How many BAVs have migraine aura?

[jjay32]

I get the occular migraines off and on. It starts out as small strobe like lines in the center of my vision (both eyes) that continue to expand to the point I can not see to read or drive etc. there is never any pain. they last up to a half hour. not fun.

jerome

 

[stilldreamin]

i was diagnosed with "migraine equivalents"... which sounds almost exactly like occular migraines in my 20's, but i'd had them since i can remember. migraines without the pain. i started getting classic migraines when i was 21, and they increased in intensity until in my 30's i was ending up in the hospital with severe pain and vomitting from them twice a week, and i had a period of 9 months when i did not have a day of relief. i found a clinic in toronto that decided my migraines were related to epilepsy due to my triggers, and they prescribed depekene, an anti-convulsant. i took these 3 times a day until about a year ago, they took my migraines down to a manageable pain level and frequency. they saved my life.
this year I was diagnosed with BAV. when i found this thread i was amazed at the number of people in similar situations....

 

[Survivor]

One more vote for magnesium for ocular migraines and skipped beats

One more vote for magnesium for ocular migraines and skipped beats

My first ocular migraine occurred a year before I was diagnosed with BAV and a 4.8 cm aortic aneurysm. (Got it fixed several months later--read the data and thought the 5.5 or 6.0 cm people were off base.) I first thought I might be having a retinal detachment until I realized it was in both eyes. At that time I was having many skipped heart beats (which were thunderous compared with how they feel post-aortic graft.) My arrhythmia made me get an overdue physical and an electron beam CT that found the aneurysm. I started magnesium and a beta blocker which together fixed the skipped beats. (The beta blocker greatly reduced my chest pains pre-op---even the aortic specialists expressed surprise that I would feel anything!) I rarely have either skipped beats or ocular migraines anymore, and I take extra magnesium when I do. Usually constipation or diarrhea are the best indicators for magnesium dose. Interestingly, weeks after starting losartan as a second blood pressure drug, my need for magnesium seems to be much reduced (from 750 to 250 mg/day.) Losartan has decreased aneurysm expansion in lab animals and is being studied in Marfan's victims who have a genetic defect very similar to BAV. No one has looked at magnesium as a possible mechanism. I hope Losartan and magnesiumit help in BAV,too. As a first time poster, I'd like to thank the founder of this site for helping me prepare through lurking here before my surgery! I 'd like to buy him a beer! A hero!

 

[Jessie316]

I have a BAV and have been getting aura migranes for years but only in my peripheral vision. Becomes very difficult to function unitl they are gone. They usually last 20-30 minutes. At times also become pale and grey looking while they are happening.

 

[jumpy]

Sorry to bring back such an old thread but has there been any more recent studies on this. I have suffered from Migraines since I was around 7. Recently they have become Occular Migraines, Aura with generally no pain. They seem to be increasing in frequency. I haven't discussed this with my cardiologist and would like to bring in some documented studies on this. One thing I try to shy away from is saying to the Doctors "I heard on the internet that there is a connection..." I know how much they love self diagnosis....:confused2:

 

[selma]

I have MVP and have been getting ocular migraines since college days.

 

[escargome]

Not a physician, nor do I have documented info, but suffered from classic migrane about every other month or so depending on caffiene intake since 12 years old. Following AVR in May 2008, now only get occular migrane about twice a year and that usually occurs if I am overly tired and work stressed. Switched from coffee to tea and dropped all sodas from my fluide intake.

 

[Richard Gardner]

Just to add my data. Had bicusbid and aortic aneurysm diagnosed three years ago requiring replacement. Have had the visual aura for years. Not necessarily followed by a headache. Seems I had the headache in my early twenties. Not sure when they stopped and just had the aura which I continue to experience from time to time. To say there is no headache afterwards is not totally accurate in my case. It seems like it's kind of underground if that makes sense. I don't really feel it but if I shake my head around I can kind of feel it. I used to feel like I wanted to sleep after the aura but not so aware of that now. I just turned 60 last month.
Richard

 

[karla]

I'll add my data as well....started getting self diagnosed ocular migraines in my teens. I am now 52. I remember sitting in a class and half the page I was reading just disappeared. I was convinced I had a brain tumor and was going to die but didn't want to worry my parents so said nothing. After a year or so and i hadn't died, I figured it must not be a brain tumor after all. How's that for teenage logic?!
I had a bicuspid AV and almost 3 weeks ago had a mechanical replacement and repair of aneurysm.
Since the first episode 30+ years ago, I have had them about 1-2 times a month. No pain but a funny 'buzzy" feeling in my head. They last 30 - 60 min. Laying down and elevating my legs above the level of my heart seems to decrease the length they last.
karla

 

[Garserin]

Normal tricuspid aortic valve here, but since my surgery last May I've been getting ocular migraines, without headache, on a regular basis. I've been having migraines, the classic kind, for all my adult life. Those are actually better now, but I'm now dealing with the visual kind at least a couple of times a month.

 

[MS2]

I'll add my data as well....started getting self diagnosed ocular migraines in my teens. I am now 52. I remember sitting in a class and half the page I was reading just disappeared. I was convinced I had a brain tumor and was going to die but didn't want to worry my parents so said nothing. After a year or so and i hadn't died, I figured it must not be a brain tumor after all. How's that for teenage logic?!
I had a bicuspid AV and almost 3 weeks ago had a mechanical replacement and repair of aneurysm.
Since the first episode 30+ years ago, I have had them about 1-2 times a month. No pain but a funny 'buzzy" feeling in my head. They last 30 - 60 min. Laying down and elevating my legs above the level of my heart seems to decrease the length they last.
karla

Same thing happened to me during 8th grade...I was sitting there reading, and all of a sudden my vision started to go and I had to almost turn my head to continue reading a sentence. I didn't have any pain associated with it and the Doctor told me it was a retinal migraine. Since then, I have had a few more episodes. I was diagnosed with a BAV 2 years ago at age 25. I never realized it but it does make sense as to why those with BAVs have associated migraines with or without aura. Since migraines are vasculature in nature (compared to tension headaches which are induced by stress/muscle tension or spasm), those with BAVs do not have as symmetrical blood flow through their aortic valve/ascending aorta...which the first vessels to branch off the ascending aorta are the subclavian/carotid arteries that supply the brain with blood.

 

[cristo555]

Dietary cause... Oculars

Dietary cause... Oculars

I have had Ocular migraines (vision loss with aura.. mild headache if i bend over) since I was in my 30's (I am 57 now) and I have a Bicuspid Aortic Valve. I would get these at least every week or more. I recently stumbled onto something that really surprised me after all these years. Last August (8 months ago) I started a slow-carb diet to eat healthier and lose a few pounds. I was a big peanut and peanut butter eater but this new eating plan (4 hour body) did not allow this anymore. My oculars totally stopped! I later retested my theory on several seperate occasions and ate some peanut butter. Sure enough, I got an Ocular within 12 hours. I stay away from peanuts now and have not had an Ocular since. After all these years of putting up with vision loss, etc. I am cured. I posted this so that some might look at a dietary cause for the problem. Whether it's peanuts, Gluten or whatever.... It is easy enough to test.

 

[RBCola]

Wow, just read this thread and now it all makes sense now. Ive had ocular migraines since I can remember. My vision just usually gets a little blurry and occasionally I have some double vision. It lasts about 5 minutes then goes away. No headache. I use to chalked them up to too much caffeine or just being hungry. I had my aortic valve replaced 6 years ago and still get the ocular migraines. Interesting to see there is an association.

 

[Paleowoman]

I've been getting migraine with aura for many years now. Just now discussing this on the diabetes forum I'm on as someone there gets them when they go hypo (low blood sugar). I get mine associated with exertion (weight lifting), though when I was younger they were whenever I was pre-menstrual (hormone related). I was refered to neurolgist because of having BAV and he gave me the all clear - no anyuerism in my brain which might have been the association.

 

[TammyM]

Very interesting. I started having the occular migraines as a young teen with usually no headache. After AVR, they increased to sometimes 4-5 times a day lasting at least 20 minutes each where beforehand I could sometimes go more than a month without it happening. I was put on Topamax twice a day and now get short ones occasionally.

 

[Rachel]

I'll jump on board here too, I also started getting ocular migraines (without headache) in my early 30's. The first time it happened it really freaked me out, so I got tested by several different doctors but no one could tell me why these migraines were suddenly occurring. Fifteen years later I found out that I was born with a bicuspid aortic valve......VERY interesting.

 

[john b]

Yes I also experience migraine aura without a headache, it usually lasts about 20 mins and can be about once a week or monthly.
Age 65yrs Bovine tissue valve, 3 years ago.
Oxford England

 

[texasmike]

I will jump in also.
I had a BAV but it was never diagnosed (despite annual physicals at places like Cooper Clinic in Dallas) until I developed endocarditis at age 55 and underwent a Ross Procedure. Beginning around age 30, I began to have aura migraines on a monthly basis. These lasted until my Ross, after which I stopped having the migraine aura or headache for about 5 years. Then they returned, and as my history shows I had to have a reoperation after 9 years because of a dilating aortic root.
To my unscientific mind, it seems interesting that the Ross Procedure, where the pulmonic valve and root were moved into the aortic position, should eliminate my auras and headaches for about 5 years. Then, once the valve became stretched because of the dilating aortic root, the auras and headaches returned!

 

[chrisc]

i don't want to throw off the voting, but while i do not have a BAV, i do suffer from migraine aura. (i do have a 4.2 aortic root for what that is worth)...

 

[H.E.pumper]

I don't believe I found this thread subject! I had my first episode of 'migraine aura' in college in 1970. I would see flashing lights and have a blind spot or two and would last about 25 minutes followed by a mild, short lasting headache. The nurse told me it what just a mild stroke and not to worry. Since that time I would have a few episodes every year. I started recording the episodes about 5 years ago. I would have 5 to 10 episodes a year. A couple of months ago I went to my optometrist to get my eyes checked for new glasses. He noticed that my left pupil was twice the size of my right one. yikes! I went to an Opthamologist who performed a zillion test and concluded that I had a migraine problem and told me to track my blind spot episodes and see him again in a year.

And this could be related to my BAV with stenosis? Last year, 2011, I had 11 episodes and this year so far, 17! A new record! And this year my aortic valve became worse and was advised to have it replaced soon.


Definitely a correlation.


Tom