# my first scintillating scotoma **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [April 8, 2014, 5:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-first-scintillating-scotoma/685654 "2014-04-08T17:20:06Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 8\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Machine\_Elf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/82dd89/32.png) [@Machine\_Elf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Machine_Elf)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2014, 5:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-first-scintillating-scotoma/685654/1 "2014-04-08T17:20:06Z")
THAT was fuckin’ weird. Yesterday evening I experienced a very classic “scintillating scotoma.” I didn’t know what it was at first. I thought my eyes were temporarily screwed up from having looked at a bright light, but before long I realized this was…different. It wasn’t a dark/blind spot, it was a roiling, slithering distortion overlaid wherever I happened to look. I knew that visual aura often preceded migraine headaches. I’ve never had either of those before, but my sister has, so I was aware of the connection. I googled “visual aura,” and ended up at the [Wikipedia page for same](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aura_(symptom)). After a brief skim, I clicked through to the page for [scintillating scotoma.](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scintillating_scotoma) Damn, that’s it. Just like the page said, it kind of started in my central vision, and slowly progressed outward to (and beyond, I guess) my peripheral vision over the course of maybe 20 minutes. I was worried that this foretold of a miserable headache to come, but fortunately no; it appears to have been [ancephalgic migraine.](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Acephalgic_migraine) In other words, just a mind-bending visual artifact, nothing more. ---
**Author:** ![cher3](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/da6949/32.png) [@cher3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cher3)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2014, 7:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-first-scintillating-scotoma/685654/2 "2014-04-08T19:20:46Z")
I’ve had them a few times, usually in tandem with stress, fatigue and being in front of a computer for a long time. The first time there was no subsequent headache, but the next time there was. After that, I took some OOC migraine medication just in case. My daughter has also had them a few times, and she does tend to get the headache. Neither of us is otherwise a chronic migraine sufferer. ---
**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2014, 7:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-first-scintillating-scotoma/685654/3 "2014-04-08T19:55:06Z")
Yeah, I get them from time to time – my doctor called them ocular migraines. Supposedly harmless, but the first time I had one I was pretty worried (though it went away after 20 minutes, so I figured it wasn’t too terrible). I sometimes get a headache, most commonly if I try to fight it by looking in the distance. If I let it run its course, I’m usually OK. My father had the same issue. Considering what else is going on with my eyes, it’s the least of my worries. ---
**Author:** ![Carl\_Corey](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/8e8cbc/32.png) [@Carl\_Corey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Carl_Corey)\ **Post date:** [April 9, 2014, 2:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-first-scintillating-scotoma/685654/4 "2014-04-09T02:19:31Z")
Oh good. I thought you had scrotum cancer. ---
**Author:** ![LavenderBlue](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/e95f7d/32.png) [@LavenderBlue](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LavenderBlue)\ **Post date:** [April 9, 2014, 2:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-first-scintillating-scotoma/685654/5 "2014-04-09T02:23:06Z")
I get them about once a month. They suck. Try Excedrin Migraine. That works for me. ---
**Author:** ![Amateur\_Barbarian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/59ef9b/32.png) [@Amateur\_Barbarian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Amateur_Barbarian)\ **Post date:** [April 9, 2014, 3:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-first-scintillating-scotoma/685654/6 "2014-04-09T03:03:40Z")
I get them maybe three or four times a year, usually when I’m stressed more than usual or functioning on very little sleep. Mine tend to pass quickly, two or three minutes being usual, and I have no headaches with them. But they are pretty weird. ---
**Author:** ![Ferret\_Herder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/e47774/32.png) [@Ferret\_Herder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ferret_Herder)\ **Post date:** [April 9, 2014, 3:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-first-scintillating-scotoma/685654/7 "2014-04-09T03:18:57Z")
Weird, huh? I was glad for them because they were the only warning I’d get for impending migraines. I recommend not doing anything for about 20 minutes when you start getting one, just because of the visual impairment, but yeah, otherwise they can be mostly just annoying. ---
**Author:** ![kath94](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/67e7ee/32.png) [@kath94](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kath94)\ **Post date:** [April 10, 2014, 7:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-first-scintillating-scotoma/685654/8 "2014-04-10T19:38:45Z")
I get them, too, frequency varies from one a month to several times per year. 20 minutes seems to be the magic number for my vision to get back to normal. As **Machine Elf** describes, the swirly, watery scintillation seems to gradually move out of my line of sight. I usually take a break from work. Can’t decently operate a computer or read. Both my mother & her mother suffered from BAD migraines. I feel fortunate if this is the only symptom I get.