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Pregnancy

Talk about every stage of pregnancy, from early symptoms to preparing for birth.

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Original poster

Anyone suffered aura migraines or TIA? Does this sound Ok?

19 replies

WillowB · 31/07/2015 13:00

I've had the occasional aura migraine for the past 2years. Tend to mainly affect my vision with me developing floaters/blind spots. Usually over in about 30 mins and sometimes followed by a headache, sometimes they're not.

Anyway I'm 29 weeks pregnant & yesterday I developed the familiar floaters but after about 20mins they disappeared but I found I'd lost my speech! I was trying to get my words out but they were all jumbled and I couldn't say what I wanted to say. It was pretty scary but I was back to normal within 10 mins. Last night the floaters came back and I had a tingling feeling in my arm and a mild headache.
Booked in with GP this morning who checked my blood pressure & said that although it was raised from my usual rate, it is still just within normal range. Didn't check my urine. GP said it is most likely an aura migraine as I suffered these before pg. Said as I'm 34 it's unlikely to have been a TIA/mini stroke as I'm too young.
I just can't help feeling slightly uneasy, particularly as I lost my speech, would you be happy with this? not sure what else I can do though?

OP posts:

AmberLav · 31/07/2015 13:15

I only get aura migraines in pregnancy, and the first time I had it, I was checked for pre-eclampsia, but all was fine. I was never advised to get it checked out, and I get about 2 or 3 episodes per pregnancy.

I don't get a headache, I do get the visual disturbances and the inability to talk... my mum diagnosed me as she got them too in pregnancy...

sarkymare · 31/07/2015 13:17

I've never actually experienced a migraine myself but I have thread many of the headache v migraine threads on here.

A common phrase I noticed was 'I thought I was having a stroke' so it sounds pretty standard for a bad migraine. If you GP/MW wasn't concerned at your appointment I would try not to worry.

sarkymare · 31/07/2015 13:18

And for you. I imagine the lack of speech was pretty scary!

Jermajesty · 31/07/2015 13:22

I suffer from aura migraines and yes I have, on occasion, lost the ability to speak coherently. I have also lost all my vision. Quite freaky the first time it happens!

AmberLav · 31/07/2015 13:31

Oh, and I did worry a bit about brain damage, till I realised that my baby friends seem to have the same inability to find words etc...!

I'm currently 20 weeks pg with my third, so still waiting for the aura migraines to return...

NigelMolesworth · 31/07/2015 13:31

Yes, I have these too. Mostly I just lose patches of vision, no headache until afterwards but feel really weird while they are happening. I have also had one or two where I can't speak coherently - everything comes out jumbled up. The optician did say that if the floaters don't go away within the usual amount of time, I should go and see them as a matter of urgency as it could be a detached retina

I would see how you feel over the next few days and trust your instincts - if you don't feel right, go straight back to the GP.

ASorcererIsAWizardSquared · 31/07/2015 13:34

Yup, normal, its normally a sign I have one coming rather than the hangover afterwards. Pregnancy can change your symptoms though. I had pins and needles with mine when I was pregnant.

LiDLrichardsPistachioSack · 31/07/2015 13:36

Sounds normal, yep! Horrendous but normal. I've had exactly that before OP and I'm 32.

Original poster

WillowB · 31/07/2015 13:44

Phew! Feel more reassured now that other people have experienced the same symptoms! especially the weird speech, as I don't know anyone in real life who has them & they're so hard to explain to other people.
Sorry that you've all had to put up with them though. Not at all pleasant
If you don't mind me asking, do you have triggers? Have no idea what mine are! Also do you take medication?

OP posts:

Shlurpbop · 31/07/2015 14:03

I'm glad you're reassured OP but I just wanted to mention as information really (and not to worry you!) that my relative had a TIA at 20 so for your health care professional to say 34 is too young, I would disagree. Rare, yes. But not impossible.
Anyway, just wanted to correct that as it might be useful for someone else reading this and having symptoms but thinking that it couldn't be a TIA so ignoring it.

idontknowmyusernameanymore · 31/07/2015 14:06

I'm 25 weeks pregnant and having these too, and I'm in my very early twenties so I don't think it's an age thing to be concerned about. I had bad migraines, just with Aura not nessesarily painful before I was pregnant and they just seem to of carried on. Really bright lights can trigger mine, or being stressed, or they just come from nowhere! It's so irritating not being able to see out of one eye. Anti-sickness tablets work for them though! I was being dim and thought because I didn't feel sick with the migraine then the tablet wouldn't do any good, but it's something in the anti-sickness tablet can help them to go away. I've got anti-sickness for the sickness I'm getting in pregnancy anyway, but the doctor could probably prescribe you some.

Original poster

WillowB · 31/07/2015 14:18

Yes shlurpbop I thought it was a fairly sweeping statement, especially as pregnancy supposedly increases your risk of stroke/TIA. I actually thought she might check for pre eclampsia but nope.

OP posts:

Fluffy24 · 31/07/2015 14:33

I suffer from migraine.

The 'aura' I get vary from visual disturbances, numbness or tingling down one side, or 'losing my words' where when I speak or write something like a text it's utter nonsense though I might not even realise it at first - quite interesting reading back any texts I write. Usually only last a short while.

MermaidLion · 31/07/2015 14:36

I've never had migraine pain but I've had aura symptoms (kaleidoscope in one eye happens a couple of times a year, loss of normal speech has happened twice, once during pregnancy) and the GP did an ECG and bloods, and basically when they were normal sent me on my way.

Annoying, worrying, but seemingly innocuous.

SweetCharityBeginsAtHome · 31/07/2015 14:41

I actually went to A&E in my first pg because I thought I was having a stroke . I didn't realise it was a migraine because it didn't hurt.

Lollirot · 31/07/2015 15:12

Sorry to hear you're experiencing this OP, I can sympathize completely.

I'd suffered with migraines with aura for 10 years when I fell pregnant with my son. At around the 7 month mark I experienced the exact same thing as you. My words were a jumble, I couldn't write or text normally, my mouth and hands had gone numb. I took a trip to A&E convinced I was having a stroke but they pinned it on pregnancy hormones. The following day I saw my midwife and was tested for pre-eclampsia which came back negative. They explained that as I was pregnant very little could be done in regards to neurological tests.

As the symptoms persisted after I gave birth I insisted on seeing a neurologist who diagnosed me with Hemiplegic migraines. I've been on Topiramate for 6 months now which has reduced the migraines from 2 a week to 1 every other month.

Whilst there isn't a lot that anyone can do for you right now, if they persist after your pregnancy Id definitely get them checked out. In the mean time, try not to stress too much as stress can be a trigger, if you feel yourself getting wound up just walk away and take a breather!

Sorry for rambling on and on!

Doublebubblebubble · 31/07/2015 22:30

Wow x just read your thread as I was curious - you poor ladies x and its not like there's enough to deal with in pregnancy x I wish you all the best of luck

buntingbingo · 31/07/2015 22:36

I have aura migraines exactly like you but always followed by a headache. 7 years ago I had a tia. I got out of bed and lost all movement in my arm and side of my face, it was quick but so so scary! I went to doc who said it was prob a tia and then the following week I realised I was pregnant so always assumed it was related to that. I haven't had one since and although the migraines have increased they are still not often.

My mum was crippled by migraine her whole life and often had slurred speech during them , they totally stopped with menopause!!

CarrieLouise25 · 31/07/2015 22:38

I get the same, it's a special type of Migraine.

Lollirot is right, it's Hemiplegic migraines. My face went numb on one side, speech went, and arms/legs went numb. I thought I was having a stroke, but thankfully not.

Apparently if you are a migraine sufferer generally, then symptoms can worsen during pregnancy (as if there aren't enough other symptoms to be dealing with!)

GP should have known it was a Hemiplegic migraine x

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