More migraine problems - hallucinations

[Jux]

I've been getting short, and not too painful, migraines for a week now. They last 10 to 20 minutes, and then come back within half an hour. Until today I'd been getting no fewer than 2 an hour and up to 4 an hour.

I've spoken to my gp several times about this since it started on Thursday afternoon. He's spoken to my neurologist (I have ms) and I have to have another brain scan to see if something's happening in there (probably).

I have had more pills prescribed, and various doses of others increased. The frequency is beginning to drop. I am to call my gp in a week and keep a migraine diary (which is already as long as your arm!).

Last night while I was reading in bed, I saw out of the corner of my left eye a beautiful blue, glowing glitter-ball, slowly spinning. There was nothing there of course.

I also saw someone sitting on the edge of the bed. In fact, I saw several people there but each on separate occasions. Then I saw dh standing on the edge of the bed in a t-shirt with rolled up sleeves and the wind blowing in his hair. One of our cats kept appearing but was never actually there.

This has been happening a lot of today too. A massive lorry - white with red lettering on the side - drew up beside me while I talked to a friend in the High Street; it wasn't there.

At the moment I have a geometric shape in red plastic slowly revolving, but half an hour ago there was an elderly woman eating cornflakes . I have also had George Bush, Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall and various unknowns sitting about in the corner of my left eye. I am considering charging them all rent!

I am thinking
that my gp may have been right when he said that these might not be migraines;
that my eye may be damaged;
that my optic nerve may be damaged;
that my visual cortex may be damaged;
that I may have a tumour (this is the one I really don't like, though I'm not over fond of any of them).

Or it may just be migraines, of course!

Anyone have any ideas? Can migraines give you hallucinations?

I don't think they cause actual hallucinations. Visual disturbances yes, but more like zig zags across your eyes or temporary blind spots. I could be wrong though. Have you tried contacting the national migraine centre? They might be able to help. Hope you feel better soon, your symptoms sound really unpleasant.

I have no advice-but that sounds horrible
I would ring the GP first thing and ask him to try and get you an urgent appointment with your neurologist (or ring them direct)
Hope it passes soon and try not to fret too much.

I have migraines and I've never had hallucinations.

I'd see the GP again tomorrow and also the optician.

Having said that, here are people who have experienced hallucinations with migraine.

Erm. Ok. This may not be what you want to hear, as one Neurological issue is plenty enough for one person to deal with, but here's my opinion.

My first thought? Epilepsy. The migraines with hallucinations were what clinched my diagnosis.

There are actually MANY types of seizure in epilepsy, of which the 'typical' seizure that most people think of when hearing the word 'epilepsy', characterised by jerky movements is just one. (That is a tonic-clonic seizure).

My betting is that they will do yet another, if you have MS MRI scan, but they may well also throw in an EEG for good measure. To either rule in or rule out epilepsy.

But having had those symptoms myself, it was my first thought.

Questions now : Have you recently found yourself saying "thingy" or something similar because you can't find the right word for something? (Word placement issues)

Have you found yourself 'missing' bits of conversations, even if it's only momentarily? Or people saying "Are you OK?" when they've been talking to you and you can't work out why?

Have you found yourself in a room with no idea how you got in there? (With no alcohol involved).

Will check thread in morning.

Migraines HAVE actually been reclassified as a type of seizure when they come with certain effects, though. So it's not too far fetched to think epilepsy.

Thank you all. I've been really tired today, so have only recently got up
As a consequence, I haven't called my gp either. Apart from being so tired, I've been OK, though. I suspect the hallucinations were something to do with neurones getting a bit tired and misfiring and my visual cortex getting bored with zigzags or re-interpreting shadows, or some such blah. It seems to have stopped now. If it starts up again I'll call the doc, but in the meantime everything's been noted in the migraine diary, so when I go next week, I can talk about it then.

Thanks for the link to fellow hallucinatory, it really reassured me.

Thanks for the suggestion about epilepsy, too. Not overly reassuring, but nevertheless a possibility which didn't involve brain tumours, so it was nice too!

Shitmagnet, what is Mg? (Ignorance of chemical symbols showing there.) Magnesium? I'll check it out. Out of curiosity, where is the most powerful MRI scanner in the southern hemisphere?