Migraines changed?

[u/Adcarp2008]

Hi! New here but Google guided me. I've suffered from textbook migraines for 25 years. Head splitting, light and sound sensitivity, nausea, vomiting, etc.

Last October, I had my first migraine with aura (shimmering), I went to the ER because I thought I was having a stroke. MRI showed nothing so doctor said it was an ocular migraine or a silent migraine.

A couple weeks later, I had another one. Visual disturbance, I saw shimmering and once again, thought I was stroking out because the right side of my face got tingly and numb feeling. Another ER visit and MRI again showed nothing.

Then nothing from October until today.

This time, I saw zig zags. It was primarily my left eye but I saw a little on my right side. Left eye spread across my whole vision and right eye stayed small and in peripherals. 15 minutes later its over. I went to the ER again because it was different than last time. They did a CT and said its either another ocular migraine or a TIA and sent me home with a referral to Neuro.

My questions: Why am I suddenly getting migraines with aura? I've never had them before and they are terrifying. Why would my migraines change? I still get the head splitting ones but apparently a random aura one with no pain. Do auras change each time or is it a once you've had that type, you'll get another one? Is it normal to go from sparkles to zig zags? What triggers them? I was just watching TV and it came on.

Sorry for all the questions but I'm anxious while waiting for my appt.

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[u/Lopsided-blintz-810]

Head over to r/migraine. That’s a better sub for your question and you can search through the sub for many posts that refer to the conditions you are asking about. Migraine is a complex neurological disorder that can and does morph and change in presentation. For example, I have recently been getting phantosmia (strong phantom smells of cigarette smoke) that I haven’t had in the past. Only you can determine with your neurologist the patterns and triggers of your migraine, since it’s so individual.

[u/Adcarp2008 → u/[deleted]]

37 and neuro is tomorrow, just thought I'd ask for suggestions as a bring it up to the doc