Ocular migraine

I have had occular migraines for about five years now. I cannot pinpoint a reason - I rarely get them when on holiday but then as soon as I get home they come very frequently - sometimes every other day or every day for three days and then a break of a week. The weird thing is that each time I get a few for that particular time span they are at the same time! They happen whether I am stressed or not; in the sun or not or whatever. I have been tested and nothing found to be wrong.

I had a zig zag one this morning. The first time I had one I was terrified but I read that as long as they don’t last long it’s nothing to worry about. This morning I’d taken off my glasses and walked outside into brightness. Thankfully I had a medical appointment but DH was driving.

I started having these after the menopause. I have never had migraine previously.

It is mainly zig zags and sometimes small blind spots. I never get a headache afterwards but this may be because I take ibuprofen as soon as the zig zags start. I read something on the internet which said if you took the painkiller straight away it would mean you wouldn't get the headache.

The zig zags last about 30 minutes but I feel a bit odd afterwards and get tingling hands and tongue sometimes.

Mine seems to be set off by bright light or fluorescent lights. I will have two or three episodes in a month and then nothing for months.

As another posters said, I think it can be a combination of more than one thing. I seem to be worse if I am tired or run down.

I get these frequently but almost always they are followed by a debilitating migraine headache. Last month I had eight in six days, hard to manage when it’s like that but I cope. It only becomes a chronic issue if you get 15 a month. I guess sometimes I do get that. Mine is triggered by flickering light (imagine driving down a country lane in the autumn as you pass the trees the light flickers and a visual migraine will occur for sure. Air pressure changes cause it, dehydration too. Mine has got a lot worse as I’ve got older.

I was given pills by the dr to take as soon as it starts . But I’ve never had them to hand so haven’t tried them yet

I have to be careful when driving past a row of trees, if the sun is shining through them. This “flashing” effect is very likely to make the vision in my left eye practically disappear, to be replaced with what looks like a spiky, bright silver bracelet to the outside edge of my eye. There was such a row of trees local to me, but they have been chopped down for a new development, which was sad, but convenient for me in this regard! I could usually stave off the unwanted effect by shielding my eye with a cupped hand. Occasionally stress or prolonged computer use will bring on an attack, as well.

I have had migraine since childhood. Cigarette smoke triggered them then, and library searching when wearing contact lenses when I was at university, but that apart there is connection between migraine and triggers.

Since the menopause, as others say, the pain is far less, mine have also become very random. Until the menopause, I would have the same kind of migraine, ocular, severe but not to often for decades at a time, but since the menopause ocular migraine has returned, vestibular migraine, extreme nausea, you mention it, I have had it.

I was woken from sleep one night last week with the familiar one sided pain. No triggers, took my usual medication and it had gone by evening. heven't had a migraine like for about 20 years.

Oh, I forgot I also seem to have developed an aversion to bright lights, and sun shining through a window.

I started having these last year. I see very bright stars in crescent shapes and experience a sharp pain over my left eye. As others have said, it is rather pretty and lasts for about 15 minutes. Oddly, it only seems to happen during the evening, and fortunately never when I am driving. I seem to sense when it is about to happen, so if I was driving I would have time to pull over. I have seen an optician who referred me to the eye department of our local hospital and the consultant was concerned that the pulse at the side of my eye or thereabouts was very weak, so she sent me for a scan, but nothing nasty showed up. They whole thing was left in abeyance to see whether it got more frequent. It didn’t and has stayed at irregular intervals.

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Since I started on ramipril for slightly raised blood pressure I haven't had any attacks.

Anyone found a treatment that works for ocular migraines,. Getting about one a week at the moment. Can only attribute them to anxiety. ? Cannot find another trigger. Am beginning to be afraid to go out anywhere. GP HAS NO ANSWERS.

I get them too.

I used to get full blown, terrible terrible migraines as a child, then I went years with nothing.

At just before menopause, I'd say, the ocular ones started.

It's the most disconcerting feeling, however many times it happens.

I always have a sickening feeling of dread, too, in case it will turn into a full blown version.

They're horrible. I get them with stress and also bright lights. Stupidly I looked at a bright torchlight and instantly my vision was affected. The only thing to do is to sit down quietly for 20 minutes with eyes closed. Then it normally passes. However I did drink a very strong black coffee after a zigzag a week or so ago and was almost immediately better. Later I read that coffee can affect people in different ways - in some it can cause migraine and in others it can make it go away. Very odd.

I had them when I was very distressed over something. When I became happier I did not get them at all. It's been a while now, but the last time it happened I was frightened because I had to walk home and couldn't see well.

Thank you all. Mine are in both eyes and I think it must be down to stress.

I have had it once, just before covid. I thought some one had put something in my food, vision was out of focus and couldn’t get my balance. Fortunately I wasn’t driving. I have never had it since. The ophthalmologist didn’t think it was urgent, when I phoned and the following week when my appointment was due I canceled it because although I had the right to go it was lockdown and I thought it was too dangerous at the time.

I describe mine (both eyes) as being like wriggling glass worms that obscure the visual field for half an hour or so, followed by a ghost of a headache. No obvious trigger bar low winter sunshine which can be hard to avoid.

Yes, I get those too. No headache or other symptoms and it goes after about 30 mins to an hour. I o ly get them occasionally and have no idea of the triggers.

Ellie Anne, I get them since the menopause too - much better than the classic ones I had before, though. I had my eyes checked, just in case - and my male optician gets them too.

Christmas lights set them off, along with screens, stress - even car lights if I travel. I get zig-zag flashing, semi-circular rainbows (still there when I close my eyes) for about 20 minutes.

They grow and move across my vision, from right to left - pretty annoying, but nothing compared to the previous sickness and extreme headache that only a long sleep would help with.

Shysal thank goodness for posts like these or people would freak out if it happened to them!

I also have these episodes of scintillating scotoma, sometimes brought on by facing a bright light. My optician said not to worry, which I didn't anyway. As BlueSky describes, mine are always in both eyes too.

PS actually ours are ‘Visual Migranes’ as they affect both eyes rather than just one as in Ocular Migrane, which is rarer and more serious.

I get them occasionally - recently I had three almost at once but nothing since. I put it down to stress.

Same here visual disturbances with coloured zig zag lights, lasting approx 15 mins, no migrane. I actually self diagnosed myself through dr Google, then mentioned it to the optician who confirmed. I’ve had them for many years, starting when I was working and couldn’t see the keyboard.