Does anyone get ocular migraines?

[luluxxx]

So today I was in town absolutely fine
All of a sudden my vision went blurry and like bits of my vision missing.
Then I started seeing flashing lights in my eyes.
lasted 20 mins and went away then came back and lasted 10 mins.

Panicked a bit and went to the a&e eye hospital.
They checked blood pressure /eye pressure
eyes etc
Said everything looked fine and was ocular migarine.
she couldn’t tell me what caused them.
It was pretty scary
I feel a bit meh now and a bit headachy but my vision is fine.

Yes!! Scary and a bit weird, but don't usually lead to a pain migraine. Doesn't last too long but followed by a brutal hangover sort of feeling.

Yeah hormones trigger mine. Had them for a few years when I hit puberty, then again with each pregnancy. Dreading peri meno!

I get them, the optician confirmed what they were. I find I refocussing to something in the far distance (I am lucky with the view from my house) to very very near a few times helps and also a decongestant tablet.

I get these too, OP. Mine are like flashing geometric shapes that start really small in the centre of my vision and then gradually get bigger and spread across all my vision. I find for mine the best thing to do is to immediately take pain killers (I take paracetamol and ibuprofen combined), get away from any screens and just try and relax for 30 mins or so. I’m then usually fine and it doesn’t progress into a worse headache. For me these started suddenly in my early 30s and I’ve had them ever since if I get very tired and/or stressed. Good luck!

I had one once and drove myself to A&E nearby in a panic, not the best idea but I knew I could be there faster than I could call for help. I felt mine was triggered by a large team call that ended and screen flashed a lot as everyone logged off. I never had that theory confirmed until I read this thread. It was a one off at age 38 and 2 years later never had another.

Such a scary experience! Mine were caused by caffeine. Haven't had them since I cut it out.

My eldest son (17) and I both get these. Mine used to be the precursor to a migraine headache, but over the years I started to get the visual disturbances and no headache. If I don’t get the headache, my body behaves as if I did - wiped out, sluggish and a sort of detachment from reality. My son mostly gets the visual symptoms with no headache. Mine are caused by stress, hunger/dehydration or bright light.

I've had 2 in the last few months (and 2, separate and unconnected headache-type migraines as well), never having suffered with any kind of migraine before. I'm 51 and been on HRT just a year so I'm figuring they're likely hormonal in some way. It's been my right eye both times and it's literally a missing semi circle on the bottom right of my field of vision.

The first time it happened we'd just arrived at my in-laws on a really sunny day and had come into a shaded room. I was chatting to FIL and suddenly realised it looked like one side of his face was melting, and then it disappeared altogether and that section of my vision was just blank. It lasted about 20 minutes (seems a common duration from this thread!) and I felt a bit groggy and disorientated for a while afterwards, as well as terrified because I didn't know what it was then. Happened again a few weeks ago while I was watching tv, no melting this time, just straight to a blank semi circle. Same duration and had to lie down afterwards as felt a bit sick and dizzy. It's reassuring to read so many similar experiences tbh, they are a bit scary when you're not 100% sure what they are.

I got my first one when I was pregnant 28 years ago. Of course visual disturbances + pregnancy = panic mode and a trip to A&E. I get them sporadically now, I don't think I have one for over a year.
They start as spots in my vision like I've looked at the sun, and progress to odd wiggly flashy lines. Only in one eye. They last about 30 minutes and afterwards I'm totally fine.

I get ocular migraines and my eye doctor recommended upping my daily water intake. I know drink about 90 Oz a day. I don't get painful migraines with it but when they come on they're very scary and they come on in both eyes

I have them too. I get flashing lights, blind spots and loss of peripheral vision. Sometimes all of them, other times just one or two of them. I never have a headache and they normally last around 20-30 minutes.

Every time I get my eyes tested I mention it to the optician but they never seem that concerned. They just say that if they start lasting longer than 30 mins or become more frequent to contact my GP to rule out anything neurological.

The first time I had one I was driving and there were letters missing from the number plate of the car in front of me.

I keep a diary of them and document duration, date, time and symptoms. I haven’t noticed a
pattern but I sometimes get them when I have a busy day and rushing around a lot or after looking at a bright light. Once it’s resolved I carry on as normal wit no residual tiredness or anything.

Interesting that someone mentioned HCPs can be more susceptible to them. I work 12 hour day & night shifts for the Ambulance Service so that would maybe suggest why I get them.

I started getting them in my late twenties. First one was scary - I get blind spots so e.g if I’m looking at someone they have bits missing. Then it progresses to zigzags which, as a previous poster said, are there even if I close my eyes.

The whole thing lasts 20 to 30 minutes, I don’t usually get a headache but occasionally get a mild one.

I’m always completely wiped out and have to go and lie down for a few hours. If it happens at work I have to go home once my vision returns to normal- I’m no use to anyone until I’ve been able to sleep it off.

As I’ve got older they’ve become much less frequent and tbh I can’t remember the last time I had one.

Yup. Probably stress induced. If I take a gram of paracetamol quickly they go in about 20 mins. If I do nothing I’ll end up with a headache. But possibly haven’t had one since starting HRT.

I get silent migraines. All of a sudden I can't see properly and i feel a bit sick, then the wavy lines come, then the static expands until everything is grey and wavy and then everything seems to snap back. I'm left feeling badly nauseated.

The weird part of it all is throughout, there is a painless pain. It feels like it is agonising yet it doesnt hurt. I honestly dont know how to explain it. Its so weird.

A couple of times several years ago. I was watching TV at the time and actually thought the TV was on the fritz. It was only when I looked elsewhere that I realised the disturbance was still ongoing. I have just started new medication and one of the notes said that if a patient experienced visual disturbances to stop the medication and consult a doctor straight away. This was in the evening and I spoke to the pharmacist who explained what was going on, backed up later by my GP.
I had absolutely no pain whatsoever.

Since puberty. Much less now I'm peri-menopausal, which I find interesting.

I normally get a bad headache afterwards, then I feel really hungry.

I tell myself at least they're not the headache type of migraine, which sound horrible.

DS gets them occasionally, as does my sister.

Tired & stressed and when starting peri - happened several times and I lost my vision down to a small tunnel of sight. I would have to stop and sit somewhere. First time it happened was terrifying!! Then I learnt to just go and sit and relax. No pain though

I don’t get them if I drink tonnes of water

I had one yesterday, with aura, ocular and vocal migraine. The ocular part is blurred and spotty vision with holograms and zigzags.

I don’t always get the vocal part (where I can’t think of the words for things or say them). In fact, I hadn’t had that part for three years until yesterday. In a way the aura is useful, because it gives me a few moments to sit down or (preferably) lie down. I close my eyes, take paracetamol and a large glass of water. It takes about half an hour to pass. Yesterday it took about an hour for the vocal part to return to normal. I suppose, on average I’ll have a couple a month but sometimes they come more regularly for a day or two.

I started with them post menopause - seems to be quite common. Triggers are tiredness or stress, broken or bright lights (airports, strip lights etc). Bright sunlight (always wear a hat and sunglasses). Keeping well hydrated with water is key for me.

I haven't had one for a year or so.
Opthalmology doctor told me that it's bits of my retina flaking off.
He said that I should only be concerned if something like a blind covered my vision as that indicates a detached retina

Yes I had walked into a shaded room and glanced out the window on a very bright day. Sounds similar to you @Templeofthedog

I’ve never had any other type of migraine. I wonder if people who have the ocular version ever get the other types.

When I was 45 I got this for the first time. Zigzags in my right eye but no headache or anything else. Got to work & realised I wasn’t making any sense. Next thing I know I wake up in hospital after a seizure. Had lots of tests but no cause was found. Obviously I lost my driving licence for 12 months.

The zigzags continued every now & then (always in the morning strangely) without incident. Two years later I had another seizure about 45 minutes after the zigzags started. Fortunately I’d parked up & gone for a coffee. I woke up in hospital again & this time had a lot more tests.

The consultant concluded it was migraine triggered seizures & said it was hormone related & very rare. Was put on Topiramate but still occasionally had the zigzags.

Now, 20 years on since the first seizure I’m fine. Only get the zigzags once in a blue moon but it’s still scary when it happens.

I had one for the first time a few months ago,
I was a bit worried - started with a tiny patch of vision in one of my eyes that was a bit like a kaleidoscope with repeating but abstract patterns and it spread and spread so I only had a tiny amount of actual vision. I went and sat down and closed my eyes for 20 minutes and it passed. Then exactly a week later it happened again. And it hasn’t happened since.
both times I’ve felt okay afterwards. I occasionally have a regular migraine and they leave me feeling like shit for a couple of days once it’s finally over, I’ll take the ocular ones as for me they don’t see to leave any shitty side effects after.

I get these. One descended while I was driving along a busy dual carriageway with no exit for a few miles. That wasn't fun.

I always know one's coming because I get a feeling of intense pressure in the front of my head. Almost like my sinuses are suddenly blocked up. That lasts about 30 seconds, then the zigzag lights kick in. Lasts about half an hour, then I just feel exhausted and groggy

Yes I get these when very stressed! Hideous, scary things! As well as stress, any bright lights seem to trigger mine too. Once mine start, I tend to get a cluster of them for a week or so and then they disappear again