Migraine

Hi-

Just wanted to know if it is possible that eye problems could be a trigger for migraines.

I have weak eye muscles, had had surgery in the past for that. It left me with double vision on the sides. To compensate for that I wear a blacken out contact lens over my left eye and only use my right eye to see.

I have had strabismus, and convergence problems also.

I get a lot of headaches, and my pc physician thinks they are migraines, triggered by my eyes.

We just went on a trip last week and it was torture. I tried keeping my eyes shut most of the way, but I had to look out some and help with directions, and I got pressure in my head and also headaches most of the time. I felt good in the a.m. after sleeping but they soon returned.

I also get these types of headaches at home if I use the computer very much. As I'm a writer this makes it hard to get things done.

I also get optical type migraines, without pain, just the geomentric pattern that blocks my vision for a little while. That whole thing lasts about 20 minutes. I don't get them very often, but then sometimes get 2 or 3 in one month.

Mainly, I think it is my eyes doing the triggering. Does anyone else have this kind of problem, and what do you do for it? It is messing up my life.

BonLou

Welcome BonLou!

I would say that eye problems certainly can trigger a migraine!

Hey if smells can trigger me, eye problems can trigger you, right?

I think I saw you share posted or did a Q&A on this as well right?

Have you had CT's and MRI's? Have they ever said anything about Chiari at all? Here is some info on Chiari. I know one of the symptoms can be weak eye muscles/strain that's why I'm asking.

Also - "Optical migraine" is not really a correct diagnosis. You can see more info about that Here

Hope this info helps a bit, let us know if you need anything else.

We look forward to getting to know you better!!!!

Check out the forum, look around and get cozy!

BonLou you said:

I have weak eye muscles, had had surgery in the past for that. It left me with double vision on the sides. To compensate for that I wear a blacken out contact lens over my left eye and only use my right eye to see.

I have had strabismus, and convergence problems also.

Me:

I have similar visual problems since I was a toddler. I had surgery when I was a teen & fortunately for me, my vision & double-vision improved immensely. However, when my sleep is even worse than normal or when I am emotional, my eye does turn in & I do have occasional blurred vision...it was worse on Topamax. Once I was off of Topamax, it only occurs in above described situations.

My pediatric opthomologist (considered among the best in the US) explained to me that this kind of eye disorder is based in the occipital lobe & since the surgery is "structural", it doesn't correct the wirings between the occipital lobe & the eye. When I had MRIs in the past, nothing was noted in the occipital lobe beyond calcification (don't know what that means, but was told that it was nothing to worry about).

So to answer your question:

My eye condition can trigger migraines for me, especially if I am sleepy, fatigued, or emotional or if I am under flourescent lights & bright lights.

Unfortunately for me this means:

I need to sleep at least 8 to 9 hours a night (considering the "sleep efficiancy" I got in labs due to apnea & possible other stuff, with 8 hours, it's more like 6 hours of sleep & broken up).

I take short naps when I can.

I only work part-time because I can't handle flourescent lights & stress for more than a couple hours- I'd like to work full time, but I'm still waiting for my doctors to come up with a treatment plan.

I minimally shop in mega-stores.

We lowered the light on the computer moniter, have diffused light overhead & window. Laptops are a bit more tolerable. Sometimes I don't use the computer at all.

I don't like long car rides because the shifting lights & vibrations trigger me & I feel ill afterwards. Keeping my eyes shut causes me to fall asleep, which can cause other problems for me. I also have one of those sleep masks which decrease light from coming in. I can't be relied on for directions, because I confuse them in my brain.

I wear sunglasses when I feel extra sensitive & have transition lenses on my glasses.

When I read, I use a postcard to block out part of the page. I don't read mass paperbacks as they give me headaches. I take breaks & tend to read several books at once (to get breaks). Our eye condition is connected to certain reading disabilities & tracking issues.

I have heard of people using Irlen filters on glasses, but it's expensive. Most of my former students didn't like Irlen gels, though.

Questions:

Do you have a migraine specialist?
If you are having migraines that frequently, it might be good idea to go on preventive meds.
There are headaches related to eye strain that aren't migraines, so Eileen's links are helpful.

Have you had an MRI or CAT scan?

Did you always have these eye issues?-- I've probably had them since birth & one of the first questions eye doctors ask me is if I've had a head injury or if I have cerebral palsy. Possibly there might be something that caused both rather than the eye thing being a trigger.

If your eye stuff is more recent, did you have migraines before your eye stuff or did it start after?

Thank you Eileen for your reply to my post.

Yes, I did post a in the Q&A and I just got a reply there. This is a great site. I'm hoping to find answers here that I've been looking for. I really need to find help as my quality of life is not anywhere near where it should be,and I'm getting old. I'm 64 now.

I haven't had CT's or MRI's. My PC thinks my headaches are migraines and are triggered by the scenery going by when I ride in cars. That is possible. She has not done any testing. We've been busy working on my other problems. :-)

However, I also have Fibromyalgia and am taking sleep medication, Lunesta, for that, and that is helping me feel better. It's amazing how good sleep helps everything! Also, she put me on Gabapentin for pain and that is helping with pain in my body. I'm only on 600mg a day so am at a very low dose. I read somewhere on this site that Gabapentin is used for migraines too. Maybe if I go on a higher dose that might help the headaches?

I've never heard of Chiari. I followed the link you sent and read it, but it doesn't sound like me.

Thank you also for the article about "visual migraines." I read that
too. When I tell my eye dr. about the visual problems he said it didn't have to do with my eyes really, but to tell my regular doctor.

I also have a growth on my thyroid that they are watching. The dr. put me on thyroid medication. I only take 25mcg a day. I told him about the visual problems (auora) and he told me to tell my regular dr. I asked him about the pressure I feel in my head and he told me to tell my regular dr about that too.

It seems like they all tell me to tell someone else. :-)

I go back to my PC in July, but might go back sooner.

When Teri answered my Q&A, she suggested a motion sickness med, like Dramamine. I've tried all the ones I could find, but they all give me other side effects I do not like so I can't take them. I even tried a patch that the dr. ordered, but it made it almost impossible to swallow, so I did not do that again.

Thanks.
Bonnie

You say that your eye doctor keeps telling you to tell your other doctor. I assume this other doctor is your neurologist?

Have you thought about going to a Migraine Specialist? With complicated symptoms, and different health issues coming into play - that would probably be your best bet.

Migraine/Headache Specialists are different from just straight up neurologists in that they have concentrated their field of study just on migraine and headaches. Where as a neurologist, is every thing neurological, be it epilepsy, MS and so on.

I thought the Chiari was a shot in the dark, but when you mentioned the eye strain and pulling, I wanted to give you the link to be sure.

And yes, sleep is super important to a migraineur!!! I try and get 8 hours a night! And I'm sure you know, that's tough to do! I just take Melatonin right now, that along with my Amitriptyline seems to konk me out for the time being....

Keep learning and asking questions, we will be here to answer them!!!!

Hi Morpheus,
Sorry to hear you also have weak eye muscle problems. I'm glad that your surgery helped you. They never will quarantee anything with that kind of surgery. I find it a lot harder to focus when I'm tired.

At least I've found someone who says their eye conditon can trigger migraines. That gives me something to go on and look into more.

I'm not a good sleeper. If I don't take any sleep medication I have a hard time getting to sleep, then I wake up at least every two hours all night long. Now, with Lunesta for sleep, and the Gabapentin for Fibromyalgia, I'm sometimes sleeping 6, or even 7 hours at one time without waking. It is wonderful! Usually, though, even with the meds I wake up in about 4 hours, then a couple more times during the night. I do feel much better overall when I get the long runs of sleep.

I can't work at all because of my problems. I was a bookkeeper. Now, I'm old enough to be retired. But, if I felt well, I'd love to work doing something at least part time. I think it is healthy to work and have your "work friends," and all. It is nice to have that little money you make too. I hope you can get on a treatment plan and be able to go back to work.

I have a laptop and find it is better than my old desktop computer on my eyes. Also, I shut the blind when it is bright out.

I don't like shopping as I always get a headache doing that too. It is all that looking and focusing that gets me. I wonder if these are all migraines or not? Shopping should be fun for women, right? :-) Not for me...hubby likes that most likely. I won't be spending lots of money. :-)

I noticed on our trip that I got confused on directions a few times. I had my husband turn the wrong way. :-) But, I don't know, I just am spacey I guess. Most of the time I have a good sense of direction. It makes me feel much better if I can sleep in the car while riding. It is just that I don't fall asleep that easily. When I do sleep my headaches go away usually, or at least lessen up.
Most of the time after we travel a ways and I get out I have "sea legs." It takes me awhile to get my bearings again.

I have tracking issues when reading too. I too use a bookmark or something on the lines of the pages. It helps. I can't read very much or I get a headache so don't read many books. I get books to listen to though and that helps.

In the car I got books and articles on CD's. So, we listened to them while traveling.

Are Irien filters on glasses those colored things? I think I did that once. I went to a person who tested me and came up with a certain color that helped me to see. They tinted my glasses that color and I wore them indoors and outdoors. It did take out the glare and seemed to help, but as you said, was expensive. After a while I didn't think they helped so much and I went back to my regular type glasses. Also, I felt self-consious wearing them inside.

No. I haven't been to a specialist. I do not know for sure if my headaches are migraines or not. Only, that my dr. thinks they might be. That is not much to go on is it?

No. I've not had CT or MRI scans.

They think I was born with weak eye muscles. I don't know for sure. I did get hit between my eyes with a baseball bat when I was very young my mom told me, but I do not remember it. Also, when I was about 20 got into a car accident and had a concussion. So, who knows?

It was always hard for me in school. I'm sure I had tracking issues then. I'd read a page over and over and not know what it said.

I don't know when my headaches started. I've had eye problems for so long. I think if I do go to a specialist I'll have a hard time doing the history part. :-) I do know two of my sister's have migraines and my mom was always having a headache....so...maybe.

Well, thanks for you post and I hope I've answered you okay, if not, let me know.

Blessings,
BonLou

Hi Eileen,

No, I don't have a neurologist. I only have a Primary Care Physician.
I also go to a thyroid specialist.

Not up until now. I didn't know there were migraine specialists. I'll ask my dr. about going to one.

I never realized how important good sleep was until recently. It really makes so much difference. I'm able to do a lot more than I used to. In fact, that was why I consented to going on a trip with my husband. I was feeling better. But, I guess I was dreaming to think I could get away with no headaches or sick feelings while traveling. Oh well,live and learn. I came home determined to get to the bottom of this. We have such a beautiful country to explore, it would be wonderful to be able to go and do that.

Thanks.
BonLou

Hello, BonLou, welcome to the forum.

Welcome to MyMigraineConnection, BonLou.

Thyroid and Migraine can often interact in the way Migraines and headaches do not respond to treatment. We have an article Migraine, Headache, and Thyroid you may want to discuss with your doctor.

Sleep disruptions can play havoc with us. Even waking at different times on the weekends can trigger a Migraine for some. Other triggers you may not be aware of can be found HERE.

quote:

Originally posted by BonLou:
Hi Eileen,

No, I don't have a neurologist. I only have a Primary Care Physician.
I also go to a thyroid specialist.

Not up until now. I didn't know there were migraine specialists. I'll ask my dr. about going to one.

I never realized how important good sleep was until recently. It really makes so much difference. I'm able to do a lot more than I used to. In fact, that was why I consented to going on a trip with my husband. I was feeling better. But, I guess I was dreaming to think I could get away with no headaches or sick feelings while traveling. Oh well,live and learn. I came home determined to get to the bottom of this. We have such a beautiful country to explore, it would be wonderful to be able to go and do that.

Thanks.
BonLou

Nancy,
Thanks for your reply and helpful links.

I've read most of the links all of you have recommended, and some of the other items on this site.

I've come up with one conclusion: I think I do have migraines for sure. And, I think I know what my worse triggers are. So, it makes sense to avoid the triggers. But, what does one do when that is impossible?

I get headaches when:

I go out walking and its windy, and especially if it is cold air.
Wearing a hat helps. My sister is the same way with this one.

Air conditioners give me headaches if they are set too cold.
Summer fans in the ceilings can also give me headaches. We use one at night a lot, and I sometimes get up and wrap my head in a towel and sleep that way.

Riding in the car is very bad. I believe it is the scenery going by that triggers a headache.

Shopping in stores. (could be the lights, or the cold air, or just my bad eyes.)

The computer screen, if I'm on too long.

Reading any length of time.

Now, if I know my triggers and avoid them, there is not very much I can do. I mean some of these thing I have to do just to survive. ie: grocery shopping, necessity shopping; walking to keep in shape; going to the dr. (riding in the car - we don't live near our doctors) working on the computer: (I run a group of about 100 people who have panic disorder, plus have a blog, these are my ministeries; I hope i don't have to give them up.)

I said all that to ask this? Does anyone think going to a specialist and going through all that would help me any? Would taking medication for migraines make a lot of difference and enable me to do these things more comfortably? It's a quality of life issue with me.
Or, should I just accept the ugly way I am and live with it?

Thanks and blessings,
Bonnie

Bonnie,

-:¦:-•:*'*:•.-:¦:-•*Hello!*•-:¦:-•:*'''*:•-:¦:-•*Welcome!*•-:¦:-

You said your PCP THINKS you have Migraines. You really do need to find out. Is there any history of Migraine, sinus headaches, or "sick headaches" in your family? Your doctor should have asked you about this.

Sometimes, we just can't avoid our triggers. One of my worst is barometric pressure changes, and that's something that's simply unavoidable. If you have three or more Migraines a month, or if your Migraines are especially severe, a daily preventive medication may be in order. With my preventive regimen, all of my Migraines are greatly reduced.

Good sleep is absolutely essential. Too much, too little, interrupted, or poor quality sleep can be horrible triggers. It's important for many of us to go to bed and get up at the same time every day.

Welcome again!

quote:

Originally posted by BonLou:
Nancy,
Thanks for your reply and helpful links.

I've read most of the links all of you have recommended, and some of the other items on this site.

I've come up with one conclusion: I think I do have migraines for sure. And, I think I know what my worse triggers are. So, it makes sense to avoid the triggers. But, what does one do when that is impossible?

I get headaches when:

I go out walking and its windy, and especially if it is cold air.
Wearing a hat helps. My sister is the same way with this one.

Air conditioners give me headaches if they are set too cold.
Summer fans in the ceilings can also give me headaches. We use one at night a lot, and I sometimes get up and wrap my head in a towel and sleep that way.

Riding in the car is very bad. I believe it is the scenery going by that triggers a headache.

Shopping in stores. (could be the lights, or the cold air, or just my bad eyes.)

The computer screen, if I'm on too long.

Reading any length of time.

Now, if I know my triggers and avoid them, there is not very much I can do. I mean some of these thing I have to do just to survive. ie: grocery shopping, necessity shopping; walking to keep in shape; going to the dr. (riding in the car - we don't live near our doctors) working on the computer: (I run a group of about 100 people who have panic disorder, plus have a blog, these are my ministeries; I hope i don't have to give them up.)

I said all that to ask this? Does anyone think going to a specialist and going through all that would help me any? Would taking medication for migraines make a lot of difference and enable me to do these things more comfortably? It's a quality of life issue with me.
Or, should I just accept the ugly way I am and live with it?

Thanks and blessings,
Bonnie

Hi Terri,

Well, I will talk to my PCP and see if she will really look into this for me.

My mother had "headaches" a lot of the time. My one sister has very bad painful migraines which put her right in bed. Another sister gets headaches like mine and both of us were blaming that on sinus headaches. So, yes, there is a history of "headaches," in my family.

With the baromentric pressure; is it when it is high or when it is low, or is it when it is changing? Just wondering, as I might try to see if that affects me too. Yes, that would be another unavoidable one.

I have a lot of headaches per month. They are not what I call severe in the sense of pain, but they are severe in how they limit my life.

I've been working on my sleep for over a year now. Right now, I'm doing much better. I do keep regular hours, which also helps. I'm taking Lunesta for sleep. That way now I'm getting into the deep sleep which I did not do before. I was waking up too much. So, i'm doing much better in the sleep area.

Thanks for your help. Everyone here has been so wonderfully kind and helpful. This site is an answer to prayer for me.

Blessings,
Bonnie

quote:

Originally posted by Teri Robert:
Bonnie,

-:¦:-•:*'*:•.-:¦:-•*Hello!*•-:¦:-•:*'''*:•-:¦:-•*Welcome!*•-:¦:-

You said your PCP THINKS you have Migraines. You really do need to find out. Is there any history of Migraine, sinus headaches, or "sick headaches" in your family? Your doctor should have asked you about this.

Sometimes, we just can't avoid our triggers. One of my worst is barometric pressure changes, and that's something that's simply unavoidable. If you have three or more Migraines a month, or if your Migraines are especially severe, a daily preventive medication may be in order. With my preventive regimen, all of my Migraines are greatly reduced.

Good sleep is absolutely essential. Too much, too little, interrupted, or poor quality sleep can be horrible triggers. It's important for many of us to go to bed and get up at the same time every day.

Welcome again!

quote:

Originally posted by BonLou:
Nancy,
Thanks for your reply and helpful links.

I've read most of the links all of you have recommended, and some of the other items on this site.

I've come up with one conclusion: I think I do have migraines for sure. And, I think I know what my worse triggers are. So, it makes sense to avoid the triggers. But, what does one do when that is impossible?

I get headaches when:

I go out walking and its windy, and especially if it is cold air.
Wearing a hat helps. My sister is the same way with this one.

Air conditioners give me headaches if they are set too cold.
Summer fans in the ceilings can also give me headaches. We use one at night a lot, and I sometimes get up and wrap my head in a towel and sleep that way.

Riding in the car is very bad. I believe it is the scenery going by that triggers a headache.

Shopping in stores. (could be the lights, or the cold air, or just my bad eyes.)

The computer screen, if I'm on too long.

Reading any length of time.

Now, if I know my triggers and avoid them, there is not very much I can do. I mean some of these thing I have to do just to survive. ie: grocery shopping, necessity shopping; walking to keep in shape; going to the dr. (riding in the car - we don't live near our doctors) working on the computer: (I run a group of about 100 people who have panic disorder, plus have a blog, these are my ministeries; I hope i don't have to give them up.)

I said all that to ask this? Does anyone think going to a specialist and going through all that would help me any? Would taking medication for migraines make a lot of difference and enable me to do these things more comfortably? It's a quality of life issue with me.
Or, should I just accept the ugly way I am and live with it?

Thanks and blessings,
Bonnie

Bonnie, ideally, finding an effective preventive regimen will allow you to get the quality of life back that you're looking for. While preventive medication will not cure migraine disease - indeed, there is no cure - for many migraineurs it makes a huge difference. The idea is that it will make you less susceptible to your triggers. So, yes, you will still have those triggers you identified, and you still may need to avoid some of them, but on an effective preventive regimen you may be able to come in contact with them and *not* have a migraine attack.

If you haven't already, I highly recommend you read Teri's book, Living Well With Migraine Disease and Headaches. She has excerpted several sections of her book. In particular, you should read her story:

Chapter 1: Introduction, My Life with Migraine Disease and Headaches

Teri's story is an excellent example of the potential successes of preventive medication.

So, is it worth it to go through all of this? YES. Absolutely. To give you some of my own background, I'm a 24-year-old woman with chronic migraines and chronic daily headache. I've been in a bad migraine cycle for about 2 years now and had this particular migraine since November. I'm in pain constantly. I just fired my third doctor and am moving onto my fourth. I've tried five preventives over the past year, and while none of them have worked for me yet, I have had great success in the past. I know I can get my quality of life back, but I need more aggressive treatment than my last doc was willing to give me.

IMO, we should never have to "just put up with" the pain. Any doctor who tells you that needs to have their sorry butt fired. There's no reason to accept the pain of migraine disease as inevitable and live without any effective treatment. That's why I'm still working so hard to find something that will work for me, because one day I will find something with the help of a migraine specialist that will give me the chance to live a less pain-filled life.

Read over Teri's story. It's very inspiring to all of us migraineurs who do not currently have good control of their migraines. If Teri found an effective preventive regimen, so can all of us.

Hope this helps, Bonnie. It really is worth it to consult with a specialist. You don't have to give in to the beast forever.

quote:

Originally posted by BonLou:
I said all that to ask this? Does anyone think going to a specialist and going through all that would help me any? Would taking medication for migraines make a lot of difference and enable me to do these things more comfortably? It's a quality of life issue with me.
Or, should I just accept the ugly way I am and live with it?

Hi-

Thanks for your feedback. I'm beginning to think I do need to have my dr. look into this more if she will. She is my PCP, and so far I think she is wonderful. She takes good care of my husband and myself.

You have at least given me some hope that some kind of treatment may lessen the migraines. I talked it over with my DH and he thinks I should go for it too.

The people on this site have given me hope that I didn't have before.

I will go and read the link you gave me regarding Teri's book. Thanks.

I too have pressure in my head a lot. It is not everyday, but I think I get it at least some every week. I wonder if the pressure can flucuate from time to time. I hate to have a spinal tap, YIKES, but if I have too.....maybe....I'd probably chicken out.
I'm wondering how bad are they?

I hope and pray your new dr. will help you find the answers. You've gone through an awful lot and need some relief. I can't imagine having a headache that long.

Love and hugs,
Bonnie

OK, I'll share my experience with lumbar puncture, AKA spinal tap. I'm told that "how bad it is" is greatly affected by how skilled the person is who does it, so don't hesitate to ask the doctor how experienced he/she is with the procedure.

For me, there was almost nothing to it. They numb the site, and that is almost the worst part of it. Apart from that, the prick felt more or less like having blood drawn. Afterwards, I lay down and they brought me breakfast. After awhile, when I was ready, I got up and went home. And that's all there was to it.

A small percentage of people get a severe headache following the procedure--I didn't. Ask the doctor how long you should let that continue, in the event you get one. At the end of that time, if it's still going on, call the doctor back. There is a "blood patch" procedure which can stop the headache.