Thanks naomi et al. My older cousin suffered dreadfully with it and would end up crying with the pain in the night. She was a strong woman as well. :-(
Anywhere, retro. Supermarket, Holland & Barrett, chemists - just on the shelf with all the other vitamins, minerals and various supplements. I take mine at night when I go to bed.
I've been taking magnesium for years...ever since it was recommended as a preventative for migraine, and it's also a muscle relaxant.
There's about a dozen different types of magnesium, each with different properties...and some are more easily absorbed by the body.
I can't manage huge pills so I take a dispersable form of magnesium citrate...its also easier on the stomach.
Some supermarket brands or from pharmacies etc will likely be a cheaper form.
Tilly, I also have aura migraines from time to time (though not for some time thankfully). I found that if I sat quietly and tried to relax they would dissipate eventually, though I still had a slightly ‘sensitive’ head for a while. At least by doing that they don’t progress for me to full-blown migraines (with the dreadful headache and numbness I experienced in my late teens). I have no idea if magnesium works, though it would be worth trying if there is any evidence it does.
Aura migraine is also known as classic migraine, and typically the flashing lights phase only lasts for 15-20 minutes. It doesn't usually progress to a full-on pounding head...more a dull head and feeling disoriented. At least for me anyway. I get them 3 or 4 times a year...weather, season, food can be triggers.
That is the same for me Pasta, though I had a few full-blown migraines when I was younger and they were debilitating (and mystifying: I would say things spontaneously that I had not thought).
I lie down with a cold damp facecloth over my eyes when a migraine starts. It takes about twenty minutes before in abates. Afterwards, I feel tired and a bit spaced out.
I'll try the magnesium. I don't suppose it can do much harm. Thank you both.