Bizarre neurological symptoms no doctor can solve yet...

Hi! Well, here goes... this post actually belongs with neurology topics, so here it is. A few months ago, I started seeing something that looked kind of like a visual migraine aura. It was a lot more noticeable in my left eye at first, but it was in both eyes. A month and a half ago, it became much more noticeable in my right eye. I went to the Casey Eye Institute right away (because I do have actual eye problems, including non-age-related macular problems.) However, they did every conceivable kind of exam, including a dye-enhanced angiogram, and then said that the pre-existing problems I already had were basically stable and just did not explain my current symptoms at all. So essentially, what was going on consisted of visual *symptoms*, but they didn't think it was happening in the eyes.

To explain that more fully, my visual symptoms look like a cross between a visual migraine aura in its earlier stages and an afterimage (like what you'd see after looking at a bright image.) There is a large spot in front of BOTH eyes, although the spots are differently shaped for each eye. They are bright for a brief amount of time with my eyes closed. With them open, they are only visible as distinct and clear shapes when squinting. With eyes open, then they're kind of... both darker and bright and incandescent at the same time. The best analogy I can think of is the purplish UV  lights used to grow plants, although they're brighter than that. Also, the centers "sizzle or "scintillate", which is what really makes me think of a visual migraine, and there is a sizzling spot in my left field of vision.. They REALLY interfere with vision, making everything fuzzy and wavy (and yes, I was checked to see if the macular problems were getting worse-- that wasn't it at all.) All of this is constant.  I've had three migraines in the past month and a half, which is a lot and way above normal, but I haven't had a constant migraine, either.

Just a little under a month after the symptoms became really noticeable, they suddenly got a little worse. I went to an immediate care center, where the doctor said that he'd never seen anything like this in seventeen years of practice. He gave me a referral to a neurologist because he thought that was likely to be the basis of whatever was actually going on. I had basic neurology tests done last week and the neurologist said I passed those (walking a straight line, touching your knee with your heel, touching nose with eyes closed, etc.), so he didn't think the problem was anything immediately and clearly obvious. However, he also said that in his opinion, whatever was going on was neurologically based in some way (rather than an eye problem.) I had an EEG and enhanced MRI done, and I'll get the results back this week.

So..., does anything here ring a bell with anyone, in any way? It certainly is kine of like a migraine aura that's been going on nonstop for months, but it really is also a little like permanent retinal afterimages in both eyes. I'm definitely having more migraines than usual, but not constantly. There is no doubt that it did get worse that one time right after a migraine and it has not gotten better. Also, I've been under TONS of stress, but would that be enough to cause it? All opinions welcome. :)

[ggreg]

The MRI will be helpful in determining if anything is going on in the brain (if they did a brain MRI) or perhaps any obstruction or problem with the eyes themselves.  My only thought is if you are indeed having a migraine aura of some kind, then you probably need to be on some kind of good migraine medicine.  But what bothers me is your vision really goes down to practically legally blind, I mean, if you were driving and this happened, it might create some dangerous problems for you trying to see.  I do know that stress can trigger migraines, among other things, so if nothing shows up on the MRI, you can ask the neuro to give you some aggressive treatment for migraines, and also to determine if your vision needs further investigation and perhaps some sort of disability rating based on you losing your vision for periods of time.  You may wish to wear sunglasses around, MIGHT lessen the intensity of your visuals, I don't really know, but they have some that darken when it gets light out so that they are not dark all the time.  Well, let us know what the doc says when you get the MRI results, you should have an appointment with your neuro so he will go over the results with you, because you won't be able to understand what the report says on your own.