Hemiplegic Migraine: The Half-Frozen Body and Brain

What if one side of your body suddenly went weak, and the cause turned out to be migraine?

Hemiplegic migraine is a rare type of migraine with aura that includes temporary weakness on one side of the body. Because it can look like a stroke, every new or unusual episode needs urgent medical care.

In this episode, Diane Ducarme explains what researchers know about hemiplegic migraine and how people who live with it learn to recognize it.

In this episode, you’ll learn:

🧠 Why hemiplegic migraine can mimic a stroke, and why emergency evaluation matters

🧠 What research shows about its genetic forms (CACNA1A, ATP1A2, SCN1A) and its triggers

🧠Which treatments have been studied, and why diagnosis by a neurologist comes first

🧠How people with a confirmed diagnosis describe learning to stay calm during an attack

If you ever experience sudden weakness, numbness, or trouble speaking, call emergency services. Don't assume it's a migraine.

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🔗 Discover our work on migraineheroes.com

References:

• Diagnostic and Therapeutic Aspects of Hemiplegic Migraine: A 2020 review in Journal of Neurology, Neurosurgery & Psychiatry (BMJ) detailed how hemiplegic migraine mimics stroke and explored diagnostic strategies and preventive treatments for both familial and sporadic forms. Read the full article here.
• Hemiplegic Migraine – StatPearls Overview: A comprehensive NCBI Bookshelf entry explaining the symptoms, diagnostic criteria, and management of hemiplegic migraine, emphasizing how temporary paralysis and aura distinguish it from other migraine types. Read more here.
• Cleveland Clinic: Understanding Hemiplegic Migraine: A 2024 Cleveland Clinic resource describing hemiplegic migraine symptoms, triggers, and recovery timelines, highlighting the importance of emergency evaluation due to its stroke-like presentation. Learn more here.
• Fremanezumab in Hemiplegic Migraine – Case Report: A 2024 case study in PubMed documented successful use of the CGRP inhibitor fremanezumab to reduce the frequency and intensity of hemiplegic migraine attacks. Explore the study here.
• Hemiplegic Migraine as a Stroke Mimic: A 2022 Stroke journal article from the American Heart Association analyzed imaging findings in hemiplegic migraine, illustrating how it can resemble acute ischemic stroke and why careful differential diagnosis is essential. Read the paper here.
• Unravelling the Genetic Landscape of Hemiplegic Migraine: A 2024 review in Genes (MDPI) mapped key mutations in CACNA1A, ATP1A2, and SCN1A genes, offering insight into how genetic variants influence aura, motor symptoms, and neurological sensitivity. Learn more here.
• Exertion and Hemiplegic Migraine Aura: A 1994 report in JAMA Neurology described cases where physical exertion triggered hemiplegic aura, providing early clinical evidence that exercise-induced vascular changes can precipitate paralysis episodes. Read the full article here.

Disclaimer: This podcast is for informational purposes only and does not substitute for providing medical advice. Always consult your healthcare professional before making any health-related decisions.

For women, men, and children who suffer from migraine disease, Migraine Heroes is your go-to resource for understanding, managing, and overcoming migraine attacks.

We cover all types of migraines and related headaches, including primary and secondary migraines, chronic migraines, and cluster migraines. We dive deep into the complexities of migraine with aura and migraine without aura, as well as rarer forms like hemiplegic migraine, retinal migraine, and acephalgic migraine (silent migraine). Our discussions also extend to cervicogenic headaches, ice pick headaches, and pressure headaches, which often mimic migraine or contribute to overall migraine burden.