ocular migraines

[eye395]

I have ocular migraines. They come in threes. I can have one and the next one could be a day or so later, and the next headache, the next day or day after. I could also have two in one day. They come sometimes every month, then could go away for a few months. I do get a mild headache after. I'd appreciate hearing from anyone about their experiences. I do not know anyone, personally, who has this problem. I've had it for several years. My eye doctor says it isn't anything, doesn't know what causes it, but it is troublesome and I'd like to know more about it. Thank you all very much for any help.

[Lpr1]

I just had a third in three days, sometimes have had two close together before. They started 15 years ago and I thought it was the menopause at fault, but they only came every year or so until last year when I had two, then waited 8 months and darted going down to 2 months, 1 month and now twos and threes 5, 9, two weeks apart. I've had anti anxiety pills because life has been pretty stressful, but now the fear of one coming is my biggest stress and it's really spoiling my life. I spend all my time reacting to every little light or shadow with floods of adrenaline and panic expecting another, and I dread the thought of driving on a motorway where I can't stop if one comes on, but I don't want to keep running to the doctor and stuffing dodgy medicine.

[rsixftunder]

I have had occular migraines with aura for a little over 6 years now.  Seemed to start after my latest round of radiation therapy for cancer.  Head and neck variety.  Second time for that treatment, both sides.
In the past month or two, they are coming sometimes as often as 6 times daily.  I tend to not bother with the doctors anymore, they have no answers for me.  One doctor shared there just isn't enough known to properly diagnose or treat.  He felt it possible I have some damage from radiation therapy and just have to "live with it".  I do agree these have increased since I installed energy efficient bulbs in my home.  Will take them out and see if that helps.  I'll do whatever I have to, these are ridiculous and makes you think you are losing it.  Stress seems to trigger as well.  Hope everybody here finds relief, this is certainly no fun at all.

[shiva19]

i have had migraine for 2-3 years...and recently my neurologist said dat i have developed severe migraine now...i have been on medication since but today for the first time i experienced dizzines and all other symptoms of occular migraine followed by severe headache... i am away from home and cant contact my neurologist...please guide me as to what is happening to me and what shud i do...

[pjsomm]

I get optical migraines as a direct result of reflections of fluorescent lighting & diffusers in my office - I have had three today alone - if I keep looking at th ecomputer screen, they turn into regular migraines and I have to vomit & go home - if the fluorescent lights are turned out, I don't have the problem.

[looklrry]

This is my story and I pray that it may be of some help in diagnosing the cause of these irritating and obnoxious reoccurring migraines.
When I was a child I fell of a horse while he was running full out.  When I came to I was in the hospital with a mild concussion. I remained there overnight for observation and returned home the following day. From that time forward whenever the humidity was high I would be overcome with a major pain in the left side of the head and numbness of my entire left side of the body. My speech would become slurred, my stomach nauseated and my eyesight impaired.  Another symptom was that it felt as if I were inside a large crane pulling leavers to operate my legs and arms.
After about 6 years of going through these annual (summer after summer) symptoms, my parents sent me to the mayo clinic in Rochester MN for observation. After examination the doctors prescribed Phenobarbital and Dilantin. Unfortunately the drugs did not prevent or even alleviate the symptoms or the amount of times they would occur.
In 1976 I joined the military and in the summer of 1977 I had another bought while serving in south Texas. This time however I lost complete vision where for about 10 to 15 minutes I was completely without vision. The corpsman sent me to the clinic where I was given a shot of Dilantin and I completely passed out. Leading up to the incident was much different than before though. This particular incident occurred because I was carting a door up a flight of stairs when I heard within my head a sound of squishing.
Altogether 5 different times while I was stationed in Texas I went through these bouts. I was ultimately transferred to Virginia, where I did not have any of these symptoms. In 1982 I was discharged from the service and moved back to AZ. In the fall of 1983 I was in an automobile accident and subsequently the ocular migraines returned so I visited a chiropractor for treatment. They found that I had a bulging disk at T1 and T2. After about 6 weeks of treatment the migraine symptoms subsided where even my vision improved. You see when I was 12 years old it was necessary that I wear glasses.
Since that time until present these migraine symptoms and occurrence where slight. Meaning they would happen only periodically and they would only have the symptoms of ocular and not full body like they were when I was a child.
I went to an optician back in 2007 where I was prescribed glasses again. I explained my ocular vision problems to him and he merely stated that yes I had ocular migraines and there was nothing he could do to stop them. I was working as a hack at the time and my employer had difficulty keeping me as an employee because of them.
Recently I moved back to the mountains of AZ and the ocular migraines have been noticeably more recurring.  Now they come in the morning, afternoon and the following day with an interval of maybe 2 to three days in between. They come without warning and last anywhere from an hour to three hours. I have to completely stop what I am doing and lay down and most usually sleep until it passes. I have tried just sitting there and relaxing and they linger for about an hour leaving me exhausted and disorientated. I try to make up for lost time and try to reorganize my thoughts to make up for this distraction and in so doing brings on another.
I find that when applying for employment the employer does not want to hear anything about this and if they do I am not even considered for the position. Without lying about this condition, what am I supposed to do? These annoying ocular migraines need to be addressed and completely eradicated so that we the people that have to deal with them can live a normal fulfilling life. I am 52 and I am extremely tired of having to hide the truth from potential employers to get employment and then be terminated because I get one while on the job.
Is there anything out there that can completely eliminate the annoyances?  

[jorn470]

For some ten years I have had once or twice a month a bright scintillating lights, shimmering zig zag lines lasting some 25 minutes. I managed to discover the trigger, which is a special position where I bend over and look down.

After ten years of despair, last year I discorered a position which could controll it. I sit in a chair, entirely still - looking up in the roof, and exhaling slowly air and concentrating with all my mind doing so. Amazingly, the build up to the familiar "ring" slows, reverse and ends within three to five minutes. It is not as easy as it sounds, since my heart is pumping each time the aura occurs - however, it fell unbelievable that it could just go away after all that fear and anxiety.

I would like to hear if others have had the same experience ?? I would also like to hear whether any medicaments could help? Off cause I have been to eye specialists, not able to find anything wrong with the eys.