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What is Hemplegic Migraine?

Migraine affects 15 to 20 percent of people, but hemiplegic migraine makes up less than 1 percent of these cases. This rare variety of migraine with aura can include visual symptoms, like flashes of light and zigzag patterns, that happen before or during a migraine episode...

It can also cause temporary weakness, numbness and tingling, and paralysis on one side of the body. These symptoms start before the headache.

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Featured

 How My Stroke-Like Symptoms Actually Led to a Rare Migraine Diagnosis

Migraine attacks are incredibly painful and scary, but hemiplegic attacks are next-level terrifying. I lose the ability to communicate and sometimes my memory skips, and I forget exactly what happened. When the attack starts, I have no way of knowing if it will be a normal migraine, a status migraine (lasting 72 hours or longer), or hemiplegic. Not knowing has really affected my ability to work.

Articles of Interest

Hemiplegic Migraine Warriors

Hemiplegic Migraine Warriors is dedicated to providing the HM and Migraine Community with education.

Actually, I’m Not Fine

Ms. Fitzgerald is a writer who has sporadic hemiplegic migraines.

Diagnostic and therapeutic aspects of hemiplegic migraine

Hemiplegic migraine (HM) is a clinically and genetically heterogeneous condition with attacks of headache and motor weakness which may be associated with impaired consciousness, cerebellar ataxia and intellectual disability. Motor symptoms usually last <72 hours and are associated with visual or sensory manifestations, speech impairment or brainstem aura.

Hemiplegic migraine : I am paralyzed with my migraine!

We use this term for people who develop weakness as part of their auras. Sometimes, people report «heaviness» as part of sensory auras, but no true weakness.

Hemiplegic Migraine and Me

I'd had one or two migraines before, but this one came with a strange new symptom: numbness and tingling. First, it was half my face, then my tongue, too, my right hand joined in, next to my whole right arm.

My son’s experience of hemiplegic migraine

Migraine has a huge impact on his life. There is the constant worry about when the next migraine will happen and the attacks themselves are so severe – they are certainly not “just a headache” – numbness and paralysis of body parts, confusion and disorientation, hallucinations, unable to speak or find the right vocabulary, excruciating pain that lasts for hours, vomiting every 15 minutes for hours and he often ends up in hospital needing IV pain relief.

Persistent Hyperperfusion and Cortical Necrosis: Case Report and Literature Review

Hemiplegic migraine (HM) is a rare subtype of migraine characterized by aura of motor weakness accompanied by visual, sensory, and/or speech symptoms. Aura symptoms usually resolve completely; permanent attack-related deficit and radiographic change were rare.

What It's Like to Live with Hemiplegic Migraine

I live with hemiplegic migraine (HM), which randomly gives me symptoms like a drooping face, pins and needles feelings at the most awful times, and migraines that will not let up.

Resources

Migraine Australia

The paralysis can be partial, such as a facial droop, or affect the entire side. You may also experience confusion, difficulty speaking, or vision problems.

NORD

Hemiplegic migraine is a rare disorder in which affected individuals experience a migraine headache along with weakness on one side of the body (hemiplegia).

StatPearls

A hemiplegic migraine is a rare form of migraine in which the migraine headache attack is accompanied by unilateral weakness. Typically, migraine aura has visual symptoms, but motor symptoms are rare.