Occular migraines/zig zags in vision

[Mrstiggywinkle44]

Do any of you get these attacks??
I'm 44 and very peri menopausal and this new horribleness started this year. Had 3 "attacks" now where I get zig zag fluttering in vision, feel extremely drained and emotional afterwards. I don't get any head pain

Gp said classic occular migraine which is a type of aura migraine without the severe headache. He sent me for a visual scan at the opticians to double check and all fine.

They are horrible and really make you feel wiped out afterwards
Still need to work out my triggers. Tmi but I did pinpoint the last 2 attacks came on after sex, I got the zig zagging about 15 mins after so I'm guessing it's blood vessel related???

Anyone else get these??

Mine started about 10yrs ago in early 30's. I think I read its a vein spasming, and unless its happening whilst at the opticians where they might see something, its generally only diagnosed from symptom description.

I get them rarely, anything from twice to 5x a year. I kept a diary and tried to note where in my cycle I was, any meds I was taking, was I wearing my glasses or contacts that day, any stressors that day, different foods etc. I could find absolutely no cause or triggers!

Thankfully, mine only last minutes. I generally try to stop what I'm doing, as find them a bit disorientating if driving, cooking, working etc. Strangely, I had one last week- and its the 1st I can recall in maybe a year. This one lasted 15mins though, so maybe I'm peri now too!

They’re called scintillating scotomas.

I’ve had them since I was in my 20s. Never had a headache with it but get the numb hands/face and hungover feeling.

My GP took me off of hormonal contraception after I had my first, so I’m thinking there’s a clinical link.

I had one yesterday for the first time in a few years. It only lasted for 10 minutes but I was drained and achy all day and into today. Weird. Peri/virus for me I think.

@LokiDokiArtichoki you can't be in medication containing oestrogen if you have them due to increased stroke risk.

I've been having them for about 20 years (I'm 45, not in peri yet) so they don't seem to be menopause related for me.
I hate them. I think they are triggered by bright light for me, though it's interesting what someone said upthread that what you think is a trigger could be a symptom.
If I'm able to, I can lie down and close my eyes and it'll pass in 15mins or so. I'm usually left feeling a bit sick, headachey and drained.
I had one last month that went on and on. I was out for the day and so couldn't lie down or even go somewhere quiet and it just kept coming back again and again. I was exhausted and in tears by the end of the day.

This. I had to come off the combined pill when I started getting these for this reason. I am now peri and do worry about my HRT options if I can't take oestrogen.

I've never heard the post-attack effect described as a hangover but that's exactly how it feels.

Same, so if there's two of us does that make it less weird?!

I get one maybe every 6 months or so, and I do sometimes get a headache and feel a bit queasy afterwards, but nothing like some of the other posters, who have such horrible symptoms.

This describes mine 100%. So scary. Mine are either triggered by bright sunlight (I now wear sunglasses even to put something in the outdoor bin in winter during daylight) but most often by stress. Usually just after the stressful situation has passed, eg, after a deadline. Not fun!
Getting sumatriptan prescribed by the GP is lifechanging. Changes the headache from 'I want to die' and needing a full day in bed in agony to a mild headache and needing to lie down for 30 mins or so. I still have all the other symptoms, but minimal pain. It's a horrible thing!

I have had a handful of these attacks and they are just awful, so very very scary!

what I get most often are silent migraines. Dizziness, confusion, nausea, snappy, agitated, emotional and they last for days. Starts with feeling lightheaded and exhausted for a day or two, then very emotional and nauseas / on edge, then a day of having a headache and feeling very fuzzy. They are stress and hormone triggered for me, and if I don’t take care of myself during a silent migraine period then it blows into a full ocular migraine. Oh and poor sleep, huge trigger too.

Thank you all! I didn't realise they were so common but it's reassuring I'm not on my own. im sorry you are all having issues with them. A few of you have mentioned the talking gibberish and confusion afterwards this is the most disturbing part for me I get with them it's awful.

Will be taking some of the advice mentioned thank you. After the last one I have been prescribed sumitriptan by the doctor but yet to try one as touch wood not had another yet, he did say they won't take the visual disturbances away but may stop the after effects, xx

This is really interesting as I'm not on HRT yet but getting awful peri symptoms, reluctant to try it but now even more so xxx

I'm now quite concerned as I started getting these after starting HRT. But it's not mentioned in the side effects and wasn't asked about when I was assessed for it!

I get them every now and then. No obvious triggers. I'm menopausal and on HRT which helps other symptoms but hasn't had a positive or negative impact on the ocular migraines. They are discombobulating but at least they aren't like the excruciating pain / vomiting / tunnel vision migraines I used to have.

Bright light sets mine off.

bastarding things

I used to suffer migraines terribly, but thankfully this has eased right up. I used to need prescription meds and had a fair few sick days as a result as even the meds made me feel bad. At it's worst I had them daily for a few months. I would sometimes get an actual headache, on a small number of occassions I felt queasy but usually it was just the discombobulation and blindness and the pics above are perfect descriptions of how they'd start for me. When not on the prescription meds I found this combination helped - something to thin the blood (a low dose aspirin), something to reduce inflamation of the blood vessels (a low dose ibuprofen) and something to speed up blood flow (caffiene) along with some gentle stretches to also increases circulation helped a lot.

Like I said, I never really get them nowadays, but I'm still wary of bright lights, strobe lights, all my tech is set to the lowest brightness. Hope you get ahold of yours soon.

I have had migraines with aura for 40 yrs. I've had to take beta blockers on lots of occasions to break cycles of daily migraines. This condition has ruled my life on and off.

I'm not sure it's true that you can't have oestrogen. It may be coincidence but my migraines have stopped since I was prescribed it. My blood pressure is also lower. (Also, my hair is much thicker.)

I know I'm sensitive to progesterone - I know that makes my migraines worse.

But my GP didn't hesitate to prescribe oestrogen gel - she wasn't surprised when I told her about that 'side effect' when I had a check up and was pleasantly surprised that my blood pressure and my weight were lower readings.

I am am very grateful for the benefits of oestrogen.

I did wonder this - my last one felt like it was the bright sun on white washing that triggered it but I wondered if I just noticed the brightness more as I was already sensitive

My triggers are stress or tiredness. I find eating a banana helps, probably due to the potassium. What I didn’t realise for years is that I sometimes get them in my sleep. I’d wake up with that hungover feeling an not understand it, until one night DH woke me up getting up to the loo, and it was like fireworks in front of my eyes.

I have occasional occular migraines but have suffered migraines for years which are hormonal. The occulad ones, or at least the very bad ones which come out of nowhere/aren't part of the hormonal pattern are caused by dehydration. If i have a busy day where I barely drink anything I will get a migraine.

Triptans worked well for me and if I feel one starting I have ibuprofen, a cup of coffee and something very sugary before lying down. The lying down bit has proved difficult since having dc!

My GP was happy for me to continue HRT.

Thanks all
regarding the hrt its something to bare in mind for me, I appreciate everyone is different and have positive outcomes using it which are good to read.

The weird thing for me is I'm so stressed at the moment but not had one yet, the only 2 triggers so far I can put it down to is poss dehydration and nookie but im really making a note of everything now so hoping to identify more if it happens again xx

I was prone to these until I started taking desogestrel (mini pill).

I get these too, have had them on and off since I was a teen. I’ve never managed to pin down any particular trigger for mine.

I get a blind spot which then moves into a flashing zig zag crescent on one side of my vision. Luckily I don’t get a headache with it but it does make me feel very spaced out for the rest of the day. I just have to lie down with my eyes shut when mine come on and wait for the visual disturbance to pass (and then just feel shit for the rest of the day).

Luckily (touch wood) it doesn’t happen very often now but not knowing what causes it is a bit annoying as it means I can’t do anything to try and avoid them happening.

I get them and they are mostly hormonal with me, I get them around about when my period is due and half way through my cycle as well. Occasionally I will get random ones when I’m tired, haven’t eaten or because of bright lights. I also get the numb arm and tingling and the strange speech. l also struggle to write a text to let my husband know I have one again, can’t work out what order to put the words in.
The gp gave me maxalt melts which contain triptans. They work by relaxing nerves to increase blood flow or some such thing 😊. If you take one as soon as the flashing starts it can help (but oddly not always).
A big glass of lemon water, some really salty crisps and a sleep help me the most

I get them. I know they’re coming because I get a “deja vu” thing a few hours before. I get face numbness and can’t think straight. I just go to bed, drink lots of fluids and wait for it to pass. I have no idea what triggers them. They’re no better or worse when on HRT. I had them the most in late pregnancy.