Ocular Migraines

[Manicminer]

Does anyone else get these, the sneak up on me at random and although they don't last long (20-30 mins max) and aren't painful they are bloody annoying.

I've tried cutting out various foods and drinks (coffee for example) and don't smoke or drink apart from occasional beer socially.

Symtoms are sudden onset of swirling pulsing patterns in one or both eyes with a foggy or distorted bit of vision within the patterns.

Sometimes last a few minutes , sometimes longer.

Is it something that using a bright computer screen can bring on? I tend to find they happen more often when sat at the computer, sitting back and relaxing with my eyes closed for a few minutes gets it to go.

Any tips?

[TheEnd]

I've had a couple, no other effects, headaches etc, just a lightshow.

No obvious cause, but at the moment, I've only had 2, with about a year inbetween.

[Manicminer]

I get them quite often, Doc seems to think its a food or drink that's the trigger. I do drink lots of coffee which is hard to give up but we're going to try it for a month this time and see if they stop.

I've had them for a long time on and off.

[TheEnd]

Yea, I do remember one was right after having a coffee (and my coffee would reanimate the dead), but I've drank a lot of coffee before and after without them.

To be more exact, this is what I got-
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scintillating_scotoma

at least that's what I think it would come under. I'll have to wait for the next one as it looks like the scotoma is both eyes, but a retinal/occular migraine is just the one eye.

[Pickled]

I get terrible migraines, luckily far and few between these days, only relief I find is make the room as dark as possible and try and sleep it off, feel absolutely drained the day after.

Few of my triggers are

1. Strong cheese
2. Chocolate
3. Dehydration
4. Over tired

[Manicminer]

Pickled said:

I get terrible migraines, luckily far and few between these days, only relief I find is make the room as dark as possible and try and sleep it off, feel absolutely drained the day after.

Few of my triggers are

1. Strong cheese
2. Chocolate
3. Dehydration
4. Over tired

Thanks, the last two are definitely something I've not been good at sorting the last few months. New job will hopefully cure No 4 soon, No 3 is my own fault.

[Happy82]

Try decaf coffee instead , that helped my partner with her migraines

[z4emsee]

I got this alot - once or twice a month when I was a teenager at school. When I left school I stopped having them almost overnight - worked out that when I went to school I would have a very sugary cereal with additional sugar on top for breakfast (I know - I was a teenager!) When I left school and started working I was up earlier so stopped having anything more than a slice of toast for breakfast. Narrowed it down to amount of sugar I was having first thing in the morning. I do still get them - maybe once every couple of years but can't work out why now. The 'flashing lights' are very similar to the phenomenon described in the wiki link. Once they've expanded beyond my vision I get a very severe migraine/headache which is light sensitive and more often than not causes nausea and sickness.

[24lemons]

The Wiki link describes mine almost perfectly. I went through a phase when I was 18 of getting them nearly one a week at its worst but they then began to reduce in frequency. I stopped drinking coffee nearly 10 years ago and the migraines seemed to reduce further as a result. In the last year or so I've started to get them more frequently again despite not drinking coffee. I'm yet to identify a trigger factor and their sporadic nature makes it hard to identify any patterns regarding cause/effect. Having a boss who is, shall we say less than understanding, doesnt help when I get them at work (3 in 2 years) He seems to think I can pop a pill and it'll make it all better!

[VictorMeldrew]

I had something similar once, years ago. It did resemble than scintillating doodad, but was in the centre of my vision in both eyes. It started small, and the effect was like a pixelated face on TV, and it grew quite quickly until I could barely see anything other than in peripheral vision. I don't recall if I had a migraine at the time, but I did get them often. It was late at night (3am ish), I was very tired, and had been using computers all day (a long day), and probably hadn;t eaten properly all day either. I went to bed and was right as rain the next day.

I guess I was too tired to panic as I was convinced I was going blind, but just went to bed. The family were away visiting relatives and I was catching up on work (ie stressed); if my wife had been there I'm sure I'd have been down to A&E.

Pretty scary experience.

[probedb]

I used to get these. I think it was stress at school that started it, I'd get one most Mondays. I very rarely get them now and once they start there's nothing that stops it. I just have to take an ibuprofen as soon as I see the slightest abnormality in my vision and that kicks the migraine part back to a normal headache.

I also think it's just tiredness, dehydration and also for me bad catarrh doesn't help either.

[SimNugget]

I get loads, I end up with a zebra stripe flashing effect in front on my eyes and a dizziness / unsteady feeling along with an absolutely cracking headache beyond comprehension.

Computer screens cause it for me, whether it be an LCD screen or looking at an iPhone for too long. I get my eyes tested regularly and wear glasses but sadly with my job computer work is essential too.

For me I could not find any trigger after removing the usual suspects from my diet - chocolate, red wine, cheese, caffeine etc.

I tried beta blockers, then Topamax and now use a low daily dose of Epilim which works pretty well - although I still get a few but the symptoms are weakened with the Epilim - then I use Zomig to treat them actual attack.

If I am on holiday and away from computer screens for a week or so I am fine.

If you get them often, speak to our doctor but most GPs don't know that much and you may have to be referred.

S

PS if you drink a lot of coffee then do not stop all of your intake as you will almost certainly get headaches, reduce your intake over a period of time.

Edited by SimNugget on Tuesday 30th April 02:47