Though I do also get them as a one off if I've had too much caffeine or wine the night before

During the menopause? That's interesting. I think I have gone through it,or am going through it. Not sure really as I can't tell by the absence of periods as I've not had one for nearly 10 years thanks to a Mirena IUS. Not really had any symptoms tbh.