I suffer occasional migraines with aura. Long ago I realized that if I immediately take 3–4 aspirin at the earliest oneset ofthe aura, the migraine headache does not happen. The aura still occurs and I have to wait about 30 to 45 minutes for the visual disturbance to run its course, which in my case usually starts as a small rainbow colored “floater” in the center of my vision and begins to spread outward with jagged rainbow colored edges until it leaves my field division and goes away. If I don’t take the aspirin before the aura runs its course, I have a wicked migraine that takes most of the day to fully resolve. But if I immediately take the high dose aspirin at the earliest indication of the aura, I can 100% eliminate the migraine portion after the aura runs its course. (Since I figured this out over 30 years ago, I have avoided every single migraine, subsequent to the aura experience if i respond quickly enough.) To me what I’ve learned over the years is that the absolute key is to not delay by even a few minutes to get that aspirin in my system. In those instances when I was not able to get access to aspirin quickly enough, I found that I did have some migraine symptoms, which appears to be worse the longer I delay it. This is why responding quickly is the key in my opinion and in my experience, I aim for as close as possible to the maximum single dose which I’ve read is 1300 mg. So I take four 325 mg tablets, or 1250 mg total in the single dose. If i respond quickly I really don’t need any more aspirin for the rest of the day which keeps me under the 4000 maximum daily safety limit. If you haven’t followed this approach and are lucky enough to have the aura to clue you in that the migraine is coming, I strongly recommend this approach. Again, it’s all about reacting early, which is why I recommend keeping four 325 mg aspirins with you at all times if you’re not able to get back home in time after you are hit with the aura. Anyway, I hope this helps and please comment if you try this and find that you have similar results.

I have suffered occasional migraines with aura (painless on the whole) for decades. Recently they became more frequent: several in a week. I saw the study on the benefits of 81 mg aspirin on these sorts of headaches. Since I began a daily 81 mg aspirin therapy three and a half months ago, I have not had a single episode. I do not believe this is a placebo effect: I was quite skepticual of the study’s claims for aspirtin. But this I believe is an unexplained but very effective (and rreasonably safe) therapy for migraines of this sort and I urge sufferers to read the study and try it for themselves.

Omeprazole is a dangerous drug if taken long-term. It is OK to take it as needed for short periods of time.

Does it make sense to use a stomach protector like omeprazole to avoid stomach side effects?

I had 2 small strokes earlier this year. I have a mechanical valve that requires warfarin (blood thinner) My warfarin was high, so I was shocked to be told it was because I didn’t add 81mg aspirin a day, as it “coats” your blood cells so they don’t stick. I was also getting ocular migranes without the migrane daily, and what I would call “stroke warnings” of body part numbness. Suddenly, once adding baby aspirin, no more auras and no more stroke warnings! I doubt too a small daily 81mg will cause any liver damage long term, and far outweigh the risk of a stroke. How wonderful this was a simple solution.

I am a man who gets very infrequent auras followed by a headache within about half an hour after the aura dissipates. It could easily be more than a year between episodes but I have had 3 in the last week (just had one now, actually). I have never found a likely trigger.

Back in the 1990’s I found that I could take any NSAID during the aura and the headache would never come. If I waited for the headache, NSAIDs would not help. Consequently I have not had a headache since the 1990’s. I never took the risk of trying tylenol.

I have even had episodes where I took aspirin for an unrelated reason and then experienced an aura (aspirin does not prevent auras for me). I took another dose of aspirin and the headache never came.

I have had an aura immediately after a meal and I worried that the aspirin would not be absorbed on a full stomach in time but so far it has not failed me.

A few months ago, an aura surprisingly woke me from sleep somehow. I took some aspirin and went back to bed. I would have been very unhappy to wake up with a headache.

It probably won’t work for most people but I hope that info can help someone.

I have had auras with just a minor headache (sinus headache-like) for a years. maybe two a month. I started taking one 81 mg aspirin daily — no more auras. Today I stopped taking to test an ache’s source, and voila first aura in months.

I would suggest asking the ophthalmologist you saw or a neurologist to confirm that you are experiencing migraine auras. Aspirin can be very effective, but it can also cause stomach problems and increased risk of bleeding. It is best to ask a doctor. While seeing a doctor, I would ask to check your RBC-magnesium, CoQ10, thyroid, vitamins B12, D and folic acid levels checked – all these deficiencies could be contributing to migraines and auras.

I’m not sure if this blog post is still checked on but I would like help with my current situation. My migraine with aura happens every day, when driving, at work, if I’m on my phone too long. They started happening after I had my child and was put on birth control. The first day I noticed the aura I got off birth control and never took it again, that’s over a year and a half ago..I’ve been dealing with sensitivity to light and my auras ever since. I’ve been to eye docotors and every single one has said I’m fine, one saying something was surpressed in my left eye but showed no concern for it. So today was my first time taking aspirin to see if god willing this will cure the auras, I guess I just want confirmation that what I’m going through is actually an aura. I’ve seen a lot of people say it happen 2 or 3 times a month but since mine happen every day..? Please if anyone can get back to me that would be great. Thank you.

I started getting migraines after I was put on some medicine to regulate ear blood pressure (I had vertigo). I am not taking aspirin regularly but whenever I the aura starts I take a couple together with a can of Coke. This caffeine/aspirin combination prevents pain, which I would normally experience 30 minutes after aura begun, completely. Paracetamol/caffeine combo produces the same effect.

I had migraine auras very occasionally most of my life- then I had a testosterone implant which triggered increase in auras to 3-4 times a month in a cluster over several days. This lasted for 12 years until roughly 2010. I then started taking 75 ml enteric coated aspirin daily – The auras stopped immediately and the only time I have had one since was when I stopped taking the aspirin for a short period.

I have suffered from migraines with aura since I was 10. They got much worse occurring about 3-4 times per week. I have taken migraine preventatives most of my adult life. Just before Christmas 2016 I suffered a mild heart attack. I have been taking 100mg aspirin daily since Dec16. I have had two migraine since then, compared to 4 weekly I am grateful.
I always take one tablet after dinner. Maybe a higher dose may see the end of migraines forever.

For some people there is no need to take aspirin daily, but they can take 1,000 mg of aspirin whenever they get a migraine attack. Obviously, aspirin does not help everyone and many people do very well with triptans, such as sumatriptan (Imitrex). For frequent attacks, magnesium, other supplements, Botox injections, and preventive drugs is what’s needed.

thank you Dr Mauskop for all your comments, am sure it has helped a lot of us migraine sufferers……now i have one for you 🙂 as i’m getting older my migraines are not as frequent and not as intense as they were when i was younger….that’s not to say they don’t still hurt like hell……but i was wondering if just taking the aspirin at the time of the migraine was enough and if so, how many mgs would be the best dose or does aspirin need to be taken all the time to ward off any migraine headaches??

It may take a few weeks to see if aspirin prevents auras or migraines, but obviously it does not always work or can work only partially.

My Doc put me on 81m baby aspirin a day for aura migraine headache how long does it take for me to see results?

There are no studies looking at the preventive effect of aspirin specifically for auras related to menopause or stress. However, these are among the most common triggers, so it is likely to work as well as for any other aura.

I am so excited I ran across this site, this might be the answer I ve been looking for. I wonder if the aspirin helps when the auras are menopause and stress triggers? I will be having this conversation with my doctor asap!! 😀 Thank you.

Yes, 1,000 mg of aspirin can work on its own, but some of my patients need to take it with a nausea medication, such as ondansetron (Zofran) or metoclopramide (Reglan). Both aspirin and fish oil have blood thinning properties, so there is a higher risk of bruising and bleeding if they are taken together. The blood thinning effect of aspirin lasts up to a week after a single dose. If aspirin is taken only occasionally and if the person does not experience frequent episodes of bleeding or has a history of stomach ulcers, taking aspirin and fish oil is usually not a problem. To be safe, you should always check with your doctor.

Does 1,000mg of aspirin work on its own or does an anti-nausea also need to be taken? I am trying to find an alternative to Maxalt. Also, can this higher dose of aspirin be taken with fish oil? I take 2 Nordic Naturals Ultimate Omega daily which is 2,000mg of fish oil. As a side note, high quality/ high EPA, DHA fish oil has really helped my migraines! Thank you for recommending it in an earlier post.

Aspirin can be a very effective prophylactic drug for migraines, but unfortunately aspirin carries the risk of bleeding. Taking a lower dose of 75 or 81 mg instead of 300 mg does not seem to make a difference as far as the risk of bleeding. Taking an enteric-coated aspirin also does not make a difference. Having celiac disease usually does not increase the risk of gastro-intestinal bleeding from aspirin. Being over the age of 70 does increase the risk. A major additional benefit of taking aspirin is that it significantly reduces the risk of developing colorectal, esophageal and gastric cancers, and to a lesser extent, breast, prostate and lung cancer.

I have suffered migraine with aura from a teenager, around 8 years ago I developed cluster migraines with aura and vomiting. At this time I was prescribed citalopram for depression and prescribed maxalt melts to treat the migraine. Recently the migraines were coming very frequently, maybe 4 times a week. I lived in dread of attacks and also had sinus problems, severe neck and shoulder pain. I felt the citalopram were contributing to the headaches and discussed with my doctor about stopping them, she agreed and I reduced dosage immediately, later that same day I had to go to hospital with a vice like tightness in my arm between elbow and hand( I previously had a compound fracture in that wrist with ongoing weakness),. I was prescribed 300 mg of aspirin and a referral to a TIA clinic as a precaution,. I don’t know for sure if it’s coming off citalopram or starting aspirin but I haven’t felt better in years, 10 days with no migraine symptoms! I am also coeliac and do worry about the long term effects of aspirin. Any advice welcome!!

I suffered from migraine auras but without any headache. They normally happened monthly in a cluster over 2 or 3 days. They last roughly 20-30 minutes starting with a scintilla of bright light then progressing into a ‘scotoma’ gradually moving towards the perimeter of my vision and eventually disappearing
About 4 years ago I self medicated, taking a 75mg enteric coated aspirin daily. Since then the auras virtually stopped completely. Once or twice when I ran out of aspirin or stopped taking it the auras came back.

Okay, thanks for answering my questions!

The short answer is that there are no such recommendations. Aspirin is the oldest anti-inflammatory drug and millions of people have taken it for arthritis and other chronic pain conditions. Some have taken large amounts for many years. The maximum recommended daily dose of aspirin is 4,000 mg however, taking this much aspirin for a long time is definitely risky. It can cause stomach bleeding, ringing in the ears and hearing impairment, kidney damage, and other problems. We don’t know exactly what dose is the best for the prevention of heart attacks, strokes, and cancer, but it is probably between 81 and 325 mg. It is also clear that the gastro-intestinal side effects are dose-related, so 81 mg is safer than 325 mg. On the other hand, there are people who take 1,000 mg daily or more to treat arthritis for years without any side effects. Unfortunately, we don’t know for whom it is safe and for whom it isn’t because a genetic component probably plays a role. At the same time we do know that some people are at an increased risk of side effects. These include elderly people and those with a history of stomach ulcers, kidney problems, hearing impairment, and bleeding problems.
In conclusion, if you’ve tried many alternatives and 500 mg of aspirin works the best for your migraines and it reduces migraine-related disability, then it may be a worth the risk of taking it long-term. You may want to monitor your stool color – black stool means bleeding and it can occur without any stomach pain or heartburn.

Is there a recommendation for how long daily aspirin at that higher dose (500 mg) can safely be taken?

Yes, aspirin is effective for all types of migraines. Even a small dose of 81 mg taken for the prevention of heart attacks and strokes was found to be effective in a very large long-term Framingham study. The reduction in migraines was only about 7% but it was a statistically significant number because of the large number of participants. It is possible that taking a higher dose of aspirin, such as 325 or 500 mg daily will work better. Aspirin, just like ibuprofen, naproxen and other NSAIDs carries a risk of bleeding and stomach ulcers, but prescription drugs used for the prevention of migraines have other potential serious side effects and are not necessarily safer than aspirin. The safest and the most effective preventive treatment of migraines is Botox. Its main drawback is cost.

Is it possible aspirin might be effective for migraine without aura?

I am a long time migraine sufferer with aura. I was put on baby aspirin for hypertension with other drugs and my aura/migraine ceased. I thought it was the vasoconstrictor drug that helped but it was the aspirin. I realized this when I got off the drug and aura was still controlled. my doctor took me off aspirin and my aura/migraine came back. I now know i was the aspirin. I am back on it and letting my doctor know.

Thank you for this. After 25 years of migraines, most recently 1/week, I came across this article and started trying a low-dose aspirin every day. I haven’t had a migraine for almost a year.