Migraine

Hi,

I'm new here. I've never been officially diagnosed with migraines, but I believe that's what I have (throbbing headache almost always on the right side, nausea, and I have the urge to dig the affected eye out of it's socket, pain lasts up to a week, and 1000 mg of ibuprofen at most just takes the edge off the pain). I seem to have them a lot for a while, then not so many for some months. I had been having a lot in the past few years, and was diagnosed with celiac last year. After going gluten free, I didn't have a migraine for several months and thought I'd finally solved the problem. However, they've returned with a vengeance.

My question is if the wrong prescription in my glasses could be the culprit. About 5 years ago I was given bifocals (at 30!) and used them for a year. Then I switched to contact lenses and found I didn't really need the reading glasses (strange, but true. Contacts seem to correct vision differently). After a couple years I found my eyes had gotten so dry that I had to switch back to glasses, but it was suggested to me to get 2 pairs--one distance and a separate "computer" pair with a kind of medium length prescription. I'm currently living abroad and when I discovered the price of glasses here I went with only the distance ones.

I've been having increasing problems actually seeing--certainly small text is out, but after doing any intense eye work (especially computers) I get a migraine. I have an appointment to get my eyes checked, but I just wanted to have my facts straight!

I don't think my computer itself is the trigger since I've been using a computer for many years (and this same one, in the same office, for the past 3) and there have been months with no migraine.

I also read about "convergence insufficiency" which seemed like it could be my problem, but I don't know if that leads to just regular headaches or migraines.

Any thoughts would be appreciated! I know I need to go to a regular doctor and actually get diagnosed and see about preventative meds--I realized about 3 months ago that ibuprofen was making my stomach bleed, so now I have *no* pain meds--I mostly just sleep the migraines off.

Andrea

Hi elf,

I'm going to address your questions in the intro folder,ok, but let me say that needing glasses does not cause Migraines. Migraine is a genetic neurologic disease. Problems with your eyes could trigger a Migraine attack, but not cause the disease.

I'll see you in the intro folder....

Welcome Elf.

I saw your post in the intro folder. You got some great links to read.

I agree with Nancy - eye problems may trigger a migraine.

See if you can find a specilast - I don't know if we have any listed for Switzerland, but ask around, ask your primary doctor.

Let us know how you're doing.

In the past I have headaches (but not migraines) caused by wearing the wrong prescription. It also caused eyelid twitches for me, especially when I was tired. I guess from straining to focus properly.

I am extremely nearsighted, with a bad astigmatism. At the time my astigmatism wasn't properly corrected. I later discovered that I needed to tell my eye doctor during an exam when the letters on the eye chart looked bigger and more rounded, as opposed to smaller and darker. (The darker letters were easier to see initially but apparently were distorted due to my astigmatism).

I believe I have had some migraines triggered by tension headaches, so IMO eye strain might be a trigger for you.

HTH.

Thanks so much, Alanna--I have a terrible time at the eye doctor getting the right prescription--I always joke that I'm the only person who fails their eye exam!! I think I routinely do what you said about bigger and smaller. This last exam I had (for an hour!) the woman finally said "is it better, or just smaller?" and a light bulb went on. I also find I can kind of "force" my eyes to focus with a wide range of corrections, so it's hard for me to tell which one is right until I have the glasses made up and wear them for a few days.

I'm feeling much more prepared for my visit tomorrow!

THanks,

Andrea

Are you going to a optomitrist tomorrow? I see you mentioned "being prepared for the appointment tomorrow"

I would definatly bring up that - at this point since you state you are not diagnosed yet, I would say that you get headaches, possibly migraines and you are having that checked out.

Have your eye doctor do a full vision test on you as well - also have pictures taken of your eyes (this may cost extra if not covered by your insruance).

By having this done, if you have not previously - you have a starting point. the vision field test checks for blind spots in your vision (which I think in your intro you mentioned you think you have just migraines - no aura - this will give you a sense of one type of aura! but the test is not long, about 2 mins. per eye)

Then by having the dialation and pictures of your eyes (this takes place of the standard glacouma test with the puff of air, but you can see so much more) your eye doctor can see your optic nerve and that is a good thing to have checked if you have migraine disease.

This may be jumping the gun, since you are not diagnosed yet with migraine, but from what you describe, I would think it sounds like it definatly could be migraine disease. Your regular doctor should be able to diagnos you - by just asking a couple of questions, and even start you on preventive medication. After that, you may want to see a neurologist or even a headache specialist.

Keep us posted on everything, ok?

Oh, but to actually answer your question.....hehehe

when I got new glasses, they were a little stronger - and it took me a while to get used to them.

It definatly put tension or strain on my eyes at first, and I am also prone to tension type headaches, and work on a computer all day long....so yeah, the new prescription did cause eye strain at first.

Which, for me, can cause tension type headaches, which can go into migraines for me.

But the glasses themselves cannot "cause" migraines since, as Nancy said, Migraine is a neurological disease.

I second the recommendation for getting your retinas checked out.

Last year I found out I have ocular hypertension. There is no evidence of retinal nerve damage/vision loss at this time, but it does mean that I need to go to the eye doctor more frequently for checkups. Apparently extreme nearsightedness is a risk factor.

Well, I spent 2 hours (!) getting my eyes checked and was diagnosed with "convergence insufficiency" which means my eyes don't play well with each other. I looked it up and the symptoms include headache and nausea among other things, which has me thinking twice about migraines. Not sure how to tell "headache with nausea" from "headache, nausea, etc". I guess that's where the regular doctor comes in--I really need to get on that.

Andrea

Thanks for keeping us posted.

Huh, I've never heard of that before. I'll have to do some research on it. When I hear "headache with nausea" I automatically think "migraine!!" but symptoms of headache,nausea, are different so

Keep us posted on this one...I'd be interested to hear what your regular primary care thinks....

Good luck!

I'm sure you already saw this link on convergence insufficiency - I see now why you may have thought migraine.

A lot of the effects, I guess I should say? Are similar to migraine. The dizzy/vertigo feeling, lightheadedness, headaches....and if you have a headache, and then you have all those other syptoms on top if it, it would have lead me to migraine too!

Still, keep us posted just so we know for sure, if you don't mind.

Yes the plot has definitely thickened regarding my headaches. The fact that they seem to linked to eye problems and eye pain was exactly why I wondered if eye strain could trigger migraines.

The second bulleted list of symptoms on that link from Eileen is a disturbingly accurate picture of me. I had to quit tee-ball when I was a kid because I could never hit the ball--yes, the ball that wasn't even moving!

I see another eye specialist next week, so the saga will continue! I'm hoping they can get me some kind of temporary solution and see if the headaches clear up.

What, they have another name for strabismous (poor eye teaming)?

I was diagnosed with strabismous, nearsightedness & farsightedness when I was 18 months old. Good luck keeping bifocals on a toddler! (My parents used to chase me with my glasses).

I have all the symptoms on the sight, with the exception that my eye (usually left...same side as migraines) turns in, not out. Interestingly they mention that symtoms only occur starting young adulthood.

another I disagree with:
"Fortunately, in most cases, convergence insufficiency is very amenable to orthoptics and vision therapy."
umm... did ALL the eye therapy, the eye patch, the whole enchilada. Surgery was the only thing that helped me. my vision was seriously affected before I had surgery- wearing bottle bottoms, really heavy. Seems a bit outdated info.

My former students/clients, as well as myself had symptoms starting in EARLY childhood. It takes a good opthomologist to diagnose it. Children who aren't diagnosed early (and even those who do) often develop behavior problems and learning disabilities. There is often an avoidance of reading (fortunately, I'm the exception) and escalators (it takes me about 5 minutes to get on an escalator). Children can go on an 504 plan or IEP for this nowadays.

While strabismouos/ poor convergance, etc. can't "cause" migraines, I found that it can be a stackable trigger. Adjusting to new glasses don't help. What complicates it is that people with this eye condition often have (but not always) a number of co-morbid conditions... mild cerebral palsy, periventricular leukomalacia, learning disabilities (dysgraphia, dyslexia), AD/HD, migraines, sensory processing issues, hyperflexibility, autism, gait issues, etc.

My nonprofessional guess is that the reason why you may see these conditions co-exist is that there may be something that is causing all of this. But not much research has been done about this (I looked).


For me this is the pattern:

-my sleep is poor
then my sensory processing issues are heightened
-eye problems, gait, joint soreness, asthma,GERD etc worsen
-eyes & foot turn in when sleepy
-increased sensitivity to triggers (watch out flourescent lights)
-these in turn trigger migraines
-migraines trigger paresthesias, seizure-like episodes
-these in turn worsen my sleep
the cycle continues

Wow, right after I got the diagnosis I spent an hour trying to figure out if it was connected to sensory processing disorders, as I have long suspected I have some mild issues with that (especially with hearing).

I have definitely had external symptoms of CI since childhood--somehow (luckily) they never affected my love of reading until about 5 years ago.

Several of my former students and my father who also had strabismous since early childhood tended to avoid reading at all costs. I don't think my father has willingly read a book in his life (of course being legally blind in one eye & dyslexia on top of that, doesn't seem to help).

I'm usually very, very good at picking out books for my students who have these issues since I share many of these traits. I try to select mostly hardcovers or larger softcovers (not mass paperbacks) that have acid-free paper & clear typefacing. The format of the book and illustrations help. I tend to prefer graphic novels- GN (for leisure reading), but it's important to pick ones that are designed well & have a good storyline, because some GN are confusing or just action oriented. I use postcards for bookmarks to help w/tracking. Sometimes I read the wrong words, but it usually doesn't get in the way of reading. I tend to avoid books that require a good memory, because I just don't have the memory or attention span - but are either character driven, stylistic & have some sort of fantastic element. Mass paperbacks and "large print" books should be avoided- they give me headaches & make tracking EVEN MORE difficult.

I recommend the Lightwedge booklight- it's a glass screen that fits over the page & lights up. It's the only booklight that doesn't give me migraines.

Fortunately for me, I was very precocious and taught myself how to read at the age of 2. My mother thinks I was able to read better than I was able to talk (I just started saying words at the age of 2). I didn't start walking till about 2 1/2 (and needed orthopedic shoes). I did have the bad habit of kids with eye disorders & hyperflexibility to read & write with my head on the desk, and even today, I still have difficulties sitting in a chair for a period of time & my legs tend to be all over the place. I often fell out of my seat, which other kids found hilarious.

I share some hyperlexic and autistic-like tendancies, but abstract concepts in language came naturally to me, so I don't have those diagnosis, technically (nowadays they just lump you as "AD/HD" when you have neurological stuff & have strong language skills). Now that I work at a daycare (compared to when I used to work as a therapist & special ed teacher & of course, this is a step-down for me), I see how outside the norm of development I was.

I do have an obsessiveness with words, which is why I still read & write voraciously despite my limitations. I used to be able to hyperfocus on things of high interest, but nowadays, I can potentially fall asleep even when its high interest. I get auditory hallucinations & occasional visual hallucinations when I read or other sedate activities. Migraines don't usually follow the hallucinations, so I am assuming they are related to my sleep issues. It's usually the olfactory & taste hallucinations & blinding flashing lights that are more migraine related for me (and nowadays electric bolts & weird sensations which i have no clue why I am getting them).

Elf, check out this book: http://www.amazon.com/Loud-Bright-Fast-Tight-Overstimulating/dp/0060932929. Being migraine sufferers, there are some strategies that are impractical, but there are some good suggestions. After reading the book, I realise I'm more in the moderate range (I thought I was "mild" - but I was comparing myself to kids I have worked with).

Here's another book:
http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_ss_b/104-9250579-8821565...+processing+disorder

Unfortunately, beyond that, most of the books & websites are geared towards parents & clinicians working with children. It's like they think all your problems disappear when you turn 21!