occular migraine

[Anonymous]

I've been getting these odd spells, and Dr google tells me its an occular migraine. Distracting swirly, blurry, movement in my vision usually lasting a couple of hours, sometimes longer sometimes shorter. Dull headache but nothing crazy. Maybe once or twice a year. First couple I attributed to stress because of when they happened. But I've had a couple more recently and its starting to freak me out. Anyone know anything about these? If I asked my pcp (I don't currently have one) what would they do about it, if anything? I'm otherwise in good health, female, in my mid 30s.

[Anonymous]

Sounds like a migraine. If it's only a few times per year, there's pretty much nothing to be done. Take excedrin or advil or aleve or whatever. If they get more frequent, or painful, there are drugs available to help manage them.

[Anonymous]

OP, do you get the more common migraines, too?

I ask because I've had two ocular migraines recently. Neither caused physical pain, but I had the same neurological/referred pain feelings that I have with regular migraines, mostly sensitivity to light. Both times the ocular migraine was triggered by a glare and a flash of bright light.

My ocular migraine made me have vision in one eye, but no pain and the most recent migraine was a sustained bright spot.

Each time, I had to take two extra strength Tylenol, some strong coffee for the extra caffeine and then lie down with a cold compress across my eyes in complete darkness. Duration each time was about one hour.

Reg migraines for me can last 24-72 hours, so ocular migraines weren't as troublesome.

Definitely report this to your doc, track/note this and work backwards to see if you can find a trigger beyond stress... excess of one food item, too much sleep, too little sleep, hormones, etc.

[Anonymous]

:17... Tunnel vision in one eye.

[Anonymous]

I'm also in mid 30s and have been getting these a few times a year for the past four years or so. My peripheral vision gets blurry and I see swirly lines on it. It's not painful, just really disconcerting. The first time it happened, I was so worried that I immediately went to my opthamologist. He wasn't worried at all though and seemed to think that this was pretty common.

[Anonymous]

Op here... Thanks...I don't.get regular migraines, just these. The more I read about them, they seem harmless, but they're a bit disturbing. I'll ask as soon as I find a Dr (we moved here recently, and.I'm fairly up to date on the rest of my medical care so it hasn't been a priority).

None of my my friends had heard of this, and I wasn't sure if it was at all common. Only triggers I might be able to tie them into is stress or heat (I think they have all been in summer, except for the most recent one).

[Anonymous]

I get these too.

Sometimes I feel like maybe it's an extended low grade migraine or something and the visuals are a part of it. If you research the stages of a migraine I find that I get parts of the phases affecting me however I do not the major pain associated typically with a migraine. It's really odd ad worrisome. I used to have painful migraines but I don't anymore. I want to say it's the yoga and coffee helping but honestly have no clue. It's such an odd phenomenon.

[Anonymous]

I started getting these after starting Yaz about 5 years ago. I'd also see flashes of light and bits of migraine aura randomly. I'd never really get a headache, just a full aura sometimes, along with flashes of light daily. I stopped Yaz and had a full neuro work up. They pretty much said that I'm having constant occular migraines and there's nothing to do. It's abetted some, though I'm still light sensitive.

[Anonymous]

I'm prone to them too. I had a bunch near the end of my first pregnancy and through postpartum. I saw a neuro to make sure it was just ocular migraines and to see if there is anything I could do. She ruled out seizures and TIAs and said that most people just live with them but you can always try a migraine preventative.

[Anonymous]

I have these, and they are fairly common and harmless. Heat, stress, lack of sleep, certain foods, are some triggers.

That said, some forms of birth control can make them worse and/or slightly increase your chance for a stroke.

Excedrin migrain (or equivalent generic) is the most effective OTC drug I've found, plus lying in a dark, quiet room with a cold pack over my eyes. A PCP could prescribe stronger drugs to take when a migrane hits, but it may not be worth it for rare migranes without much pain that don't last long. I only had to get something prescription once when a migrane lasted for more than a day.

[Anonymous]

eliminate aspartame. Cut out deep fried foods. No MSG. No booze (one glass red wine daily OK). Do smoking. Hydrate

[Anonymous]

OP I started getting those last year. No pain or history of migraines. Told both my opthalmologist and internist about them. They are not a big deal at all. Neither doctor was remotely concerned. I even asked the opht if there as not a melon sized tumor in my head- he smiled and said no.

I have learned to take them in a sort of trippy visual effect. For me its like discoball pixellated effect, but in the form of an arc. It appears in the right eye, grows gradually longer and sparklier, and then fades. Pretty cool actually.

I read a pamphlet about them in the docs office too- as they say "It aint nothin but a thang". So sorry to hear you have migraines outside of those. I am one of the lucky pain free ones (knock on wood). Just a light show for me- no drugs required!

[Anonymous]

Oh, and I dont eat any MSG or Aspartame or booze. Just red wine.

[Anonymous]

oh, and Im 45 otherwise healthy. THese happen every few months or so and last 15 minutes.

[Anonymous]

I got these when I was pregnant. Back to regular migraines now, so hormones somehow played a role.