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[Nasil41]

First time I had one of these was when I was 45 never had a migraine before. It just appeared one day at work, my vision was all hazy and then these lights started I was terrified thought I had a serious illness and it wasn't until an anaesthitist told me it was the beginning of a migraine. I was sent home told to take paracetamol and ibuprofen and lie in a dark room . Luckily the headache never arrived and the aura went after about half an hour. Now when the aura arrives I take meds straight away and don't get the pain.
I am now wondering if this could be a link to the start of menopause? At the time it didn't cross my mind as I was still having regular periods it just seems a bit strange to me 

[Taz2]

Was the vision affected in one or both eyes Nasil?

Taz x

[Nasil41]

It was both eyes
I too get many headaches but I have rhinitis so get horrible stuffy  headaches that normally clear up after a couple of paracetamol and a spray of sinex

[Mary G]

Nasil41, absolutely yes in my case.  I had my first silent migraine in June 2004 (30 years to the month from my first period) and it was exactly the same as you describe, zig zaggy shimmering jagged 'C' shape (aka scintillating scotoma) for 25 minutes which eventually disappears at the top of the sight field with NO ensuing headache.  It was really frightening when it first happened but I instantly knew what it was because I had something similar just once before in 1973 during school assembly exactly one year before starting my periods except it was tadpoles not shimmering zig zags that time - probably caused by fluctuating hormones.  I then didn't have a single migraine for 30 years during the hormone gateway.

After endless medical consultations and tests I can tell you that in my case the only trigger is all types of artificial progesterone used in HRT preparations.  When I had the first silent migraine I had a Mirena coil for contraception which I could just able tolerate pre-menopause but once my oestrogen levels dropped, I was unable to tolerate the strong progesterone in the coil hence the silent migraines - pre-menopause, my own hormones seemed to act as a kind of protectorate. 

Apparently artificial progesterone changes the way your brain receptors work hence migraines in my case.  Athough technically progesterone leaves your body after a short period of time, the changes to the brain receptors can take much longer to revert back to normal and that is why some women suffer for so long after their final dose.

So now I have to be very careful not to overdo the progesterone part of HRT although I am soon going to be trialling progesterone-free Duavive.

Are you taking any hormone medication at the moment and if so, what is it?  You need to find your trigger.

[milly]

I have had these all my life, they can be so unpredictable, I can go months without one and then get 2 in a day.

Recently had a bout of them, so popped to GP who has prescribed propranolol 80mg slow release. He says that stress plays a huge part..of which I have in abundance at the moment with elderly parents., but can be weather changes, bright sunlight, caffeine.

They were definitely more frequent during perimenopause

They are scary, but I now just accept that it's part of a migraine, and feel lucky the awful headache doesn't follow.

[Taz2]

I developed retinal migraine a couple of years ago out of the blue. These affect one eye and last for around thirty minutes. I was sent to see my GP from work as my vision disappeared in one eye for a while and then became a whirl of changing colours before eventually moving up to the top left corner of the eye and then disappearing. My doc sent me to the eye hospital straight away due, I think, to the fact that I said the lights were flashing at one point. The opthalmologist diagnosed retinal migraine and said that thirty minutes is the longest time they should last and if I experienced any which went on longer than this then I had to return to my GP. Ocular apparently affects both eyes although I do find the different types very confusing!

I find them very annoying and, obviously, if I'm driving I have to pull over and just wait. I suffered from classic migraine with aura in my teens and I am always worried that the retinal one will develop into the totally disabling classic one. One of the triggers for mine is the new eco lighting. The opthalmologist confirmed that the indiscernible flickering from this type of lighting can set off migraine in some people. Maybe this is what has happened to you Nasil? He also said that if you develop migraine after the age of 60 it must be reported to your GP.

Taz x

[Nasil41]

It is more annoying than scary now it's just the way it started totally out of the blue
I don't take any sort of hormones just my meds that my doctor prescribes

[Taz2]

I find them scary because the classic ones I had used to put  me to bed with a bucket for twenty four hours and then another twenty four hours not being able to focus or read or do anything much. That was in the sixties so not much medication about I guess. I'd hate to go back to that so always worry they will one day bring on those incredible headaches again.

I think mine are linked to the different type of lighting as just before they started we had all of the lights replaced with the eco ones although I know that stress plays a part too.

Taz x

[CaroleM]

I began to get migraines when I was 7 years old.  They have no respect for age nor gender, they hit when least expected, although the signs and symptoms become recognizable as time goes on.  They can well be hormone based for some, for others they 'just are'.  The cause(s) are still a bit of a mystery even to modern medicine

Mine always begin with flashing lights, visual interference and general debilitation.  Going without food for too long can sometimes trigger an episode.  When the pain arrives, leave me well alone.  My usual pain controlling medication does not react well with anything to control migraine, so life can get difficult for a couple of days.  The worst attack resulted in me  being admitted to sick bay and being heavily sedated for 3 days.  If I am 'lucky' and vomit profusely, sometimes this stops the attack, but I wouldn't want to put money on it actually happening.

Thankfully, I have never been frightened by them, perhaps because they did begin when I was young.  I suppose my work wasn't the best thing that anyone who had migraine attacks could do, but it was a job I had always wanted.

Brighteyes 

[milly]

I have kept a diary over the last few months regarding these auras. I used to get them premenopausal each month, no headache, just the aura.

For a few years they became less and less, and then a couple of years ago they started again.

Recently I have seen a pattern . Every 4 weeks, how coincidental is that? I am 60, not had a period for 8 years, but still have night sweats, and by the look of this pattern, I must still have ebb and flow of hormones.

Is the menopause never ending!!

[Scampi]

My mum's entire perimenopause symptoms consisted of 4 full-blown migraines and then a few auras (she got to recognise the aura and could stop the full attack with early medication)!  That was it - lucky woman.

I started getting migraines associated with my cycle about 10 years ago (and given I'm now 49 and come from a family of early-menopausers, that could well have been when my hormones started fluctuating).  I don't get auras, but learnt to recognise when a headache felt 'different' - if I took painkillers early on I could prevent the real pain and nausea setting in.  At first, I would take paracetamol and ibruprofen, but I'm now allergic to ibruprofen.  I found quite by accident that those cold remedies containing paracetamol and a decongestant work well (I had the tell-tale headache and these were the only paracetamol in the house!). 

I found the comment about progesterone being a trigger interesting - I had a Mirena fitted 18 months ago, and I've had only one migraine since (the Mirena has worked wonders for me), so my trigger can't be progesterone.

Despite my migraines being few and far between, and relatively mild, they are still horrible and I hope I follow in my Mum's footsteps and never get another one post-menopause.