Ocular Migraine?

lisah25 · 11-03-2006, 05:16 PM

Has anyone had these?

I was having weird vision problems yesterday, I felt like I was looking through a kaladiscope, esp. in the outer part of my vision, for about 30 minutes. I called my Dr, and he said it was very likely a variation of a migraine(I've had a few over the last couple of years).

missy4gordon · 11-03-2006, 05:22 PM

OH MY GOSH....it is sooo wierd that you posted this!! I JUST had one of these last week!! It is so wierd!!

lisah25 · 11-03-2006, 05:23 PM

That is odd!

It didn't hurt, until later when I got a headache. Things just looked so odd for a while.

Do you know any treatment for them?

missy4gordon · 11-03-2006, 05:25 PM

I looked it up on Mayo Clinic website and it described it to a "T". It was a little scary for me because my Grandma went blind and my mom had a stroke so I went to the public health nurse and described my symptoms and without hesitation she said, ocular migraine. I don't get headaches or migraines so we couldn't explain why I would have gotten one, maybe working at a computer all day long. I haven't had another since.

missy4gordon · 11-03-2006, 05:32 PM

There isn't treatment for them as far as I know. Mine lasted for about an hour and I also got a headache for the rest of the day, and I NEVER get headaches. You should look it up on the Mayo Clinic web site.

lisah25 · 11-03-2006, 05:39 PM

Thanks Missy. I did some reading, doesn't sound too serious. If it happens again, I'll go to my doctor.

It was a little disconcerting when he said that if it didn't resolve in 30 mins, to go to the ER. Otherwise, I was fine. Seems like there should have been something between those extremes!

missy4gordon · 11-03-2006, 05:41 PM

It is a very odd thing, I had never heard of it until last week.

**Kat817** · 11-03-2006, 06:04 PM

I dealt with migraines for years, all were hormonal related. Whenever my estrogen level would swing high or low, boom I'd get a migraine. And all of them had visual issues prior to the headache hitting. Mine would begin as a small area just out of my direct line of vision, and grow, kind of looked like a neon light flashing into a circular shape, always just on one eye. As soon as the light made the complete circle, the lights went away and wham headache from hell. I had my first one in 7th grade. No one in my family had had migraines, so since it affected my eyes, my Mom took me to the eye Dr. He kinda laughed and told me I had described a migraine...through the years, he proved to be right.
Hysterectomy....no more hormone level fluctuations...no more migraines... one of the best perks of the surgery!
Dark room, lie on the side it hurts...it won't make it go away quickly, but will make it more manageable, and seemed to make them go away faster.
Kat

lisah25 · 11-03-2006, 06:10 PM

I wondered if it was hormone related, TOM started yesterday.

ralheit · 11-03-2006, 06:41 PM

I get them alot. Sometimes daily, atleast weekly. I've been having them for about 3 years. They can feel very diorienting, but evidently they don't do anything. I don't get headaches with or after them, just the visual affects. I used to get migraine headaches, but not much anymore. My eye doctor called these opthalmic migraines, I'm pretty sure it's the same thing you are having. I am menopausal, so maybe it could have something to do with hormones.

**Wheetsin** · 11-03-2006, 08:46 PM

I get them occasionally, a handful of times in my lifetime. Starts off with impaired vision - similar to what it's like right after a flash goes off in your eyes. Progresses to tunnel vision, only the "tunnel" isn't just gray/dark, there are bright colored "worms" entertwining & moving. Then I get spots. It gets to the point where when I look at a keyboard, I can't see what the keys say. Lasts 20 - 30 mins, then takes about 5 minutes to clear up.

The first time I had one I was on medications for a respiratory infection, bronchitis, pneumonia, etc. and thought I had overdosed. :)

They're nothing to worry about. They're basically migraines without the headache part. A lot of people with migraines will get the visual impairments as a sign that the headache is coming. With ocular migraines, you get the impairments, but no headache.

BTW, 3 different eye doctors have never told me to go to the ER. At least not with the symptoms I describe. Perhaps the symptoms you described are ones shared with a more serious condition.

HunnyBun · 11-04-2006, 04:34 AM

I have it right now. I have very sensitive senses of sight and smell, so whenever I look too hard or too closely at something, or smell perfumes I get migraine headaches. Its not common to get migraines more often than 3 times a month, but I have them two or three times a week usually. Sometimes daily, but not often. I have to learn to avoid triggers but I mostly just take an imitrex and they go away. Thankfully my migraines are very mild, because although they are a real migraine, they are not too hard to live with. The pain stays pretty mild usually. I feel very sorry for people who have very strong migraines. I have expereinced a few very strong ones and they are terrible.

lisah25 · 11-06-2006, 10:15 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Wheetsin

BTW, 3 different eye doctors have never told me to go to the ER. At least not with the symptoms I describe. Perhaps the symptoms you described are ones shared with a more serious condition.

Thanks - I feel much better knowing it's not serious.

I think the ER thing was if it didn't resolve, they weren't sure if it was a migraine or not since I'd never had the visual effects.

**coltonwade** · 11-06-2006, 01:25 PM

Im a chronic migraine sufferer. With out my preventative meds I get them 5-6 times a week on meds 2-3 times a month. sounds like ocular migraines to me. If you are getting those symptoms with out the pain , count your lucky stars.
When i do get my migraines i take meds to make them go away , most of the times it works sometimes though it doesnt and im in severe pain.
I have had migraines since i was 11 and im 31 now.
I get migraines with Aura. The Aura is what comes on before the migraine.
Mine is the visoin in my L eye goes out for about an hour. I also have smell sensations . I smell things that are not there. Mostly gasoline or propane. I know its wierd. I am also VERY sensative to smells when i have my migraines.
One thing i will tell you is if you have a migriane that is different than another migraine of have a migraine that last for more than 72 hours you need to contact your doc or go to the ER . Woman who have migraines with Aura's are twice as likely to have strokes than those that dont. And migraines w/aura was just included into stroke risk factors. So if your pattern changes go to the ER .I know several woman who have had strokes and their only risk factor was migraines.
Preventatives have given me my life back though. It took 15 yrs to find the right combonation that works but I finally found it and im "normal' again . I never realized how bad I felt until I started feeling normal again .

HTH
Mindy

lisah25 · 11-06-2006, 01:33 PM

Thanks Mindy - it does help. I'm glad you found something that is working for you!