ocular migraines

[Flute56]

Several years ago when I started the menopause, I began to get ocular migraines. In case anyone doesnt know what these are, they are not the normal type of migraines. You get no headache, but instead you get flashing or zig zag lines in the corner of one of your eyes. This does not last long. Maximum about 20 minutes. I was getting these every few years. Then they progressed to every few months. I never bothered to seek any advice from my GP because they were so infrequenr.

However this year during Easter, I had one on the Friday before Good Friday. I then had another one on the following Sunday morning which I was alarmed about because I do not usually get one so soon after the other. Then we had Easter and on the Bank Holiday Monday, I woke up and had one again but this time it kept coming and going for most of the day and I was so concerned and worried because when I had these before I have never had them going on and off for about 6 hours. I went to casualty and was told see the optician. I went to my GP and she again said she could not help me because ocular migraines are to do with the eyes not the head so see the optician.

I saw a new optician as recommended by a friend who said the optician was very good and explained to the optision what had been going on. She checked my eyes and said not was amiss so I said why do you think they happened and she said sometimes it is just one of those things and they happen for no apparent reason.

When I spoke to a friend of mine who wanted to know the outcome of the opticians appointment she said to me the optomertrist should not have fobbed off the migraines as just one of those things because migraines whether they are the painful ones or the ocular ones, happen for a reason (and my friend is a nurse). Either it is due to being dehydrated or eating too much chocolate or cheese or something else and my friend said I need to go back to my GP and get this investigated because unless I find out the root cause and change my diet or drink more water or whatever these migraines are going to keep coming back.

I am therefore going to phone my doctors surgery in the morning and book an appointment with the same GP I saw in the beginning about them and say I did go to the opticians but she did not give me any clear answer and I am none the wiser so I want this investigated by way of some test to see what is causing these migraines because if I dont they will just keep going on and on.

Anyone got any advice?

Dr Glaucomflecken (funny YouTube Dr who is however a proper ophthalmologist) did a segment on these on his eye show last week.

(You'll need to forward quite a bit because he talks about cleaning your glasses for quite a while first).

Basically, nothing to worry about (with info on when however you should definitely see someone) and also apparently nothing to do with your eyes really as it's your brain playing silly buggers.

I go through spells of getting them more frequently and then not for ages again. Mine are hormonal but also linked to dehydration.

How do you know yours were due to stress? I have known people who lead very stressful lives and they never get migraines.

This is what I want to try and find out. How do we find the cause. You say yours was stress but it could be anything from diet to not drinking enough water so how did you come to the conclusion that yourss was stress related

I get them now and then. First ever was when I was a few months pregnant with dd1 - a long time ago now. I still don’t know what kicks them off, but they never last for more than 20-30 minutes.

I regularly had up to six ocular migraines a day before starting HRT in my late 40s. I now only suffer once in a blue moon and they are very brief.

I believe lack of oestrogen can be a trigger.

Good luck!

@Flute56 first attack mid planning huge event massive changes came in then bang, second attack in a&e told DF had torn aorta and needed surgery now. Optician and gp suggested stress.

I went to my GP and she again said she could not help me because ocular migraines are to do with the eyes not the head so see the optician.

Occular migraines are in the brain, not the eyes. Either you misunderstood your GP or she was talking rubbish. Referral to an opthalmologist is to rule out eye problems, especially detached retina which can result in sight loss if not treated quickly.

Go back to your GP and say you want to investigate migraine treatment.

You're being over optimistic in thinking you can find "the cause" or a cure. Some mild migraine sufferers can identify triggers and find avoiding those triggers results in a substantial reduction in migraines. But that's of little use to chronic sufferers who take a lot of powerful drugs which barely make a dent in reducing their migraines.

Have you looked at the Migraine Trust website?

https://migrainetrust.org/understand-migraine/types-of-migraine/migraine-with-aura/

I get ocular migraines in both eyes. It’s a kaleidoscope effect around the perimeter of my vision. Once I found out what it was it doesn’t bother me. It only lasts for 20 mins or so and doesn’t cause pain.

I can understand why you want this to be an easily solved problem but with migraines that rarely happens. What triggers them in one person, another person can deal with just fine. As someone who had them frequently for many years I have had just about every trigger suggested and never found a specific cause. One day they just started to trail off and now rarely happen. The brain is complex and no one really understands it.

Your best bet is to keep a diary of what you eat and drink, any stresses etc and see what you find. Often migraines take a few days to build up so it's worth looking back when one starts to see what happened a few days ago. Migraine buddy is a good app for this.

I get kaleidoscope effect migraines. But only in ASDA. So I guess mine are triggered by their lighting... so I shop elsewhere now.

@1dayatatime hi! ive ztarted a job in an office, so worried now! The lighting is awful!!!
im not sure whethe ri got one today because of lack of sleep, not drinking much and being on the laptop all last week!

i hope work will understand :( any tips? X

Oliver Sacks wrote a very good book on migraine if you want some self-education reading material while you’re following up referrals. Might give you some ideas of possible triggers and strategies.

You may not ever find the one trigger though. I'm sure mine are hormone related. They started in puberty, got worse in pregnancy and have got more frequent again as I've gone into my 40s. They make me tired and tiredness can bring them on for me too so I often have a cluster, particularly if I don't get the chance to have a lie down or an early night after one.

I can't say I've ever been particularly worried by them, I've always just counted myself lucky they're not too painful. Perhaps I'm just complacent after having them for so long.

I've had these since my twenties, pattern with them always seemed hormonal. They have got worse with peri but I am on HRT. Read Vit E helps so trying some supplements and keeping a trigger log. I think dehydration could be a trigger as well.

I get these when I'm stressed. They're so weird. Like I've looked at a bright light. Mine aren't in the corner of my eye but right in the centre so I can't focus on anything. Like you say, they only last 20 mins but they're quite scary. I had one once that left me unable to speak properly and I thought I was having a stroke.

My optician said the same thing. My eyes were fine and to try not to worry unduly.

I have an appointment with my GP to discuss migraines and to say the optomertrise found nothing. I certainly did not misunderstand the GP but a friend of mine was getting flshing lights in front of her eyes and it was not an ocular migrine but she hd something wrong with her eyes. She had a bleed in the eye but her flashing lights were continuous 24/7 an

I've had these very occasionally, all after doing exercise.

DH had one the other week - also after doing exercise.

They are very strange and unpleasant, but at least there's no pain with them (I also get regular "proper" migraines, triggered by time of the month or by red wine (or both) though fortunately fairly mild - a couple of ibuprofen and a can of coke usually gets rid of them).

Has it been worse since you had covid? There's some evidence starting to emerge that it could be a long covid symptom. Either way it's a good idea to try and avoid infection if you can.
FFP2 masks where appropriate (especially in health settings), use an antiviral nasal spray, open a window, invest in a HEPA air filter for home etc. They're expensive but private vaccines are now available for the first time too.
Hope you get to the bottom of it.
https://www.healthline.com/health/migraine/ocular-migraine-covid#bottom-line