Why Can’t I Type or Speak? Scary Symptoms that Can Accompany Migraine with Aura

I started having migraines when I was about 18 years old. They always started with what I can described best as blind spots in my vision. This lasts for a small hour, but is quite scary. When this aura starts, I cannot go outside. I might mis a car, or bump into people. Reading is completely not possible anymore, letters and words are missing, but they don't seem to be missing (ie. I see the word 'migraines' as 'mies', just the first and last letters).
Usually it after this hour I get a bad headache, but this has faded over the years. I am 47 now and hardly get bad headaches anymore. Still not 100% sure what triggers the migraines/aura's. Usually they happen in the mornings though. Stopping drinking caffeine helped reduce the migraines a lot. Dairy seems to be a trigger, alcohol does not help either. Sugar on an empty stomach also seems a trigger. After 30 years of migraine, it is still a puzzle.

This morning I had an aura at work, after sitting it out for about an hour or so, I though I could continue working. My vision was good again, and had a mild headache. But I discovered that I could not read English anymore, I spend a good 5 minutes on a sentence but could not figure out what the words said. I could read them (like I normally do), but they did not register and I had no idea how to pronounce them. I can imagine that this may scare people when they first get it.

Worst experience was when I was about 25, I got a migraine at work and went home by train. People in the train asked me how I was doing, my face was hanging and I could not talk anymore.
They put me in a taxi to the hospital on the next stop. Even though I knew it was a migraine, I could not explain myself. As soon as I arrived in the A&E I could speak again and I just had a bad headache.

I just had one today for the first time and it was the scariest experience I've ever had. I was talking with a friend then I began to see a dot in my vision. Then I got a sharp headache and shortly afterwards noticed that i couldn't read text from a video. Then I tried writing to my friend, but this became very hard and i forgot where each letter is on the keyboard. THen, I started trying to talk to my family about it, but I coukdnt. I literally forgot how to say words and spell them. I forgot the letters i n the alphabet and couldn't tell anyone what was happening. Honestly the scariest experience of my life

Have had ocular migraines now and again but recently had what you have referred to. Thought I was getting a migraine so closed my eyes and took deep breaths for several minutes. When I thought it passed I started to read some mail and found it was difficult and some words I couldn’t read at all even though I knew what the word meant. For example the word Nissan. I couldn’t begin to read the word but my mind new I had one in the garage. Then I realized I couldn’t remember the names of my dogs, friends and places. I was pretty panicked but the whole situation probably lasted 30 minutes at most. Scary stuff.

I started getting the migraine aura after taking Ribavirin for a hepatitis C treatment. Everytime I would be somewhere that the light was pulsating it would trigger them. Walking past a chain link fence would do it. It would start from a blind spot in my vision from a mild stroke that left a small blind spot in my vision. I am now taking verapamil 40 mg three times a day and that seems to be reducing it from everyday to maybe once a week and very mild.

Thanks - this explains exactly what I 'suffer'.
I experience an aura - difficult to define but it's always the same. I have time to get upstairs and lie on the bed.
I can't remember how to turn off my tablet for instance and I can't speak even though I know exactly what I want to say.
I don't experience a headache and just lie down because of the dizziness. Often it clears in five minutes or so.
I was diagnosed with 'petit mal epilepsy' but have never experienced the 'standard' symptoms - this seems much more likely.
I used to have very bad migraines before I took the anti-epilepsy medicine. My attempts to save money by cutting down the dosage are rewarded by these 'episodes'.
I would assume that epilepsy (a stigma) and migraine ('better' than just a headache) are closely related.

I had this happen to me 13 years ago when I was 15years old. I had a sudden headache, light sensitivity, tingling in my arm and I could not speak. Anything that I said was gibberish. I was so freaked out and was trying to read words on signs and it came out as slurred unintelligible sounds. I tried to pray and I could not even form words in my head to pray. Then all of a sudden normal function returned and I felt normal. Since then I've always thought I had experienced a TIA, however I really think it was migraine with aura.

My first migraine episode happened soon after I had my first child. I would get them twice a month and they would be so dibilitating. They would start out with blinding spots in my vision and then the nausea and pain hit. Over the years they have gotten worse. Recently I started having one before work. Luckilya friend of mine drove me because I was having a hard time seeing. What was really scary was he was talking to me but I was not proccessing anything. I was too busy trying to remember all my customers names which was not happening. Then my fingers and face got all tingly. I couldnt feel my arm and tongue for a good five minutes. It was absolutely terrifying. This has been happening at least once a month for the past 4 years. My doctor ended putting me on blood pressure medication which has worked like a dream.

The first time I had a migraine, not aware that it was a migraine, it was accompanied by aphasia (again, not aware of what it was). I was 19 yrs old and had a 3 day old baby. I was on the phone with my sister and she was telling me about "Marcellous", her boyfriend of 16 months, and the whole time she was speaking I was searching for who he was. I knew the name felt familiar. I knew I should know who this was, but I couldn't place it. When she mentioned "our cousin Joey", I had the drew the same blank. I thought it was due to lack of sleep and just having a baby. A few months later, I experienced the aura. I thought I was going blind. I lost sight of everything on my left. I made an appointment to see the optometrist. He examined me and asked a few questions. His diagnosis/treatment? "You're having a severe classic migraine. Go to Wendy's down the street and have a large Coke. You should feel better." He was right. Since then, now 24 years later, I recognize the signs and medicate with caffeine. Even so, I still worry whenever the aura rears it's ugly head, and I panic if/when aphasia hits. I can remember crying as I searched for the word "caffeine" when an episode hit me quicker than normal and without the tell tale precursor warnings.

Now, I fear ailments and diseases which cause problems with memory and thinking. I am terrified of Alzheimers and other forms of dementia. I sympathize with those afflicted with these diseases. I no longer give presentations at work, since I tried to give one during a migraine 6 months ago and couldn't remember the name of my co-presenter, and have limited myself to a 'desk' job so that any migraines with aphasia are easily detected - thereby lessening my feeling of panic. I try to challenge myself in other ways to keep my brain sharp and empowered.

Anyone else have to make life changes like this due to migraines, auras and aphasia?