Anyone else suffer from Ocular Migraines??

[alphamale]

I have this ocular migraine thing which is apparently benign but want to know if anyone else gets them.

 

An ocular migraine occurs when your vision in one eye freaks out for about 20 to 30 minutes and you lose your ability to focus straight ahead and also lose your peripheral vision. You start seeing things in frames and that particular eye becomes sensitive to strong light. It usually comes on suddenly and disappears just a suddenly after 20 minutes. Apparenlty a nerve or blood vessel in the eyes starts to spasm for no reason.

 

My brother, who is a eye surgeon said that they are common and don't require treatment but I have never talked with anyone who also gets them.

 

I usually have it happen 10 or so times per year.

[UCFKevin]

Every now and then, I get this. It's extraordinarily annoying and dangerous, especially when driving. There are times when I can't really see what's in front of me in one eye, like the middle part of it is just...dead. Can't see a thing. Frustrating as hell.

[tattoomytoe]

my mother gets them. she said not too often, but enough to have some prescr. med.

it is odd that you ask, cause just yesterday i was saying something to her about this shooting pain behind one eye i had yesterday, it made my vision in the eye weird, things looked like they were electric, or something.

 

but my eye thing was not constant, it had been bothering me for about 24 hrs.

anyway, she gave me one of her migrain pills and it was gone in 20 min!

[alphamale]

Originally posted by UCFKevin

Every now and then, I get this. It's extraordinarily annoying and dangerous, especially when driving. There are times when I can't really see what's in front of me in one eye, like the middle part of it is just...dead. Can't see a thing. Frustrating as hell.

 

dude i'm glad u know what i'm talking about. if it happens at nite while driving it is the worst. i've tried explaining this to people and they look at you like you are insane or about to loose sight in one eye. you cannot describe it to people who don't get them.

 

so did your doc tell you to not worry about it also, UCFK??

[tiki]

I've had it happen before, I usually start to pass out. I went to the ER and they gave me a shot of imitrex. It's not very common that it happens for me though, only like twice ever. But it's scary.

[UCFKevin]

I haven't gone to a doctor for it, it usually just goes away after a while. It ain't chronic, if it was, I'd be worried, but it's only happened about four times in my life, I'd say, give or take. But it does suck a mighty donkey d*ck.

[alphamale]

Originally posted by UCFKevin

I haven't gone to a doctor for it, it usually just goes away after a while. It ain't chronic, if it was, I'd be worried, but it's only happened about four times in my life, I'd say, give or take. But it does suck a mighty donkey d*ck.

 

sometimes it happens once a month for 3 or 4 months in a row and then it won't happen for 6 months. seems to happen more when i am stressed out.

 

I asked my optometrist (not a medical doctor, the glasses person) and she had no idea what the hell i was talking about. But physicians know about it and the 3 or 4 i spoke with said don't worry about it.

[tiki]

See a neuro? It sounds pretty frequent to me, alpha.

 

It's probably for staring at LS for eight hours a day.

[alphamale]

Originally posted by tiki

See a neuro? It sounds pretty frequent to me, alpha.

 

It's probably for staring at LS for eight hours a day.

 

actually TIKI, i do get some work done here too. i was off LS for 45 minutes to enter a new plant into our billing system. he he he

 

naah, my lil brother is an eye surgeon and graduated from a top 10 med school so i'll trust his opinion.

[tiki]

I got a script for imitrex, it helped a lot. I have to take excedrin migraine like it's going out of style.

[seattle0500]

Alphamale, I'm so glad you started this thread! I've had the EXACT same thing happen to me. It doesn't occur frequently, only a few times per year. And it comes outta nowhere, the past two times it happened, I had just finished working out. It's true, it's so hard to describe to another person, it's like I was looking at myself in the mirror but couldn't look straight into my left eye. The vision in my right eye was fine, but in my left eye, everything was outta focus. So weird and scary.

 

Anyway, I'm glad to find that there's a name for this and that there's no reason to worry.

 

Many thanks for posting, you made me feel tons better

[Butterfly28]

I've been a migraine sufferer for 10 years. I am 28 years old. I've only suffered an Occular Migraine about 3-4 times and I found them very frightening, because I didn't know what they were until I went to see my neurologist. I've taken Imitrex, that one that starts with a "Z" (I can't remember!), I've been on Toradol, Furinol, and Amerge. I found that Imitrex had very weird side effects. But Toradol helped the most.

[alphamale]

Originally posted by seattle0500

Alphamale, I'm so glad you started this thread! I've had the EXACT same thing happen to me. It doesn't occur frequently, only a few times per year

 

Anyway, I'm glad to find that there's a name for this and that there's no reason to worry.

 

Many thanks for posting, you made me feel tons better

 

you are welcome SEATTLE0500,

 

 

Originally posted by Butterfly28

I've only suffered an Occular Migraine about 3-4 times and I found them very frightening, because I didn't know what they were until I went to see my neurologist.

 

yes BUTTERFLY28, first few times you have them it is quite scarey. I think i had my first one around age 25 and i thouught i was going blind in one eye. Scared the krap outta me.

[greatmom]

Hey, I've had ocular migraines since I was 20, and I'm 49 now. I was just having them every couple of years, but now I've been having them much more frequently -- could it be my AGE? Anyways, they are a complete nuisance because of the visual thing and yes, driving is a pain. I've driven with them a couple of times and it's crap. It could be worse -- could get the bad headache, but I just get the lights,and then it's over. I've been taking Feverfew to see if I can get them to go away for longer periods of time -- so far, not so good luck, but I keep trying. I've been prescribed an anti-depressant because the doctor thinks this could help break the cycle, but I've not started taking it because I'm not so sure this is going to work.

I can't take imitrex, and I have tried cafregot, but got rebound. Anyways, I really don't take any pain medication because I really don't get a headache. The ocular migraine is also hereditary (thanks mom and dad!) My sister gets them, my mother, and now my daughter. Yuck -- what a legacy!

[goodnbad]

I used to get regular migraines when I smoked. When I quit smoking, the migraines went down to maybe one a year from 1 or 2 a month, go figure!

 

Anyhow, late last year I had two migraines 2 weeks apart and both had those auras that you mentioned. The first time, I freaked. I thought I was losing my sight. I got this big 'blank' spot just off the center of my vision in one eye and could not read anything dead on. I couldn't see peoples' faces. I was sure I was having a stroke or seizure. I suppose you did too---since you're close to hitting that BIG 4-0!!!!!!!!! LOL

 

It lasted for maybe 20 minutes then went away (just as I was getting ready to go to emerg!). My eyesight came back and with it: a big ol' migraine. Same thing happened the next time around. Call it an early warning system. If you have meds for it, get them into your system at this point.

 

I was given Axert to take for recurring migraines but so far haven't had to use it, so I can't vouch for it's usefulness.

 

goodnbad

[RowanRavyn]

I went for my eye exam last week. I kind of passed over this thread originally, but after my appointment I did a search on Ocular Migraines and found my favorite little forum in the results list.

 

 

My vision just greys out. I thought I was passing out the first time it happened. I have been having them frequently. Sometimes I get an actual headache after, sometimes not.

 

I have started adding these headaches to my other symptom journal. I have already found a trigger. Citrus. Citrus hates me already. I break out from drinking a small glass of OJ. Sometimes I just can't resist. Now I know for sure (after having pineapple on pizza, and the next day having a bit of orange juice) that it triggers these blurry spells for me.