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migraine aura or something else?

Hi,
I have had migraine auras on and off for the about 15 years. I am 47 years old, female. I also suffer with anxiety disorder. My problem started about 3 months ago. I woke up one morning with an aura, but it looked different than my usual auras--zig zag lines and lighted sparks etc. This looked liked straight lines and was followed by ringing in my ears. The aura went away---but the ringing remained, I went to my regular dr. and got blood work done--he checked my ears and said it was probably due to sinus issues and prescribed nasonex. I used to nasonex for about a week--ears still ringing so I stopped using it. Blood work came back fine. and I made an appt for a recheck for two weeks from now,. Meanwhile my period has been very irregular and I got it twice in one month. About a week ago I woke up to another type of aura which I have had before, but only a couple of times and always in the middle of night when I woke up to use bathroom. This aura looked like  a pattern of designs--If I closed my eyes I would see kaleidoscope type images00diamonds, waves tiney squares but no color. then I would open my eyes and rectangular things like windows or doors looked almost to rectangular, like distorted  but still rectangular..After the aura went away i got the ringing again. then a panick attack. and couldnt go back to sleep. I had an mri done about nine months ago because I was getting the first aura last summer. the mri was normal and I thought I was done worrying about these. But now I am worrying again and for the last five mornings I have been waking up with this strange kaliedoscope pattern aura, then the ringing, then a headache and then a panick attack. I have an appointment with an ENT in two days. Somene told me that an MRI with no contrast--which is what I got last year--that these no contrast mri's do not see aneurysms?Now I am panicked again--thinking I have an aneurysm. However my headaches are not that bad. they feel like sinus headaches..I used to just get the aura with no headache. I am so scared and am afraid to go to sleep at night for fear the visual problem is going to remain and not go away. I should also mention that I have a rare eye disorder called vittelifom macular degeneration. which effects the macula. I went to my specialist last summer and was treated with an injection which did not help the leakage..but when I talk to my sisters who also have this same eye disorder they say that they have not experienced auras like this one. I am so stressed out over this and was told that stress can bring this on more. Is it true that an mri without contrast cannot see an aneurysm..I was looking at aneurysm symptoms and wondered if the visual symptoms could be like a migrain aura..just very nervous and overwhelmed. any comments would be appreciated....thanks
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Avatar universal
Did you ever figure out what is causing your issues?   I ask because I woke up with an aura migraine this morning and found this post.  My ears were ringing louder than normal as well.  If I have auras, it is usually later in the day.

I have a uncommonly diagnosed disease called fibromuscular dysplasia.  Mine is in the upper internal carotid arteries.  The migraines and ringing in ears is a common symptom, altho there can be many symptoms such as a pulsing or bruit in your neck (mine comes and goes), fatigue, high blood pressure .... Not necessarily any one particular of these as every case is different.   It is diagnosed via an MRA or CTA.  I just wanted to throw that out as anxiety disorders are often also associated with the disease and you are the age that it is typically diagnosed.  It is primarily a woman's disease.  You may want to look into it.  

Best wishes.
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Avatar universal
Yes I went to my retina specialist and he examined my eyes..no signs of aneurysm. The strange morning eye symptoms he thinks are due to low blood pressure. I have an appt with my general dr this week.
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Avatar universal
MEDICAL PROFESSIONAL
Hi,
How are you? Were you able to see your ENT doctor? Symptoms of cerebral aneurysm may include headaches, neck pain, stiff neck, eye pain, and vision changes such as double vision and loss of vision. To rule out eye symptoms possibly associated with aneurysm, it is best that you have this evaluated also by you eye doctor. An eye exam may show signs of increased pressure in the brain, including swelling of the optic nerve or bleeding into the retina of the eye. Take care and do keep us posted.
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