To think this might not be a migraine aura?

[Tzigane]

So I woke up on Thursday and couldn't see properly out of my left eye. There was a grey disc in the centre of my vision, another in my peripheral vision and columns of white light when I moved my eye.

Couldn't get an optician appointment but they said it needed to be seen asap. GP sent me to eye hospital where they examined my eye.

Good news that didn't seem to be detached retina, and optic nerve looked ok. So diagnosed 'ocular migraine' without headache.

But ocular migraine supposedly last for around an hour. 4 days later, it's still there. I've had migraines with aura for 30 years - banging headache + seeing stars in both eyes. In this case no headache, no nausea, nothing etc.

Has anyone who does or doesn't above migraines experienced similar?

Tia

Have you have the Covid vaccine?

I'd call someone again to check if that's something to worry about. 4 days is a long time, I know someone who suffers and they are normally half a day at most but feeling worn out after. Maybe 111 could advise you on the best place to go?

What did the eye hospital say to do if it didn't go away?

Haven't had the vaccine, no.

They didn't say what to do if it didn't go. I don't think they thought it wouldn't. (Neither did I really).

I get migraines but have never had anything like that. It doesn't sound migraine related to me but I'm no doctor

I've always had 'normal' migraines but now having these ocular ones, very weird. I used to be sick with headache, now just dizzy & my eyes shut down.

GP says hormonal changes, due to menopause.

I’d speak to your GP again.

I'd phone your gp tomorrow then. Hope you're better soon.

I’ve had ocular migraines. No pain. Arc of flashing pixelated lights starting small and moving outwards. Last about 45-60 mins. Looks a bit like pic attached but flickering pixels. Nothing like what you describe and soon gone. I’d push for second opinion if I was you.

There is a rare form migraine where the aura lasts for days without headache. Aura that last for more than 2 hours should be checked out though. Did they do a CT scan or anything?

I would get it checked out again at A&E.

I get occular migraines and they are exactly as the pp posted above. The visual disturbance only lasts about half an hour, then I feel groggy and generally need to sleep for a couple of hours and then back to normal.
I think you need to be re-assessed as what you describe doesn't sound like occular migraine and it has been there a long time now.

You need reassessment ASAP, there are a few things that it could be but the sooner it is checked the more likely you will regain your sight

Super helpful responses, thanks everyone.

The descriptions of ocular migraine are very similar to my experiences of migraine with aura. And really nothing like this.

In this case the visual phenomena feels like they're actually on or in my eye as they're always in the same place and moves with my eye.

So I’ve had focal migraines for over 40 years.

I had some so bad it lasted weeks. However it’s not often. My first major one I had caused a horrific aura. However the aura part usually only lasts a few hours or so.

Mine starts with tv static in the front of my vision and gets bigger and bigger and bigger. Till it encapsulates my whole vision. I can’t drive with one.

The other thing is I’ve had one episode which was one after the other that lasted a year. If it’s your first you might not realise that they can happen one after the other.

I also get hemiplegic migraines

Do you have a headache? I also get a numbness which goes from one hand. Up my arm. Down my throat. Down the other arm.

Anything like that? Any weird paralysis?

Mine have only ever lasted about an hour and I thank the lord they aren’t full blown migraines anymore (or seizures, I have epilepsy), I seem to have grown out of that and just get the eyes.

Does seem a long time but you’ve seen the eye specialist so I guess that’s that. Could you see how you are tmw and go for a second opinion?

Craniopharyngioma?

Scratch that, probably not if seen at the eye hospital. Doesn’t sound like aura if it’s lasted so long.

Your description sounds like what I had when I had optical neuritis, apart from the columns of white light. How's your colour vision as it can make you temporarily colour blind, although they would have seen changes in your optical nerve.

The grey disc and flashing light are normal types of migraine aura too. What isn't normal is that it has lasted 4 days, you really should get it checked out to rule out anything else. Most likely it is a migraine but it's best to be safe. I would be heading to A&E or, at least, calling 111.

Hi I don't usually comment (only made one post lol) but thought I'd respond as same thing happened to me last year. I suffer from migraine with and without aura and last year I got a grey circle in my vision in one eye. I knew it wasn't a migraine as my vision wasn't blurred I just couldn't see through the grey circle. My gp sent me to eye casualty who took pictures of the back of my eye and said all normal - ongoing migraine aura. A few days later I woke up with hundreds of little dots in my vision, went back to eye casualty and when they took picture again there were hundreds of these little dots in my vision. (not visible in person just on the pictures) I got totally I had an extremely rare thing called MEWDS which is basically a flu of the eye. There is hardly any information on it and it's extremely rare. Not sure this is what you have but thought it worth mentioning just incase! Hope you get it sorted and it turns out to be something simple.

Ocular migraine (which affects one eye and originates in the retina) is not the same as migraine aura (originates in the brain and affects both eyes). However four days is a long time to have it for. I’d go back and see the eye specialists again and let them take another look.

No headache, no numbness, I have pins and needles in the eye, but that's not unusual for me. It's more marked than usual but not outside my norm.

I had this coincidentally day after burning my eye. So I went to moorfields.
They diagnosed age related floater/flasher which is common in 50s onwards. Change of shape of eye causing it. Mine is not ‘worrying’ but I am to return if I get ‘curtains’ shading across surface.
It’s left me with what feels like the start of a migraine all of the time. Hollow round dark shape in one eye. Sometimes I think it’s a fly/mosquito coming towards me or a bird darting in the distance.
Totally livable with.