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Hormonal migraine with aura (no pain)
I have dealt with aura migraines since puberty and my neurologist has diagnosed it as hormonal vestibular migraine with aura. I had a mirena IUD in for about 4.5 years and felt really good when it first kicked in about 3-3.5 months in. I woke one morning to a zig zag like aura and got blind spots when looking at a computer screen. I laid down and took tylenol and felt better in the evening. I'm thinking, here we go the IUD ran out of juice. The next day I began experiencing diminished peripheral vision, light sensitivity including to fluorescent lights, trouble looking at a screen of any kind or size and blind spots when looking at those screens. My overall vision seems a bit delayed as well. All with no headache pain (until my eyes get exhausted working overtime). Also finding myself sensitive to sound and scent (I love music and scents). This has gone everyday for almost 3 months. Typically in the past the Mirena IUD helps me with these symptoms, I did get a new IUD placed so hoping this new one will help as well. Has anyone experienced this? I'm guessing all these issues are called aura, maybe? If you have experienced this and/or have any tips would love to hear.
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Hi, @gwenetrout, and welcome to Mayo Clinic Connect. Sorry to hear you have had the migraines with aura for so long.
I found a Mayo Clinic article on hormonal migraine I thought you might be interested in:
- Headaches and hormones: What's the connection? https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/chronic-daily-headaches/in-depth/headaches/art-20046729
What did your doctor say when you got the new IUD placed about the diminished peripheral vision, light sensitivity, screen troubles and blind sports, and sensitivity to sound and scent?
Hello,
Thank you so much for your reply, kind sympathies and for the great article.
It was my family Doctor who replaced the IUD. It was a past family Dr. who suggested the IUD to help balance my hormones when nothing else was helping my aura go away. Each mirena I have had, sometimes taking months has brought me back to my normal self. My Gynocologist recommends the IUD as she has seen it help many women with menstrual related migraines (including myself). When I describe these symptoms to my Neurologist he refers to them as a hormonal, vestibular type of migraine with aura. I have been treated with triptans, Citolopram, Topimax and a beta blocker with no luck. In fact the Citolopram and Topimax reacted really bad this time and made me feel unsettled and the headache worse.
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2 Reactions@suefish I know the feeling all too well. Also now I have disturbing and realistic dreams every single night — and it’s been more than a year!!
I've never had an IUD, so I can't speak to that, but I do get migraine auras without headaches. I've had them since I was in my early 20's, but since I've gone through menopause, I noticed that I rarely get them anymore. That made me wonder if they were hormone related.
The symptoms of my auras have been exactly what you described, though not all of the symptoms necessarily occur with every aura of mine. As far as scent sensitivity, I also smell things that others can't while in the midst of one. For example, I have smelled Flintstone vitamins, wet dirt, baking cookies, and cotton candy at different times at the start of many auras. When I've been with other people at the time this occurred, they couldn't smell anything, and there was nothing nearby cooking or that could have explained those scents.
I also get the zig zags, blind spots, and light sensitivity. Sometimes, just looking at a certain pattern has kicked off an aura. One time, I was in someone's yard that large trees with pinkish-white petals. The petals covered their entire driveway. As I walked towards the driveway, then looked down at the petal-covered driveway, I started feeling a bit dizzy and then the aura started.
I used to get these aura a lot and took medication for it, but since menopause, I've only had a few auras, and they haven't lasted that long. They've definitely calmed down tremendously on their own.
@suefish that's terrible, I too am finding my dreams have been either very strange or not so nice too. I also have found when my body is adjusting to some medications I have similar. I'm sure you have tried this but would listening to calming music, a tv show on low in the background or a pleasant podcast as you wind down and drift off help? A warm bath before bed. I have heard sometimes eating right before bed or what you eat may help or hinder this.
@njbay I'm sorry to hear you have migraine aura's as well. Yours sound very intense. Good news that they have eased some. That is very reassuring. Do you mind me asking what medication you took and did you find helped?
@lisalucier I'm curious if you know why my migraines consist almost entirely of eye issues (the reduced peripheral, light sensitivity, trouble looking at screens, getting blindspots on screens, eyes being easy to fatigue and eyes feeling easily overwhelmed) what is it that causes that? Although my vision is clear and not blurry if I'm in the mall or costco not only do I have the aura but also everything I see I have to look at for longer to try to process what I am seeing, it's like I also have a slight delay in processing when I have this. There has been several times over the years, since my menstruation began this happened.
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1 Reaction@get from suefish:
Thanks for the reassurance end suggestions. It’s reassuring that I’m not the only one with strange dreams attached to Long Covid. Covid started in China and I will never ever eat Chinese food again — for spite, not because I think I’ll get sick. 😄
@get I took Imitrex and it worked great for me!
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