Occular migraine?

So I had one of these tonight. No pain just thought I was going blind or having a stroke.

For those who have never had one it's like having a hallucination. Part of your vision just disappears. It's there but when you search for it it's like a circle is hidden. I thought OMG I'm having a retinal detachment, but apparently with something like that it's more dramatic and black. Apparently with a stroke it's black. With an occular migraine it's said to be a "positive" (haha) experience because you see colours and in my case zig zags with a spectrum of colours around the blind spot.

Luckily (or rather unluckily) I'd had similar before and had spoken to friends and colleagues who have experienced migraine "auras". But BFF went to A&E thinking she was going blind the first time.

It is really scary though, you wonder whether your vision will come back, is it more serious, is it a stroke, my life as it is and how it will change if it's more serious and true blindness flashed before me. I thought how do people cope. You can't drive you can't read all the stuff you've accumulated, tv is a mystery. How can you clean or prepare a meal on your own.

Has anyone else experienced this and panicked?

Re: Occular migraine?

Used to get zebra stripes? in the corner of the eyes, this was down to stress when I was at BT. don't get it now.

The thought of going blind scare me as well when the eye, surgeon said it was a possibility. glaucoma, but a stent in one eye fixed that and drops in the other keeps the pressure down
As you say thinking of going blind it a complete panic situation

Re: Occular migraine?

Upsetting as it was, Annie I'm glad it wasn't as serious as you thought it could be. I've often thought that of all my senses, sight is the one I would least like to lose.

Re: Occular migraine?

Must have been very scary for you, Annie!

Occasionally I have migraine attacks and experience split vision - which is seriously weird. Happened without warning once and caused me to write off my motorcycle!

Fortunately - since I escaped from the NHS - they happen less frequently.

Re: Occular migraine?

Well I'm definitely making an opticians appointment just to be on the safe side, but particularly in case it's one of those horrid eye diseases in an early stage. ST split vision does describe it. Seriously weird is a perfect description. It was like one of those old TOTP videos, It would be quite fascinating were it not scary. I was planning to drive to the shops and had to wait until I could see again. Last time I do any hoovering in the evening (which is what I was doing just before) I had a large glass of water as some site said it might be dehydration. That seemed to help. It's like we are wired and some wires short circuit with age.

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Thanks LT I feel the same but for a moment I thought if it happens it happens. I just worried about all the clutter I need to clear in the house. Bizarre how that is always a consideration when you feel really bad.

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I was well prepared for my introduction to migraines as my mother use to get them, we found out in the end after a process of elimination that it was certain foods that were causing them, the villains were cheese cream
chocolate and bright flashing lights,
she avoided these foods as I do now and only get migraines maybe once or twice a year I lay down in a darkened room and they are gone in about twenty minutes,
yes they are a bloody nuisance but you can learn to live with them,
Once they start cease all activity lay down and do nothing until the sparkling lights go of their own accord.

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Annie, l get those. I just see three quarters of people’s faces. No headache, just flashing zig zags.
When l got the first one many years ago, l also thought l was having a stroke. They are frightening, especially if one starts when you’re driving.

I get them usually, if l have been stressed, eaten foods that clash, cheese, chocolate and anything that contains too many sulphites or preservatives.

I take a paracetamol immediately one starts and it goes after 20 minutes.
Sometimes, l get a run of them, day after day but l haven’t had one for a while.

At least they are harmless, so my doctor says!
I hope you’re ok.

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Art thanks I am ok today. But that is exactly what happened to me. Seeing three quarters faces was the strangest thing because you just cannot catch that elusive bit that's missing and it's very disorientating and trippy. I also had a bright halo of moving zig zags red, green blue. It looked quite pretty but I wasn't in the mood to admire it!

I hope this doesn't keep happening because it's so debilitating and do you also feel delicate afterwards? It must be awful to have a few days of this. I felt like I needed to rest. I took two paracetamols and drank a glass of water. It did stop within half an hour but boy was it scary. I'd been hoovering just before so maybe I am now allergic to housework!?

The funny thing is that I hadn't actually eaten for a few hours as I kept finding things to do. Maybe hunger can bring this on too or dehydration.

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I get them Annie ... and you've described it exactly.

I haven't had one for years and they can seem to come in runs which last a few weeks.
I'd notice a warning beforehand ... eyes going slightly blurry about 5 minutes before the blackout effect starts and the colourful zig zags strike. They're very frightening and last for about 15 minutes and then it's like nothing has happened.

I went to the doctors and opticians ... blood pressure was okay .. and so were my eyes except for a bit of astigmatism in one eye which she didn't think was connected.
I wondered whether it was too much time infront of a computer screen, but, that doesn't explain the long periods when I never get a migraine.