Vision and anxiety

[wisa]

Hi, I have been suffering with visual migraines for as long as I can remember, but only found out what they were a few years ago. I also feel a particularly strange sensation in my eyes (not at the same time as the visual migraines), where it feels like the muscles around my eyes are tightening (I can still see) this is the only way I can describe it but it terrifies me. Could this be linked to anxiety? When I told my GP he just asked if things had been stressing me out. I really need to know.

[Hidden]

Hello

I suffer with migraines & the visual disturbance & I have been suffering years yet every time I get one the fear is still just as bad & in the back of my mind I think all the worse scenarios

There is medication you can take to help with migraines , I am surprised your Doctor did not discuss this with you , unfortunately I can not take them due to other meds I take but I know others can & they can work well

I always know when I am about to have a migraine as I get numbness on one side of my face before it starts maybe your signal is the sensation in your eyes ?

I am not sure if you are male or female but I used to get migraines 3 to 4 times a year till I hit the menopause & now they come every 6 weeks which having been checked out there seems to be no other explanation than the menopause causing them to now come more frequently but yes anxiety can cause them to

I would keep a dairy , see if there is a pattern to these migraines , how long in-between each one , was you feeling stressed , foods can trigger them also so it is handy to jot down what you have eaten as you could find it could be something like that

If they are still bothering you or if you see a pattern to them go back to your Doctors , maybe ask them to refer you to a neurologist to give you peace of mind or at least look at reassuring you & helping you to manage them x

[wisa in reply to Hidden]

Thanks for your reply. I will definitely start to write it down to see if I can find a pattern. The doctor wouldn't give me medication as I don't suffer with the normal migraines, I get the ocular migraines with no pain. I do get a warning when they are going to happen which is a small area in my vision which shimmers and then it starts properly. It only last for around twenty minutes and disappears. Still freaks me out every time it happens.

The other sensation where it feels like the muscles around my eyes are tightening doesn't seem to have anything to do with the visual migraines. They happen at completely different times. Very strange.

[Hidden in reply to wisa]

Hello

Migraines can all have different patterns & yes it does make you feel anxious wondering if it is normal but if the Doctor does not seem to concerned that is a good sign I would say

All different communities here on HealthUnlocked , not sure if yo have looked at the migraine community , I have put the link you can have a quick look if you feel it may help you can join & see if someone has some more advise x

healthunlocked.com/migraine...

[wisa in reply to Hidden]

Thank you I will X

[cc120 in reply to Hidden]

What medication did your GP advise?

[wisa in reply to cc120]

None at all, just said I was stressed. I even went to opticians and they referred me back to my GP but gp just said opticians refer back to gp when they cannot explain what's happening. Again the Gp said it was stress. It turns out I have very high blood pressure and have been on tablets for that for over a year. Funnily enough I did not get the muscle tightening after starting tablets until very recently, so I'm really worried about it again now. I have a blood pressure machine and it's not overly high like last time so I have no idea what is causing it.

[cc120 in reply to wisa]

Hi wisa, I was asking tigger as she mentioned 'There is medication you can take to help with migraines , I am surprised your Doctor did not discuss this with you' so wondered if she could enlighten us.

How many of the following have you had tested?, granted a few almost impossible to get authorised by GP:

1.Thyroid Peroxidase Antibodies (TPOAb)

2.Thyroglobulin Antibodies (TgAb)

3.TSH

4.FT4

5.FT3

6.B12

7.Folate

8.Iron

9.Ferritin

10.Vitamin D3

11.Calcium

12.Magnesium

13.Zinc

14.basic pituitary hormone function tests.

[wisa in reply to cc120]

I've had the usual blood tests for blood cell count, glucose, liver function and kidney function and thyroid but I think that is it. Like I said earlier in the post, I do not get any pain with the visual migraines just the blurry colours moving across my vision. I have become used to these as I have been getting them for so long now, but it is the cramping feeling I get that really worries me as it has just started out of the blue. It only lasts for about five to ten seconds at a time. It's very strange and scary.

[cc120 in reply to wisa]

It's always worth getting a print out of all blood test results taken over the years and post them on the forum for feedback. What GP's, in their limited knowledge, feel is normal, a specialist may not.

[wisa in reply to cc120]

Good idea x

[cc120 in reply to Hidden]

What medication did your GP advise?

[Hidden in reply to cc120]

Hello cc120

There are all kinds of different meds that you can take , sometimes it can even be an anxiety med that are thought to work for migraines but I never got as far as trying them as what she was looking at would not have gone with other medications I take so it was a no starter for me so took no notice of the names , I think it all depends on the patient , how long they have been suffering to what each Doctor will prescribe or suggest as of course they have our medical history & hopefully will know what is best taking that all into account

Sure if anyone suffers with migraines their doctor would recommend medications if they were getting really bad & hard to live with , if you look on the migraine site I put the link on in my last reply you will see so many that suffer with migraines that have taken medications as well as tried other things as what works for one as you know doesn't always work for another x

[wisa in reply to Hidden]

Thanks tigger I will take a look x