Off-Topic Ocular Migraines

[marya]

Menopause brought the blessing of a migraine-free life, but every 3-4 years I still experience what my MD diagnosed as "ocular migraine". I just had one 20 mins. ago. There's no pain, but for 15-30 mins. a shape sort of undulates around my visual field. It looks like small shards of broken glass linked together--or like a psychedelic caterpillar.

My MD said that ocular migraine is related to the full migraine aura. I never experienced auras with my migraines, but my visual field did narrow. Today, after my psychedelic caterpillar vanished, I did notice a bit more tension in the muscles around my eyes.

Any other VFers with these symptoms? Has anyone identified possible triggers? (A recent cheese binge might have been my culprit.)

[3ks]

I suffer from Ocular Migranes. With me, I think eating too much Spinach or protein bars kicks one in. But sometimes it just happens. These are dangerous in that they can strike at any time and if you are driving, you need to pull to the side of the road for 30 min until it passes. I was able to finally give this a name after talking to a NEW eye dr. (the old one didn't know or care since he just blew me off when I mentioned it YEARS ago).

Once I knew the name of my condition, I searched and found this site: http://www.allaboutvision.com/condit...r-migraine.htm.

There is an image of what the auras we see when we get an episode.

Hope this link helps.

Kiddy

[noodles]

I've experienced these in the past and would see spots or squiggly lines, couldn't see peoples faces, it was really weird. If I took Advil in time it would pass within 30 minutes or so and the actual headache would be minimal. As for triggers, it was often intense exercise or too much caffeine while dehydrated but I know everyone's different. Like yourself, they've lessened now as I'm in that peri-menopausal time thank goodness, and I was even able to stop one of my regular migraine meds. They are kind of scarey though as the symptoms can be similar to a stroke...
Jamie

[mwelters]

I've had them for about 8 years now. I went for my regular eye exam and my doc informed me that OM are vascular in nature. I don't know what triggers mine but they are not as severe as they once were. As for the cheese binge, I have those binges on a regular basis. Love my cheese.

[TriciaR]

My first ocular migraine happened when I was 19 (1969). I use to be out of it for an entire day at least. The pain was very bad and I lost about 1/3 of my sight.
Since menopause I only get them every year. My triggers were/are the birth control pill, spring(allergies), food with msg and air travel. My migraines now are very small events with a little headache. I am so thanTkful. I am now not in dread of the event when I see the zigzag aura.
Tricia

[Joni O]

I have them every once in a while and don't know what causes them. My opthamologist told me it's both eyes, even though it seems like only one. That surprised me.

I was actually working out the first time I had one. It was like looking through a kaleidoscope and freaked me out. And it was a little scary when I got one while I was driving. No pain at all.

The eye doc said not to worry as long as they don't blast longer than about 5 minutes.

[olala]

I have them too. A very bright light cause is for me. I see zigzags, no headache. I read somewhere that it is unknown what is triggers optical migraines.

[sandym]

I do get occasional migraine with aura,maybe a couple of times a year. The aura is just as you describe and mine starts out with a blindish spot and then the zig zag psychedelic effect. Today though I was driving home for lunch when I had sudden a flash occur in my eye and more colorful and more intense psychedelic effect. I thought, oh migraine, but it went away within five minutes. The usual aura doesn't go away for 20-25 min and leaves me with a one sided headache. This was so sudden and so intense and then quickly over and while I feel a little muscle tension, no headache. Is this an ocular migraine as opposed to a migraine with aura? I felt kind of concerned. I am 55 and mine started after my first pregnancy at age 30.

[Buzzer]

I get them!!! I started getting them about 5 years ago, and they would start with a little spot I would notice I couldn't see (like if I were reading, there would be a blindspot). They would progress to the flashing lights in a circle, and end with a blindspot in the lower outside of whatever eye I was having the migraine in.

Usually they last about 30 minutes, and the first one I had was when I was driving. I thought I was going to die!! After lots of Doctors appointments and eye Doctors, they decided on ocular migraines. After LB was born 2 1/2 year ago, I have only had maybe one or two. I noticed on those (after LB) that I feel kinda out of sorts a few days before... like I'm kinda spacey, tired, and feel icky. After the eye stuff happens, I feel crappy the rest of the day, but then I'm doing better the next day.

They worry me just the little bit of time that I feel crappy, but then when I get the ocular symptoms, I realize what it is and feel better. Weird seeing so many people here that have them since when I first was diagnosed, no one I talked to had heard of them!

[marya]

Originally Posted by sandym

I do get occasional migraine with aura,maybe a couple of times a year. The aura is just as you describe and mine starts out with a blindish spot and then the zig zag psychedelic effect. Today though I was driving home for lunch when I had sudden a flash occur in my eye and more colorful and more intense psychedelic effect. I thought, oh migraine, but it went away within five minutes. The usual aura doesn't go away for 20-25 min and leaves me with a one sided headache. This was so sudden and so intense and then quickly over and while I feel a little muscle tension, no headache. Is this an ocular migraine as opposed to a migraine with aura? I felt kind of concerned. I am 55 and mine started after my first pregnancy at age 30.

Sandy, what you experienced does sound like an ocular migraine. My MD told me that people who have had regular migraines are predisposed to ocular migraines. I haven't noticed a blindish spot, exactly, but it's sort of like a portion of my eyeball has folded over or wrinkled. Check out Kiddy's link--the information is quite thorough.

Kiddy, my first ocular migraine occurred in 2000. I was working in a university Dept. of Ophthalmology at the time! The visual disturbance was much greater than the one I experienced today--a full-fledged psychedelic butterfly rather than a caterpillar. None of the professors of ophthalmology knew what it was! My MD knew, though, because she herself had experienced ocular migraines.

Joni, the kaleidoscope is a good analogy. There is definitely a sense of little shards somehow sticking together.

I also have posterior vitreous detachment (PVD), which actually isn't as serious as it sounds. There's a tiny tear at the back of the eye, and "stuff" spills into the retina, so you see amoeba-like floaters. It's a fairly common condition but not vision-threatening. I do wonder, though, it it might be related to ocular migraine.

Today's ocular migraine occurred while I was peacefully journaling. Go figure! Once I had one in the dentist's chair. That I can understand!