# Migraine Aura



## JanHank (Mar 29, 2015)

Maybe this video will help you to understand what I am talking about.
After Friday performance he had another attack on Sunday night at 8 pm and carried on for just 24 hours.
It slowly went away over the day yesterday and I decided to make a little video to show Hans when he was out of it.
I would call this a light attack, on Friday I would not have been able to laugh.
He has no headache, just goes completely out of his head.


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## Pudsey_Bear (Sep 25, 2008)

Poor old lad, must be frustrating for you too and tax your patience Gerty.


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## JanHank (Mar 29, 2015)

Frustration is only one of the emotions I have at these times Kev.
I also feel alone because nobody can help, it is not a common thing, not many people have these symptoms and one of the first things even doctors think of is a stroke which we know it is not, he's had these auras since he was 19, he used to have terrible vision problems to start with only see half a road for instance, then pins and needles in his fingers before the brain switched off. The last few years it's blurred vision and a few minutes later he's gone.
The only thing he can do is go to bed and try to sleep it off, the tablets didn't help at all this time.


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## EJB (Aug 25, 2007)

You both always have our thoughts Jan:smile2:


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## jiwawa (Jun 22, 2007)

Very difficult Jan.

Interesting - when you 2 converse does Hans normally speak in German and you in English?


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## JanHank (Mar 29, 2015)

jiwawa said:


> Very difficult Jan.
> 
> Interesting - when you 2 converse does Hans normally speak in German and you in English?


No Jean, Hans speaks English and thinks English, this is one of the strange things about it because he believes at the time he is speaking English. By the way after the attack is over he has no recollection of what happened, like amnesia. You have seen a very mild and the first time ever we have laughed while it goes on, usually to laugh is impossible.


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## patp (Apr 30, 2007)

Good job he has a diagnosis (of sorts) Imagine it happening years ago when people did not understand these things.
How does Motley cope? Does he realise that his Hans is not his Hans for a while?


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## Pudsey_Bear (Sep 25, 2008)

I wonder if a video (for private viewing) of when he is worse might help him in some way, he's obviously a very clever man, but of course, seeing how he is might make him feel bad mentally.


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## JanHank (Mar 29, 2015)

Pudsey_Bear said:


> I wonder if a video (for private viewing) of when he is worse might help him in some way, he's obviously a very clever man, but of course, seeing how he is might make him feel bad mentally.


I don't see what good that would do Kev, he has no control over what happens.
The only people who might be interested in it would be those who study migraine auras, but where one can be found I have no idea.


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## Pudsey_Bear (Sep 25, 2008)

I think I would be curious as to what I was like in these episodes, (what you describe to him may conjure up different images in his mind to what actually happens) maybe Hans would be too


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## JanHank (Mar 29, 2015)

Pudsey_Bear said:


> I think I would be curious as to what I was like in these episodes, (what you describe to him may conjure up different images in his mind to what actually happens) maybe Hans would be too


There is nothing to describe, as soon as it starts he goes to bed and sleeps most of the time. When he wakes I give him a drink, if I say anything to him he doesn't understand. I have never thought to video it before Kev, but next time I will again, unfortunately there will be a next time, but maybe not for months of even years, it's so unpredictable.


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## HermanHymer (Dec 5, 2008)

I hope its a long time, Jan. So sorry you're having to endure challenge after challenge and all the emotional trauma that comes with them. How painful it is to see a loved one suffering and not be able to do anything about it.


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## JanHank (Mar 29, 2015)

My spring is getting tighter Viv, I just hope it doesn't overwind.


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## Pudsey_Bear (Sep 25, 2008)

You need to get off in the van Gertrude, unwind that spring as soon as you can, not good at your age.


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## JanHank (Mar 29, 2015)

First of all he must be free of the after effects of the operation Kev, as soon as he is we will be off for a week or three, weather permitting.


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## HermanHymer (Dec 5, 2008)

JanHank said:


> My spring is getting tighter Viv, I just hope it doesn't overwind.


Spring has sprung, just don't let yours sprong! Strongs! (A South African expression for wishing you strength!):kiss:


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## HermanHymer (Dec 5, 2008)

Jan, has Hans ever had his magnesium levels checked? Low magnesium is implicated in migraine, and supplementation if appropriate has been found, anecdotally, to be helpful particularly in the 'with aura' variant. Could possibly ???? be a side effect of recent waterworks problems perhaps?



A highly esteemed Wits professor, Dr Harry Seftel has been an advocate of Feverfew for migraine, an exceptional recommendation. He's a staunch believer in allopathic meds and Feverfew is one of the very few herbal meds he's ever endorsed. 



Some years ago a friend of mine who was a frequent sufferer tried it and found it greatly reduce the frequency of attacks. Not in touch with her any more.


Trouble is of course migraine doesn't follow a discrete set of treatment modalities.


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## JanHank (Mar 29, 2015)

Fever few Hans tried some years back, after a year of taking it we thought hurrah we have found the cure and then they returned.

They are so unpredictable Viv, he had a long time clear after the episode when he had the stent, we thought it was the combination of aspirin and Metroprolol as this has also been mentioned somewhere, then it came again.
I'm 99.9% sure its nothing to do with deficiency of magnesium, he has had these attacks from his late teens, he is a mystery.
Thank you for the suggestion.
Magnesium was suggested for my leg cramps, after 50 days of use it hasn't made one bit of difference.:frown2:


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## patp (Apr 30, 2007)

Always best to balance any vitamins and minerals. There was an article yesterday in the Telegraph about people taking large doses of Calcium and it causing cancer they think.

I have been diagnosed with a Zinc deficiency. Doctor says to eat plenty of fish (I already do) and that wholemeal grains can block the absorption of Zinc. I have tried changing my daily wholemeal bread sandwich to a white one. I am on a strong Zinc supplement from the doctor and when the dose was halved to a maintenance dose the symptoms all started to return (though they had never really gone). Now back on a double dose. The deficiency gives me a very sore tongue and some scaly skin patches.

My belief is that our soil is now very deficient in nutrients. We need certain things in our diet to help absorb others and they are often missing. I am trying to eat organic food when I can. I was doing this already as an animal welfare thing. Animals reared organically are not pumped full of antibiotics and they generally have a more natural lifestyle. I have read that too much iron can block the absorption of zinc. This is true of all sorts of vitamins and minerals. We need vitamin D to absorb Calcium etc etc. Bit of a minefield really.


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## HermanHymer (Dec 5, 2008)

Also need oestrogen for the calcium receptors. Hence osteoporosis in post-menopausal women. I took Evista for a while (an oestrogen look-alike) and my bones are still normal despite having had full hysterectomy and 8 years of anti-oestrogen treatment, 30 years ago.


Jan, dehydration is a cause of cramps too. Meds can dehydrate you even though you may not be feeling particularly thirsty. To avoid cramps I have an extra glass of water at the time of taking my evening meds and surprisingly doesn't cause and extra night-trip..


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## JanHank (Mar 29, 2015)

Can´t be that either Viv, I drink fruit juice with tonic water in the evening and have water by the bed,. If I drink a lot or not I am up at least twice in the night. My corks worked for a couple of years, but now stopped, maybe I need knew ones. :grin2:


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## HermanHymer (Dec 5, 2008)

JanHank said:


> Fever few Hans tried some years back, after a year of taking it we thought hurrah we have found the cure and then they returned.
> 
> They are so unpredictable Viv, he had a long time clear after the episode when he had the stent, we thought it was the combination of aspirin and Metroprolol as this has also been mentioned somewhere, then it came again.
> I'm 99.9% sure its nothing to do with deficiency of magnesium, he has had these attacks from his late teens, he is a mystery.
> ...


I believe it is accepted that it has many causes and there is no known cure. I suppose the best one can hope for is a mitigation of the frequency of attacks and intensity/duration and it seems to be up to the individual (and his wife) to work out a protocol that works for him.'

I suffered from quite severe vertigo which started about 30 years ago. It was diagnosed due to a inner ear virus which was prevalent at that time. After having had all the obvious things checked I discovered by a process of elimination that my calcium intake improved it - too little and too much all affected it. Now I stick to a regular 500/600mg dose daily I hardly have any symptoms at all and if I feel it coming on I start on betahistine immediately which stops it in its tracks. Doctor thinks I'm smoking something (or perhaps a hypochondriac).


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