Migraine aura

[t3rr]

I am hypothyroid and on a mix of t3 and t4, but recently am suffering more from migraine auras, some ending in the usual headache, but others just stiff neck and a bit off for 24 hours. Does anyone suffer similarly and if so, any tips to stop them happening?

[SlowDragon Administrator]

When did you last get thyroid and vitamins tested

Do you always get same brand of levothyroxine and T3?

What vitamin supplements are you currently taking

Headaches and migraines are common hypothyroid symptoms

Obviously on levothyroxine plus T3 TSH is almost always suppressed, so essential to test Ft4 and Ft3

Good vitamin levels essential

Do you have Hashimoto’s?

For full Thyroid evaluation you need TSH, FT4 and FT3 plus both TPO and TG thyroid antibodies tested. Also EXTREMELY important to test vitamin D, folate, ferritin and B12 at least annually

Low vitamin levels are extremely common, especially if you have autoimmune thyroid disease (Hashimoto's) diagnosed by raised Thyroid antibodies

Ask GP to test vitamin levels

Recommended on here that all thyroid blood tests should ideally be done as early as possible in morning and before eating or drinking anything other than water .

Last dose of Levothyroxine 24 hours prior to blood test. (taking delayed dose immediately after blood draw).

This gives highest TSH, lowest FT4 and most consistent results. (Patient to patient tip)

If/when also on T3, make sure to take last third or quarter of daily dose 8-12 hours prior to test, even if this means adjusting time or splitting of dose day before test

Is this how you do your tests?

Private tests are available as NHS currently rarely tests Ft3 or thyroid antibodies or all relevant vitamins

List of private testing options

thyroiduk.org/getting-a-dia...

Medichecks Thyroid plus antibodies and vitamins

medichecks.com/products/adv...

Thriva Thyroid plus antibodies and vitamins By DIY fingerpick test

thriva.co/tests/thyroid-test

Thriva also offer just vitamin testing

Blue Horizon Thyroid Premium Gold includes antibodies, cortisol and vitamins by DIY fingerprick test

bluehorizonbloodtests.co.uk...

If you can get GP to test vitamins and antibodies then cheapest option for just TSH, FT4 and FT3

£29 (via NHS private service ) and 10% off down to £26.10 if go on thyroid uk for code

thyroiduk.org/getting-a-dia...

monitormyhealth.org.uk/

Also vitamin D available as separate test via MMH

Or alternative Vitamin D NHS postal kit

vitamindtest.org.uk

[t3rr in reply to SlowDragon]

Thanks, yes usually the same brands of both but collected t3 yesterday from in the daychemist, and this time they have given me morningside instead of mercury. start it in a few days. Yes, I take lots of supplements and vitamin D.. My blood tests are done annually in March, last year not all were done and t3 left out, it was like our drs had gone into hiding and nurses had taken over everything, then the pandemic hit so did not complain, but will make sure the right ones get done this year. Have suffered auras for several years, but usually without the bad head, but last week really had a humdinger like I used to get when I was young. I will look into your suggestions. I have never actually been told if I have hashimotos or not, when I was first diagnosed over 20 years ago, I was referred to as the myxoedaemic patient! Always try and get blood tests done early before taking any tablets in the day.

[helvella Administrator Thyroid UK]

I'll answer just to let you know others do get aura migraines!

I have had several recently. Though I get two very different visual effects. One is intensely brightly coloured. The other pure grey/black and white. (I found a video which was almost exactly what I get - titled Scintillating Scotoma - but didn't save the link and have not managed to find it again. Seems worth trying to find a video so that you can fairly easily communicate your experience to others.) No idea if they have the same cause or not.

Whichever I have had, I tend to feel a bit washed out for a while. Never get a migraine headache. A bit of mild nausea. No stiff neck.

I have absolutely no idea why I can go months without one, then get two or three in a week. Nor do I have any suggestions as to how to avoid or treat. Not a big issue for me as, overall, they don't happen that frequently and the impact isn't that bad. Which is certainly not the case for others.

[t3rr in reply to helvella]

Thanks, yes, usually in my older age. just get the auras and sometimes feel ok after, or a bit tired and sometimes a stiffish neck for a day, very occasionally I get the aura with loss of speech and coherance for an hour or so, but until last week had not had the awful headache, just hope they are not returning.

[JumpJiving]

I tried various GP-prescribed medications for my ocular migraines (the ones that result in a corona visual disturbance, which I assume is the aura that you mention). Amitriptyline hydrochloride seemed to help a little, and mostly had good side effects (I slept great, was a nicer person, and could go to bed with a full bladder and not have to get up during the night!), but I think it may have messed with my GGT levels (although it's impossible to be 100% sure of that). Propranol was a nightmare - horrible side effects. In the end, the thing that has helped me has been a supplement rather than anything from the GP. I take Triple Magnesium Complex from igennus, which contains magnesium citrate, taurate and bisglycinate. I cannot say it works for everybody, but it does for me. I have had ocular migraines since taking it, but far, far fewer than previously, and I can expose myself to the thing (reflected light) that used to be a 100% guarantee of a migraine and nothing happens.

After an ocular migraine, I used to be "a bit off" for 24 hours, feeling drained, lacking in energy, and typically needing to empty my bladder a lot. On the rare occasion that I have one these days, I'm pretty much back to normal within an hour or so (the visual disturbance is normally 20-25 minutes).

I used to have terrible neck problems, probably resulting from tension. A really good chiropractor helped (but it took a long time to find a really good chiropractor). There used to be one over-the-counter tablet that used to work too (Syndol). I had to stop taking it for some reason (I seem to recall that they added lactose, which I cannot take, and then it disappeared from the market for a while). My GP at the time prescribed me a muscle relaxant instead, which I had to measure out from a big bottle very carefully. Thankfully, I don't need it any more - the neck problems reduced when I stopped commuting into London, and then went away pretty much completely when I stopped working for other people - which is why I reckon tension caused those. I've just checked and Syndol is back on the market again, with it's 2013 formulation. I might stick a packet in the cupboard just in case I ever have a problem again.

[t3rr in reply to JumpJiving]

Thank you. very interesting, will investigate the medications and see if they can be taken with my other medication. I do take magnesium everyday.