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Migraine w/ visual disturbences...going on two and a half weeks
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MedHelp Member's Question

Migraine w/ visual disturbences...going on two and a half weeks

by SarahC87, Apr 19, 2007 12:00AM
Hi All, my name is Sarah and I’m 19 almost 20. Since about the first week of April I’ve had weird visual disturbances (floaters, flashes of light, big black spots) that have happened everyday (big black spots only sometimes). I’ve had 3 different opthomological (sp?) - eye exams and they have all said that my retina and everything looks completely normal and healthy, so they referred me back to my GP. My GP diagnose me with migraines and mentioned ocular migraines as a possible diagnoses. My mom and three of my aunts get migraines so this wasn’t a shocker. I’ve had a head CT and they said that everything was normal. The reason that I’m a bit skeptical w/ the diagnoses is because the flashes don’t seem to follow a pattern…like I don’t get a couple of flashes and then get a headache…that only happens sometimes. All of this is really freaking me out. I’m going to see a neurologist next week so I guess I’m just looking for a little guidance here. Is it unusual for migraines w/ visual disturbances to last for almost three weeks and the visual stuff happening everyday? Is there something else out there that would better explain what is happening? My GP mentioned stress and I have had a really crappy couple of months so she has me starting massage therapy this week too. Any advice would be greatly appreciated! Thanks so much,
Sarah
Doctor's Answer

by Forum-M.D.-SH, May 10, 2007 12:00AM
First of all, keep in mind that I am unable to diagnose you because I am unable to examine you, this forum is for educational purposes.
    Migraine headaches  can explain the symptoms that you describe, but there are also other possible explanations.  The visual arua of migraines can occur before, during or after a headache and can also occur without any headache.  There is no specific test to diagnose symptoms as migraines.  However the important thing is to make sure your symptoms are not due to a more ominous diagnosis that could also explain your symptoms such as brain tumor, seizure, vascular malformation etc.  I would suggest that you get an MRI of your brain with and without contrast (CT is not good enough).  I would also suggest that you get an EEG to evaluate for possible occipital lobe seizure.  Starting a prophylactic medication such as elavil, topamax, nadolol, verapamil, etc. can treat/eliminate your symptoms if related to migraine, and can also provide some information.
I hope this has been helpful.
Member Comments (9)

by alchris, Apr 19, 2007 12:00AM
Hello, do you get headaches at all, if not I guess I would agree with you about the mirgraine that is the major symptom among others.  Just like the rest of us Doctors always say stress I wonder if that is what they teach in medical school, being undiagnosed myself for quite a while I have to believe that stress is not the major factor especially when people describe their symtoms to a tee.  Yes stress can cause a lot of problems but if you continally read this site I myself cannot figure out how doctors continualy say stress is the problem to a majority of the people here.  To me it is upsetting especially when someone feels what they feel.  

by RunningL8, Apr 19, 2007 12:00AM
In the past few years, I've had a lot of problems with chronic migraine symptoms with visual disturbances.  Here are some things you can try:  1)  Stop all over the counter pain medication (e.g., Advil, Tylenol, aspirin, etc.) for at least a month.  I saw a neurologist who specializes in migraine, and she said you can get into a "rebound headache" pattern where you have a headache, so you take pain killers, and the pain killers actually make your pain receptors more sensitive, so soon the pain medicines are causing your headaches.  Once you are off the pain medicine completely for a month or more, ask your doctor about a very brief course of prednisone to break the migraine cycle (e.g., like a 5 day, decreasing dose of prednisone).  You can find more information on all of this online.  Doing these two things cleared up my migraines completely for several months; then I strained my back, started daily Advil again, and soon the migraine cycle started up again.  (Once you are off the pain killers you can take them 1 or 2 times per week for other problems, but never 2 days in a row.)  2)  Meanwhile, look up information online about taking magnesium and vitamin B2 as a migraine prevention; some people combine it with Feverfew, but the Feverfew bothered my allergies.  If you go to a health food store, you can probably find an herbal preparation that combines all three ingredients.  Again, I got this advice from a neurologist, and I do think it has helped me, although not as much as quitting the painkillers and the prednisone.

by mt2007, Apr 21, 2007 12:00AM
My daughter was diagnosed with migraines with focal auras, similair to what you are describing; however, she was not getting the full blown head aches, just the aura followed by a sharp pain in the back of the head.  Within a few weeks of that diagnosis she started to complain about pain in her eyes, color shifts and being dizzy.  As it turns out, she was not getting migraines, but having seizures that originate in the occipital lobe (controls vision).  I don't know if that is what is going on with you, but it might be worth checking out.  Her CT was normal, the found this with an EEG.  BTW, if you had asked me if it was possible that my daughter was having seizures, I would have said no.  I have never seen anything that I would attach to a seizure.  This could have easily been over looked.  

by Jane1, Apr 21, 2007 12:00AM
To: Sarah and Mt2007
I have been having these same symptoms recently most days too.  I was told it could be ocular migraine as well Sarah.  I had an MRI Scan a week ago and I am awaiting results,  the thing is I am older than you and I have suffered migraine in the past, regular aura related migraine, horrible visual disturbance that lasts about 20 minuts and then a roaring headache, but now it is just the flashes, and black spots and on some occaisions a head like tremor shake feeling - Mt2007 your child's diagnosis of seizures is awful for them, but I can relate to a sudden vibrating that from an onlooker does not look like a seizure.
Maybe the spots and flashes cause this I don't know. Opthalmic Migraines don't always come with a headache.  You can just get the zig zag lights and bright orbs that seem to stay in your vision and cause disturbances.  
In someways for me this version of migraine, if it is that, is more disturbing than the regular headache one.  Another aside my eyesight is getting poorer, so maybe glasses will help?

J


by SarahC87, Apr 22, 2007 12:00AM
Thanks so much for the responses...you've all given me a lot of really good questions to ask. And, although I am sorry that you have all had to go through all this hellish medical stuff, I'm glad I'm not alone. I never thought that I would be excited to go see a doctor before but i have to tell you all that I'm excited to go see the neurologist this week...hopefully I'll get a final diagnoses.

I do have one more question though: what are the odds that allergies (in the air like pollen, not food) could cause these types of symptoms? where i live the news is reporting that since about mid march the allergy season is worse than it ever has been and my mom, who is a frequent allegy sufferer and dad who has never had allergies before, are both really hurting. Could I be suffering from allergies and have the symptoms like i described and not even know tha they are allergies???