Author Topic: Optical Symptoms - Migraines  (Read 39847 times)

Re: Optical Symptoms - Migraines
« Reply #25 on: 12 August, 2015, 11:15:16 am »
Interesting.  I get the optical disturbances occasionally, but never the pain.  It took me a while to work out what it was.

benborp

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Re: Optical Symptoms - Migraines
« Reply #26 on: 12 August, 2015, 11:56:03 am »
This is an eye-opener! I suffer from pretty much all of the mentioned symptoms when the neurological effects of my pernicious anaemia kick in. I get the added benefit of chromesthesia, fortunately this side of PA is painless and as I'm pretty far gone by this stage the visual disturbances and weird, rapid fire, mental associations help keep me entertained.

Is synesthesia ever involved in migraine?
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Paul

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Re: Optical Symptoms - Migraines
« Reply #27 on: 12 August, 2015, 01:48:21 pm »
Another rare sufferer here, and mine are all restricted now to a neon worm in (I think) my left eye. My first one was different, though. Light-headedness followed by the gradual loss of sight in my left eye. It was as though someone was pouring black ink into it, the darkness started at the bottom and then went up until I could only see a little bit at the top. Right eye was fine. Took a few hours to recover from that. Never had that again.
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Re: Optical Symptoms - Migraines
« Reply #28 on: 13 August, 2015, 05:02:23 pm »
I get full blown migraines. It starts with the eye aura as described above, a kind of flickering around a moving patch of light. This is often preceeded by a weak bladder although that might be coincidence, I've not worked it out yet.

I seem then to lose motor skills. I can be sat here typing at my desk and although I can focus on the keyboard - just - my fingers don't press the buttons I think I'm aiming at - which I've never known anyone describe. Another common addition is numb tongue or fingers on the opposite side of the eye aura.

Finally a full migraine hits and although I can sit up and don't need a dark room but I lose all strength and desire to eat anything. The answer tends to result in lying down and sleeping it off but I have a dull headache for the next two days.

It's happened once on my bike on the commute home and a cereal bar with plenty of sugar in it just about got me home - I always carry one now.

The doctor started off prescribing beta blockers to take every day to keep them off but I said that was ridiculous and I only got four per year. I'm now on Sumatriptan to take when the Aura starts and they are much better. I still feel a bit rubbish but I can usually cycle home or even finish my working day before having an early night.

Not had one for a while - must due soon now I've written all about it!
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Pedaldog.

  • Heedlessly impulsive, reckless, rash.
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Re: Optical Symptoms - Migraines
« Reply #29 on: 15 August, 2015, 11:21:45 pm »
Pizotifen is a "preventative"med' that's relatively new over here. I've heard some positive things about it and, as long as you don't mind taking a tablet on a daily basis, could be worth speaking to the Doc' about.
You touch my Coffee and I'll slap you so hard, even Google won't be able to find you!

Re: Optical Symptoms - Migraines
« Reply #30 on: 16 August, 2015, 07:25:17 pm »
I used to have migraines, had the tablets, injections and the best thing that worked for me was Indian head massage. As soon as I felt one coming on I would call a lady in the village that did this sort of thing and 9 times out of 10 it wouldn't get to be a full blown migraine, it worked for me.

Re: Optical Symptoms - Migraines
« Reply #31 on: 26 August, 2015, 09:02:10 pm »
Mrs 531st used to suffer from migraines and after much investigation by the local GP she was referred to a Heart specialist. He discovered a hole in her heart which he told us can be a cause of migraines, but worse a stroke.

After an initial panic "hole in the heart" sounded serious to me, he told us that something like 1 in 4 of us has a hole in the heart, we never know about it, lead perfectly normal lives and live to a ripe old age. However Mrs 531's was quite large and he could do something about it if we wanted.

A few weeks later and only under a local anaesthetic they inserted an umbrella type closure to the hole (inserted through a vein in the crotch) and she never had a migraine since.

I'm not saying this is the cause of all migraines and they acted on Mrs531's quickly because it was quite large and thus she was also at greater risk of having a stoke, but if your migraine is persistent get your GP to refer you. The test for a hole is very quick & simple and the procedure to correct it 'routine'.

barakta

  • Bastard lovechild of Yomiko Readman and Johnny 5
Re: Optical Symptoms - Migraines
« Reply #32 on: 26 August, 2015, 09:31:18 pm »
My first migraine was probably hemi-plegic in nature. I was 11 and my right hand side (my good hand/arm) went numb and I couldn't feel my fingers and kept dropping stuff during lunch time. I couldn't speak properly and I had a painful headache.  My mum happened to be in school for something and I managed to get someone to find her, she gave me paracetamol and took me home and let me sleep.

I have never had the numbness since but I get migraines from flickering CRTs below 80Hzish and flickering fluorescent lights. I won't be in a space with visibly to me flickering lights cos I've got about 5 mins before it'll make me very unwell. I can often perceive flicker that others cannot. 

I have complex/rare visual processing issues caused by the combo of 2 other rare issues which explains my sensitivity to flicker and other visual processing oddities. Migraines are simply an overload symptom I think.

HTFB

  • The Monkey and the Plywood Violin
Re: Optical Symptoms - Migraines
« Reply #33 on: 27 August, 2015, 07:56:21 am »
I have complex/rare visual processing issues caused by the combo of 2 other rare issues which explains my sensitivity to flicker and other visual processing oddities. Migraines are simply an overload symptom I think.
One trick I use is to close one eye, especially out of doors. Save yourself all that wearying rendition of your visual field into 3D!
Not especially helpful or mature

barakta

  • Bastard lovechild of Yomiko Readman and Johnny 5
Re: Optical Symptoms - Migraines
« Reply #34 on: 27 August, 2015, 08:34:21 am »
Ah, yes, "the old epileptic's trick" as it was introduced to me.  I do sometimes close one eye to cross a road so I know my vision 'shouldn't be double' (it still is when I'm tired cos weird).

And closing one eye is uncomfortable after a while so it's only really a short term "get myself out of flickery deth space".  I've walked out of meetings before now where they were just continuing with flickery light "This will give me a migraine, I can't be in here, *stands outside* carry on without me or we move"...

Re: Optical Symptoms - Migraines
« Reply #35 on: 03 September, 2015, 09:28:37 pm »
Pizotifen is not that new, think I had it more than 10 years ago.

I've had pretty much all the options available to the gp so I got sent to a pain clinic. I was in a.bit of a cluster of attacks so got prescribed beta blockers half strength and maxalt melt, rizatriptan IIRC to take as wafers when an attack.comes along. Apparently those wafers have some evidence that they get into your blood faster. For me my stomach kind of stops working so tablets just don't get through before I'm sick. Nasal sprays don't get into blood quicker but those wafers do.

Personally I think you need to learn how to manage them without any treatment since I've never really had anything that worked or helped significantly. I have never tried beta blockers despite getting the prescription made up. Heard too much from a nurse friend who got told scare stories from some doctors at the hospital. Handed them in to a pharmacist after I got home.

There's a respected migraine researcher, in the USA IIRC, who has migraines with aura.  He uses the aura to study what's going on with his attacks. His theory is that the aura is related to what is happening to the person.during the attack. They're always slightly different and always different for different people.

Pedaldog.

  • Heedlessly impulsive, reckless, rash.
  • The Madcap!
Re: Optical Symptoms - Migraines
« Reply #36 on: 04 September, 2015, 12:21:39 am »
I didn't realise the Pizotifen was in use for so long. the way I was told was as a "Possible new helper" but that might have meant "New£ to the person trying it. Did it help you at all TPMB?
You touch my Coffee and I'll slap you so hard, even Google won't be able to find you!

Re: Optical Symptoms - Migraines
« Reply #37 on: 04 September, 2015, 09:20:47 am »
There are a lot of people who take beta blockers so I think ruling them out on the basis of a couple of anecdotes is not the best way to make a decision.

Of the 5 different drugs I've been fed over the last year they have the second-least unpleasant side effects.
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Salvatore

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Re: Optical Symptoms - Migraines
« Reply #38 on: 04 September, 2015, 09:45:27 am »
A few years ago I made some sketches to record what was happening when my optical symptoms occurred. The neurologist I saw pointed me towards the sketches made by Hubert Airey in 1868 to showing his optical symptoms. I was amazed that his were just about identical. For me it started as a small spot in the centre and grew outwards - I described it at the time as looking like the coastline of Wales without Pembrokeshire.

Airey's sketches (mine differed in that they were black on white and I made six of them):



The 'visions' of Hildegard von Bingen (1098-1179) are thought by some to have been 'inspired' by migraine aura





 
Quote
et avec John, excellent lecteur de road-book, on s'en est sortis sans erreur

Salvatore

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Re: Optical Symptoms - Migraines
« Reply #39 on: 24 January, 2018, 06:00:04 pm »
And I'm currently experiencing migraine aura, probably the first time in more than a decade. A bit like this


It feels wrong to refer to it as migraine, because I don't get any headache or nausea, and it doesn't last more than 30 minutes or so. For me it's just a minor inconvenience, compared to what others suffer. But migraine is what the neurologist called it, and who am I to argue?

And in the time it's taken to compose this post, it's almost gone.
Quote
et avec John, excellent lecteur de road-book, on s'en est sortis sans erreur

barakta

  • Bastard lovechild of Yomiko Readman and Johnny 5
Re: Optical Symptoms - Migraines
« Reply #40 on: 24 January, 2018, 06:08:11 pm »
That's about as classic 'migraine' as you can get. Glad you don't get too much impact.

Migraine is a cascade of symptoms "fortification spectrum" and some people get more minor symptoms and not others. In my case I almost never get classic aura but I apparently have some symptoms most of the time. I don't get severe pain or photosensitivity either unless I'm on topiramate which was an attempt to medicate mine.

Re: Optical Symptoms - Migraines
« Reply #41 on: 24 January, 2018, 06:20:42 pm »
I had the spiky blue and yellow zigzag thing for the first time ever a few weeks ago.

I was rather disconcerted, but it went after half an hour or so

Me too. I thought "IM GOING BLIND"

Then I checked the internet, diagnosed myself*, covered my eyes with one of those things they give you on planes and noodled around on the guitar until it went away.

Haven't had another.

*well enough to know I probably wasn't going blind anyway

Re: Optical Symptoms - Migraines
« Reply #42 on: 24 January, 2018, 08:19:06 pm »
And I'm currently experiencing migraine aura, probably the first time in more than a decade. A bit like this
I've been having them for 5 or 6 years, maybe twice a year averaged out.
Just the visual aura like in the image, starting with a fuzzy spot and expanding out into an arc and off the edge of my vision over maybe 20 minutes, with another 10 minutes or so of feeling slightly odd on top.

Pretty worrying at first, until I did the hand over the eye and found it looked the same with both eyes. I worked out what it was after the 3rd or 4th time, having previously only associated migraine with headaches.

hellymedic

  • Just do it!
Re: Optical Symptoms - Migraines
« Reply #43 on: 24 January, 2018, 08:27:11 pm »
Some 40+ years ago, I returned home from a term at university and tried to read Young Brother's school report.
Only two letters of the Teacher's neat hand were in focus at a time.

I read aloud that *** is rather 'flapjack' in his efforts, confusing 'slapdash' with 'flapjack'.

I made my excuses and went up to bed.
I then had a pounding headache on the left, which wasn't too bad, really.

At that point I twigged what the problem was and was mighty relieved.

I've had a few repeats, usually without a headache.

Re: Optical Symptoms - Migraines
« Reply #44 on: 24 January, 2018, 08:38:46 pm »
I get no aura, but now have migraines almost every day. Triptans still manages the pain/nausea (most of the time). Seeing the neurologist again next week and are hoping for something else. Blood pressure meds has done nothing. (apart from lowering my blood pressure).

barakta

  • Bastard lovechild of Yomiko Readman and Johnny 5
Re: Optical Symptoms - Migraines
« Reply #45 on: 24 January, 2018, 09:05:41 pm »
Good luck. My headache clinic nurse has given me the protocols for 3 options, another anti epileptic, something which is supposed to be better than the beta blockers approach and a herbal/supplements option that I'd have to buy myself. When I've recovered from my lurg I'll visit my GP and have a chat about what next cos I've got a headache clinic appt review in 3 months and would like something else other than "topiramate was epic fail" attempted.

ian

Re: Optical Symptoms - Migraines
« Reply #46 on: 24 January, 2018, 10:54:41 pm »
I've only had three migraines ever (well spaced over my life) but with consistent symptoms, but one was last week with lots of visual swirliness and a strange feeling of dislocation that makes it feel like half my body isn't there (the right side). I lose the ability to read more than couple of letters and start to jumble words. It hit me last time when I was trying to type some instant messages to a colleague. Looking back at the history you can actually see the decline in my ability to type, I couldn't find the letters. I gave up in the end and went to lie down somewhere dark. It mostly goes leaving an epic headache that lingers for a day or so. Three times is probably three times too many, but it was pretty terrifying the first time it happened and I didn't know the symptoms.

hellymedic

  • Just do it!
Re: Optical Symptoms - Migraines
« Reply #47 on: 24 January, 2018, 11:51:17 pm »
There were some advantages to being a medical student, I suppose...

Sounds like ian and I had similar experiences.

I have also had Epic Puking episodes after some long journeys. I think these are said to be migrainous.1

1) 1/2/1989 Start new job in Lerwick, Shetland, having finished clinic at 17.00 31/1/89 at Addenbrooke's, Cambridge. With 10 pieces of luggage, I took:
Taxi from hospital to station,
Train from Cambridge to King's Cross,
Taxi from Kings Cross to Euston,
Sleeper Train from Euston to Aberdeen,
Taxi to Dyce,
Plane to Sumburgh
Bus to Lerwick
Taxi to GBH.

Had lunch with new colleagues.
Did a clinic.
Felt sick, vomited and blocked the sink in A&E...

Spent rest of day resting in darkened room...

Re: Optical Symptoms - Migraines
« Reply #48 on: 25 January, 2018, 12:23:17 am »
another anti epileptic
Looked that up. Side effects don't look like much fun.

barakta

  • Bastard lovechild of Yomiko Readman and Johnny 5
Re: Optical Symptoms - Migraines
« Reply #49 on: 25 January, 2018, 12:31:00 am »
Apparently when it works it's great! In my case it made my migraines 3-10x worse, severe photosensitivity and felt like there were aliens under my skin. My already trippy vision went super ghosty/persistenty which was actually scary.  I should have quit it sooner - but I kept hoping it'd settle down :/

Oh well, my migraine nurse has been lovely, answers emails really quickly and comprehensively.