Ocular Migraines

[Black.Rabbit]

I have been getting these since I was a kid. The last few years they have become more frequent and I can sometimes have 3-4 a week, sometimes more, sometimes more than once a day. Usually they last about 20 minutes but sometimes I have ones that last about a minute and visually everything looks like I am cross eyed. The 20 minute ones are the regular, run-off-the-mill flashing curves.

Does anyone else get these? I don't know many people (more like no one) who have them and I know there is nothing damaging about them... just curious to share with someone who might get these too.

 

[PythonLegs]

Yep. I started when I got a torn retina @ about 17..mine have a nice, slow build, so I know whats coming, but can't do anything about it. Do you get a headache as well, or just the distortion?

 

[Black.Rabbit]

I don't get headaches with them... it's usually just a flashing curve that I see through both eyes whether my eyes are open or closed and it's usually on the left side but sometimes further develops to the right.

A couple of times I have become very dizzy and had to sit down. I usually get a bit disorientated when my vision goes cross eyed. The cross eyed thing is very different from the flashing curve thing though and I never get both together. I was told it had nothing to do with eyes and is neurological.

I know when mine are coming too.. they do develop quite quickly though and usually vanish as quick as they start.

 

[PythonLegs]

Mmm..see, mine start with lights popping in my peripherals,then vision slowly distorts..like I'm having trouble processing what I'm seeing. Then Blam- majorr headache and I'm on my *** for an hour or two. It might be a toomah..

 

[Black.Rabbit]

Are you suggesting yours a tumour or mine?

I doubt mine is a tumour, I have been getting them since I was a kid, say around... 9. I am pretty sure a tumour would have been picked up in the last 15 years.

Ocular migraines are also called "Aura migraine without headache" or something like that. It is the presence of migraine visuals without the headache part. Actually I think Ocular migraines are not the technical name for them, it's just what they are often called.

 

[vampstorso]

I haven't suffered these,
but have regular migraines...is there a medication for them like regular migraines? not that those medications work for everyone (they dont for me)


Sounds quite stressful...last year I had issues with my eyes for 3 months, I can't imagine knowing they were going to play up randomly like that.

Hope you can meet some people to offer support, and there's some help out there

 

[slim6y]

I had one only once... I didn't know what was happening when I had it and freaked out.

But, it went away, with no headache and I was fine... And never had it since.

I told the optometrist and he checked to see if there was a retinal tear (but nothing obvious). And that's that!

 

[Dragonwolf]

I've suffered from migraines since I was about 8 or 9, sometimes I can go for months without one and then for no apparent reason I'll cop 2 or 3 in a week. The always start, develop and finish the same way regardless of what medication I take.
A few months ago I lost the left side vision in both eyes.... it was very disturbing as I could see perfectly the right hemisphere of my visual field.... no pain, no nausea. I freaked and thought I might be having a stroke, raced to the hospital etc etc.
Was told I was having an "asymptomatic migraine". I haven't had one since and hope I don't as it was very frightening - came on with no warning - and I wondered what I would do if it happened while I was driving.
You have my sympathy - it must be very disruptive for you when this is happening.

 

[Smithers]

I suffer a migraine at least once a week and have for a while on and off stress brings most of them on,...most of mine are temple/eye bounding nausea etc etc.....but half a dozen times I've had a silver flashy thing in my line of sight but you can't look at them they move away when you move your sight, it's like looking through a smashed mirror. The ylast from a few seconds to 15-20 mins no pain with these just a visual thang

 

[Flaviruthless]

I have frequent migraines, usually they present with auditory distortion and scintillating scotoma, I get about 10 minutes before I'm out for the count; I've had migraines last anywhere from 2 - 6 hours (I can only take paracetamol tablets so it's hard to stop them coming). It's annoying as all hell. :evil:

I've heard botox can help them lol

 

[Defective]

I don't get headaches with them... it's usually just a flashing curve that I see through both eyes whether my eyes are open or closed and it's usually on the left side but sometimes further develops to the right.

A couple of times I have become very dizzy and had to sit down. I usually get a bit disorientated when my vision goes cross eyed. The cross eyed thing is very different from the flashing curve thing though and I never get both together. I was told it had nothing to do with eyes and is neurological.

I know when mine are coming too.. they do develop quite quickly though and usually vanish as quick as they start.

are your headaches A-typical (don't trust a gp's opinion they cant tell the difference between the left and right hand)your GP should write a referral for you to see a neurologist so you can have an EEG (Electroencephalograph)!!

Ocular migraines in general come on and last a few days....migraines that are epileptic seizures can happen 3-10 times a day lasting between 5-20mins and eventually lead to the person having them having a tonic clonic seizure (Grand mal seizures)

if you were told it was neurological then you should have been referred to a neurologist already...the first things the neuro would do is a CT or MRI and EEG to get a better look at your brain, ideally it should be done while your having on of these episodes.

do you have anything that triggers the migraines? Stress, overtired, lack of sleep, illness??

 

[junglepython2]

Ocular migraines especially the visual disturbances typically last 20-30min, not days.

 

[Defective]

my best friend has diagnosed ocular migraines and hers are days....not minutes

 

[junglepython2]

That isn't typical then.

Ocular Migraines Explained - AllAboutVision.com

 

[Defective]

because everything you read on the net is true...now if you found something on pubmed i'd be more inclined to read it.

 

[Lachesis]

My migraines start with my vision changing,numbness in the fingers of my left hand,and numbness in the left hand side of my tongue,this lasts about an hour then goes away to leave me with a bad headache.I only have about 6-12 of these a year.Over the years though twice the next day after a migraine the right hand side of my head or brain which it feels more like,is so painfull i cant move because when i do move it is the most excruciating pain i have ever felt,but only on right hand side

 

[junglepython2]

because everything you read on the net is true...now if you found something on pubmed i'd be more inclined to read it.

Enjoy the read....

A nosographic analysis of the migraine aura in a gener... [Brain. 1996] - PubMed - NCBI


Lamotrigine in the prophylactic treatment of mig... [Cephalalgia. 1999] - PubMed - NCBI
[h=1][/h]

 

[JackTheHerper]

I have something similar, but mine are just headaches, before i get up i always do a little thing like roll my ankles or put my feet on the ground and put the front of my foot in air then put it down then put the back of my foot in the air, a little hard to explain, But if you understand it, it helps get blood circulating around your body, and it stops my constant head aches

 

[snakes123]

I started to get headaches about this time last year, they slowly went up to migrains. Only every two weeks or so, but i noticex.it was always on sundays. It ecame hard to read with my right eye.. Went and had the OP check my eyes, but they were perfect.

I noticed a lump forming between my eye and noes. It was hard. It eventually grew fairly big and after about 7 moths decided to go get it checked up on by a specialist. Turns out i had a.fungal infection. It disolved the bone, pushed my nose maybe 1cm to the left and my eye was bulging maybe the same didtance out. I did have all tests an scans dont b this.

He said i needed an opperation fairly quick otherwise it woul.have got my brain an killed me. So ha the opperation about 3 seeks ago and no migrains.....untill tonight where i got.a.head ache. Haha hope nothing else is wrong

 

[Tsubakai]

I have frequent migraines, usually they present with auditory distortion and scintillating scotoma, I get about 10 minutes before I'm out for the count; I've had migraines last anywhere from 2 - 6 hours (I can only take paracetamol tablets so it's hard to stop them coming). It's annoying as all hell. :evil:

I've heard botox can help them lol

Botox is discussed, especially on shows like 'A Current Affair' but have quite poor efficacy. What medications have you tried or had excluded? There are quite a few options both in acute treatment and prophylaxis that are a lot more effective than botox.