Migraine triggers - bright light?
 

When I was younger I used to get classic migraines but these days I am getting many more with just the aura - scintillating scotoma and other sensory issues.

I do have vertigo (post concussion) and wonder if I'm experiencing some type of vestibular migraine especially in light of the fact that last night out of the blue my vertigo was so bad that I couldn't do anything. Next thing this morning bam I'm hit with this aura. Not sure if it's connected or not really. Just trying to figure it out.

I've gone from having maybe one migraine every few months to maybe one a month and now to having 2 this week. When I was younger they were more often. It's exactly the same type of aura as I've had all my life, so nothing changed with that, but I'm trying to figure out what is causing them so often.

Chocolate is a known trigger for me [only certain types of chocolate] but I've had no chocolate.

I've had my eyes checked.

I am stressed to the max so maybe that's the trigger.

I have noticed though that if I am in really bright sunlight for a while and then go into the house where it is less bright, it seems to affect my eyes for a while and I seem to retain blotches or spots and trails of light in my visual field.

Anyone else have this experience with bright light and aura?

My mum
 

Lara, my mum has suffered for years with vertigo and headaches, she is now 83 and currently in hospital. She has had two spontaneous bleeds in the last 8 weeks and had two subsequent blood patches with another scheduled for tomorrow. Her nose leaks continuously with muck running down the back of her throat which they now believe to be CSF. She has photophobia, sun light causes her great distress. She has been more and more anxious over these last months, anything and everything stressed her out. She describes the room as tumbling rather than spinning.

Oh dear. PamelaJune I'm very sorry to hear what is going on for your mother. You've really been dealing with more than is fair yourself let alone having your mum ill as well. I hope the procedure goes well for her tomorrow. Thanks for your reply.

Thinking of you.

Thanks Lara
 

Yes it is worrying for us with mum, but with age, we have to expect illnesses don't we.

I cant help but wonder at the comparisons between your symptoms and mums of earlier years. Migraines regularly to the point of having brain scans and then retirement and they abated somewhat. As dad became more ill, mum became more stressed, and her vertigo and photophobia increased considerably. Dad passed 3 years ago and the attacks came more often and with regularity sometimes caused by over activity, Eg lawn bowls, gardening etc. As her anxiety levels have increased even simply scrolling up and down on the computer screen, flickering of the television or fleuro lights trigger an attack and she fell and hit her head two months ago, from that time on she has had the spontaneous bleeds and her condition has worsened. BUT, so has her anxiety levels, I'm beginning to wonder if mum has suffered OCD for much of her life, we used to jokingly call her a control freak. Now with nothing within her control she is stressing about the simplest of things and becoming increasingly irritable and frustrated with no change in her condition. Fear of the unknown is also debilitating.

Lara, if you use Zantac (ranitidine), I'd stop that for a while and
see if things improve.

I have always had headaches and visual auras (spiral moving
geometric scotomas) from it.

Other H2 blockers don't do this to me. Only Zantac.
There are studies showing that H2 antagonists cross the blood
brain barrier in older patients. Many hospitalized elderly are given Zantac for some reason, and they can develop delirium from it.

http://www.uspharmacist.com/continui...ssonid/105762/

I wasn't even elderly the first time my doctor tried Zantac on me. Didn't last but 2 or 3 days for me!

When I get heartburn now, I use only 200mg of cimetidine. That works for me without any CNS side effects.

Thanks! How interesting. No, I don't take Zantac (or any other medications at present) but I know it also has some potentially bad side effects in the area of movement disorders. I wonder what that's about. It must affect the production of acetylcholine in the gut as well?

I've never had any stomach problems since I had the diaphragm/hiatus hernia operation although from time to time I still take digestive enzymes if I eat the wrong foods..

I'm thinking the increased frequency has been to do with my stress levels although I still haven't figured out the light sensitivity problems though. I do have blue eyes so I'm very sensitive to our harsh sunlight here. I have prescription sunglasses but forget to wear them a lot of the time. I should try to remember and put them on when I go outside.

Thanks for the info and the site. :)

Zantac
 

Mum has been on Zantac? Not sure why though I know she suffers with reflux which worsens with anxiety? I think it's been stopped while in hospital..

Pamela June, I'm sorry I missed your message earlier. :o

My vertigo began after a concussion. It's much better now than it was in the first few years afterwards, but it still stops me doing a lot of things in life that I need to do. Did your mum have a concussion when she fell?

You could be right about your mum and her anxiety issues. OCD is an anxiety condition. Lots of people have OC traits though without it becoming a problem in their lives. However, if she was the person in the family who was busy and in control to make sure everything was running smoothly, then she could very well be finding life difficult now that she's on her own.

There are so many different types of migraines. Vestibular Migraines for example

Sometimes when there are a lot of different symptoms it's difficult to know if something is causing it or whether the symptoms are actually part of the migraine. I have anxiety issues as well and although anxiety can be part of the Post Concussion Syndrome, I have dealt with OC and anxiety issues all of my life. Genetically predisposed. :)

My vertigo/balance issues only began with the past concussion and the migraines were with me for many years prior to that although they were on and off and not regular to the point of wanting to take preventative medications. Most of my other problems post concussion have gone away, but I've been left with this residual vertigo.

I wonder if your Mum had a small bleed and blacked out and that's why she fell in the first place or did she slip or trip or something else?

I'm really sorry this is happening to her right now and I hope she's feeling stronger soon.

Interesting that she was on the Zantac that mrsD mentioned.

Bppv
 

She was diagnosed with that years ago after traumatic ear surgery going wrong, her diagnosis now is complex with the vertigo and the leaks both causing disruption. It sucks to get old hey!

Triggers
 

Healthline says research has shown it is more likely a combination of factors that trigger migraine. Triggers vary from person to person and include:

bright lights
loud sounds
powerful odors
stress, anxiety, relaxation after a period of stress
changing weather
alcoholic beverages, especially red wine
too much caffeine or withdrawal from caffeine
foods containing nitrates (hot dogs, luncheon meats)
foods containing monosodium glutamate, also known as MSG (fast foods, seasonings, spices, broths)
foods containing tyramine (aged cheeses, hard sausages, smoked fish, soy products, fava beans)
artificial sweeteners

I also found this Link and wondered if it might be of interest to you as well.

http://www.allaboutvision.com/condit...r-migraine.htm

All of the above!

I bought a new favourite perfume too. It's a floral aldehyde. All my favs are aldehydic.
I did wonder about it even though it's not actually strong smelling, it may affect me.

Great site too. Very interesting. Thank you !

Hi Lara,

Years ago I started having migraines and they connected up to aura seizures and that lead to me having epilepsy. I had a special e.e.g. done where the Dr. ordered different color strobe lights to be flashed one at a time and they found that I was photosensitive meaning certain colors would trigger seizures for me and the same thing could be going on with you in regards to your migraines and the light. Also you may be having these because you are audio and sound sensitive meaning certain sounds and light are triggering the migraines.
My advice to you is to keep track of each time you get a migraine write it down on a calendar what time it started and stopped and also write down when you start and stop your monthly cycle. By doing this your Dr. may see a pattern in the migraine triggers and if they are hormone related.

Before I had brain surgery to help reduce my seizures I would always have a seizure when the hormones were changing and that's because the progesterone level was low and the estrogen level was high at that time of the month. I would often have seizures when I got into a hot shower because the hot water would fire up the neurons in my brain according to my Dr.
You may want to try taking vitamin B12 1000 mcg. once a day this vitamin has done wonders for me reducing my seizures and headaches because the vitamin helps calm the nerves. Stress is one of the worst things anyone could have to deal with because it fires up the neurons in the brain also. I wish you the best of luck and May God Bless You!

Sue

Hello sue, how are you? I really appreciate your post.
I am extremely sound and light sensitive. I always have been but not as badly as now.

I will keep a chart of when it happens and note any issues that I think are important. I do take my B12 every day, although I had run out about a month and a half ago. I have to order it from overseas as they don't have the methyl B12 here where I live. I'm back on it now. I paid express postage. lol I missed it.

thankyou!

Hi Lara,

Another thing you may want to try is called "Cold Water Therapy" My neuro had me doing this to reduce my seizures. and it worked great and it may work for your headaches. What you have to do is 3 times a day at the same time put a cold washcloth on your face and the back of your neck and do this when you start to feel an aura or any headache start up. Before you put the washcloth on your face take your temperature and keep track of it. By putting the cold washcloth on your face and neck it will calm the neurons down in the brain and the reason why you need to take your temperature is to see if your temperature is a degree or 2 higher than normal.
When I was in this medical study for 1 month the Dr. found each time before I had a seizure my body temperature was higher and that in turn was triggering the seizures. After I started the cold water therapy I had a lot less seizures and headaches. It's up to you but you may want to give it a try.
Also keep track of the weather because often I would get headaches and seizures when a low pressure in the weather was coming in. My neuro. told me that the air was more heavy even though I didn't notice it and that in turn affected the hormones and triggered seizures and headaches. I wish you the best of luck and May God Bless You!

Sue

Thank you again Sue.

I'm going to try that.

Years ago a naturopath suggested some type of water therapy too interestingly enough. That was a little different in that I had to put my feet or my hands in hot water and cold water on my neck and forehead. I'd forgotten all about that.

Next time I get the aura that comes before the scotoma, I'll try your cold water therapy to see if I can nip it in the bud. It's summer here in the sub tropics so lots of low pressure systems ahead. ;)

take care there and thanks.

Hi Lara,

Thanks for taking the time to describe your aura to me. The next time this happens try to tighten up all the muscles in your body and make your hands into tight fists the moment it starts, by doing this it will stop the aura, my neurologist told me about this back in the 1970's and it has worked great.

Also cut back on the caffeine, carbs, and starch foods. Also they have done a study and sometimes foods with MSG can bother a person causing a lot of headaches and neurology problem. The biggest problem that I ever had was using nutra sweet (aspartame) which is in diet soda that really caused me to get headaches not to mention have many seizures. I found out the aspartame causes more electrical activity in a persons brain and can cause more headaches seizures and other medical problems.
Wishing You only the best and May God Bless You!
Sue

Hi Lara.
In your initial post regarding migraine, you mentioned visual auras.

I was diagnosed with migraine some years ago, and it came as a bang when a lot of other diagnosis were also determined.
I had had a few strange episodes of vertigo, but I did not take much notice. I was just thinking it had to do with my hypertension.

I had had terrible continuous headaches for months,( many times I had nights with complete sleeplessness, and some times had to go to work after) but again, just took some Tylenol and hoped life would just go on.

Not until I had 2 visual disturbances ( that actually shook me up a bit) did I
diside to go to the doctor. Well, this visual disturbance was a very bright light flickering zigzag ring in my visual field to the left. It lasted for about 30 minutes and went away.
I had a stat MRI of head then. It showed a cerebral aneurysm just behind the optic nerve. It also showed a stroke ( which must have been mostly silent) I had had high blood pressure due to tremendous work related stress.
I felt I was lucky in a way, that I had the aneurysm seen before it ruptured. ( most ruptures cerebral aneurysms I had seen, often had very grave outcomes)

I had the aneurysm fixed with endovascular stent assisted coil. I saw a neuro ophthalmologist, and he explained to me that the visual disturbance was aura and that I had migraine.

The pattern of my migraine has since changed to be a " Ice Pick Headache" migraine that come and stay for hours on and off every few minutes, and they have a pattern of hanging around for some weeks, the go away for a while.
It feels like the bloodvessels have terrible spasm. I can feel them all the way to front of temples, and can see and feel the blood vessel bulging.
It was so severe one time, they thought I had temporal artheritis and I ended up with a temporal artery biopsy. It was negative.

I also have a diagnosis of leukocytoclastic vasculitis which has been treated with Methotraxate.

So, in conclusion from all of this I think that migraine is very much connected to the vascular system.
I just had a yearly check up with MRI and MRA of head. ( do not know result yet)
Lara, this was just my story, and sort of a reply to your question if anyone with migraine had visual auras.

My cardiologist is keeping me on a small dose of Amlodipine due to some chest tightness (sometimes angina like) and I think this might help for the headache too. ( works as antispasmodic) this might help for the headaches too.

Otherwise, I do not really understand my migraine, and I have not figured out the triggers, other than stress,not only mental but physical.

Thanks for reading

Hello synnove,

Thanks so much for your post and sharing your information.

I'm just glad that you had a good doctor who ordered the MRI immediately. I'm sorry you're now dealing with ice pick headaches. I've not experienced that and I hope I don't.

[ My BP is fine usually although I had a fall and had a head injury (not my first) just over a week ago and became hypertensive for just a couple of hours or so and then it went back to normal. (went to hosp.). ]

One can become somewhat complacent I suppose when dealing with things like migraine on a regular basis. Other ailments as well.

Your message is a good warning to be checked regularly when we feel something isn't quite right for our bodies.

thank you!