Silent migraine anyone?

[SilentMigraine]

Sorry - this is long! Just want to get everything out!

Back in 2015, I had an aura appear randomly for about 30 minutes. I called 111, I was home alone with a baby and it was scary. They basically told me to see an optician. Google diagnosed it as a silent migraine.

Not long after it happened again whilst I was driving. I saw my GP who prescribed sumatriptan but the side effects worried me so much i never took it. I think I had another episode whilst at home, my husband was around. I worked out the trigger seemed to be dehydration OR a lot of sweetener (I’d not had enough water and had been drinking a lot of fizzy). Changed that and it didn’t happen again. Until the weekend just gone.

I hadn’t had any fizzy though, so I don’t know what caused it. I did have a headache on each one of these occasions but nothing like what my friends with ‘true’ migraines describe.

The reason it is now worrying me is because in 2019 I had a very random ‘sinus infection’ which lasted for weeks. There was no cold prior to it, but my whole face hurt and I had a headache which would not go no matter what. In the end it cleared with a steroid spray. I had an MRI for other things which showed everything was normal but I did have a mucus retention cyst in one of my sinus passages which seemed to strengthen the assumption it was sinusitis.

Well ever since then I have flare ups which I assume are my sinuses, very often. I won’t be able to wear glasses because the weight is too much on my face. However before this aura hit I had a headache and face pressure like that, and ever since my nose has been aching and my cheeks.

Dr google advises that 90% of sinus headaches are Infact migraines. So now I’m confused. Do I have sensitive sinuses or am I having very regular mild migraines? And why now?

I also suffer with peripheral neuropathy (started just before the ‘sinus infection’) so now I am scared there’s something major neurologically is going on. Equally j spend my entire life at the doctor it seems (other health things) and I just can’t go and tell them I’m scared there’s something wrong with my brain. I know nobody can diagnose me on the internet but I’m sure I’m being silly. Just hoping there is someone else out there with some words of wisdom?

Stop googling and consult a Dr. You cannot diagnose yourself from google but you can scare yourself

Boo for seeing a doctor, lol. I know you’re right, I just don’t want to. I hate going to the doctor.

Suffered with aura migraines for 15+ years!
They stopped when I started HRT but then started again last year, daily - sometimes on me after another. I have reduced my oestrogen and they seemed to have stopped again.
Try tracking them - I use MigraineBuddy app - and see if you can see any causal links.

I had some quite heavy glasses a couple of years ago and they gave me headaches, I assumed from blocking my sinuses because that's what it felt like.

I get silent migraines. A corner of my eye will go really blurry and eventually moves across my eye, it's like blurry but with colours. I have regular eye tests abs the optician said it was silent migraines

Can you see a specialist, a neurologist? After years of visits to my regular doctor she finally connected me with a neurologist who was able to prescribe me some medication which i now take daily to prevent migraines. I had migraine with aura and they are awful and unnerving. I never had a migraine without aura nor an aura without a migraine. And we never found the trigger or route cause. Hopefully you can get some clarity because its the 'not knowing' when one might happen that got to me the most as they completely ruin the next few days regardless of what you may need to be doing.

If you won’t see medical professionals and you won’t take prescribed medications, with the best will in the world, if there much point in having the discussion?

I have had every kind of migraine going, including ones in my arms. The neurologist was brilliant. Nothing on the Brain and neck MRI. But, I got a course of topirimate. Life changing. I barely ever get them now. And I haven't taken the topirimate for years. It's worth going to the doctor because there are things that can be done.

I know it's awful when you feel like you're there all of the time. But do go and get the help you need.

My migraines are usually "silent" in as much as there's none or not much head pain. They last about 20-30 minutes but I can't concentrate on anything while they're happening. I've very occasionally also had headache, and once I had quite severe neuro symptoms (couldn't recognise letters on the keyboard that I was sitting at and couldn't speak properly).

I sometimes have a "migraine hangover" even when there's been no head pain which is annoying, but still so much better than pain!

Mine started when I was pregnant the first time and have lessened in the last few years as I move towards menopause so they're probably hormone related.

My parents both get migraines - my mum's were the classic headache and she's not had one since her periods stopped. My dad's came on in his late 60s and are "silent" and very occasional.

Op is there a possibility you are a teeth grinder. I've been trying to get some kind of diagnosis I've been having for the last couple of years. But I do get severe headache pain as well as my face hurts especially round the cheek and temples. It's also radiated out to my neck and shoulders.
I had a head MRI but that was clear and the GP has referred me to a sleep clinic in case it's apnoea. But the dentist has confirmed I grind my teeth while I'm asleep and it could be that. I'm having to have a mouth guard to see if it helps.
I really sympathise as I know how far reaching the effects of these things can be.
I'm having difficulty doing my job as it's all screen based but I can't concentrate because of the head pain and the position my neck is in with a laptop doesn't help.

I have silent migraines. I had a couple of non-silent ones in my late teens and early 20s. Then when I was pregnant with first baby I got loads of silent migraines, which stopped after he was born. Weirdly didn't get them in my 2nd pregnancy. Now I get an aura every so often - maybe 2 or 3 time a year. I tend to take paracetamol and go straight to bed if at all possible and sleep for an hour or so. I sometimes get a mild headache, but always have a migraine hangover. I'm getting older now and hoping they will slowly go away altogether as they always freak me out!

Sumatriptan is a common prescribed treatment for migraines; yes there are side effects but for me these are hugely outweighed by how debilitating migraines are. There are also many preventative treatments you can try.

In other words you need to speak to your GP and see what treatment is best for you.

Migraines can start suddenly (often hormonal in women) and the way they present can differ vastly. Just because your symptoms aren’t the same as your friends doesn’t mean you aren’t having migraines.

Please see your GP and get the support you need

I had the aura for a few years before the actual migraine headaches started nearly 40 years ago - I still get the odd one but not as bad as before (I think mine were hormonal which is why they have reduced now as I am post-menopause). Not sure this helps lol

I get a lot of migraines. TBH I have one most days, but a lot of them are either silent or mostly nerve pain & other secondary side effects.

But, I agree with PPs. If you’ve not had a proper diagnosis, don’t rely on Google. Go to a doctor & make sure it’s not anything else first. I’ve had loads of tests & several scans over the years, including every time my migraines have changed significantly. And I’m on a couple of preventative migraine medications which help significantly - if it wasn’t migraines, they wouldn’t help.

Sumatriptan is fab for migraines!

Are you taking the combined pill? I was having more and more silent migraines (very niche symptoms like kept going hot and cold followed by aura and frequent need to urinate). Since I came off the pill I have them much less frequently

I suffered with sinus pain for years until it was finally diagnosed as migraine after I got a headache-less aura. Absolutely worth talking to your doctor.

I have silent migraines always without headache, I never worried about it till I googled it. Luckily I was reassured by regular examinations at the opticians as I wear glasses, and a MRI I had for something else was clear.

Ask for a referral to see a neurologist, either NHS (long wait) or private (short wait). Also some hospitals have specialist headache clinics, though I guess they're probably not happening atm.

You're obviously worried and need some reassurance. GPs are often not very clued up about migraine.

Thank you all, I really appreciate the replies.

I definitely do grind my teeth at night, DH moans about it!

Other than the side effects, sumatriptan was only to be taken when an aura started and given it wears off after 30-60 minutes, it didn’t seem worth it. And as they were so infrequent, the medication went out of date and therefore in the bin!

I have a referral to a neurologist (NHS) already regarding the peripheral neuropathy but when I eventually see a doctor, I’ll mention the migraine symptoms as well and see what they say. I can’t go private at the moment x