Atypical Migrane

[fig65]

I was told by my doc that I may have atypical migranes. Someone help me understand exactly what this means. I always though of a migrane as a severe headache. I never get headaches and I have symptoms all over not just in my head. I'm a little confused about what exactly the atypical migrane is. Thanks. :)

[Dr Santos]

Hi,
How a re you? An atypical migraine occurs without the appearance of the symptoms that accompany other migraine types. The symptoms also do not adhere to the usual pattern indicated by a typical migraine attack. A headache may or may not occur and it is possible for the sufferer to experience pain in other areas of the body other than the head. Because of this, it is very tricky to diagnose. The symptoms that appear during an attack include facial pain and abdominal pain, nausea and vomiting, photosensitivity, weakness on one side of the body and skin pallor. Treatment is the same with typical migraine medications. It is important that you check with your doctor for proper management. Take care and warm regards.

[VindictiveBunny]

I have atypical migranes very rarely now.  I used to get them last year and a few years prior to that.  I think I have had about 8 atypical migranes where I lose half of my vision due to the black and white tv static and squiggles in a certain spot in my vision and after I take an ibuprofen or tylenol it takes about 45 minutes for the spot to disappear.  My last one was about a year ago.  It's very scary when they happen because one of my fears is losing my vision.  I think after the spot appears, occasionally, I will get a mild headache or none at all.

[rumpled]

My mom used to have her arm hurt when she got migraines - hers were atypical.

I get visual migraines - I cannot see, but they do not hurt.  I never get an aura when I get the painful ones.

A "normal" migraine or rather typical one has an aura, then has severe pain on one side of the head. Since you have pain all over, that would be why yours are atypical.

Frankly, everyone I know with migraines is a bit atypical...

[dame_wilbur]

MYTH: Migraines are severe headaches.

TRUTH: a headache is when your head hurts. A migraine is a syndrome/disease that can effect any part of the body. Yes, there's usually a headache componant to a migraine, that's where the myth comes from. However, what a migraine really is a time when the blood vessles to the brain starts siezing, expanding and contracting randomly, along with a chemical imbalance in the brain itself.

Depending on where the blood vessles in the brain are siezing, the person w/ the migraine will feel/experience different symptoms. This can include the headache, but can also be visual distortions commonly referred to as auras, abdominal issuses such as nasuea/vomiting, and any number of other symptoms.

If you're diagnosed with atypical migraine, then it makes sense that you might not ever experience the headache that can go along, as typically there is a headache componant. However, if you have abdominal, visual, tactile, or other problems that are occuring thanks to your brain, those still count as migraine.

My mother gets abdominal migraines, never with the headache, while I've had the same headache for the past 8 years. It differs person to person.

Good luck,

~Dame