opthalmic migrains

[hammy]

Is there anyone else that suffers from opthalmic migrains also known as visual migrains?, (For those that dont know it is a flashing zig zag circular line in your eyes that lasts for about 20 mins), If so what have you found causes them and do you have or use any sort of treatment?.

I have had them now for about three years and being a lorry driver also they are a pain in the buttocks.

[Alchemy]

Hi Hammy,

for me I think it's low blood sugar, if I don't eat something after playing squash I will often get one. I have never found a definite reason but to me this sounds logical. Horrible things that strike at the worst possible moment especially if you're driving. You have my sympathy mate.

[DJ Jules]

I used to get something similar, but I don't think they're the same. I get tunnel vision for about 20mins or so (massive great blind spots in my vision) and then when that subsides I'm left with the mother of all migraines.

In my case they're caused exclusively by eye strain (extensive reading/computer use without wearing my glasses used to be the trigger - until someone pointed out that if they were as short sighted as me they wouldn't be reading without glasses!)

Treatment? As soon as I get the visual precursor to the migraine I swallow as many ibuprofen as I can and then close my eyes until the headaches start. If I get the ibuprofen down fast enough the headaches are barely noticeable, but I usually find I'm more tired at the end of the day.

Julian