Opthamologist told me migraines are only caused by chocolate, wine and hormones...

[Loupenny25]

I've had migraines for all my adult life, about 5 years ago I discovered I have one slightly long sighted and one slightly short sighted eye (at least this is my understanding of it). Wearing low prescription glasses has helped my migraine frequency and severity, twice the migraines have increased and I've had my eyes retested and prescription adjusted which has helped.

Migraines have ramped up again so booked an eyetest. Before the test the opthamologist asked me why I'd come in and I gave the explanation above.

He then said, "look migraines have nothing to do with glasses or your eyesight, you must be just having headaches. Migraines are caused by three things, chocolate, wine and hormones".

To be honest I was so shocked I didn't really know what to say. I sort of managed a "look my migraines are a big part of my life, I know about migraines, my glasses help my migraines".

He doubled down again on how I was wrong, glasses cannot help migraines only cutting out chocolate and wine will fix a migraine.

We ended up going back and forth 4 times including me saying I think he was over simplifying a complex issue and that my dr disagrees with him. Eventually I said I didn't want to go through my whole migraine history, glasses help ME and would he please just test my eyesight.

He then did the shortest, snappiest and rudest eye test of my life before declaring my eyes were fine and only a "tiiiiiinnyy" change to my prescription. It was like he felt I was faking about my eyesight or something utterly stupid like that.

By the end of it I was literally on the brink of tears (I can't bear confrontation) and left without ordering new glasses as I didn't think he'd actually tested my eyes properly. (But still paid for the test - stupidly to be honest but I thought I was about to cry and just wanted to get out of there).

Now I've come home and put my big girl pants on I want to phone the branch manager (it's a big UK chain) and complain. But I'm struggling to verbalise exactly why the interaction was so wrong/upsetting. I also wonder if he would have told my husband to just cut down on the chocolate and wine!

Absolutely complain. Ask for another test (no charge) with another optician. Point out that:

1. on previous occasions an adjustment to your prescription has reduced your migraines.

2)As ^ PP says - GPs will not talk to you about migraines until you have had an eye test!! Happened to my DD. And friends' DC started having migraines...GPs pretty much refused to see them/offer any medication/tests until after any eyesight issues ruled out. If your eyes are OK, then you start looking at other triggers/hormones etc

3. Regardless of anything - if you have booked in and are paying for an eye test, your reason for doing so are none of his business.

Poor eyesight isn’t in the nhs list of triggers but it is a far longer list than he quoted. And includes bright and flickering light.
https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/migraine/causes/
I would write and complain that the person you saw gave incorrect health advise and was dismissive of your request for a full and thorough eye test you’d paid for.

Mine vanished after having my wisdom teeth out (at 27 ish)

They were the stabbing pain in the eye , felt like someone was pulling sharp wire round my head type pain accompanied by nausea , didn't let up till I vomited

No pattern, I don't drink alcohol at all

So men don't get migraines? Lucky buggers.

Smells can trigger mine too

I’ve had migraines ( with aura) from 20 onwards
before that, as child, sick headache without aura.
Don’t drink, or eat much chocolate, in my case stress causes them, and low blood sugar.

Never eyesight!

Oh yes men definitely get Migraines.
Dad, son and brother get them.
With Aura.

I should tell one of my male friends when he's lying in the dark and silence curled up in pain.

Oh and my migraines are caused by flickering lights. Luckily since the mass adoption of flat screen monitors I now have them very rarely.

I’m fairly certain the neurologist I went to who specialises specifically in migraines told me that anything that was a trigger for me was a trigger. You know your own body regardless of whether it’s on an NHS list and if a wrong glasses prescription is triggering migraines then that’s that. I was triggered by lack of sleep, chocolate, dehydration, not eating enough, fluorescent lighting, stress, hormones, weather (that was a massive one) and I wouldn’t be surprised one but to hear another person is triggered by having to strain their eyes.

My GP says travel sickness is connected with people who suffer migraines-
A known susceptibility to travel sickness in migraine sufferers.
She suffers so has empathy.

She uses basic supermarket soluble aspirin and a prescription antiemetic-
Migraine is best treated at first dazzle of aura.

Woah I've never heard that! My travel sickness is awful!

And yes if I ever Wake up and think "ooooh I feel like maybe a migraine is coming today" TAKE THE DRUGS NOW! I always start kidding myself that it won't actually happen... When will I learn?!

One of the first things my neurologist said to me was 'were you travel sick as a child?'

Apparently migraine is heavily genetic and linked to travel sickness.

He also suggested food inc chocolate was rarely a trigger but when you had already started the beginnings of a migraine you often get cravings for carbs/chocolate/sweet food and then think they caused the migraine.

This is definitely true for me but before he pointed it out, I'd have said they were triggers rather than me already being well down the road to a migraine once I start cramming the chocs.

Big triggers for me are: alcohol, being hungry, fragrance, not going to bed at the same time every day

That's really interesting about travel sickness, it's not something I've ever been told by a doctor but very true for me that I suffered terrible travel sickness as a child.
Sometimes even a trip through aldis middle aisle can trigger my migraine. It's a pain because I can't take anything containing aspirin.

Apparently migraine is heavily genetic and linked to travel sickness.

😮

My DD is screwed and so are some of my friends' children.

I also jused to suffer from migraines, I used to drive a lot for work, but also used a computer for work, had my eyes checked on the Visual display Unit scheme from work (as it was know then) and discovered I had one short sighted eye and one long sighted, was told the migranes could have been caused by the stress of the eyes compensating for each other, hardly had any since wearing glasses and get my prescription tweaked every two years.

My optician is an old family friend so trusted him and the fact they have all but vanished.

What bull.

My migraines are mostly triggered by dehydration, electrolyte imbalance (dioralyte sometimes heads them off), extreme exhaustion, eye strain plus hormones.

I know eye strain is one trigger because they reduce when I enlarged the text on my phone screen and altered the brightness.

I’ve suffered from migraines since my teens and done quite a lot of research to try and work out what causes mine.

I watched a really interesting documentary about migraines and apparently it’s a complete myth that chocolate, cheese or wine are triggers.

The documentary said they are not triggers, but symptoms of the migraine. There are different stages to migraines and once the first stage of the migraine has set in, before the pain, some people will crave chocolate, cheese or wine, then once the pain starts they assume it was a trigger but it isn’t.

My personal main triggers are hormones and lack of sleep, because what I need when I’m tired is a 3 day migraine!

That sounds really horrible OP.

Have you got an independent optician near you? I appreciate they can be pricier and so might be out of the question but might be a better fit for you - then you can also build up a relationship with the optician and they’ll be able to monitor your eyes and symptoms more closely and see what works/what doesn’t over time.

This is exactly what I have!! I can see perfectly well without my glasses but one eye is always compensating for the other eye. I feel like instant relief when I put my glasses on and I realise how much my eyes are struggling!

Sometimes I'll forget to put my glasses on and then I'll feel a migraine coming and I'm running round the house like Thelma looking for my glasses!!

How odd. I went to the optician for the very same reason recently and the opthalmologist confirmed the difference in my eyes prescription will contribute to headaches because the eyes are constantly trying to correct themselves and focus. And let's face it, we don't need an ophthalmologist or a doctor to tell us that, common sense is enough. And, from the other point of view headaches and migraines can be caused by many more things than he has listed.
What a strange man.

That's truly awful and so unprofessional. Please tell me you're dumping this optician and demanding your money back for farcical test. I have optical migraine and my optician has suggested it's caused by flicker. She has them too and is sympathetic.

Don't go there again

I only get migraines from zoflora and bleach.

all backed up by the neurologist I recently saw for migraines.

pretty sure mine are hormone related, some smells can trigger them and strip Lighting/flashing lights. And weather pressure - this one is huge for me and is a thing according to my friendly neurologist.

make a complaint, he should t be spreading fake info like that whilst in his position.

then find another optician to visit

good luck, they are so individual that anything that works for you shouldn’t be dismissed.

What an arsehole! Eye strain can absolutely cause my migraines. Plus glasses that are too tight at the side or press in at the nose. Of his list I get hormonal and alcohol migraines, but not chocolate. As pp said, sugar craving is a prodrome symptom, probably not a trigger. I guess I must have made up all the migraines from dehydration, tiredness, stress, low blood sugar, sleeping in late, going to bed late, jet lag and ones that have no obvious trigger then.