Diet and Health FAQ

Tagged As: Types Of Migraines

Question:
Is it possible for the pattern of your migraine to suddenly change? That might sound like a daft question, but I have had a scary 48 hours that made me think something else might be wrong with me. I'm 46 and I've had classic migraine as long as I can remember - black cats in my peripheral vision in the run-up to the attack, then the full art deco style dancing zig zags and blank spots in my direct field of vision, overlapping with nausea and disorientation, but no real pain to speak of. I also get pretty continuous white flashing in my peripheral field that is normally only noticeable when I'm in a pitch black room. I didn't realise that was migraine-related until my opthalmologist diagnosed it. My attacks are sporadic but clustered together - I'll get two in the space of a couple of hours, maybe, then none for months. Bright light is a definite trigger, and sometimes thundery weather. All in all, I can cope with this. The pattern changed on Friday. I had two normal migraines in quick succession on Friday morning, and then on Saturday morning I was checking my hair in my mirror and I couldn't quite see myself - I had trouble perceiving the right hand side of my face, and it felt as if I was looking at someone I didn't recognise. That sensation is still there (Sunday afternoon) and I have slight numbness in my hands and neck. I can see detail pefectly well, but I can't seem to take in the overall picture of what I'm looking at. As this is so out of type, and I have a history of stroke in the family, I've started to get worried. Before I go running off in a flat spin to my doctor, does this sort of thing ring a bell with anyone here?

Answer:
Don't hesitate to see your doc. WHENEVER our Migraine patterns change, that's exactly what we SHOULD do.