Ophthalmic Migraine - vision problems

AZCyster29 · 10-27-2002, 09:49 AM

Over the past several months, I've been experiencing ophthalmic migraines. This is where you see "heat waves" or light flashes that last anywhere from 20 minutes to a day. My eye doctor told me that they are quite common. Well, I recently had one in my right eye, but it lasted for over 5 days!! It's now been a week, and I still am having some vision problems due to it. My eye doctor doesn't seem concerned and said that it will go away.

I told someone else about this and she said that her doctor had her stop taking the pill to stop them. She hasn't had any since. Aparently hormones can trigger ophthalmic migraine episodes. Have any of you experienced these? Can it be related to hormones due to PCOS??

KlassicalKat · 10-27-2002, 01:35 PM

Hi, AZCyster

I had my first opthalmolic migrane last winter and some of you may remember me posting right away about it on here. I had no idea what it was and was certain that I was going blind. It was one of the most frightening things I have ever experienced. Through the message board here I was comforted in knowing that I wasn't alone as cysters told of their own and friends and realtives experiences with this.

In both eyes, I saw the flashing light thing, too (one cyster described it as like having a lighted ceiling fan pulsating out of the corner of your eye) and then my vision bent and distorted. I saw lines with luminous, strobe light pulsing zig zags inside them, arcing and floating over my field of vision. You would have thought I was on some sort of strange LSD trip!

There was no pain, just the strange vision problems. It lasted about half an hour. I am so sorry that yours is lasting so much longer. How frightening!

I do think that you might be on to something about the hormonal connection. My episode occured at the very worst of my pre-menstrual time. There may be a connection with the fluctuation of hormones due to AF or PCOS.

If you find out anything, let us know!

Hope you can read this, I know how difficult it was to read anything when that happened.

(((((((((hugs)))))))))),

Kathryn

geesstrawberry · 10-27-2002, 03:39 PM

I too get the "wavy" vison. It normally only last 15-60mins, these headaches are SOOO much worse than just my normal Migrains. My dr said it was nothing to worry about..Lisa

Bee · 10-27-2002, 06:48 PM

When I was 16 years old, I lost the vision in my left eye completely. In a 27 hour period, my vision started to come back, but everything looked gray and blurry. Kind of like a very old black and white TV, with a poor picture. My peripheral vision came back last (vision on the sides). It was very scary!

I sometime see bubbles, waves or light flashes. My ophthalmic migraines stem from either my allergy to Swiss cheese, stress, sometimes due to hormones, if I do too much, or certain strong chemical smells (ammonia and bleach).

I try to avoid my migraine triggers and as soon as I feel one coming on, I take some Tylenol and head straight to bed.

HTH
Bee