Migraine

I was just googling & found this interesting piece of info? Does anyone know more about this?

This was from the Website http://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/554971:

Elementary visual hallucinations of occipital seizures are brief for seconds to 3 minutes, develop fast within seconds and are predominantly colored and circular.[3,4] They usually start in the periphery of a hemifield and often march to other seizure symptoms or convulsions. Conversely, visual aura of migraine consists mainly of achromatic zigzag linear patterns, starts in the center of the visual field, it gradually progresses over >4 min usually lasting <30 min toward the periphery of one hemifield and often leaves a scotoma.[5] Postictal headache, often indistinguishable for migraine as defined by the International Classification of Headache Disorders (ICHD-2),[1] occurs in more than half of patients with visual seizures.[4]

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I found this interesting because I don't experience the "zigzag" & geometric white shapes my relatives get w/ their migraines, but much more like the colored circular - kalidescope or ameoba-like shapes that shift & move & also go along with my paresthesias, heat/cold dripping sensations & worser ones, my "seizure-like" clenching/paralysis.

I also get more complex imagery of shifting faces/creatures/cartoon like images (asleep) & "video-stills" of people or animals (when falling asleep reading, writing, etc.). No migraine symptoms along with it.

I sometimes also have a slight alteration in my visual field & also sometimes see a brief object/creature that "doesn't belong" while awake (but feel a bit fuzzy). No migraine symptoms along with it.

Initially, it was thought I might have Narcolepsy, but since I "failed" the MSLT, my doctor no longer thinks I do have it & thinks my symptoms are something else (whatever that may be).

I have had, more recently, flashes of bright white light, like lightning or or flash from a camera, but not with a particular shape.

I'm wondering how uncommon/common these types of hallucinations are with migraine disorder? Does anyone have anything similar to what I described?

The aura I experience is more like what you described than what that article describes. I most often experience yellow spots in my field of vision, especially on my left side, if I have aura before a migraine. I used to have more of a colorful kaleidoscope experience with many different shapes when I was a kid, but now it's mostly just the yellow spots.

Actually, my "flashes of light" is a LESS frequent hallucination & has only started recently...

I am more likely to get the more complicated circular hallucinations & psychodelic amorpheuos images with variety of colors (mostly blues & greens & some pinks). I had this in between my dreams last night & woke up dripping in sweat & out of breath.

I do not get zigzag or linear stuff that starts on one side of the vision that supposedly is more typical for migraines.

Everytime I'd bring up something knew my migraine specialist seemed a bit concerned... my seizure specialist seems like she totally disregarded any symptom I said. It's a bit frustrating

Sometimes I feel like I'm the only one that has all these weird symptoms!

Not to be "Captain Obvious" or anything, but have you had your vision checked out recently just to make sure this isn't somehow related to that?

Diana

I can't speak from personal experience as I don't get visual auras, but I did want to share this website, if you haven't seen it before.

http://www.migraine-aura.org/

They have a lot of information about different types of migraine auras, including visual auras, that you may find interesting/useful. Illustrations, too!

I'm aware of migraine-aura.org. It's a fascinating Website. I haven't found anything quite like what I experience on it though.

I got my eyes checked last year by an optometrist. I have surgerically corrected strabismous, nearsightedness/farsightedness & no stereoptic vision... the doctor said my eyes looked pretty good, actually (minor changes in vision).

Most of my weirder hallucinations occur when I am sleepy or asleep, so I doubt it's a vision issue.

These "cartoon" like images you describe sound familiar to me. To me it is almost like a coloring book that has not been colored yet. Exaggerated bubble like figures that are boldly outlined in black. I get that alotwhen I am sleeping.I never really told anyone about it, I always thought it was just me, so I never put any thought into if they come before a migraine or not, but when I read your post it was incredible! Maybe it isn't just me! It will be interesting to keep more track of them to see if these have any significance or not!

When I get my cartoony (mine are actually vividly colored- almost flourescent & irridescent colors - your sound like they are black & white?)& psychodelic hallucinations at night, I haven't noticed a migraine headache following it normally. But sometimes weird sensations & "seizure-like" stuff accompanies it. However, I tend to wake up feeling like I haven't slept at all & feel real groggy & fatigued during the day afterwards.

Some of my more memorable dreams include these cartoon & psychodelic elements mixed with realistic style, often having a fantasy or supernatural theme. They are very vivid. If only if I had more energy, I would be creating stories & art based on them.

One neurologist thought I "might" be crazy.

A psychiatrist wanted to put me on antipsychotics because she wasn't sure if my symptoms were neurological or psychotic.

My sleep specialist & epileptologist have no clue what all of this is.

Honestly, it's the one symptom that I actually like (besides my flying hallucinations) as long as it doesn't interfere with my waking life.

But it's a bit frustrating when you tell neurologists all your symptoms & it seems they have never heard them before.

Mine are black and white, and do seem to drain my energy. I get them like you say when I am falling asleep or when I am asleep, and I do get them often, and have so since I was a child. They used to scare me when I was a kid, but not anymore. I remember asking a friend about it when I was a teenager and she said that I needed to see a shrink. Whatever. I think that was the only time I ever discussed it until now. No color involved whatsoever. But still your story sounds so familiar. Like I said, a coloring book that has yet to be colored. So weird. I never see it at all when I am alert or awake. I did however, when they were drugging me for my gallbladder surgery, they had given me quite a cocktail of drugs, because I couldn't stop crying and I was scared to death. They kept saying it was a simple surgery and it would be ok. I worked in a vets office at the time, anything that goes under anethesia is under risk, simple surgery or not, so yeah, I was scared, and they drugged me to high heaven, no pun intended, and I was seeing the cartoon thing then. It is interesting though. It would be fascinating to find out if there is a reason.

There are those of us who are never "inside the box". We either hang just around the edge, or are no where near the box....

An ophthalmologist, not optometrist may be the doctor to see and discuss this with.