Sudden onset new migraine aura

[Ninjacat]

Good evening

I am 57 and have mitral valve leakage and heart palpatations / and I’m sure the most odd rhythm at times! Over the last month I have been getting the most incredible (what I presume to be) migraine auras. - like a kaleidoscope coming in from the side all wiggly wiggly lights different colours with a pinpoint bright light directly in centre of eye. Right eye sometimes both eyes. I have up to 5 a week lasting about 30 minutes, ending with a numbing dull ache down the tight side of my face (no pain killers needed it’s that mild).

I’ve had my eyes tested - fine. GP just said oh and gave me some Pitzofen (which I haven’t taken as yet). Previous MRI brain - normal. I just find it strange at this age to have this sudden onset having never suffered any type of headache in the past. Any enlightenment?

Many thanks for reading and comments gratefully received.

Kind regards.

[Francesca21]

Hi , i have some similarities to you but not all.And im hoping the tachycardia/palpitations/increased respiratory effort will be a piece in the jigsaw. Im 59,had preventative meds for migraine from 48-58. For over a year now ive had a permanent severe headache diagnosed as chronic migraine due to tingling face and aversion to light and noise. All drugs and cefaly and cgrp inhibitors and botox have all failed up to now. Didnt think i had aura, but, Had only one or two episodes id have struggled to describe til you said kaleidoscope and it made me think YES. Exactly wat its like! At right side of right eye, flashing zig zag lines coming in and out as if a child twisting the tube . My eyes are unhappy altho fotos behind eyes , mri, venogram and ct all normal. Im very fit and swim daily , this dosnt bother my heart, but having shortness of breath doing housework and terrible raised heart rate episodes.maybe a piece in jigsaw puzzle to getting sorted,? Have you seen neuro, ophthalmologist or cardiologist? Good luck and I hope you get sorted soon . So good to hear someone else in similar boat and im not imagining.

[helvella]

I'd consider searching round videos on the internet, even still photos, to find ones that are like you get.

If nothing else, it allows you to explain the visual part of the experience to others.

I was simultaneously getting visual effects from floaters.

My heart rhythm is sometimes crazy. Right now, 72, but in no time at all it could shoot up to 130 or more. Then drop. (Just checked - in the past week it has varied between 44 and 151.)

I joined up on this forum when I had a series of migraines over many weeks. Sometimes more than one a day. Though thankfully no pain. (I have had migraines with pain occasionally through my life. So I recognise the difference.)

I am convinced that at least sometimes migraines are related to thyroid disorder. Series of migraines seem to have occurred as a dose of levothyroxine has been changed - up or down. Possibly even just a change of make.

[bamboo89]

I used to be the same -same age,same experience....I'd have a visual disturbance such as you describe once or twice a day, sometimes 3 a day, not much of a headache afterwards, but 3 in a day used to make me feel terrible. In previous years, I'd had I think 2or 3 episodes throughout my life, but they got very frequent around the same age as you; what I see, once its got going, is zigzag lines moving across my vision, usually with lights around them, used to last about thirty to forty minutes.

I don't have them now, or rarely - I found out by accident it was dairy causing the problem, in particular, cheese, of which I used to eat quite a lot on a daily basis. I now use soy milk as well as coconut yoghurt, and don't eat cheese other than a very tiny amount occasionally. I discovered that two cheese sandwiches in a 48 hour period was enough to trigger an attack.... but I do still eat butter and cream,, just not that often.

It may therefore be something you are consuming which is causing or exacerbating the problem - I think I was lucky really, I stopped eating dairy in an attempt to cut my cholesterol, which worked quite well - then I realised after 6 months I hadn't had a visual disturbance... but boy, do I miss cheese...🤔😉

Miriam

[Ninjacat]

Many thanks for my replies. Very much appreciated. I’m going to keep an eye on onset and food intake. X