I have just been diagnosed with "complicated" migraines. The symptoms I get are as follows: numbness down my left side of the body - face, arm and leg; an aura where all I see are flashing lights; confusion, where I don't even know where I am, accompanied by an inability to speak any sense; followed by the headache. I was after some information on these headaches, and am curious as to whether very many people suffer from them.
My doctor is going to discuss going onto medication, so was wondering if anyone else is on medication for this type of migraine?
I am also really concerned that I could go on one time to have a stroke (probably being paranoid) after having one of these migraines. Is there any chance of this, or am I simply just having a migraine?
Thanks to anyone who can offer advice. The migraines are really scarey when they happen, and last time I went numb down my LHS for 3 weeks. I've had an MRI and brain scan, all of which were clear.

Not sure but, I think the medical term for your type of migraine is called: Hemiplegic

Info about it can be found at the following link:
http://healthboards.webmd.com/content/article/46/1826_50692.htm

Hi, I'm new, so I'm not sure how to do this.....

what you describe sounds a lot like what my best friend and my mom had been doing for years. The docs called them mini-seizures. They have both since been dx with epilepsy.

I've had migraines for about 25 years now and I can honestly say that I've not had a lot of the symptoms you mentioned. I have had the blind spot, then the aura appears, then if I don't take my meds in time, the headache will attack.

I hope you get things worked out. Headaches are NOT fun at all. Good luck.;)

I have to edit this to say that I missed the very beginning of your post that said you had a diagnosis. I'm so sorry about that! (I told you I didn't know what I was doing! And, no, I've never had them as you've described them. Not the numbness or confusion or anything. Hope someone else will give some insight.

I've had a couple of those, and they are freaky. But I do that right before a really bad migraine comes--aka a very freaky and scarey aura. I am on preventive medication, and it helps. So does finding your triggers. If you can find your triggers you can lessen your frequency of migraines. Anything you eat or drink write down in a food diary (diary in calandar form). Get a migraine, write down in food diary. After migraine ends, go back to see what you had and try one by one (each day a different thing) and see if you get a migraine off of it. If you do, you just found a trigger--stay away from it. I have taken in the past tegratol (sp?), amatriplyne (sp?), topamax, propanol is now. Those are all preventive medications. Also, get a criss crossed bra for better chest support and try a chiropractor for adjustments. If long hair, cut it. It has helped me.