I get migraine aura about once a month (lasts about an hour, and only occasionally accompanied by the headache, thank goodness). After the last attack, I did up an animated gif to illustrate what it’s like:
Might be useful for non-sufferers to empathise quite how debilitating it can be.
That’s all. 
Cool! I have only had a migraine twice - two weeks apart - but I saw just that zig-zag thing both times, except mine was only coloured fluorescent green.
It started at work, and at first I thought I was getting those after-effects you get from staring at a bright light/sun etc because I couldn’t seem my monitor properly.
What amazing gifs! Before I had my migraines I am ashamed to admit I thought those that did were hypochondriacs and exaggerating.
Hopefully these gifs will help other non-sufferers realise that it’s actually a whole different ballgame to a “bad headache” - it’s more like a terrible whole state of being with agonising nausea-making head pain.
Fuck. You’ve told me about this but it’s nice to see it (kinda).
Glad I don’t get them. I’d be convinced I was getting a flashback
When it first happened, that’s exactly what I thought it was… I had inhaled some 1-1-1 trichloroethane earlier in the day (don’t ask…) and thought I’d given myself brain damage. Mind you, it might have triggered the whole thing… 
Migraines sufferer here (oddly I have one on the way as we speak)…
I don’t get visual auras, but smells and tastes in my mouth, that signal an attack is coming. I used to take a lot of medication, even injections, but now that I’m nursing, I can’t take anything stronger than Advil (Ibuprofen).
It is a horrible affliction. Most of the time, if I can vomit, it’s not too terribly bad, but sometimes, I need to be in a quiet dark room for about 4 hours, floating in and out of sleep (sort of) until it starts to subside.
Hey istara how’s Dubai? I’ve been there twice, and I love it. Rented a car and drove out to Sharjah, then into Oman (semi-legally). I’d love to work out there.
Anahita, do you know if there is there any connection between the smell/taste thing and petit-mal epilepsy?
jimmmm, I don’t know about the connection really. I’ve never had any epileptic symptoms myself. I had all sorts of brain scans way back in high school, and was once at home with migraine for 3 weeks straight.
I am sure there is something misfiring away in there. I do have food triggers (MSG, and sulfa(i)tes, also, preserved or smoked meat, white wine and strong spirits do my head in.
I want to go to Dubai, too! My brother lived there for several years and loved it.
Dubai is great thanks jjimm!
What field do you work in? The expat job scene is not as cushy as it was (apparently - I’ve only been here since last July) but there’s still a lot of growth, especially IT/marketing/media/medical.
Both you and Anahita hurry up and come out and visit me!
I work in IT - but a marketing capacity, as in I write, design and code websites. Not a lot of call for that in the UAE I expect (though there’s definitely a need for it, given the atrocious state of most UAE websites I’ve seen!).
Ever hear of these? They are HUGE. Microsoft just built a whole building at Dubai Internet City, Cisco are there, IBM, Siemens, Oracle, Hewlett-Packard, Lucent, iPlanet, Canon, SUN Microsystems has a huge presence in Dubai, many other ICT majors are moving their regional HQs here.
Dubai Media City - Middle East broadcaster MBC just moved its entire London-based operation into a custom built building here, CNN are here, Reuters have a whole floor, the BBC, CNBC, plus tons of smaller media production and publishing companies, web site designers, etc etc.
Damn, man, that’s amazing.
I get that all the time, same as you - sometimes headache, sometimes not. But I have to admit that this is exactly what it looks like!!!
You rule.
Colin
Well, my brother has Grand Mal epilepsy. has never said anything about a smell/taste thing.
hmmm. I get the headaches that Anahita describes, and usually if I get some sleep I’m ok. No Smell taste thing either. Maybe it might be an idea to get my head checked 
I’ve only ever had a few migraines. Only oe was with visual aura (just like in your gifs, but brighter to start with and a monochrome herringbone) and I was scared shitless until I found out what it was. The other auras I get are mouth and speech ones. I lose memory of words, or my tongue goes partially numb. Either way I can’t talk properly. When the pain hits in, it’s almost a relief in a way. I can cope feeling like I’ve been hit over the head with a frying pan. Not being able to talk, I can’t handle.
Does anyone else get over-emotional after an attack? I usually want to cry, then am very touchy and snappy the next day.
Back when I got migraines (pretty regularly until about age 22), I got dark blue and red auras and became hypersensitive to sour odors/tastes. The odor sensitivity was usually my first cue–if someone was eating a burger in the same room, I could taste the mustard on it. Once the migraine hit, I had a constant sour taste in my mouth.
Oddly, although I was very light-sensitive, I was never sound-sensitive. I usually retreated to my room, turned out the lights, and put the 1812 Overture on the stereo. :eek:
I’ve never had an emotional reaction to a migraine (beyond "oh, &@*^, another one), either during or after.
Spooky. I never get the fluorescent lights, but otherwise, that looks like it all right. I’d never heard about the “emotional aftereffects” of migraine…I’ve never had them, and neither have any of my migraineur friends.
Now that I’m starting to take preventative care for the migraines, I hope they’ll come less frequently than the four times a week (!) that they’ve been occurring in the last two months off and on. The triptans are good, but I still lose about two or three hours while they take effect. And while you’re waiting, all you can do is try the “hot/cold” therapy (ice on the head, heat on the stomach and feet), or the “other” therapy. At least the “other” therapy is somewhat pleasureable 
Wow, jjimm, that’s amazing. That’s exactly what my auras look like.
The worst part, though, is when that aura subsides and I get huge blank spots in my vision, that I have to “look around” to see anything. Particularly terrifying if it happens when I am driving.
I also get “traveling” numbness in my face, mouth (teeth even), hands and arms. And I once had the effect of not being able to express the words I wanted to say…that was scary, I thought I was having a stroke.
I’m with Tansu, it’s a relief when the pain comes, that I can handle better than not being able to see, or talk.
Wow, that’s cool! I get the cloudiness, but not the zig-zags.
Me too! I didn’t know that those things happened to anyone else. I have only done the “wrong words” thing a few times, but the traveling numbness happens frequently. It starts in my right pinky, travels across my hand, up my arm, and into my face. I’m lucky because if I can take 4 advils before it gets to my face, the headache-part of the migraine is usually minimized.
You all might be very interested in neurologist Oliver Sacks book Migraine which includes a section of art that sufferers have drawn to describe the visual disturbances they experience. It was written quite a few years ago but remains interesting.
Here’s a link to Sack’s book. And for more information on the web, try www.migraines.org