Migraine with aura but no headache/stroke risk?

I have a history of migraine with aura but no headache or just a minor what if I do. The auras are scary enough and I have had two in the last two months. What I am wondering is, if anyone knows if there is a relationship between this type of headache and stroke risk. I don't smoke or have high blood pressure but it does run in my family so I am naturally concerned.

That is where I used to be. I got aura's maybe twice a year but never a headache/migraine. I ended up having a stroke, and never had an aura again, but now have the migraine pain. There is definitely a correlation. My neurologist put me through every test there is and found absolutely nothing wrong with me so there was no way to even treat me to reduce the risk of fugure strokes. I am a picture of health (except for migraine). I did my own research on migrainous stroke. Now migraines scare me to death. It is a bunch of crap that they are not dangerous. I am lucky that I can abort/prevent most of mine. I guess my only advice is to stay as healthy as you can. I haven't had another one and it has been almost 10 years. It was like the stroke burst what ever was causing the aura, so I never had another one. My neuro said I could have had a very small vessel since birth that just couldn't handle the blood flow anymore.

So sorry to hear about your stroke but luckily you are fine now and hopefully that is behind you as much as it possibly can be. Was your stroke similar to the migraine? I guess what I am asking is if you knew the difference immediately or did you think that you were just having a migraine episode?Thanks for the quick response because I have wondered this for a long time and quite frankly it does worry me quite a bit.

Have you talked to a doc about this? I have basilar migraines and for 28 years I had just the aura symptoms and no pain......last two years though have been painful. What are your aura symptoms? It does increase our chance of stroke but I don't think by very much..........

Usually my auras affect my peripheral vision and it is the flashing, squiggly lights. It also seems to come on as I am reading or maybe I just notice it more then. The words aren't clear because of the flashing, i can still read but it is unsettling to say the least. It is just a strange feeling and even if it only lasts 20 minutes it is still scary. I haven't talked to my doctor at all about it but at I get older I think about strokes more and more so maybe I should. What are your aura symptoms?

My most common aura symptoms include numbness around my mouth, shivering, dizziness, lowered level of consciousness, confusion, inability to speak, and some visual disturbances. Aura symptoms can be very unsettling and you should speak to your doctor about them. Does it help if you turn out the lights or wear sunglasses when the aura symptoms start? It can help cut down on the severity of my symptoms. I agree it is hard not to have our minds wander to "what could happen"........whenever my symptoms change I do go back to my docs to see if they think anything else is going on. For me, the more information I gather the less I worry..........

I never thought of shivering as being linked to the migraine but now that you mention it I have also had that same symptom but just chalked it up to feeling "shaky". I have had the dizziness too and sometimes that has even lasted all day. When I had my first aura migraine I was also in the middle of a full blown panic attack. I don't know which one comes first the migraine or the panic. Are you on any medications for the migraines and if so what? I am trying not to be a hypochondriac but just as soon as I start feeling decent something like this happens and I begin to google like crazy and of course the stroke/migraine connection shows up and then I panic, feel sick to my stomach and then the whole cycle begins..what a mess! Thanks for responding though because family sometimes just don't understand and talking to someone who knows the situation certainly helps.

Migraine with aura or just plain aura with no migraine pain makes you a little over 2X more likely to have a stroke. (It looks like very large numbers but please trust me it isn't.)

Doctors tend to worry when women have birth control in AND have aura which brings their likelihood up to 8X (which is a rather large number). Then they really worry when you smoke.

Get yourself to a doctor to have an MRI done to ease your fears and make sure that medically you have nothing else going on but basically, if you don't have BC and you don't smoke, I wouldn't make it a huge worry of mine.


PS. I get m. with aura and I am on topamax 200mgs daily. I take fioricet w. codeine for attacks and stadol when the fioricet doesn't work. Then I have a steroid pack to take if all fails to break long migraines. I also have misc. abortives like Relpax, maxalt, frova ect. around from previous appointments that I occasionally use even though they never work but I keep on trying them because you never know....I feel like my migraines change every month so maybe the meds to treat them do too!

My migraines started 30 years ago......the first "attack" was at work and I got really dizzy and dropped to the floor semi-conscious - now I know that was the migraine affecting the part of my brain that controls my consciousness level. Back then I had no clue and I was frightened and my mind's response to not understanding was panic attacks - and it just snowballed from there as the migraines continued. This was 1980 and I did go to see a doc and they told me if the testing showed that I was not diabetic, anemic or pregnant then it was "all in my head" - I strongly believe that if someone had believed me that my symptoms were real and had been diagnosed with migraines I would not have suffered 10 years of panic attacks and agoraphobia. So for me, I know that the panic and anxiety was caused by my not understanding my migraine aura symptoms. Also, anxiety can be a prodrome or aura symptom. I know that the hours/days I feel decent my mind still goes searching........wondering when the next one will strike, when the other shoe will fall - I think that is also a perfectly rational response to the migraines. Have you googled basilar migraines? Basilar-type migraines occur in the brain stem (that is their best guess anyway) and our aura symptoms can be strange and frightening. Please if you haven't already.........talk to a doc that you trust and please stay in touch. What we are dealing with is at times overwhelming and we need each other to make it through. Leslie

JM,

Basilar migraineurs do have a higher risk of stroke than other subtypes of migraineurs. I have read up on it since I believe I have sporadic attacks of basilar migraines. I occasionally get attacks where I fall to the ground on my knees and almost pass out, I get confused, I can't speak, heart races, extreme anxiety, loss of vision completely, vomiting... ect. I have seen a specialist that told me it would be impossible for me to have basilar migraines because I would need to have this type of migraine EVERY time I have an attack.

I worry about this because of the medication. I try triptans although I am triptan resistant but I know basilar m. are not supposted to take them because of the risks of stroke. I give them a shot because the doctors want me to try every triptan to feel good about giving me the narcotics that work for me. I do admit I try them on my own will as well hoping they might work. I am scared they may cause problems to me. What do you do for aborting your migraines?
Thanks,
LG

LG...........Currently I am drug-free - tried several over the years but the side effects have always been so much worse than dealing with the migraines themselves. And I really don't think there is any drug out there that does affect aura symptoms. So I try to do what I can to minimize my triggers - avoid strong lighting, minimize stress etc... When one hits I try hard not to fight it and relax and turn out all the lights and crawl onto the couch with several blankets and ice or heat. I no longer drive and have had to cut way down on my work hours. For pain I take darvocet. Did your specialist explain why you would only get one type of migraine? I also have had "regular" migraines with the jagged lines and massive amounts of pain along with the basilar migraines.

Thank you everyone for helping me. I have been so stressed out worrying about this. I really appreciate it. I never really heard of Basilar migraines but I have heard of occular migraines. Does anyone have any info on this? Thank you again!

You can try this site for info on basilar migraines......

http://www.healthcentral.com/migraine/types-of-headaches-40278-5.html

and please stay in touch!

I sure will..thanks so much for everything. Sometimes we just need someone who understands to listen..thanks! By the way, when you had the dizziness did it last all day?

Jewishmother wrote:LG...........Currently I am drug-free - tried several over the years but the side effects have always been so much worse than dealing with the migraines themselves. And I really don't think there is any drug out there that does affect aura symptoms. So I try to do what I can to minimize my triggers - avoid strong lighting, minimize stress etc... When one hits I try hard not to fight it and relax and turn out all the lights and crawl onto the couch with several blankets and ice or heat. I no longer drive and have had to cut way down on my work hours. For pain I take darvocet. Did your specialist explain why you would only get one type of migraine? I also have had "regular" migraines with the jagged lines and massive amounts of pain along with the basilar migraines.

No he didn't explain but I think I am going to dump him anyway. I am very discouraged by him. He doesn't seem very sympathetic anyhow and I believe I am better off with my primary neurologist. I had sought out a headache specialist in hopes that I would find a more knowledgable doctor but I suppose I was wrong.

I also get migraines with aura, without aura and basilar symptom migraines, although I haven't been diagnosed with basilar migraines. I am at a loss to what "type" I have so I just stick with what meds work and try to get through my day. I hope I am doing the right thing and not putting myself at further risks for medical problems! Thankfully topamax has cut down on the severity and a bit on the frequency but I am still battling them and feel like I take a lot of pain medication. Hopefully one day these awful things will just back off! I hope the same for you!

tinalouise - I'm sorry I didn't get back to you right away. The auras I got were the jagged lines and a blind spot that would last about 20 minutes. Flashing lights were the trigger (camera, bright sun, etc.).

Yes, the stroke was just a regular migraine. I called the doctor to ask for something for pain and he told me to come in. While I was driving in, I lost my peripheral vision on one side for about 30 seconds. I told this to the doctor and he told me this is a migraine symptom and nothing to worry about. Well, I did worry so I went to another doctor who immediately ordered an MRI and a stroke was diagnosed. There are many people out there that have had strokes and don't know it. Believe me, doctors aren't very knowledgeable about migraines. Anyway, he ordered up a series of tests to find out the cause of the stoke--had me stay over night in the hospital. They not only found nothing that might trigger a stroke, I was a picture of health. The only thing they could figure out was that it was a migrainous stroke. The bad news is that there is no way to treat that but the good news is that I didn't have anything wrong with me. The weird thing about the whole thing is that the auras disappeared after the stroke. Now I just get the pain. I do everything to avoid getting migraines. They scare me. However, the stroke happened 10 years ago and I have been healthy ever since. I think with the aura being gone, my risk went with it. IT was like a little vessel popped, and the auras went with it.

I also have migraine with aura and it is considered, by my doctor, as a stroke risk. But he says it is just another risk factor, no different than high cholesterol, poor diet, high BP, etc.

But because he considers it an independent risk factor, we have been more aggressive in treating other risk factors. For instance, even though my cholesterol levels were high normal (total cholesterol just below 200) , he put me on a statin.

If you have migraine with aura, you need to be more aggressive in reducing your other manageable risk factors - don't smoke, keep you weight under control, reduce your blood pressure, manage your blood lipids, get exercise, eat a good diet, etc. Birth control pills may be an issue. Of course, you should do all that anyway, but this give you more motivation.

charmed quark summed it up pretty good. I wouldn't waste my time worrying about the higher risk. Just make sure you minimize the risks that you can control. That is all you can do and is probably enough in most cases.

I don't smoke and I do exercise so I am trying to reduce the risk factors as much as I can. Strokes run in my family (mom.grandmother) so when I heard that about the association between migraine and strokes I started to really worry.

Jewishmother wrote:My migraines started 30 years ago......the first "attack" was at work and I got really dizzy and dropped to the floor semi-conscious - now I know that was the migraine affecting the part of my brain that controls my consciousness level. Back then I had no clue and I was frightened and my mind's response to not understanding was panic attacks - and it just snowballed from there as the migraines continued. This was 1980 and I did go to see a doc and they told me if the testing showed that I was not diabetic, anemic or pregnant then it was "all in my head" - I strongly believe that if someone had believed me that my symptoms were real and had been diagnosed with migraines I would not have suffered 10 years of panic attacks and agoraphobia. So for me, I know that the panic and anxiety was caused by my not understanding my migraine aura symptoms. Also, anxiety can be a prodrome or aura symptom. I know that the hours/days I feel decent my mind still goes searching........wondering when the next one will strike, when the other shoe will fall - I think that is also a perfectly rational response to the migraines. Have you googled basilar migraines? Basilar-type migraines occur in the brain stem (that is their best guess anyway) and our aura symptoms can be strange and frightening. Please if you haven't already.........talk to a doc that you trust and please stay in touch. What we are dealing with is at times overwhelming and we need each other to make it through. Leslie

Leslie,

This definitely sounds like me! Sometimes and sometimes not followed by headache.

Debbie

lovegia wrote:

Jewishmother wrote:LG...........Currently I am drug-free - tried several over the years but the side effects have always been so much worse than dealing with the migraines themselves. And I really don't think there is any drug out there that does affect aura symptoms. So I try to do what I can to minimize my triggers - avoid strong lighting, minimize stress etc... When one hits I try hard not to fight it and relax and turn out all the lights and crawl onto the couch with several blankets and ice or heat. I no longer drive and have had to cut way down on my work hours. For pain I take darvocet. Did your specialist explain why you would only get one type of migraine? I also have had "regular" migraines with the jagged lines and massive amounts of pain along with the basilar migraines.

No he didn't explain but I think I am going to dump him anyway. I am very discouraged by him. He doesn't seem very sympathetic anyhow and I believe I am better off with my primary neurologist. I had sought out a headache specialist in hopes that I would find a more knowledgable doctor but I suppose I was wrong.

I also get migraines with aura, without aura and basilar symptom migraines, although I haven't been diagnosed with basilar migraines. I am at a loss to what "type" I have so I just stick with what meds work and try to get through my day. I hope I am doing the right thing and not putting myself at further risks for medical problems! Thankfully topamax has cut down on the severity and a bit on the frequency but I am still battling them and feel like I take a lot of pain medication. Hopefully one day these awful things will just back off! I hope the same for you!

My original neurologist started me on topamax which helped level out the attacks but the attack remained relatively constant. My new neurologist put me on verapamil which also helped but when I stopped the topamax the spikes came back. What seems to be working best for me is a combination of the two. Since I was off of the topamax for a couple days i'm hoping that a couple days of being back on both will help even things out. I also have nortriptyline for at night if needed (which i've needed lately) and fiorcet for daily as needed which i'm trying to stay away from.

Maybe between us we can find a coctail that works!