Types of aura

Onandoffagain - yes! I do. Sudden noises cause prolonged spasms in very specific muscles in my shoulder, torso and leg. I originally thought it was as a result of using metoclopramide as an anti-emetic but I haven't used it for a year and still get the muscle spasms.
Jackie

My 12 year old daughter has suffered with migraine since she was six and used to describe the beginnings of one as a 'blurry eye'. The aura always tells her one is on the way.

My first migraines started at 12 and would start with numbness in my right hand........... I had 20mins to get to a dark room from then....

You might find this of use: http://migrainetalk.forumotion.co.uk/t100-potential-migraine-phases-and-symptoms

My head is often rotated 10 to 20 degrees to the right just before and during a migraine attack. Does that qualify as Dystonia?

Neck movement gets quite restricted during an attack, but at times takes up a "natural" position where my head is pointing of to the right sufficiently enough for other people to notice, but not enough for me to be aware of.

I get many of these type of aura but not all the time and not always when I have a migraine. I often wonder if it is more likely that my migraine and perhaps that of many others is perhaps a more complex neurological disorder affecting the central nervous system of which migraine is only a part?

I too have thought that - as I too get a lot of aura and often get very bad aura and no significant headache - I spoke to my doc about this and he said it was still migraine - 'Aceplegic Migraine' ........ But I do still wonder if they will find more depths in migraine in years to come...

ah Tee, the more I read you the more I read me ( if you know what i mean) I have such a constant set of Aura symptoms i'm always sure there must be another neurological disorder. Especially when you read the clinical distinctions of migraine types, i can't be classified as any as I don't meet the criteria, its no wonder they keep changing their minds. Do you ever have altered consciousness during an attack? iv'e had a couple recently where i have literally been unable to move or speak all of a sudden, my mum described it as if i had been suddenly been given a massive dose of sedative. i have never had an eeg, evoked potentials or lumbar puncture tests. only an MRI back in 2008. What tests have you had?

Its nice to know someone else understands me xxx

But yes I have had that - only for a few seconds - but I just stop - like someone has pulled the switch..... I get depersonalisation a lot., along with the visual and numbness stuff....

In my time I have a number of MRIs, CAT, ECG, PFO camera down, another heart one I forget the name off, some genetic tests and loads and load of blood tests........ I refused the lumber punch :O

Wow - reading this was enlightening! I guess I do have aura, after all! I just thought a lot of these "auras" were normal things that happened to everyone. I thought the only aura was serious visual disturbance, like sudden tunnel vision or weird spots on your vision. It would be nice if doctors explained that there are more than one type of vision. And what really bothers me is that when I told my doctor about my olfactory hallucinations (I smell ammonia when it isn't there), he didn't say anything!! He just "ummm'd" and moved on to something else.

Hi Nekoha, the ammonia smell is definitely one, I often get a strong smell of ammonia before an attack. The trouble is 90% of doctors really have no idea about migraines at all other than the very basics of head pain, nausea and zigzag lines / flashing lights. Most Migraineurs really do have to become expert patients. But... then the trouble is we can tend to look like we are hypochondriacs or have read it all out of a text book. When i visit my neurologist now i write down under headings all of my symptoms. its a bit anal, but i'm fed up of them mis-hearing, mis -quoting and misunderstanding what i say. And accidentally deliberately ignoring a piece of information i give them (such as your smelling ammonia) xx

I am pleased this has helped Nekoha - a lot of people think aura is just visual stuff - I did too for years.......... when I was a kid I was told you had to have a one sided headache to have a migraine!!! So not true - and yes I agree patients have to take control of this - all doctors are not the same and I find even they know the stuff, they are not very good at telling the patient....

Have a read through this:

http://migrainetalk.forumotion.co.uk/t250-types-of-aura

You will not have all of these - but you may find you have more 'aura' than you think?? Let us know?

Onandoffagain - I love the idea of writing down stuff under headings

Tee x

Oh and yep I agree ammonia is one - a lot of people get burning or burnt toast too

Burnt toast definitely. Another thing I get it hearing the phone ring or my wife calling my name. It's not until I get a blank look from my wife when I go and ask her "Who was that on the phone?" or "What do you want?" That I realise it was an illusion.