Has anyone been diagnosed with migraine despite having no typical very bad headaches?
My daughter in law who recently had TIA symptoms has had all manner of scans and now her doctor is saying the lack of concentration, visual problems (couldn't recognise her husband) etc. is a type of migraine.
I'd really appreciate any advice/comments. Thank you so much.
Hi Handel, I know of 2 people who have visual migraines:
My boss gets blurry vision and can’t concentrate but this is only vey occasional
The second was a friend who worked at the leisure centre where I did judo, hers were like silver and black lines flickering across her vision in one eye
Personally I only ever had headache migraines but I assume there must be some way that they can treat it for your daughter in law.
Hope this helps
Hi Bassman. Thanks so much for your quick reply.
I always associated migraines with debilitating headaches. She suffers almost stroke like symptoms which is weird!
I'm sure her GP will find something to calm these strange auras.
Once again, your reply is really appreciated xxx
I have migraine without headache, I get visual sparkly lines and triangles in a semicircle, was told it was atypical migraine.
Thanks so much for getting back to me. I just always thought migraines came with really bad headaches and visual disturbances because of the headaches. With you and all the lovely people on the forum replying, I can see that headache - less migraines are more common than I thought.
Thank you again for replying. I really appreciate your comments. xx
Hi Handel,
I have visual disturbances, sensitivity to light and noise. Numbness the left side of my face and left hand.
Pain behind my left eye and a line of pain running from my forehead to neck.
All described as a migraine by my Neurologists. He thinks it's due to spasms in the blood vessels in my brain.
I also live with vasospastic angina causing Microvascular angina and Coronary artery spasms . I only get the 'migraine ' symptoms at the same time as my chest pain.
The treatment is the same for both types of vasospasms a calcium channel blocker.
Hi,
I am soon to have an aortic valve replacement after a proper diagnosis. Some time before that I was getting "scintillating scotoma": zig-zaggy patterns before eyes, and some migraines. Apparently these may be related to the aortic stenosis. Yes brain, but that may be due to poor blood flow through the heart.
Otto
Yes, the Cardiovascular system showing up problems in one place the brain but actually the issue may be heart related.
We all depend on a smooth good flow of blood to every part of our bodies .
I hope your up coming operation goes well and you make speedy recovery.
my vision becomes disturbed.. i know when it starts .. if i’m watching tv i can’t see the picture normally.. like looking through a cracked mirror.. can only see parts of the image.. no headache as such.. sparkly wiggly lines at the side of my vision.. usually going to bed for an hour clears it up.. thankfully doesn’t happen often
I just sent this out:
I am soon to have an aortic valve replacement after a proper diagnosis. Some time before that I was getting "scintillating scotoma": zig-zaggy patterns before eyes, and some migraines. Apparently these may be related to the aortic stenosis. Yes brain, but that may be due to poor blood flow through the heart.
Cheers,
H
Hi Manhattan1. Thanks so much for getting back to me. I think she's just getting bothered by the occasional episodes where her concentration just goes. I'll report back when she has the results of her final scan xxx
I have suffered with visual migraines for years, at one point getting 2-3 a day. I also suffered with left sided neck to forehead pain which was horrible, however never had the 2 together. As with everything else it was put down to anxiety.
Thing is, since my heart attack in September, I haven’t had either problem. Small mercy, but I guess something in my medication is working to stop them. The only other thing may be giving up smoking has helped. The anxiety is still there ( in fact worse ), so if I was to guess either Blood pressure or blood flow ( lack of ) was the cause of mine.
Hi Malgail. She had her first episode that resembled a TIA when she landed in Spain (flew there!). She's a nervous flyer so it was all put down by the lovely doctors in Spain to a panic attack. Since that, she's had other episodes where she struggles to recognise relatives (and her husband) and loses concentration completely.
She's just waiting for the results of a final scan. I can see why she's depressed by all this.
I'm just glad that you're on the mend (not glad at all that you had a heart attack though!).
I'm not surprised your anxiety levels are up but we get on with things don't we! xxx
I know when a migraine is coming because the first thing that happens is that my vision breaks up, sort of pixelated. I once went blind at work, strangely without the headache. My vision wasn't black, all I could see was greyness. I just had to sit and wait for it to go. It did after about half an hour. First-Aiders didn't know what to do. My doctor aid it was migraine-related that evening.
That sounds scary!
How did you manage that experience?
I find all the migraine symptoms worse than my angina!
Hi jimmyq. Wow, I don't think any first aid book would cover that frightening episode.
I think I'd have called an ambulance if that happened to me.
You're very brave to sit it out and wait. Hope things have improved a bit xxxx
I regularly get ocular migraine. That's allteh visual disturbances but nothing else. It starts as a glittery area which then gradually gets wider to a sparkling zig zag circle that covers my whole vision. I can't focus through it or watch TV or read. It lasts about 20 minutes and afterwards I have a very slight, muzzy but not painful headache. Lying down with eyes closed helps it to go away.
That describes my Migraine exactly!
My GP wasn't remotely concerned. I've had them for over 20 years; long before I developed any heart problems. They are a nuisance if I happen to be driving but they do usually give me time to pull off and wait until they go away (|Except the M6 up to Lancaster where there's no junction for miles LOL). Nothing specific seems to trigger them; they just happen. I can go months without one then have 3 or 4 in a couple of weeks. GP just calledthem ocular migraines. I'm thankful I don't get the headaches
Blimey Qualipop. The M6 is hopeless if you're felling great!! I'm just so surprised that a lot of people get migraines without headaches.
Just shows how much I knew about migraines!! Hope you're OK xxx
Hahaha it's the lack of exits on the M6 that causes problems. If you do get an ocular migraine, it happens out of the blue; next to no warning but it takes about 10 minutes to get bad enough to affect your vision so if there are exits you can usually get off but that section from Preston to Lancaster has nothing at all. I can usually see well enough to be safe but it is distracting. I've had them for so long now I just ignore them but am so grateful there is no violent headache like a normal migraine. When I first got them I was scared to death and rushed to the doctor. But seriously all I get is a very very mild dull ache afterwards for about half an hour, not even bad enough to take a paracetamol. I'm not badthanks but getting very breathless especially when I bend over. Pulled a few weeds in the garden today and had to stop after 5 minutes. They don't know whether it's my spine or the two other blockages getting worse. They were not bad enough to stent when i had the last angiogram but no one told me how bad they were ( or not).
My late mother used to get terrible migrants and all she could do was lie down in a darkened room. As she approached 70 they changed and were mainly just visual (she compared it to an out of tune B&W TV). These were barely a problem unless they lasted s longish time when they could trigger nausea. Her granddaughter has suffered disabling ones for twenty years since her teens.
Thanks so much for getting back to me. I just always thought migraines came with really bad headaches and visual disturbances because of the headaches. With you and all the lovely people on the forum replying, I can see that headache - less migraines are more common than I thought.
Thank you again for replying. I really appreciate your comments. xx
as a sufferer yes it is possible to get a migraine without the headache there is something called migraine tummy which can present with all the symptoms and yet no headache but at the same time it could still be something else which is yet to manifest itself
things like this are difficult as doctors need to see them as they happen so they can best diagnose as to what is going on.
hope it gets sorted soon, mine have been going on for over 30 years now.
I had my first Ocular Migraine at the age of 19. Stroke like symptoms. Left side of face and arm numb, Slurring words. Visual disturbance. My boss (hateful man) didn't believe me and thought I had gotten drunk at lunchtime (I hadn't) and had someone drive me home. After the 30 minute drive symptoms receded a bit so when I got home I just went to bed and slept for several hours. I know I should have gone to A&E or GP but I was young and didn't realise how serious it could have been. However all symptoms gone when I woke. Never had it as bad as that since but have, and still do get Ocular Migraines when tired or if a bright light flashes in my eyes like a reflection off glass for example. They present as a zig-zag line that crosses from right to left in a period of 10 to 20 minutes. It is disorienting and annoying but better than having the pain that so many suffer. I was diagnosed by my optician after I casually mentioned it. I did see GP at opticians advice and diagnosis was the same. They have become less frequent as I have got older though. When I was working stressful very physical job they were at their worst.
My daughter in law was getting off the plane with her sister (gone to Spain) when she collapsed, went numb and saw black and white lines and zig zags for some time. Her sister called for an ambulance and Helen was stuck in hospital for almost a week (they'd only gone away for a week)!!! while tests were run.She risked the plane home and went to her GP who, in conjunction with a hospital guy, said she'd suffered an ocular migraine.
She had a very stressful job but moved to something less stressful and has only had one other mild attack.
Very weird and worrying and I'm glad you're OK (ish) now.
Love and hugs. Jan xx
That must have been very traumatic for them, being abroad at the time. It is a strange phenomena. I only get the visual zig zag lines now, never had the numbness since the first one. I am so used to them that I don't take a lot of notice anymore. They are annoying more than worrying.
Migraine and heart conditions 
Vasospastic angina and migraine. 
Avoiding using GTN spray
TIA or migraine 
Migraine aura without the pain
