Do you experience ocular migraines?

Babs2u said:
I sometimes get flashing jagged lights in my right eye. Not sure what causes this but I suspect stress. I have not yet mentioned this to any doctor but will in the future.
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Yes, and I have for like 20 years... jagged lines, flashing and "dancing". They start small and can get really wide, but they're gone in 30 minutes or less. My dearest friend years ago was a physician and he told me he got them, too. I don't think it's purely stress or frankly, I'd have a lot more of them. What I *have* noticed is that often when I get them, I'd been rubbing my eyes, probably a little too hard either that same day or the day before. I don't know why they're called that because mine don't come with a "headache" at all.
 
I was seeing these jagged lights and having pain/headaches/migraines.
Saw my optometrist and was told that I had fluid buildup behind my eye and she had to book an emergency appointment with a specialist. They had rushed me into an OR to have a pin hole lasered in my eye to release the fluid pressure or I could have lost sight in that eye.
That was a year and half ago and all is good now.
 

Muskrat said:
I have had these periodically for years. Mine never cause any pain. I have had to pull over from driving until one subsided before.
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No pain with mine, either... *sometimes* there's a residual ache after the "dancing" stops, but not always. Only had it once while out, and I'm pretty sure fluorescent lights in the store I was in triggered that one.
 
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More interesting info from Mayo Clinic. I've learned a lot... and definitely have experienced some of these triggers.

Migraine and migraine with aura share many of the same triggers. These include:
  • Stress.
  • Bright lights and loud sounds.
  • Being around smoke or strong odors.
  • Drinking too much alcohol, especially wine.
  • Consuming too much caffeine.
  • Some foods, including processed foods or those that have additives such as MSG.
  • Too much or too little sleep.
  • Menstruation and other hormonal changes.
 
I had an ocular migraine last year, it freaked me out because I thought maybe I was going blind in one eye or having a stroke. But after googling it there had been images of the types of images people see with ocular migraines and the semi-circle of jagged lines that I was seeing was one of the options. It went away after a while.

The YouTube I watched about them said to keep a diary to track what was going on at the time (stress, dehydration, lack of sleep, extra or unusually less caffeine, etc) to learn what the triggers were. But I only had the one occurrence so I'm not sure what triggered mine.
 
I have what I assume are ocular migraines. No pain. I have what I call the "glowing pearls" that circle around my vision, like they're having a roller derby competition inside my eyeball. They'll come by one, two, three, even five at the time in a chain. Then they'll go back in the opposite direction.

Nobody seems to be concerned with them, so I just live with them. I can see them with my eyes closed or open. They're brightest in the dark but I can see them in dimmer light, too.
 
i had one earlier this year. my left eye had been twitching all day and while reading, the left side words were distorted and then i saw white jagged lines stretching to the top left corner. lasted maybe a minute. went away never had it again. had no headache.

doc told me it was an ocular migraine without the headache. the jagged lines were an aura. he said they can happen on occasion, but if they happen more often to call him.
 
CallMeKate said:
I was surprised to see "not enough sleep" on the list... explains a lot because I haven't gotten more than 5 hours in many years. Not sure why I never looked up triggers before.
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Not only do I not get enough sleep but I often stress my eyes by doing too many crossword puzzles in the night.
 
Sudden bright lights can set it off for me.

The first time it happened was a couple of weeks after my cataract surgery. Since I was flying soon, I went to the doctor who sent me to an out-of-town specialist. He said it was fine and never told me the problem. Even the next time, no explanation was given. Finally an optometrist showed me a photo and I said that‘s exactly what it was.

I’ve learned to go sit quietly in a dark spot and relax. There’s no pain involved. It only lasts about 1/2 hour.
 
I’ve been getting them for 10 years now. I see a circle made of zig zag lines that gets bigger and bigger. Sometimes I have visual disturbance before one comes on. I went to my eye doctor immediately after having the first one as Retinal detachment can have the same symptoms.
My doctor told me that they are caused by constriction of blood vessels in the eye.
A couple of years ago, I was having about 15 of them every month. I had to see another doctor as mine wasn’t available. She said that they happen in the brain and could be a symptom of a brain tumor! I was terrified. She sent me for a complete neurological workup that included an MRI of my brain.
My exam was fine and the MRI was normal. The neurologist told me that my primary care doctor can give me medication if I am having many.
I have an immense amount of stress at home and I think that is the cause but no doctor has told me that stress causes them.
My primary care doctor is treating me for stress/ anxiety now with Buspirone and a Beta Blocker that slows my heart rate. He said that Beta Blocker can also help with ocular migraines and it has. I have been having one a month now and also my anxiety is much less.
 
Jules said:
Sudden bright lights can set it off for me.

The first time it happened was a couple of weeks after my cataract surgery. Since I was flying soon, I went to the doctor who sent me to an out-of-town specialist. He said it was fine and never told me the problem. Even the next time, no explanation was given. Finally an optometrist showed me a photo and I said that‘s exactly what it was.

I’ve learned to go sit quietly in a dark spot and relax. There’s no pain involved. It only lasts about 1/2 hour.
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I never had it until after cataract surgery. I periodically get a flash of light and then it goes away. It only lasts for a split second and that's it. I don't know if that's what you all are talking about or not. There is no headache involved at all.
 
TeePee said:
I never had it until after cataract surgery. I periodically get a flash of light and then it goes away. It only lasts for a split second and that's it. I don't know if that's what you all are talking about or not. There is no headache involved at all.
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I vaguely remember it happening once when I stepped out into bright sunlight while on a cruise. It was a long time prior to cataract surgery. We do tend to have more sensitivity to lights at night after cataract surgery. They could be related. I have no pain with the ocular migraine. Some people do.
 

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