Migraine with aura without pain

[BillStickersIsInnocent]

I’ve had these migraines infrequently for years - zig zags in my vision which worsen until areas of vision disappear, I usually can’t see half of the room. It lasts about 30 mins and I can have a mild headache after but feel really tired and shaky.

In the 2 days I’ve had two which is very unusual for me, I was wondering if anyone had experience of these worsening linked to perimenopause maybe?

Placemarking as I get these sometimes and feel exactly like you!

Yep, same. Headache stays mild as long as I take a couple of migraleve or paracetamol. Makes me feel tired and spaced out tho. They're definitely more frequent in the last few years (I'm late 40s). I think your hormones go a bit bonkers in peri and I'm sure mine are hormonal.

I think this is called a visual migraine or retinal migraine, my DH gets them too and has to lie down for a bit but no headache.

Yes, I’ve been getting more frequent aura during peri menopause. Like you OP, I have had two in a day. It worried me so I went to the gp. He couldn’t find anything wrong and thought it was probably perimenopause related.

I used to get them before my period especially in peri menopause, so assumed hormone related. Now, after hysterectomy, get about 1 a year for no obvious reason. If possible, close my eyes for 20 minutes till it goes usually feel woozy and a bit sick for a few hours.

I've started having these about once a month. I'm 44, doctor didn't seem concerned and thought it's peri. They haven't been much trouble so far but I wouldn't be able to drive with one.

I only started getting them in my mid 40s. I take ibuprofen at the first zig zag, turn I'm good afterwards.

Same here! Had them since start of Peri. I noticed that it was happening just before a period so put it down to a drop in hormones. It’s horrible, I can’t trust myself to drive or do much else till it goes.

I sometimes get them after exercise. Could that have triggered it?

I’ve always had them since childhood. They were at their worst at puberty, during pregnancy and menopause. I’m post menopause now and they’ve gone back to 1 or 2 a month. I find resting for an hour or so helps and if I can fall asleep, I feel improvement on waking.

I’ve had these for years too, but I’m 29, so not connected to menopause. A trigger for me is changeable weather, and thunderstorms in particular. So in the last week or so I’ve had two. I feel like a fraud describing them as a migraine, as they only tend to last a few hours but I feel completely spaced out afterwards.

I used to get them about once a year until I hit peri and they really ramped up to several each weak. HRT fixed that thankfully.

I used to have these a lot but after the menopause they seem to have stopped, fingers crossed.

I get these. I had one every day for a 8 days not too long ago. I’m 35. I’ve had them my entire life but sometimes I can go months without one. Bizarre. The head pain varies from totally non existent to quite bad!!

These are also known as ocular migraines, I’ve suffered for around 15 years with usually 4 or 5 episodes a year. My family also seems to get them, brother and mum at least. I don’t think they really understand what causes them, and they’re not considered dangerous although if you’re driving or anything like that you really need to stop as soon as they come on. I’ve read that giving your body a big sugar hit (can of red coke, mars bar etc)can help them go away quicker, seemed to help a bit last time I tried that.

I used to get these. Sometimes after exercise. I managed to press in at a point at the bottom of the skull back of the neck and could sometimes relieve them in that way. Mine certainly seemed to be related to neck tension.

Yes! I had two of these delights on Sunday. Aura and mild nausea but no pain. Followed by a two-day migraine hangover. Definitely hormonal as my period was due. I’m 46 so could well be related to peri

I've also heard them called silent migraines.

Mine started in my mid-20s, so definitely not menopause related. They tend to be worse when the weather is cloudy or rainy.

I occasionally get migraines with aura. The actual headache is pretty mild, but the flashing lights aura beforehand can be a bit scary.

Please go to see an optician, who will hopefully be able to reassure you. It’s particularly important to do this if you experience loss of vision, even if it doesn’t last long.

My son has optical migraines sound like what you experience, he got glasses and hasn't had one since

Thanks everyone, this is really interesting.
Yes I’ve seen them called visual or optical migraines or silent migraines too.

I think I will ask the GP about it, now I’ve had 3 since Wednesday I’m a bit worried about it happening when I’m driving (I would stop immediately of course but it impacts work/family stuff)

I wear glasses and the optician knows that I
get migraines.

I wear variofocals and I think one thing that triggers them for me is when bright lights seem to refract, even briefly, on my glasses. I have anti-glare etc etc but these days there are so many bright ‘white’ lights that are much more intense!

Op 3 in one week is quite a lot so you’re right to get yourself checked out if possible. But if it’s any consolation I actually had 2 in one day about a year back, at the moment I haven’t had one since the spring time, so it really can vary wildly when they come on.

I have exactly the same, aura, sometimes mild headache, I can sometimes crack on after the aura has passed but often I feel really knackered and washed out and need to sleep in dark room for a few hours and can often experience the hangover the next day or two. Do you know what your triggers are? My primary trigger is hormonal and has been since I was a teen but for me if my sleep pattern changes rapidly it affects mine too. So I had two in a week recently, one was definitely linked to my period and the other I think I'd had about 3 nights of crap sleep and then had a really good long night's sleep, that morning woke up and had a migraine.

Triggers are hormonal I think - my very first one was when I was 16 before a period. I think one bout this week was triggered by overhead lights in a new office space. Also stress - a couple in the past have come on in a stressful work situation.

@legacy that is very interesting - I’ve had varifocals for a few months and I think the arms have bent/shifted so the lenses aren’t properly aligned which probably isn’t helping! Off to the opticians this morning to get them sorted out.