I was told by emergency Opthalmologist(?) on Tuesday that my visual disturbance is 'Migraine Aura without headache'. She said my GP can help with this but ive not been able to see GP again yet.
However Ive googled for what help that might entail and it all says there is no help for aura on its own. And that it usually lasts for an hour or so. But i have had the same everyday this week and lasts more like many hours - today it has not gone away at all - except when i had a lay down and was asleep.
What can i do please to get rid of this constant 'Aura'?
I am awaiting another Neurology follow up but that is going to take ages.
Any practical help from you lovely people would be gratefully received.
Thanks in advance
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GoingthruTreacle
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I would think the best thing to do is take a preventative medication to make sure they don't keep coming. Once you have it, it is hard to get rid of it. Good luck.
Put “Aspirin” in the search bar- there are old posts from people who were told to take a daily low dose Aspirin to get rid of aura. You should check with Doc first of course.
I’m so sorry you’re struggling. I haven’t found much that helps honestly. I was on topomax for about a year but then they started to come back and the topomax has nasty side effects so I got off it. There’s also propranolol a beta blocker but my blood pressure crashed:/ There’s a new injection called Amovig that my neuro said may help with aura, even without headaches but I’m skeptical because it just got FDA approved and they don’t know the long term side effects yet. I think my next try is Botox. I read an article it may help aura. Do you have numbness and speech problems with the aura? It sounds like you need to see a neurologist!
I've had them for donkey's years I also get them during sleep quite often, when I was on propranolol they were more frequent. I don't think there's much you can do about it medication wise and then you get all of the side effects, now I just enjoy looking at all the different patterns when they arrive, you just have to sit it out. All the best.
I'd certainly try aspirin, the dissolvable type, as it's easily available and something you can try whilst waiting for a doctor's appointment. You could also try taking an antihistamine for a few days. I've had auras/silent migraines that last days, weeks even, and it's horrible and scary. If you become really worried or anything changes, go to A&E if you can't get to see a GP.
ASPIRIN! I also had aura, with or without headache. I did yards of research and found the studies on low dose aspirin. My GP was sceptical was agreed I could try it. I started on 100mg a day but decided I would go for lowest dose that works and now take 75mg every 2nd day. I started last April and have not had any aura since. The theory is that aura is caused by cortical spreading depression and microembolism. The aspirin gets rid of any microembolism. That's a very simplistic explanation, sorry I dont know the full details but you can find it and read about it. if you google 'low dose aspirin migraine aura' or 'migraine aura microembolism' you should find plenty to read. Obviously the aspirin is not used as a painkiller/treatment for an existing migraine, it prevents the condition that causes the aura. Maybe it only works for some people, but it works for me, even at such an very low dose. Good luck!
Thank you so much for replies i am really grateful.
Especially the Aspirin advice, i would never have known about that tip without being told on here. This information didnt naturally pop up on Google when i searched for help.
I had a G.P. appt yesterday and luckily Id seen some of these comments before i went and mentioned Aspirin. He said.. "i can try that if i want but probably its more for people who look for pain relief".
He prescribed me 10mg Nortriptyline which I thought I would give it a go. So i have started that now.
I forgot to ask him if i can also try the Aspirin at same time but lm sure i can check interactions online.
If OK I think ill like to try the Aspirin as well because sounds promising from what Ive now seen.
Your GP is wrong that the aspirin is more for people needing pain relief. Altho aspirin can be used as pain relief, in this case it is strictly a prophylactic (preventative). And we are talking aura, not pain. All the treatments and preventatives commonly prescribed for migraine are about the pain. Low dose aspirin will do zero for migraine pain, and it wont stop an aura once its started! But it stops your platelets sticking together into clots and that is why it is given as a preventative treatment for pple at risk of, and who have had, strokes and heart attacks. In the case of migraine aura, the culprits (these researchers say) are microembolisms, ie teeny tiny miniscule blood clots, not big enough to cause a stroke or anything like that, but they are implicated in cortical spreading depression (the process that happens in your brain when you are having aura). So by taking low dose aspirin, you are eliminating the little clots and therefore preventing aura. You may still get migraines, maybe but hopefully no aura! many doctors may be reluctant to prescribe aspirin in this way to younger people, but strangely, they seem fine to prescribe other preventatives that can have awful side effects. I hope the Nortrip works for you (it gave me awful vivid nightmares), but I tried Imipramine (same family of drug) instead and that worked for 12 months but then started causing problems too. The thing with this class of meds is you have to keep taking them, then you get tolerant and have to increase the dose., and then what do you do, keep taking them long term year after year? This class of drug is linked to memory problems, you cant just keep taking it for months/years.IMO. Aspirin, even very low dose, has its risks as well, obviously, ie the increased risk of bleeding. But at this stage I would follow your GPs advice if you otherwise have faith in him. I suggest you print some of the research reports and give to him, as he prob has never seen that research. Mine hadn't and she was interested to find out. Re combining aspirin with Nortrip, there is no point, as if you do get relief from the aura, you wont know which med is responsible!!
Meds are all about risks vs benefits. So maybe you could study both the Nortrip and the Aspirin and then if you decide you want to try aspirin, do so under your doctor., who will be able to explain any effects of low dose aspirin, and have it noted on your record that you are taking it.
Thank you so much. Your comments have been really very interesting and helpful.
Something did halt my symptom from its 8 day constant run. Whether it was self limiting or whether it was Nortriptyline im not sure. However the symptom has not gone completely , im just getting gaps where i feel the symptom is 'different'.
Im not surprised at my GP comment about Aspirin /pain. dont have any faith in any of my GPs. They know Im under the Neurologist so the GPs are just waiting for that to happen. But It takes soooo long to get appointments at hospital.
Ive got some 75mg Aspirin anyway in case i want to try it.
i have also yesterday changed my eating to limited carbs & higher fat as apprently it stops unwanted brain activity when the body switches to using ketones. I dont know how people feel about that but it sounds promising.
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