Auras...what are these things?

Okay this may be a rather dumb question. I don't have the classic visual auras - the really strange visual experiences. But are there other kinds? I seem to be noticing things more before I get a nastier M but wonder if it's more prodrome (which I'm not sure is possible since I have daily M) or if it's a form of aura? Anyone know?

There are all kinds of auras. Depending on what part of your brain is being affected you can have an aura that means you smell things that aren't there, go numb in places, (my daughter's nose goes numb), taste weird tastes (I get a very metallic taste like chewing on aluminum foil), hear things that are there, etc.

THere are also the Alice in Wonderland effects... like things seem bigger or smaller, faster or slower, more vibrant or lacking in color, duller. MIgraines are strange creatures and our brains interpret the altered signals in strange ways.

WHat are you feeling?

It's odd. I will see movement that's not there - still objects will appear to move. Rather freaky until you realize things aren't moving. Fortunately it doesn't last very long. The other thing is extremely sound sensitive - someone was playing with a dog whistle app on their cell phone this past weekend and I was ready to jump up, grab it from them at throw the flipping thing at the wall. But it doesn't last more than 1/2 hour at absolute most. I've rather thought both were tied to hearing as I get a bit off kilter with the first and the second is obvious.

And now that you mention it, I do get a few odd sensations in my face. Like a creeping mild numbness that goes from temple down to my cheek. There are other fleeting things but they don't last long enough to really pinpoint what it is and to pay attention (the head pain I think knocks most of those mild things out - just don't really notice). Was just curious...

My definition of M is the head pain, light and sound sensitivity which is why I wondered about some of the other things. The sound sensitivity described above is extreme...like a quiet conversation can have me climbing the walls. What I would define in M terms is that I avoid noise and turn the volume down but it's not driving me to do rash things.

My hearing becomes hyper acute, high pitched sounds send me over the endge. I can't clean the kitchen when I have M as the sound of the silverware or dishes clinking goes right through my head, But I can't hear the TV worth crap.. My D can always tell when Ihave a M as I turn the volume up realy high. Ihave a pretty significant hearing loss so that doesn't help.

It's strange but that is a migraine.

alli wrote:There are all kinds of auras. Depending on what part of your brain is being affected you can have an aura that means you smell things that aren't there, go numb in places, (my daughter's nose goes numb), taste weird tastes (I get a very metallic taste like chewing on aluminum foil), hear things that are there, etc.

THere are also the Alice in Wonderland effects... like things seem bigger or smaller, faster or slower, more vibrant or lacking in color, duller. MIgraines are strange creatures and our brains interpret the altered signals in strange ways.

WHat are you feeling?

The alice in wonderland effects are what happens to me.
It's like going down the rabbit hole. everything is out of proportion, distorted, changed, just plain not right.

HeelerLady wrote:It's odd. I will see movement that's not there - still objects will appear to move. Rather freaky until you realize things aren't moving. Fortunately it doesn't last very long. The other thing is extremely sound sensitive - someone was playing with a dog whistle app on their cell phone this past weekend and I was ready to jump up, grab it from them at throw the flipping thing at the wall. But it doesn't last more than 1/2 hour at absolute most. I've rather thought both were tied to hearing as I get a bit off kilter with the first and the second is obvious.

And now that you mention it, I do get a few odd sensations in my face. Like a creeping mild numbness that goes from temple down to my cheek. There are other fleeting things but they don't last long enough to really pinpoint what it is and to pay attention (the head pain I think knocks most of those mild things out - just don't really notice). Was just curious...

My definition of M is the head pain, light and sound sensitivity which is why I wondered about some of the other things. The sound sensitivity described above is extreme...like a quiet conversation can have me climbing the walls. What I would define in M terms is that I avoid noise and turn the volume down but it's not driving me to do rash things.

These ALL sound like aura I have had. The hallucinations. The smells. The Alice. And my sound sensitivity is really intense. I get RAGEFUL at almust any sounds. My husband has military issued earplugs that he has from whe he was in the marine corps. I wear those around the house often so that I don't go bezerk. It's not just like the photophobia where it hurts or is hard to tolerate.....it makes me...like I said.....very very very aggitated.

moral of my story: You are not alone. It all definitely sounds like aura.

I asked a similar question years ago on this board and I'm still quite confused about the topic

I think that neuros consider AURA only the visual disturbance, while they call PRODROME SYMPTOMS all the other funny things that we get before an attack.

Still have to understand the medical difference ...

Bye

I get confused sometimes about where the aura ends and the migraine proper starts. Like Alli I get visual disturbances and funny tastes during the aura stage. Sometimes my face and nose goe numb at this point as well but all these can carry on for many hours into the migraine and not last just the hour or so before the migraine comes. I've not had the Alice in Wonderland thing but I've caught still things including plants moving. I think it's as someone else has already said, that our brains are trying to interpret the signals the best they can and I suppose that's why it's different for each of us and not always exactly the same.

A lot of the other things people describe are the migraine stage and its aftermath for me.

I understnd the prodrome as something before the aura and possibly affecting people who have migraine without aura up to 24 hours before a migraine. Irritableness, food cravings, etc. I might be wrong.

John