Ocular Migraines

[rh71]

Anyone else have these or know someone that does? I'm 24 and I've had them for 3 or 4 years now and they set on out of nowhere and for no apparent reason. Within the last 4 years, I believe I've had it 6 or 7 times.

What happens is that I get blurry and white-spotted vision including blind spots right in front of me. As soon as those go away, usually in 15 minutes, a devastating migraine sets on. Last week, I was hardly able to make it home from work. When I did, I lied in bed and could barely stay still. The doctor prescribed Midrin to battle the migraines, but there is apparently no known cause of Ocular Migraines (my eye doctor termed it that).

I've heard it CAN be attributed to stress, MSG (chinese foods), lack of sleep, weather, etc. The list goes on. For a while, I thought it was MSG since MSG is known to cause headaches. But truly the one thing common thing I can probably attribute it to on all 6/7 times I've had it was that I drank water. Water from Italian restaurants, chinese take-out places, and at work. Maybe there's some element in the water (zinc, etc.) that leaked into the water. Obviously this doesn't happen everytime I drink water, so it must be something that leaks into it.

Anybody have any opinions? My doctor sure didn't.

Thanx.

 

[nippyjun]

There are migraine specific medications called triptans that you should discuss with your doctor. Midrin does work for some people, but if it doens't help you then make sure your doctor considers a triptan.

 

[kgraeme]

I've known several people who get them. One who would actually go temporarily blind because of them. Every one of these people have been young women aged 15-25. From what I can gather, food and stress play a part, but so do hormones. One woman had to give up caffeine entirely. She couldn't even eat chocolate which apparently has traces of caffeine. All these women were more susceptible during their teen and early twenties and particularly during periods.

The person I mentioned who would go temporarily blind is still in my life. After about age 22 she stopped having them.

 

[MomAndSkoorbaby]

I have had migraines since I was 4 years old.

I have managed to get them under control now with what I eat and keeping stress down and exercising. For some reason, those three things really seem to help. I hate taking pills of any sort, so when I do get one, I tend to get myself in a bit of a mess! On average now, I have maybe one a year. As for regular headaches, I honestly have one every day. I am one of those people with a constant headache. Doctors really cannot say a whole lot about it other than it runs in my family. I find advil helps when they get really bad...and it keeps them from going to a full migraine since I catch it early.

Headache suffers support group. We need one!

 

[nippyjun]

If you have daily headaches and you take medications like advil, or motrin, or tylenl, or excedrin, 2-3 days per week or more you may have what is called "rebound headaches". The medications themselves perpetuate the headache cycle and cause daily or near-daily headaches.

 

[nippyjun]

One more thing. Occular migraine isn't a term that is used. Retinal migraine is the term for migraines that have blindness in one eye. It doesn't sound like you have this. It sounds like you have migraine with aura. Your aura is the spots in your vision. Some people see zig-zags or flashing lights as their aura.

 

[MomAndSkoorbaby]

Nippy

TRUST me. I know medications.

I ONLY take them when I cannot get rid of it any other way.

Advil is the LEAST for rebound headaches. It doens't have caffeine. In fact, I think doctors recommend it because it isn't even known for rebound headaches.

 

[MomAndSkoorbaby]

For me I mean.

I get rebound headaches from other pills...I find advil among the best.

 

[Elledan]

I've had this type of migraines as well =(

Black/white spots, a nauseous feeling, then the spots would disappear and a terrible headache would set on.

One time it was so bad that I would have preferred death over more pain

Luckily I haven't had them for a long time. I'm extremely grateful for that.

BTW, I think that in my case it was related to stress, although other factors could have played a role as well.

 

[rh71]

Thanx for the feedback guys. I really need to get to the bottom of this. Nippy, you seem to know a bit about these things. Thanks for that bit about Triptan. So is there something I can actually do or avoid doing that will help me get rid of / prevent these types of migraines?

 

[kgraeme]

<< One more thing. Occular migraine isn't a term that is used. >>



??? Um, as I posted above I know several people with symptoms which their doctors called "Occular migrane". These are people from various parts of the U.S., each with different doctors. Considering they were each given the same name for the problem, I feel fairly safe saying that it is a term that is used.

 

[rh71]

I guess it is also, since my eye doctor termed it... not me.

 

[911paramedic]

Occular migraine is a term that is used, many terms are used for different migraines.

Let me start off by saying that I am sorry that you suffer from migraines, a partner of mine suffered from them and had to go to the ER for Morphine or some other narcotic for the Sx.

You really need to start to keep a log so that you can find out what the "common thread" is between them. You have been keeping track of some of the onset triggers but still need to pinpoint it. Things such as lights can trigger migraines.

If you want me to help you out with your progress, and I would be happy to do so, let me know and I will. I have been a medic for seven years and know many others in the health care field, its like free health care. I cant guarantee anything because as you know it is called " practicing medicine" for a reason.

Let me know, I have a few really good resources..

David

 

[gypsyman]

I use to get daily migraines and quit a $40,000/yr job because I wasn't sure if I could get home safely each day.
Through changing jobs, lifestyle, etc., I found perfume would trigger a migraine. I am no longer around perfume, so the migraines are about once a month. If I try to go to church, I have a migraine within 20 minutes, and it lasts from a day to three days. I need to use fragrance free shampoos and conditioners, and soap. Head and Shoulders shampoo is the worse for fragrance. Unfortunately, many stores have their fragrances in front, you must walk by to get to other departments. I hold my breath and beline it!
Try to avoid any fragrances. Unfortunately, it is hard to get some women friends to stop wearing it.
Edit: This post was from Mrs. Gypsyman who does not post here but saw the thread and had to join in.

 

[jbod]

Hey all this is a true story for me:

I used to get migraines when I was younger. From about 8 y/o till about 15 y/o (I'm 30 now) and I do know what a migrane is, I got the kind that you would dry heave after every one. I probably got them about once a month. Anyways, my parents took me to every doctor back then, no one could do anything for me as they didn't have the drugs they do now, I think they were experimental at best.

I went to the chiropractor. My dad was going there for an injured back and said I should try it. The doc said I had a pinched nerve in my neck and he proceeded to crack my spine for about 2 months. I HAVE NEVER HAD ONE SINCE THEN.

I know some of you are thinking, no way. But I promise I have had pain free life ever since. You should look into chiropractors. They really work.