Migraine Auras?

[TromboneAl]

Any of you get these? I've had about ten of them in the last twenty years. I've had a cluster of them recently, and I'm having a big one now.

One happened a few days ago when at 11,000 feet. The next day, to show my daughter what they're like, I loaded this video (which is quite accurate):

When I watched it, bang, I got another one.

At the start, my fovea is blanked out and I can't read. I have to have faith that it will go away, and it always does.

Luckily, I don't get the actual migraines, as do two of my sisters.

From this ER forum, I see that I had my first one around 2006:

http://www.early-retirement.org/forums/f27/anyone-have-occular-migraines-22429.html#post415121

 

[ivinsfan]

In the interest of public safety I suggest your remove the migraine causing video....I bet you won't be watching that again. Sometimes migraines can be caused by flashing tv shows or certain type video games.

 

[REWahoo]

Yep, I get ocular migraines frequently, had one yesterday. The first time I had one it scared the bejeebers out of me - had no idea what was happening. My oldest daughter has them as well.

No headache associated with them, thankfully.

 

[littleb]

My migraines started as a child and ended in my 30's when I changed jobs. Not only did I get the auras but also numbness on one side of my body, Aphasia which is difficulty understanding language or expressing words, slurred speech and vomiting. These symptoms are similar to symptoms when having a stroke.

The migraines returned 4-5 years ago with milder symptoms which include the flashing lights and feeling out of sorts. They only occurred when I was running, cycling or hiking. The doctor said it was exercise induced ocular migraines which he also got while exercising.

 

[Redbugdave]

I used to have them on occasion in the past. Funny thing...I have been retired nearly 4 years and have not had one since I retired. I used to get the funny rotating squarish neon light things with a migraine, too.

 

[Happyras]

I have had them on and off for my whole life. I always wondered if they were related to a rapid change in blood pressure, or whether one caused the other to change. Rarely, I have had a severe head ache, but mostly it passes without one thankfully.

 

[MRG]

Never knew of them, thankfully I don't get them. I did have chronic "clusters headaches", AKA suicide headaches. They were not any fun at all.

I've only identified one physical cause, when I'd lost a piece of dental work. I believe stress was part of the reason. Haven't had one since Megacorp days.

 

[haha]

My girlfriend has had these. She gets some help from dietary restrictions, but it seems kind of difficult.

Ha

 

[ocean view]

When I turned 30 I started to get this type of migraine. Luckily, by tracking my diet I was able to identify my trigger, which was sugar and eliminate them. Now I only eat sugary foods with a full meal. It’s probably been 20 years since my last event.

 

[jim584672]

I had one a few years ago, I thought I was having a stroke. My vision was strobing and flashing and numb in my hand. Went to the doc who sent me to a neurologist. CT scan of the brain was inconclusive.

About a year ago I had another, this time it was caused by artificial sweetener. Finally figured out it was an ocular migraine. Strange because I have no headache when it happens.

 

[Peter]

I get them too. Generally they fade away after 1/2 hour or so. If at all possible, I lie down and close my eyes until the visual effects pass.

Years ago I used to get a spitting headache as well. Fortunately that doesn't happen any more.

From the responses here, it looks as if 'silent migraines' are pretty common!

 

[O2Bfree]

I've had one of those. It started as a neon green crescent that spread to a doughnut shape partially blocking my vision. I could see around it and through the middle. No pain, but afterwards I felt a little weak and tired. It happened in the locker room after a workout, so maybe it was triggered by changes in blood pressure or blood sugar. One name for these is scintillating scotoma, though mine didn't exactly scintillate, it just glowed bright green.

 

[SheitlQueen]

I get them occasionally, but mine are much more dramatic than that. The last one looked like a circle of piano keys flashing off and on. Other times they are the expanding zig zag pattern with dramatic expansion and light changes.

I used to get the headaches but they have gone away in recent years and I don't mind the ocular effects since I know what they are. Sometimes they are even entertaining

 

[Ian S]

I get them usually once or twice a year. Really scared me the first time. Mine are invariably of the shimmering chevron variety if that makes sense to anyone. No headaches with them fortunately. Here's what mine look like only not as colorful:

 

[Dancer373]

I had one once. Extreme headache, light flashes, the slightest noise hurt my head. I had to stay in a dark room until the doctor had me come to the hospital. After tests it was concluded that is was caused by a bursted blood vessel. My friend has migraines which are brought on by chocolate.

 

[LOL!]

I get migraine auras, but not like the videos. I would describe them more like the reflection of sunlight off of rippling water projected up to be seen on the underside of a bridge. Vaguely like this:

I remember my very first one during a geometry exam. I just put my head down and went to sleep.

 

[JoeWras]

I get them usually once or twice a year. Really scared me the first time. Mine are invariably of the shimmering chevron variety if that makes sense to anyone. No headaches with them fortunately. Here's what mine look like only not as colorful:

EXACTLY! Just one time in life for me. I was at the computer and got it, figuring it was a stroke, but typed "Seeing flashing chevrons" in google and self diagnosed something less severe.

Hope to not have one again.

 

[Bamaman]

My 10 year old grandson had one Friday night. His eyesight went black for 30 seconds. Then colors left him for an hour or so. Red looked silver.

Hasn't had one since after we kept him quiet all weekend.

 

[nvestysly]

I have had what I believe are migraines in the past. My own diagnosis - not a doctor opinion. Used to have them a few times a year when I was w*rking. After FIRE I think I've only had two or three in six years and they are much lower intensity than when I had a j*b.

In the scheme of things mine were relatively mild. My auras were like halos - kind of cloudy/milky vision all around and somewhat normal vision in the center. The associated headache would be pretty intense and even cause some queasy feeling in my stomach.

The solution for me was to take two migraine pain reliever tablets - combination aspirin & caffeine. That knocked it out completely or at least made it manageable.

 

[msieweke]

I had these a couple of times a month in 2010/2011. Usually it was a lightning bolt through my vision, occasionally spreading out into a ball of lightning. Occasionally it showed as tunnel vision surrounded by a ring of sparkles/lightning. They mostly went away after I started supplementing magnesium. Now I get one once or twice a year if I get dehydrated.

 

[homestead]

My daughter used to get bad migraines as many as 3 a week. She said they went away
after she started earthing/grounding while sleeping on conductive sheets connected
to earth ground.

 

[MarieIG]

I started them as a teenager. I didn't know what they were. I would think I've got a headache so bad I can see it. . . In addition to the visual and head pain, I would become sensitive to light and would get very nauseous or vomit.

They reached a crescendo when my mother was terminally ill.

I haven't had one in a while now, although I do get frequent headaches.

 

[marko]

I had the auras followed by bad headaches when I was a kid (11-12) and they went away. This past August (age 65) they came back for the first time in 50 years

I also get something called "silent migraines" which can have all the symptoms (nausea, auras, vomiting, noise/light sensitivity) without the headache. Stress seems to be my trigger--and chocolate. Acupuncture seems to help a lot.

 

[marko]

My daughter used to get bad migraines as many as 3 a week. She said they went away
after she started earthing/grounding while sleeping on conductive sheets connected
to earth ground.

Well, this is interesting.

The big thing my acupuncturist has been telling me for 10 years is that "everything wants to go up" with me and that I need to "send things down to the earth". It is 'acupuncture speak' so I'm not always tuned into what she means, but...interesting.

 

[deskpilot]

I've been getting auras without headache for 40 years. I've gotten 2 in a row a number of times.

For me, magnesium is a miracle cure. When I started taking Nexium, which can lower magnesium, my auras increased to 2-3 per week. This went on for a few years and interfered with working and driving.

Once I started magnesium supplements, the auras went back to 1-2 per month as they had been my whole life.