Anyone have ocular migraines (painless migraine) ?

[lbrown1618]

I got my first one a couple months ago and just got another today. What works for you to treat them?

Its so new to me I haven't identified the triggers. I didn't even know what was happening to me the 1st time.

I read that caffeine helps, but then artificial sweeteners are a trigger. I drink diet coke/coke zero alot (so theres a conundrum). I also read that chocolate is a trigger, and come to think of it I did eat more than normal amount yesterday. Not sure about the 1st time.

In the meantime, what helps you to calm the symptoms? My main problem is the shiny/irridescent lines through my vision. Do I have no choice but to sit in a dark room for 30 minutes and hope it passes?

[nilda32]

Oh my goodness! I express my first one about a month ago while sitting at my desk at work. Didn't know what was going on. I panicked at first , but then I googled it and calmed down once I found out what was happening to me. Never want to go through that again. I hated those annoying wavy lines. I normally have bad migraines. This was my first ocular migraine. I try to avoid the caffeine. Whether it be coffee or chocolate. Won't want to experience that again.

[jennsvs]

I always get those right before a huge migraine comes on. I always carry Excedrine Migraine with me. If I can take it as soon as the little lines start, I can normally stop it.

My main trigger is bright lights. I always wear sunglasses when outside. I also noticed the lights in some stores trigger a migraine.

[CW&M Mom]

I get regular migraines. I take ibuprofen, Excedrin and imitrix. Tylenol does nothing (if they made Excedrin without Tylenol I would take that instead). I would start with the ibuprofen and or the Excedrin.

Even a regular physician can prescribe imitrix if needed...but I would start with the otc stuff.

I also do dark rooms, a pillow over my eyes, ice packs ect when my pain in my eyes are the big issue.

[mzbeers]

I get regular migraines, the only thing I've found that remotely helps is Relpax 40, Imitrex did nothing for me, even the injection one. You will have to try a lot of different meds to find what works for you. They are not fun. Especially when you are pregnant and can't take anything...........

It seems for me the triggers are Hormonal changes, I have a really bad week just before I start my Menstrual Cycle. When I was pregnant, I got them constantly it was really difficult to go through. I used a topical rub Sun Breeze Balm from sunrider that helps a little, and aromatherapy ~ peppermint, sandlewood, lavender, eucalyptus, and rosemary are the most recommended for migraines. You have to get creative when you can't take meds.

I too have to be in a cold dark room, and it helps me when I apply cold pressure on my forehead.

[thickbluebug]

Mine only lasted like 30 minutes.

Parts of my vision would just not be there. I would see faces and no insides of the face - kind of like the omish folkart dolls.

Only have them rare now - I went sugar, flour and salt free. Helps all autoimmune diseases.
Have spells of doing without sugar free soda - love stevia - but it's hard. The sodas help with my morning nausea and definitely were not a trigger for me.
I try to avoid sodas for the health/phosphoric acid, just fall off the wagon a lot.

Protein and veggies work great for me, but I'm just not tough enough to do it 24/7 .

[CW&M Mom]

I get regular migraines, the only thing I've found that remotely helps is Relpax 40, Imitrex did nothing for me, even the injection one. You will have to try a lot of different meds to find what works for you. They are not fun. Especially when you are pregnant and can't take anything...........

It seems for me the triggers are Hormonal changes, I have a really bad week just before I start my Menstrual Cycle. When I was pregnant, I got them constantly it was really difficult to go through. I used a topical rub Sun Breeze Balm from sunrider that helps a little, and aromatherapy ~ peppermint, sandlewood, lavender, eucalyptus, and rosemary are the most recommended for migraines. You have to get creative when you can't take meds.

I too have to be in a cold dark room, and it helps me when I apply cold pressure on my forehead.

My neurologist still had me taking imitrix (which I have to take with ibuprofen to get it to work) while pregnant. Otherwise i'd be in the ER each night. Even while in the hospital with my water broke at 33 weeks with #1 they deemed imitrix safe to take (not the ibuprofen though).

It slightly raises your chances of miscarriage in the first 6 weeks of pregnancy. For me by the time I new I was pregnant most of the 6 weeks was over...and I still had to function.

They even have a registry now for woman who take imitrix when pregnant. The enrolled me.

migraines suck.

[Merczilla]

Yup, I get them. Been having them for years. I don't really know what my trigger is. Mine are like a camera flash has gone off and last 30 minutes-1 hour or so. Can't see or read during that time. No headache though. I'll take ibuprophen when it hits and sometimes that helps to shorten it.

One thing I noticed is that I'll suddenly think I'm seeing something out of the corner of my eye...like a bird or bug has flown by, or a sudden movement of something...but there's nothing there. That's my first clue that I'm probably going to get one. Other things that will get me...sudden bright light, like a flashlight or a glare off a vehicles mirror or a flickering flourescent light. There was a section of Safeway's lunchmeat/bacon section that I had to stay away from till they fixed it. lol

I hate having my picture taken for this reason....not to mention I don't photograph well. lol I'm glad I don't get the headaches and I feel bad for those of you that do. One of my mom's triggers is chocolate....and she loves the stuff. We both avoid asparatame and fake sugars. I also avoid high fructose corn syrup and MSG.

[Gertie2u]

I am not sure this applies to ocular migraines, and I only mention it because you just started having them, but have you had your thyroid checked? I don't mean just that little test for TSH. Insist they do the full range of thyroid testing if you have any of the symptoms of low thyroid. I was always deemed 'borderline' when they just did the TSH test, and I didn't realize there were other tests.

TSH is actually Thyroid Stimulating Hormone, and if all is well, if you have enough of that, you have enough thyroid. All was not well with me, and when they tested thyroid output, they found out mine was too low. Once I started taking thyroid replacement medication, my migraines disappeared. This is not the only cause of migraines, but it can cause some. Symptoms of low thyroid can include dry skin, inability to loose weight despite lowering calorie intake and exercising, hair loss, swelling and reddening of the gums, headaches, feeling tired, weak, or depressed, constipation, memory problems, and heavy or irregular menstrual cycle, and brittle nails. I had all of these symptoms plus the migraines starting from just after I had my first child.

The doctor mentioned at the time of my first migraine it was odd I started having them in my thirties without ever even hardly having suffered a headache ever in the past. They actually did an MRI because my grandmother, aunt, and first cousin had had brain aneurysms thinking the migraine might be a symptom of my inheriting the weakness in the blood vessel which had caused their aneurysms. It had come back ok, so they just gave me imitrex and told me to live with the migraines.