ocular migraines!

[dejr_8]

I had two about three years ago - the first one scared the bejesus out of me as I thought I was having a stroke. Just had another one today.

any other sufferers?

 

[tiggger1]

I have had them before. scared the heck out of me because I had no idea what was going on....once I figured out it was I am a little better but I still hate them and I have no idea how to stop them besides laying down in the dark...

 

[hulagirl87]

My mom has had a few. They are quite scary.

 

[antmaril]

I've had them on and off for almost 30 years. Very annoying.

 

[Magix]

I've had two or three of these over the last 5 years or so. Actually, in reading about them, it seems that if it happens in both eyes, it's usually considered a regular migraine with aura. So, I guess that's what I had. Very weird though to have parts of your eyesight suddenly obstructed by silvery, wiggly shapes. One time, I also lost all of my peripheral vision. That was highly disturbing. Haven't had one in quite a while. I hope it stays that way.

 

[kacaju]

I had my first one while driving!! Thank goodness I was close to my Dr. office and I just drove right to the office and was seen.
I also thought I was having a stroke, scared the crap out of me.
I have had one since then.

 

[Kellydelly]

I experience them every few weeks. I never knew there was a name for them until recently. They don't scare me, but it is a really odd thing! They don't usually hurt.

 

[LuLuO]

I get them too. Flashing lights, tunnel vision, sometimes temporary blindness, numbess in my arms, legs, hands, and parts of my face and mouth. If I don't catch it in time and take Excedrine Migraine then the searing, head splitting pain sets in.

Even if I do catch it in time and it doesn't turn into a full blown migraine, my brain is scrambled for a day or two afterward. It is hard for me to find the right words to verbalize my thoughts. I can think the right thing to say but the words sometimes get mixed up when they come out of my mouth. If that makes any sense.

Cashews are a trigger for me. Found this out thanks to Dr. Oz and my own little experiment. :lol:

 

[bushdianee]

Just had one the other day. Mine usually don't last long thank goodness. This time it came while I was reading to my 1st graders. It made finishing the book a challenge! Sometimes I get a bunch close together then a long time between them.

 

[Geoff_M]

I've had two or three in my life... They're really bizarre. Mine are squiggly lines in the center of my vision.

 

[Nomi]

I used to get those quite a lot! They can be quite startling, especially when you don't know what they are. It was like a dot or ring in the centre of my field of vision that would expand. They usually only lasted for a couple of seconds, and I only ever got very mild headaches with them, if ever.

I haven't had any since starting on antidepressants a couple years ago though.

 

[ols386]

I used to get those quite a lot! They can be quite startling, especially when you don't know what they are. It was like a dot or ring in the centre of my field of vision that would expand. They usually only lasted for a couple of seconds, and I only ever got very mild headaches with them, if ever.

I haven't had any since starting on antidepressants a couple years ago though.

I've had that, and it lasts about 20 minutes or so, but I never have any pain associated with it. I have it maybe twice a year. First one was at least 10 years ago.

 

[diz_kid 777]

I get them once or twice a month. They don't scare me, but I've been having them since I was a kid. All I can do is take some Excedrin, close my eyes, and wait for it to pass. My vision usually returns to normal after about a half an hour.

 

[SeaSpray]

My DS19 exists due to ocular migraines! LOL

It's true! 20 years ago I was on the pill and had my first ocular migraine. It scared the heck out of me, and my GYN told me to stop taking the pill immediately. He also sent me for various tests, including an MRI of the brain.

Anyway, once I found out that I hadn't had a stroke or anything due to taking the birth control pill, my DH and I decided that I wouldn't go back on it, and just see whether I became pregnant or not. I had previously gone through 4+ years of infertility, and even though my older DS was 2 at the time, I didn't know whether I'd ever conceive again.

5 months after my first ocular migraine and going off the pill, I became pregnant with DS19.

If it weren't for getting that ocular migraine, I don't know whether/when I would've decided to try and conceive again...

I've gone years without getting them, and then sometimes I'll get a few a year. I don't usually get much pain from them, just the sparkly, jagged bright circles that expand around a ring of "blindness", until it expands so wide that it goes beyond my field of vision, and then after a bit I can see again. Not fun to experience, but supposedly they're harmless (for the most part).

 

[beachlover9395]

Even if I do catch it in time and it doesn't turn into a full blown migraine, my brain is scrambled for a day or two afterward. It is hard for me to find the right words to verbalize my thoughts. I can think the right thing to say but the words sometimes get mixed up when they come out of my mouth. If that makes any sense.

Yep, everyone I know calls that the "migraine hangover" and it's a real b*$%#. I'm sure the medical profession has a long, fancy Latin word for it, but I don't know what it is, although I should. Probably post inflammatory something. That's why when I have a migraine I have downtime from the actual migraine and then the day after migraine hangover. It can be a 3 to 4 day time frame.

 

[livie1205]

I use to have them at least 4 x a week! YEP! they all end with puking with me (and E.R)....BUT now I have been seeing a Nero for 2 years along with a pain mang. Dr and my life is livable again now I may have migraines a few times a month where I have to go to the hospital...but THAT is a huge improvement from my life before so no complaints. I got hurt years ago and they started, they say I may have them the rest of my life but at least they can control them a little bit. GOOD LUCK

 

[Breezy_Carol]

I only had one and these 2 posts describe it exactly.

Mine are squiggly lines in the center of my vision.

the first one scared the bejesus out of me as I thought I was having a stroke.

 

[bellebud]

mine started a few years ago w/ just the aura (strobing/flashing lights) that got bigger and bigger until my whole field of vision was gone. It would last about 20 - 30 minutes. I went to the doctor and eye doctor. Diagnosed w/ migraine aura w/out the migraine. I felt lucky I wasn't getting the migraine.

Then I started getting the migraine (slightly) after the aura was done - once my whole body felt affected, exhausted and wasn't 'ok' till the next morning.

Then once it started when my brother was over, and he's always had bad headaches and said it usually has a lot to do w/ blood flow to the brain - he started rubbing the back of my neck and head so hard it hurt, but the aura stopped and I didn't get the migraine. I was so happy I wanted to cry!

So now, as soon as an aura starts, I pop 2 tylenol or excedrine "Migraine" pills immediately, and have someone rub the back of my neck and head (and I mean rub HARD - this isn't a pleasurable massage), and so far, knock on wood, it's been working.

Hope that might help someone else here. I will report back if I've now jinxed myself by sharing my cure - ya just know it's gonna happen!

 

[Magpie]

Me! The lights I find entertaining (like a lightning bolt right across my vision), but the pain I can do without.

And the multi-day "hangover" is the worst part of all! I hate feeling stupid!

 

[dreambig1]

i suffered with migraines for almost 20 years until i realized they were caffeine withdraws from excederin. when i'm off the caffeine, my headaches seem to dissappear

go figure excederin