Preventing an aura ?

[Kevin160]

I have been getting aura migraines with numbness and pins and needles in hands for years, im 19 and i have a bit of an important week, i also have an anxiety disorder which is making me feel more scared since i cant predict my migraines, i worry the will happen during my exams , i have alot to do this week

Is there anyway i can do something to guarantee i dont develop a migraine, it would make me feel alot calmer , i usually get them every few months and i have allt of triggers like poor sleep and screen glaring triggers them, i try to limit those but if theres a way to stop them before they happen i would like the help

[Onthemove1971]

Not have a menstrual cycle, sleep well, eat well (and not skip a meal), don't have head or neck pain and take preventative medication. If you feel an attack come on drink cold can of Pepsi and take medication to stop it. If those don't work use ice and maybe a shower. Drink peppermint tea.

If all else fails have medication ready. I take an injection of Imitrix if I know it is coming on strong.

This is what works best for me.

[Kevin160 in reply to Onthemove1971]

Im a guy so imma scratch the first one, sleep is hard when i have something important, so hopefully that wont be an issue because it is a trigger, ill also try to avoid getting back and neck pain, ill try your suggestions

Its just that my attacks only last an hour, and im worried that i lose my vision when im doing something important , usually there is a trigger but sometimes i dont find one because it happens when i wake up, or when im not really using electronics or sleeping poorly

[Onthemove1971 in reply to Kevin160]

Have you tried taking melatonin at night even for 1 week to get through stressful time.

Maybe also a massage.. hard times are hard times.

Can I ask if you are a student taking an academic program? Have you thought of getting services to help you? You could get extended time. Or even less work.. just a thought

We cant always do this in life, but services are available to help students.

Also, are you taking

Good luck!

[Kevin160 in reply to Onthemove1971]

Im graduating this year and im pretty much done with my academic programs , were cut short due to covid19, so there are no services to seek. But i do still have alot on my plate between online assessments and stuff ,To answer your question, i did take melatonin many times, very small dosage so maybe thats why it never did much for , i have ana anxiety disorder so its not easy to relax at all

[Onthemove1971 in reply to Kevin160]

Congratulation on finishing the program. A few other things to consider.. a white noise machine is great. You can get them on amazon and they can be used with plug or batteries. Having that one might help. People also benefit from a weighted blanket. One last thing is mediation...

I wish you well.

[newbie1956]

As always i'll be thinking of you, Kevin. Hoping you'll do well

[Kevin160 in reply to newbie1956]

Oh Thank you , hoping the best for you as well in these hard times😅❤️❤️

[Gambit62]

is the tingling in your hands constant or intermittent?

Have you ever had your B12 levels checked. B12 deficiency can cause neurological problems - such as tingling in numbness and hands ... and it can also cause migraine type headaches. B12 is only found in animal products so if you are a vegan or eat very little by way of meat/fish/dairy/egg you need to supplement (about 10mcg a day). If you do eat adequate animal products/have adequate supplementation then you could have an absorption problem - any issues with acid reflux or digestion?

[Kevin160 in reply to Gambit62]

Yes i got blood tests a while back , b12 was good, a little bit to the lower side of normal but it was good , no digestion problems as far as i know of, ,the tingling only happens whenever i get a migraine, first the tunnel vision and aura blind spots, i cant see barely anything, then i get tingling in my face and palms, it lasts and hour or so then it goes back to normal, usually triggered by poor sleep, or screens and lights

[Gambit62 in reply to Kevin160]

Aside from avoiding the triggers you have you tried taking medication as soon as the aura starts rather than waiting for a headache? Starting the medication as soon as possible can stop it progressing.

[Kevin160 in reply to Gambit62]

No i never tried taking medication immediately after

[Kelli0905]

Hi Kevin, try a daily low dose aspirin. Google that for migraine aura prevention. Seemed to really work for me. I have all the Vision issues with motor sensory and speech disturbance.

[Kevin160 in reply to Kelli0905]

Yes i only got slurred speech from a migraine once in january 2019 , that migraine was the worst one by far , usually its just visual disturbances and pins and needles in my face and palms

I heard about aspirin being used in migraines , im still in my last teens so i was a but worried about doing that, i think i also heard about magnesium, never really thought of taking them because my migraines were about 2-3 a year on average which is good, but sometimes they get more frequent depending on a number of factors

[md5299]

Zomig 5mgs nasal spray will get rid of it fast if one turns up, don't let them palm you off with a cheaper one.

[Kevin160 in reply to md5299]

I will check that out thank you

[BitBrokenBrain]

Do you know of any dietary triggers? A clean diet can help prevent them and also help the migraines that do come, hit a little less intensely. Some stuff, like nightshades, onions & other food considered clean can cause a migraine. Are you able to walk/stretch when you give yourself screen breaks? I know it's tough with our current situation. Make sure that you're turning off ALL screens an hour before bed. Don't stream to fall asleep! Do you have allergies? Make sure your sleep and study places are clean and free of dust, clean AC vents and don't sleep with a fan on your face. Stay away from booze, nicotine (even 2nd hand) and don't forget that rebound headaches can happen if you take OTC pain relievers more than twice a week. Also- careful with the supplement recommendations; if you aren't deficient (blood work can help determine this), it's not causing your migraines, but too much can! For me, melatonin can cause a migraine, and I can't take magnesium. When I have something important coming up that a migraine could sabotage, I'm extra careful with diet, I'm good about taking my allergy medicine in advance, at the same time daily (even though I usually only take as needed), I make sure my B12 levels are good and I make myself a priority for at least an hour daily, whether that's stretching and a walk, gardening, screen free reading, gardening or building something... Whatever gets my brain off of stuff that causes anxiety, is screen-free and when possible, gets me moving a little. Wishing you the very best!!!

[Kevin160 in reply to BitBrokenBrain]

To me i tried to know if there are any diety triggers, i think chocolate is one because on time i had one immediately after consuming chocolate, and maybe spicy food at another time, in general i dont think diet is the main cause, almost all my migraines happened after i got carried away with iver usage of screens, over glaring, lights, and a few times where i couldnt sleep i would wake up with a migraine or throughout the day one will catch me off guard, stress could be another thing, i have an anxiety disorder and that means frequent panic attacks and stress which doesnt go well with migraines and sleep , its like these things all overlap and what i need to do is hard because of my existing conditions

Physical health is fine as i know of , b12 are in normal range, i took my yearly allergy shot recently , my allergies are bad sometimes.

I appreciate your advice thanks

[Cat00]

Insomnia, anxiety disorders and migraine are all intimately linked. They are all symptoms of a hypersensitized mind. I've had them all my life since I was 5 years old. If I were you I would stop looking for triggers, this approach can easily exacerbate an anxious mind. Often it is pointless anyway bc at least with migraine without aura the migraine can start up to 2 days before any pain starts. Chocolate has historically been one of the common mistaken triggers. It is now known that people often crave chocolate in the prodrome stage of a migraine i.e. the migraine has already started. I'm sorry I have no direct experience aura migraine however.

The thing I would focus on is reducing stress as much as possible. If you have exams etc stress is fairly unavoidable so you have to be realistic. Try to avoid overstimulation, lead a boring life until the work is done. Simplify as much a possible. I know it sounds trite but be outside more, exercise more both greatly help to calm the mind. Obviously you could try meditation, I'm too anxious to cope with meditation personally but works for a lot of people. Read rather than watch something. Basically slow the tempo until you've managed to do what you need to do then you can gradually do more interesting stuff again.

Md5299 suggested Zomig nasal sprays which is what I take, trouble is if your attack only lasts an hour in my experience Zomig nasal takes at least an hour to help me so I'm not sure there'd be any point. I would ask a doctor to suggest something. Everyone is different though and my migraines are chronic so Zomig might work quicker with less entrenched migraines!

[Littlekidnappers]

I was having an aura everyday for weeks then once or twice a week for months, my Dr sent me to a neurologist who examined me and said I was healthy. Then on my own I decided to take :natures way: feverfew and it has been 6 months and I haven’t had an aura.

[Onthemove1971 in reply to Littlekidnappers]

Feverfew has really helped me but I have to take it 2 or 3 x daily.

[Littlekidnappers]

I take 3 a day for four months then take willow bark for a month and then take feverfew again for four months

[Onthemove1971]

I also take magnesium glycinate 450mg 3x a day. This really, really makes a difference for me.