Migraine

I get a variety of visual migraine auras. Visual snow, double vision, the sparkes, the black dots. Lately though I have been having trouble seeing. Things are hazy and indistinct, hard to see details. I have an appointment to see into it. The last fellow said it was a very mild sigmatism, and gave me glasses for it, to help with driving at night. But since my eyes have been going funky I tried wearing them to work, they cklear up the double images well enough but not much else, and I have a hard time walking while wearing them and then I get a headache. It is really weird, sometimes I see clearly, and then I can't even see distincly a few feet away from me, and my eyes take time to re focus. And I not really sure if this is a migraine thing, a FMS thing (since that can cause changes in vision), or physically my eyes are doing something wierd.

Hi Myth

If it helps I have been getting VS type symtoms for years, in fact I thought this was normal until recently reading a website on it...I thought they were joking at first as I thought everyone got this.
It all seems to come under the migraine umbrella but still needs investigating.
My optician say the same as you that I have asigmatism but otherwise my eyesight is fine. You should see a neurologist.

Caroline

Sounds like you need to see an ophthalmologist. Is that the appointment you have set up?

Hi Myth,

An ophthalmologist is a medical doctor who can do more that an optician, who typically dispenses glasses and examines eyes for eyeglass strength.

If your eyes are giving you a problem make an appointment when you can. Let us know how it goes, ok?

I would definitely think an opthalmologist visit is in order. If you have several to pick from at your clinic, you might call their department's desk and ask which doctors might be most knowledgeable about aura and migraine symptoms ahead of time.

Marietta went through spell's of vision problem's last summer. Anywhere from hazy to temporary blindness. Never got A good diagnosis on it. Mainly blamened on migrainal. I'am not sold on that. Maybe it was. But it went away and she was still taking Migrainal. I've been around Migrain's too long. I've seen the right side of her body shut down, Seen many thing's the doctor's couldn't explain. That ghost they call Migrain. Wish I knew the answer's.

Mmmmmmmm yes but the reason I would go for a neuro is because he is having other migraine related symptoms,
Perhaps its just different over here but we are put onto a neurologist so that they can do MRI's etc to rule out anything else. and only go to see an ophthalmologist if an optician picks sommething up.

No matter what glasses you wear, if your brain decides its going to play up your vision, nothing helps.

I recently had my eyes checked.

Little advise - have them run the gamut! Even if it's an addl $40 for this or that.

Have the vision field test done - where they check "blind spots" in your vision.

Also - have the pictures taken of your eyes - if you have not done so before.

As a migraine sufferer - I just felt this was important to keep on top of.

I also have night blindness and wear special glasses at night. I have been wearing them more around during the day too. They are 30% yellow tint so they cut glare on everything. I love them! They look a little pshycodelic or 60's or what have you - but I don't care - they help me see!!!!!!

I have heard about those yellow glasses and was thinking about asking about them while I am there. I think the fellow I set the appointment up with is a eye doctor, so I am hoping he will be able to rule any actual vision issues out, or refer me to someone who can. Obviously, driving is an issue at this point, so I would really like some sort of answer. I don't believe it is a med issue, because the only meds I am on that are new, is a daily dose of arthrotec, but then you never know with meds. Unfortunately, asking my neuro is not an option, it takes roughly six months to see the fellow, so if I have questions, I tend to horde them for when I see him, but not so great for any immediate issues. Since I do get visual snow, as the prolonged part of my aura, it could just be that, but more intense than it usally is.

quote:

also have night blindness and wear special glasses at night. I have been wearing them more around during the day too. They are 30% yellow tint so they cut glare on everything. I love them!

Thanks for all the responses... I would have replied sooner, but I forgot I posted this, and so rather suprized myself when I saw it. That seems to happen quite often when I am fuzzy headed at night... never seem to remember what I did.

Actually, I just thought of a follow up question. If this is my visual snow, or visual auras, going into overdrive, what can I do about that? Are there any preventatives that help with aura reduction? I can't use triptans, unfortunately, very unfortunatly, but even if I could, some of these persistent auras would not be overly affected by that, some do, but the persistent ones don't.

Hi Myth

It all depends on the type of auras that you get, if like me the main problem is attacks of zig zags, blind spots and scotomas, usaully preceding migraine pain but in my case not, then there is preventatives, such as beta blockers which I am trying at the moment but:

If your auras are constant as in the case of VS as far I know there is no magic answer.
I have comstant VS but quite mild and it is not affected by the beta blockers.
I don't think that its the same sort of thing after experiencing both, although the main thinking from the experts who acknowledge VS is that it is.
Have you ever talked to Klaus Podell? link
visual snow

Hey Caroline,

I have been to that site you mention, as I answered a survey regarding vs some time back. The vs snow (as in the field of tiny sparkles, after images, trailers) have been around long before I recall getting my first migraine, although the double vision did not kick in until a few years back. But, with sunglasses, it has never been a big problem for me. Now though it is affecting my ability to see at work, and really at all... everything looks like an incrediably grainy photograph. I have enough troubles getting to work with the migraines, without these visual issues on top it... and then there is the fact that I don't think I should be driving.

Hi Myth

I really hope you find some answers soon.

hI

I have problems with daily chronic headaches, not entirely sure which type yet, they are either migriane or tension or mixed but i get vision problems as well including blue blobs of light in my visual field, blind spots, floaters, black spots fairly lights and blurry/fuzzy/dim vision although sometimes things look much brighter or move vivid than usual.

However i also need to wear glasses and was told i ahve a slight stigmatism in my one eye and weak eye muscles.

I too can have trouble seeing clearly at times, even in my glasses, only to find at other times i can see ok. I now have 3 pairs of glasses becuase my prescription changes so frequently and see the optcians at least once a year (6months at one point).

The last time i saw him he gave my eyes a full test including a visual fields test and a dilation test and my eyes were fine (other htan the weak muscles and stigmatism) so i put the odd visual stuff like blurry vision, fuzzy vision, difficutly focusing even in my glasses light effects etc down to my headaches seeing sa they seem to be at their worst when my head is hurting.

Hope that makes sense, my head is hurting right now but im trying to distract myself from the sensation that feels like someone is jabbing a redhot poker throught the left side of my skull and face.

I hope you get the visual problems sorted out soon.

Me i just get a new pair of glasses on a regular basis.

ES

Eileen-I did exactly what you did recommended when I quit my job a few months ago. I never had a pic of my eyes done before, pretty cool tech stuff there.

I have astimatism and night blindness too. My first set of night blindness glasses were rose tinted. The frames were round. I looked a lot like John Lennon....

quote:

Originally posted by EileenHOST:
I recently had my eyes checked.

Little advise - have them run the gamut! Even if it's an addl $40 for this or that.

Have the vision field test done - where they check "blind spots" in your vision.

Also - have the pictures taken of your eyes - if you have not done so before.

As a migraine sufferer - I just felt this was important to keep on top of.

I also have night blindness and wear special glasses at night. I have been wearing them more around during the day too. They are 30% yellow tint so they cut glare on everything. I love them! They look a little pshycodelic or 60's or what have you - but I don't care - they help me see!!!!!!