flashing lights in eyes

Question

what do you do if the headache&flashing lights last for 5 days?

mkh9 · Answer

Yes it can tell if you have migraines or not. It shows the electrical activity of the brain. If it is too high and a certain pattern you will either have migraine , seizure or normal brain activity. so you should definitely call. They may want you to go in for the results though. If it is positive you can get a prescription at the same time. But sometimes they are sticklers for not giving results by phone. It is worth a try.
mkh9

Invida · Answer

Thank you for the information. :) Can you tell me anything about how an EEG can show if it's migraines or not? I had an EEG months ago and nobody ever told me the results. Maybe I can talk to the neurologist about it to help narrow done what's really happening. Thank you for any help. I appreciate it so much.

mkh9 · Answer

See the post I just sent to depression 868 regarding torn retina. I assume the opthamologist cleared you or looked at your retina too? I hope so.
take care,
mkh9

mkh9 · Answer

Hi, In addition to what I wrote above, regarding migraines and flashing lights I saw this regarding the retina and flashing lights. 
 When the vitreous gel inside your eye rubs or pulls on the retina, you may see what looks like flashing lights or lightening streaks. You may have experienced this sensation if you have ever been hit in the eye and see "stars."

These flashes of light can appear off and on for several weeks or months. As we grow older, it is more common to experience flashes. If you notice the sudden appearance of flashes, you should visit your ophthalmologist immediately because it could mean that the retina has been torn.

So, you should make sure to also get your eyes checked by an opthamologist too.
mkh9

mkh9 · Answer

See last message. Also, regarding the headaches. I don't get many migraines. I only have about 2 per month average and haven't seen a change in that. If I get one I take Ibuprofen or Imitrex (sumatriptans) to stop them. I don't know how well it works for the headaches. I also take slomag which has both calcium and magnesium in it. My neurologist is a migriane specialist and she wants me to take 500mg of magnesium too a day too and the calcium is a good supplement instead of getting it elsewhere.  It is kind of expensive. It is about $10.00 a months supply.  There are other meds if these don't work for you like Depakote (which is a anti-seizure med) but so is Topiramate. A lot of the migraine treatments are for both seizure and migraine except the sumatriptans.
mkh9

mkh9 · Answer

The Topamax totally took away the vertigo I had and the double vision. Most of the flying lights (little dashing lights) went away too but I get a few of them. The vertigo I would fall every time. It was awful and I couldn't see with the double vision. I get a rumbling in my ear most of the time but not all and then I get a tiny bit of swirling for about 10 seconds but don't feel like falling now with the Topamax. The main problem is pulling out words It makes it hard to pull out a particular word even though my memory is good. Also, it makes you tired at first and then still somewhat tired even after you get used to it. But the first 2 to 3 weeks you feel very fatigued then that goes away. Because of the problem with word retrieval I am now on Trokendi which is extended release Topamax. So, it is less hard on the word retrival but makes me more tired. But I think I am used to it now too. I had to use three 25 mg once a day since they don't have a 75mg pill of Trokendi. They do have a discount card for new users that lasts a year then my insurance pays most of it but I have a $50.00 a month co-pay. I don't know if you have insurance but you might check into it. With the discount card you pay $5.00 but for me I pay $15.00 after my insurance co-pay.  You have to see if your eye doctor says you have a rare type of glacoma or that you could get it called secondary angle closure glacoma. I think if you have to get your eyes checked in the first month or two after taking it to make sure you are ok with this.  And, you have to drink 8 glasses of water/tea or fluids a day to stay hydrated to avoid acidosis. I haven't had a problem with that and I do make sure to drink a lot of water or tea.
mkh9

Invida · Answer

Hi. :) Thank you for replying. I hope you're doing well. How is Topamax for you? Did you have any side effects? My flashing and visual symptoms have been pretty much constant for several months. They don't go away and neither does the pain in my head. I've been to an ophthalmologist twice and the neurologist sent me to a neuro ophthalmologist. He found that my optic nerves are a little elevated and thought I might have IIH even though I'm not over weight, but since I had an LP and my pressures were normal, he told me he couldn't tell me what's wrong and to go back to the neurologist. I just wish someone could tell me what this is. I'm scared.

mkh9 · Answer

Well, the aura usually does go away and comes back with the next migriane headache. Although some people get a migriane headache every day so it would follow that you might get an aura every day and not the headache. If you haven't been to an Opthamologist yet I would see one just in case to rule out eye problems because some retinal and other eye problems may do this kind of thing. If the eye doctor says your eyes are ok after looking at the back of your eyes then I would see a neurologist. I have double vision, vertigo and flying lights as well as the aura (that are not every day) but the flying lights are every day. They are not constant though. The vertigo and double vision come on all of a sudden and are not every day. I have seen an eye doctor and and ENT to rule out eye problems and Meniers disease and my neurologist says I have a migraine variant. I take Imitrex or Ibuprofen for the pain when I get headaches but the flying lights, vertigo and double vision almost went away with taking Topiramate. All the other drugs I tried didn't work for this. I do think you need to rule out the eye problem though to make sure.
mkh9

Invida · Answer

I've had the flashing for months. Migraine has been brought up, but the pain I have doesn't seem to fit migraine pain that I know about and wouldn't the aura go away?

mkh9 · Answer

I have the same thing, migraines with auras, but also the flying lights and vertigo at times and sometimes double vision yuk. I saw both a neurologist and eye doc and they both said migraine.  I think we are in the same club!
mkh9

Billyboyboo · Answer

I have this! The flashing lights [[[8]]]  They go and go.. I thought maybe it was stress !!! I lay down and meditate on it and mine goes for a while. I have had them for hours and days sometimes with vertigo... not fun.
I think it is migraine related because I have had migraine headaches not far after seeing these. I would def. check with the doctor about what's going on. 
It could be different things.. also the retina, maybe ???

Good luck.

mkh9 · Answer

I have the same thing migraine headaches and lights that fly across my vision. The neurologist said it was migraine related visuals like an aura. Have you been tested for migraines? I would see a neurologist first and they can do an electroencephalogram to see the brain waves and if they have the pattern of a migraine they can give you meds for this. But I would also see an opthamologist to rule out that it isn't retinal related. Do the lights flash on and off and are there all the time or are they pinpoints of light that fly across your vision and come and go? if the first it could be retinal if the second probably migraine related. I suspect it is migriane related. I went to both docs and they both said migraine. I am on a drug called cyproheptadine (generic name) that is supposed to lessen the number of migrianes and migraine visuals but it makes you tired. You take it at night and sleep very well but it does make you tired during the day too. Although you get used to it. If they don't bother you then you don't have to take any meds. Are your headaches on one side of the head? I also take Imitrex for the bad headaches and Ibupropin for the lesser ones. Migraines can be for days. My neighbor has them every day and finally found that there were certain triggers for hers. I can't eat MSG, red wine, sulfites and sulfur dioxide (preservative in dried fruit), and flashing lights or certain types of light will trigger mine too. Let me know how it goes ok?

jen0479 · Answer

Have you been to the doctor, and is it flashes of light or like little spots of light that move around cause if it is then its probably blood pressure are you having any other symptoms. Not to be rude but there's something my sister has but are you over weight? Cause if so my sister is and at one time she started having the same symptoms plus back pain and she had built up pressure of water around her brain that is caused from being over weight and she ended up going partially blind because that water was putting pressure on her eye nerves and nobody would help her because she had no insurance so if you are overweight u would need to be checked out for that and they would do a spinal tap and put you on water pills but now she has a shunt in her head that pumps the water out for her because of her partial blindness. Good luck with this hope you figure it out but first I would watch your blood pressure to rule that out!