Silent migraine. What to do?

I had regular migraines through my teens, twenties and thirties, but changed to (mostly) silent migraine after meno. In my sixties I've had some odd new symptoms - changes in my hearing (everything too loud; sometimes distorted and echoey and far away) and my last migraine brought the first appearance of Alice in Wonderland syndrome ... like the walls were miles away and my limbs were disconnected from my body. It's good to see so many of you taking it in your stride ... after all these years it still really upsets me!

I've never heard of silent migraines. They sound very scary but also rather intriguing. I only get very occasional 'full blown' migraines; visual aura, nausea and sickness, excruciating pain (I had my first one at 16 and thought I was having a brain haemorrhage! Lol!), these days, but used to get about 3 or 4 a year. Now I usually have atypical migraines; one sided (usually the left) excruciating pain, visual aura but no nausea or sickness. I was having 3 or 4 a week, each lasting 1 to 2 days.... one would fade out, leaving me muzzy headed, and then within 12 hours, another would come on! I was prescribed beta blockers which helped enormously, and cut them down to 1 or 2 a month but over the past year they've started becoming more frequent and I'm up to 2 or 3 a week again at the moment. I think I've become used to the beta blocker dose so I'm waiting to see the GP. I've got naratriptan to take when I feel the first pangs come on, and they work really well. Unfortunately, they have to be taken at the first pangs. If its taken hold, they don't work at all. And unfortunately, I tend to wake up with one , so then it's just a case of wait it out (no normal, or prescribed, medication helps once they've started)

I have them quite frequently, my optician calls them stress migraines.

I saw something online yesterday advising migraine sufferers to plunge their feet in hot water - as hot as possible. Can't remember any more, but it might be worth googling...

My pharmacist told me yesterday it's the bisoprolol (beta blocker) I'm taking since my heart procedure that has stopped the migraines. It's like having an ongoing holiday after so many years of them!

What helped me, was drastically reducing the amount of sweets and chocolates and taking magnesium in smallish dosages, like 250mg up to 3 times during the day. Totally eliminating these "auras" only happened when I weaned myself off coffee, which took a full year. Now I drink the odd cup of coffee every now and then, sometimes only once in 3 weeks, but never daily. I've switched over to making my own mixture of herbal tea, always with rooibos and green tea as a base, but varying different herbs as I feel fit.

My trigger is chocolate! They last about 1/2 hr. Sometimes left side, sometimes right. They start with a spot that I can’t focus on then gradually opens out to a ‘C’ shape that gets bigger and bigger until it disappears out to the side. No pain, sometimes a bit tired the next day. I just carry on until it goes. I can see through/round it.

Have had migraines since I was nine years old. My Mum and brother also had them. Visual disturbances, blinding one sided pain, loss of coordination, vomiting, etc. They got worse as I entered the perimenopause and my late husband used to have to call out the emergency doctor to make a house call on several occasions. Tried several different medicines including one that made me lose weight (which was welcome!) but after a few months they stopped working. I am now in my sixties and probably have a couple of migraines monthly despite taking preventative meds. I no longer have the visual disturbances or the terrible vomiting but the only thing that shifts the pain is an injection. I then lie down for about 20 minutes and the headache passes. I spend the rest of the day feeling washed out and sleepy until the migraine returns on the second day. Being very tired, bright lights in an otherwise dark room especially at the cinema or theatre seem to be my triggers. At least now I can carry on as long as I have my injection. Migraines are dreadful and are nothing like a normal headache.

I had one today. No pain, just zig zags. So I closed my eyes for a while and it went. I get them very occasionally.

Why are they so common
And why are more and more people getting g them .. there has to be somw significant reasons .. phones/ food triggers / more stress in life / !?
I’ve noticed alot of people had them when younger ( me) and then didn’t for many years and now in later life they are chronic . The meds are horrible side effects - and not always effective and the triggers are so varied
Nightmare ! I got one at the cinema yesterday which was challenging to say the least !
There are new treatments with injections but they are megabucks and nhs will be reluctant to prescribe.you have to have tried three different preventative drugs first according to NICE. Guidelines .

I get them too. Investigation at local hospital revealed that I had photophobia and they are triggered by bright sunlight. They stopped a couple of years ago but came back once I had my cataracts removed a few months ago.

I used to have full-blown migraine regularly years ago when I was working. Sometimes I had to leave my class, go home lie down in a dark room with blackout curtains, not move my head at all. It would take 24 - 48 hours to recover, I was left with the grandmother of all headaches.

I always have the same silent migraines, cobalt blue and bright lemon yellow zigzags that start small, in three quarters of a circle, in the centre of my eye and gradually get bigger until they go outside the range of my vision. These are accompanied by a feeling of being slightly drunk, but as they only last 20-30 minutes I consider tham a blessing compared to a full blown migraine.

It might be worth looking on line at a charity called The Migraine Trust - they should be able to help - I hope so.

migrainetrust.org/

I started with ordinary migraines- vision problems followed by the headache over 30 years ago- and once or twice also had stroke type symptoms when I couldn't speak etc. For the past several years I usually just have the vision disturbances and very rarely a headache. And I can go months without an attack and then I'll get several in a few weeks.
For the first time in over 20 years I had one of the bad ones I that I couldn't speak and these I find very frightening.

If I notice early signs (disturbed vision) I take painkillers and if I can, nap or close eyes for awhile. Usually does the trick.

I’m 76 and have had Ocular Migraines since I was around 16.
The last around 30 minutes and are a nuisance more than anything. If I am driving I have to pull over to await its end.
I am left with a slight headache.

Yes about 35 years I've had them started off as sparkling now there zigzag takes 15 to 20 minutes for it to pass. Peripheral vision goes. Mine are optical migraines no pain. I have them twice a year roughly and once when driving I had to pull over close my eyes and wait! Not a problem now I don't drive.

My grandson has had a couple where he loses his speech and feeling in his arm luckily the young doctor who saw him had had almost exactly the same he did have a brain scan and all totally normal it’s stress related

Yes me too. Scary but last about 20mins as has been said. I get vestibular migraines too and they are quite another thing. Vertigo and nausea and last a number of hours and it's impossible to walk. All scary but knowing what they are and that others get them too is hugely reassuring. See your gp if you need to and maybe she will refer you for vestibular rehabilitation at your local hospital if necessary. Good luck.

That’s what I read
I just didn’t realise how many .. and I am wondering why it has increased so much of late .. covid maybe ? That’s messed with our health more than we know ..

@Lostmyglassesxx, migraine is the most common chronic condition - far more sufferers than anything else; about 1/4 of the population suffers from them, obviously some more severely than others.

Never knew this is called silent migraine - creepy name for an unpleasant condition. I started suffering from this a couple of years ago, just after getting Covid (but maybe coincidental). Bright light seems to be trigger. Did get bad full-blown migraines in my 20s. But not had one for years. Flickering light in eyes used to be signal that I was about to get one. So every time it happens now, I’m always so relieved that it’s not followed by a migraine. 🤞

Why are so many people getting them ? It’s a massive amount of people when you look into it - it’s so very common ..

I have been getting quite a number of traditional migraines lately because of stress (moving house) and had one this morning. I need to see if I can get some better medication but Migraleve is a help. Lying down in a darkened room is the only way to overcome them and even then I will feel sleepy and fragile for the rest of the day, which is frustrating with so much l need and want to do.