ocular migraines

Just took my 19 year old son to the neurologist for ocular migraine. He prescribed him some medicine. Nothing more. Very common.
 
My dh has suffered from migraines from a very young age. 10+ years ago he started getting occular migraines. Originally he had just seen his PCP and due to him being a migraine sufferer there wasn't really any testing done.
Then one morning he had what appeared as stroke symptoms. At the ER after he had all sorts of tests done and it was revealed he was a migraine sufferer, the thought among the group of doctors there was that he had experienced a hemiplegic migraine. After being released from the hospital he was referred to a neurologist. He saw multiple and had tons of tests done. He was also referred to a cardiologist, and was diagnosed with a PFO. Turns out he has a relative who also suffers from migraines and was diagnosed with a PFO. She had it closed a few years ago and hasn't had a single migraine since. My dh opted not to have that done and still gets occular migraines.
In his case there was never an actual diagnosis, some doctors said it could have been a hemiplegic migraine, some say it could have been a stroke.
 
:sad2: Why did I have to see this??? Now I am thinking about them. It has been several months since I have had one.

As somebody described above it is like a kaleidoscope, along with blind spots for me. I do not know what triggers them, or I would avoid whatever it is for sure. I had it happen the first time back in 2016, it seemed to last quite a while, and it freaked me out. Seems as if after getting the first one out of the way, they last no longer than 30 minutes. I seem to know when they are coming though, I will just happen to notice a small area of my vision is just missing. It almost seems as if the kaleidoscope and lights have a certain "route" they take and gets worse right before it goes away.
 
I had my first one more than 35 years ago. My ophthalmologist at the time called it an “ophthalmic migraine”. He said it could be a singular event or I might have them occasionally for the rest of my life. I get one every once in a while. They last about 20 minutes. It was very scary at first, but now I just muscle through. I usually don’t even get a headache after the visual disturbance. They are just annoying. My sister gets them, too.
 


I went to a neurologist for mine, and he prescribed me two medications. One to take daily as a preventative, and one to take at the onset of one when it occurs. They were both expensive under my insurance, and had notable side effects, so I opted not to take them.
 
What does the doc do? IME, nothing at all. Ocular migraines really are nothing more than an annoyance for most people. I've had them for over 20 years.

I was going to say the same thing. I have had migraines since I was a child and they are almost always accompanied by some vision issues. My primary doctors have sent me to eye doctors for evaluation and they have said there's nothing they can do because my eyes are fine.

That said, there are two different things with migraines that are both often called "ocular migraines" so I'm not sure what the OP is actually experiencing. From the brief description the OP mentioned, it sounds like normal "visual migraine" or "aura"-- zigzags, flashing, blind spots. Those are the issues that I have, often daily, with my migraines. There is also a "retinal migraine" which can be a symptom of a more serious condition, but this is more like intermittent blindness and it only occurs in one eye.
 


I have had ocular migraines off and on for three years. I may get one every few days for a couple of weeks, then they stop for a few months. I’m not sure what triggers them. I read a lot and first noticed that I would have a blind spot in my vision where I couldn’t see the words on the screen or page. During the first few episodes I was scared something was seriously wrong with me, but since my eye doctor diagnosed the problem, it’s just an inconvenience for me. If I rest with my eyes closed for about 20 minutes then I’m fine.
 
I had my one and only a few a years ago at work -- freaked me out. I do get regular migraines periodically.

My DS16 had an ocular migraine this past weekend -- I think it was his second.
 
does anyone get these? I usually get them once in a while, like once a year. typical zig zaggy lines, blind spot etc. Lately I had two within two months. What does the dr. do? I already went to eye dr. to make sure nothing was wrong. All is good. Now I need to go to primary care. Will they send me to neurology? Run tests? Just curious if anyone has gone through this.
I use to get them a couple times a year. Last year I had 4 in a month, and a couple the following month etc. GP did cat scan of brain and it was clear. Neurology did MRI and MRA of brain and all was clear. Literally they went back to normal (or as close to) following all the tests being done. No idea why the big jump in activity.
 
does anyone get these? I usually get them once in a while, like once a year. typical zig zaggy lines, blind spot etc. Lately I had two within two months. What does the dr. do? I already went to eye dr. to make sure nothing was wrong. All is good. Now I need to go to primary care. Will they send me to neurology? Run tests? Just curious if anyone has gone through this.
I have been experiencing these for 35 years. A form of migraine without the headache. I take Excedrin and drink a Diet Coke. Find they come during times of stress. There is nothing a doctor will do that I know of.
 
I get them. I get them in groups, I will get several in a couple weeks, then I won't get one for 6-9 months. Then it starts again. I don't usually get the headache anymore after, maybe a dull ache, and I am little sleepier than usual.
 
I have been experiencing these for 35 years. A form of migraine without the headache. I take Excedrin and drink a Diet Coke. Find they come during times of stress. There is nothing a doctor will do that I know of.

I think there are some prescription meds you can take, but thats about it. I was more concerned that it was something else more serious. stroke, tumor or seizure came to mind. Also certain illnesses like MS can start with vision issues.
 
I’ve had a handful in life, and a handful of regular migraines. I get Botox because I’m vain and I *think* it wards them off in general. They are terrifying though. Weird vision issues are just a crazy experience.
 
I have never had a migraine but my daughter has been a chronic sufferer to the point where she could not work or go to school. She has pseudotumor Ceribri that she is able to control with medication. Basically her body produces too much spinal fluid which puts pressure on her brain and causes migraines. No know cause or cure, but we got that under control when she was in high school.

Fast forward a few years and her migraines become unbearable again and she has to drop out of her freshman year at college. We start looking again for solutions beyond what the neurologist was telling us. I could not accept my 20 year old would be basically permanently disabled. She truly could not function. We lived our life around attempting to avoid her getting a migraine. Low light, low sound, no travel, no parties, she did not go out in the day...it was horrible.

In 2017 a dear friend tagged me on a facebook post about her friend's experience with Dr. Kevin Smith in Houston, TX. (We live in a far north Dallas suburb.) We consulted with Dr. Smith over the telephone, he ordered a CT scan of my daughter's sinuses, and found that she a had broken off a piece of her nasal septum (the little divider bit inside your nose) and it was free floating in her sinuses, putting pressure on her brain.

What are the odds she had 2 migraine causing medical issues? Who knows, but the poor thing did.

We scheduled surgery ASAP, drove to Houston on July 4th, had surgery 1st thing July 5th and drove straight home right after surgery. He removed a 2" piece of bone that was jagged and gnarly. My daughter's life was changed over night. Over the course of the next 9 months, we drove to Houston 3 more times for post-op care.

I cannot recommend Dr. Smith enough. He is a wonderful person, loves helping others, and has an outstanding bedside manner. I could not have ask for a better doctor or better out come! I will be a fan girl for life.

If you are suffering, please give his office a call. The consultation is free. <3

http://kevinsmithmd.com/migraine-treatment/
 
I have had ophthalmic migraines several times over the past 10 years or so. I am lucky in that I don't get migraine headaches. True to form, I ignored them for too long before I mentioned it to a PA I know. She described the visual disturbance as fortifications. She told me to do an google image search, and I was surprised to see a rough representation of what I was experiencing. They last about 20 minutes and go away on their own. Although I suspect they were due to stress, I have also had them show up when I was just minding my own business. I eventually made my way to an eye doctor who confirmed my friend's diagnosis. Although unrelated, it was discovered that I have a nevus, so I have to go every couple of years to make sure it is stable.
 
I have had ophthalmic migraines several times over the past 10 years or so. I am lucky in that I don't get migraine headaches. True to form, I ignored them for too long before I mentioned it to a PA I know. She described the visual disturbance as fortifications. She told me to do an google image search, and I was surprised to see a rough representation of what I was experiencing. They last about 20 minutes and go away on their own. Although I suspect they were due to stress, I have also had them show up when I was just minding my own business. I eventually made my way to an eye doctor who confirmed my friend's diagnosis. Although unrelated, it was discovered that I have a nevus, so I have to go every couple of years to make sure it is stable.
Mine started in my late 50's similar to yours. There have been times when I got two or three a month, but lately they are several months apart. I was diagnosed with Afib almost two years ago, started on a CPAP a little less than a year ago and they started to decrease. My Afib has pretty much ended with using the CPAP. I have a Kardia Mobile to check my Afib and usually take my blood pressure and do an EKG when I get the ocular migraine and record it on the Kardia Mobile.
 
I also started having them in my late 50s. I have never had an actual migraine - just the ocular kind. I know exactly what triggers them...bright lights, especially bright LEDs, a very bright reflection off a car mirror, etc. They go away if I close my eyes for about 10 minutes, but they are really inconvenient and distressing when they happen.
 
I get them a few times a year. I also get regular migraines several times a year. As soon as I suspect one is coming, I take Excedrin Migraine. It does help shorten it and help with alleviate the headache afterwards. They aren't dangerous, just annoying and a bit painful.
 
I've had them for 20 years. My mother gets them too - she's had them for 40 years. It's a form of a migraine headache. They are not harmful. Mine start as a "squiggle" as I call it - a zig zag line then it grows into a blind spot then disappears. Lasts like 20-30 minutes. Sometimes I get a headache after. If I take advil when the squiggle starts then I don't get a headache. Primary doctor and eye doctor weren't concerned. They can be brought on my stress, getting my period, etc. I used to get them a lot but now maybe one a year. It is not a stoke! Or else I've had like 100 of them! But get checked out if you are worried.
 

GET A DISNEY VACATION QUOTE

Dreams Unlimited Travel is committed to providing you with the very best vacation planning experience possible. Our Vacation Planners are experts and will share their honest advice to help you have a magical vacation.

Let us help you with your next Disney Vacation!





Top