Well, it’s important to ME, anyway… But seriously, maybe other people have experienced this, and maybe it will help someone else to read it.
I used to have classic migraines, although I almost never do now. Since June this year, though, I’ve been horribly sensitive to light. This wouldn’t be such a big deal, except that I have a lot of visual floaters. I’ve been able to block them out for quite some time, but the photophobia made them ALL come back and… basically, it’s been a nightmare I wouldn’t wish on my worst enemy. I’ve tried everything, been to doctors, etc. My retinal specialist told me about a month ago that he did indeed see the floaters, but that nothing had changed, they were the same as before, and there was definitely no medical change he could see that had actually caused them to increase… they were just more noticeable.
Well, a week ago I started seeing a very familiar sparkly visual scotoma in my left eye again, and it clicked (yes, it can take a while.) It looked just like the aura before a migraine and was the same exact thing I used to see before the classic migraines. I was told (by the retinal specialist) three years ago that I was having ocular migraines, because I saw the EXACT same thing then. He said that these are “migraines without the headache” and that they can last for a LONG time, also that mine might come and go. It lasted a year and then basically faded, although it’s returned every once in a while ever since. I went online this week and found that light sensitivity is another symptom of the headache-less migraines. EUREKA!!! Maybe that’s been it all year since June!!!
Has anyone else ever experienced this? What did you do? What was the treatment? Should I see a neurologist next? Believe it or not, I’m actually happy about this… there could be a MEDICAL EXPLANATION for the light sensitivity and I could MAYBE DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT. If this was the case, I would be INSANE WITH JOY, no matter what I have to do, take, or spend!!!
I have nothing useful to add other than an anecdote.
My first migraine was last year. It started one evening while watching TV in a semi-darkened room. I noticed when I looked at the computer screen there were spots that were difficult to see. I thought my eyes were just dazzled from looking at the bright TV screen so I turned on the overhead light. After several minutes, I noticed my eyes still hadn’t adjusted and that I was getting kind of a watery effect to my vision. And my head was starting to hurt pretty badly. Living alone and not having any clue what was going on, I went to the hospital and was diagnosed with a migraine.
A few days later, I had the visual effects again (right before an eye exam. “Read line 1.” "I can’t, there’s water in the way. ) I got a little bit of a headache, but it wasn’t severe.
About a week after that, I got the visual effects again, but didn’t have any headache at all.
My son at 11 (3 years ago) started suffering from vertigo - dizzyness, nausea, the works. Assuming inner ear infection, we saw ENTs and pediatricians. After 6 months of this, the ENT specialist gave up, suggesting that the inner ear damage could well be permanent. By now, our son was also suffering icepick headaches. Fortunately, our GP did not give up, and sent us to a neurologist in London for an evaluation.
His inner ears were fine - she diagnosed migranes. The vertigo was a headache-less migrane, although he does get the classic migrane headache as well. He was treated with Beta-blockers, given some psych time to address anxiety issues (being scared of a migrane is enough to give you a migrane which makes you more scared of getting a migrane which…) and is now much better. He still has breakthrough episodes (particularly as they are trying to get him off the meds) but is generally fine - he lost almost half a year of school at the start, but he is a smart kid and has recovered.
So a headache-less migrane impacting the visual field is quite probable. My son has dizzy spells without headaches regularly.
As for treatment - no real ideas for your situation. Maybe try some biofeedback relaxation techniques (they used a skintemp monitor, I’d have thought alpha/beta brain wave monitoring might be better). Keep avoiding the triggers (citrus, caffine, chocolate, red wine).
Thanks for the replies-- I really appreciate them.
It can be very hard not to shout about this, let’s just say… but anyway…
I haven’t been drinking regular coffee for YEARS, but I’ve had it twice in the past month because of 16-hour-days, and I’ve noticed something very interesting. The day I have the coffee, everything is wonderful. The ocular migraine symptoms barely bother me at all, and I’m so calm and relaxed, and can actually concentrate and focus on things. The NEXT day, though, there’s a real “rebound” type effect.
Anise, mine is a similar story. I used to have classic migraines with a sparkly visual field, light sensitivity, sound sensitivity and pain that felt like my head was being kicked repeatedly by a mule. I experienced these from my teens until I went through menopause about two years ago. After menopause, all the symptoms vanished. My doctor and I figured it had been hormones that’d been triggering the attacks. In recent weeks, however, I’ve been having episodes of twinkly lights without pain. The visual disturbance comes on without warning and lasts about 20 minutes. During an episode, I can’t see my computer screen or drive my car. The first time it happened, I was at the office. I thought I was having a stroke so I went to see the nurse, who took my BP, tested my speech and reflexes and reassured me that I wasn’t having a stroke, which is what I’d feared. I’m going to follow this up with a neurologist.
But seriously, maybe other people have experienced this, and maybe it will help someone else to read it.
) I got a little bit of a headache, but it wasn’t severe.