Went to the cinema yesterday and had this type of visual disturbance (left eye only) about half way through the film. It lasted about 15 mn and then disappeared. I got this photo from a website which suggests that it's a benign ocular migraine type thing.
I did start getting this on and off a few months before being diagnosed with GCA, always in low and artificial light. The eye doctor I saw after dx said it was unrelated to GCA.
Has anyone had the same? Should I be worried?
I have upped my dose of Pred for a week to 6 mg because the taper I tried from 2 mg to 1.5 mg brought back neck and shoulder stiffness. I'll drop to 2 mg again on Monday.
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Dochaz
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I have had exactly the same thing. It is frightening in the context of Cranial GCA, I was about to go to A&E when it faded and disappeared. I booked an eye examination at my opticians’ who thoroughly examined my eyes with his various machines and found nothing amiss. An Ocular Migraine was the consensus of opinion. I would have everything checked if it happened again.
I paid for the optical examination privately for the reassurance. I had exactly your visuals - as if I had been dazzled. It lasted about 2 hours my husband thinks. No pain.
That happened to me a few years ago on a bus, on the way to have a PET-CT scan! It went away by the time I got to the hospital and I put it down to stress and it being an ocular migraine.
I have had this a couple of times particularly if on my tablet for long periods. I had it checked and diagnosis as you have described ocular migrane. Lasted 10 minutes for me. Very scary at the time.....
I have had the same a few times over several years. It goes away after a while. I had it before PMR. The optician said things are OK. My father had the same problem occasionally.
As per prev posts,that's exactly what I have had with my migraine aura ( prodrome) for a long time. They can be static or start small and then expand and dispappear. Vision is disturbed behind it and called a visual scotoma. It may or may not be followed by a headache and feeling off colour, the postdrome. If you have never suffered migraine before you should run this past your GP at some point. In itself the disturbance is not serious just a normal part of some folks migraine. Did you binge on lifes problems, tea, coffee, red wine, cheese or stress your eyes in some way ?
Nothing unusual prior to the flashing. This was mid-afternoon, so too early for wine or cheese and no beverages during the film. No pain either really, maybe a very slight headache on the same side as the flashing about an hour and a half later once I'd come home.
I find I avoid the headache if I shut my eyes, take to the proverbial darkened room asap and 1g dissolved Paracetamol till the flashing zigzag stops; a bit disconcerting for those around though! Specially those who consider migraine is an affectation !
Have had two episodes of this lately, the first lasting about 30 minutes and the second only 10 minutes but mine was in both eyes and still there with my eyes shut. Was followed both times by a mild headache (top and back of head). Have never had migraine. Have made an appointment with optician and will follow that up with visit to GP. Couldn’t think of anything that triggered it.
Both eyes and seeing the flashes with eyes shut are more typical than just one side.The Migraine Trust and the American Migraine Foundation are good for reference. I only started getting them once I was 60. There is some thinking that migraine with aura increases stroke risk so worth seeking advice esp of they are more than ocassional.
I have had exactly this 5!times now. 2 in 3 days one week. I got my eyes checked out by the optician who ran loads of scans for me. My consultant too has said the same “ not the GCA “ I now just close my eyes until it passes usually within half hour.
Hi , I’ve had these before , ocular migraine. I already had Pmr, was not yet diagnosed with GCA. My doctor gave me tablets for when it first comes on, then it goes away quite quickly. when I first got them, it followed with a migraine.
They didn’t seem to think it was related to anything, quite scary. I hadn’t them before this. I’ve now been diagnosed with GCA.
My HA gets these and the doctor at the hospital said is age related migraines.
It really knocks it out of him I can tell when he’s having them.
He sits until it goes about twenty minutes then he feels so tired afterwards.
He said he sees stars and it starts in one corner of his eye and slowly moves across his vision until it’s gone.
It has happened while he’s been driving and if he can he stops and waits until it goes.
He has terrible problems with his eyes and it was quite worrying for him, but the eye specialist he sees says the best thing to do is relax and sit it out.
I hope you find an answer soon to your problem as it is very worrying.
I’ve been getting these once or twice a year for about 5 years but I’ve only had GCA for the past 10 months. It’s called retinal migraine and it’s definitely not related to GCA. Now I can recognise it coming on and stop it. As soon as I notice a ‘gap’ in my vision I go somewhere quiet and close my eyes and rest. After about 10 minutes, fifteen at the most, it has stopped.
Spot on, I usually notice a tiny blank spot, particularly when reading. This then slightly increases and opens out to a crescent shape with a kaleidoscope image.
I now recognise when it’s happening, and like others doesn’t seem to be linked to anything going on. Doesn’t bother me, but if episodes were to get more frequent and bearing Gca in mind, I’d probably want it checked out.
I’ve been checked by my optician and the hospital ophthalmologist who both say it’s nothing to do with GCA and nothing to be concerned about (both to check again if it becomes more frequent). It was described to me as the retina just needing to do a reset. The first time it happened (and the most vivid) I was in the duty free shop at an airport. It was caused by the bright lights.
In a funny kind of way it’s good to hear others have experienced this. I had the first episode in my fifties, now 76 and possibly had ten episodes over the years.
It did frighten me at first but after I researched it felt less worried.
Your picture shows just how I see it, mine has always been over one eye, I lie down in a dark room and close my eyes, the flashing is still there with my eyes closed. Usually after 10-20 mins it goes away.
Called Migraine auras..I have had this for over 30 yrs. ..for me it is usually brought on by a bright light..or stress..thankfully these are painless migraines...there is usually no cause for concern..the first time I had them..I got anti anxirty tabs..but now I just close my eyes..or go to a darker room and wait it out..some go really quickly..I never had one that lasted more than 15 minutes...they are sporadic and not constantly happening.
I’ve had this several times with no apparent common trigger. Checked with Opthamologist who said it was not related to GCA and was nothing to worry about. It hasn’t happened since cataracts done but not necessarily connected
Yes, I have had very similar and was diagnosed as visual migraine. It is very scary but usually clears within 20 minutes. I had this before I was diagnosed with GCA and once since. If it doesn’t clear after 20 minutes then urgent care is needed. Do get it checked out though.
I had 3 occurrences of different type of migraines. I never had this before GCA. Please check your symptoms out with a neurologist and or an ophthalmologist .
I’ve had these on and off for a few years, even before GCA came on the scene. They happened out of the blue, last 15-20 mins, just as in the picture but with no headache etc. only get about 2-3 during a year or so. First time was scary as I didn’t understand what was happening, but mentioned to dr and he said not to worry, similar to a migraine. But if you’ve only just started to have them and with GCA too, there’s no harm in getting checked out just for piece of mind.
I get a "halo" effect from light, especially LED light, coming from the side. Apparently it's due to a bit of "thickening" after cataract surgery a year ago. Again apparently, it can be fixed by laser but they wouldn't do me because my pressures were way too high, which I am positive was caused by Pred. Now that I'm down to a very low dose, and my pressures are "normal", I may try again.
I have had these since I was 13 about 3 to 6 times a year. It tends to come in clusters of about one every few weeks and then nothing for months. As soon as I see the alteration in my vision I take a couple of paracetamol, get into a dark room/put on an eye mask and it’s usually gone in 15 minutes. Hope this helps 🤞🤞
I suffered from the classic migraine with aura and a very severe headache between the ages of 20 and 50. Since then I still get the aura but the headache following is either just a dull pain or absent. I immediately lie down on my bed wearing an eyemask, pull the curtains so everything is really dark and it has gone in 20-30 mins. If I am unable to do that, I find the aura gets larger and lasts longer. I'm left feeling a bit washed out. Optician did many tests and it is just something I have to live with.
I've had this experience for about 20 years now, sometimes once a week sometimes once a month, slowly moves across your field of vision and dissappears. Nothing to do with Polymialgia and Nothing to worry about.
I've had these for about 30 or 40 years Dochaz. Mostly only every blue moon, maybe once every year or two. It was explained to me as the aura before a migraine. I never take anything, just sit quietly until it goes after about 20 minutes. I don't get a headache afterwards, just feel a bit washed out. My friend gets them too, very inconvenient a couple of months ago because at the time we were both serving at the bbq at our village fete and there was a very long queue! I think that mine have been set off by lights, and in one case some very zig zaggy wallpaper in a pub. A few years ago, very unusually, I had 6 of these disturbances in about three weeks. I told the gp, who did nothing, didn't even take my BP. A few days after that I had a TIA. So, as others have said, get it checked out, but if it's only every now and then it doesn't seem to be anything to worry about.
That's a great photo?It's very similar to what I experience with an Ocular Migraine with Aura ( the aura is the visual disturbance).
The aura can also be wiggling lines , darkened patches in your vision, flashes and spots. You can have Migraine with Aura with or without head or eye pain , sometimes the head pain occurs and hour after the aura, although you generally do feel a little pressure pain in the socket or behind the eye that is most affected.
I did get more Migraines , Aura and Cluster Headaches in the months before GCA. My Migraines and Cluster Headaches have always come in cycles and often get worse in hot or cold weather ( it's the barometric change) or if I've been using my eyes too much on devices or small details. So I still got them when I was being treated for GCA and they were longer and more intense than before , although I could recognise the difference in the type of pain and area it was in . As it turns out steroids can be used to treat these in the short term so you're increase in dose , and allowing yourself to rest with eyes closed helps.
It's still worth having it checked out by a GP when this happens even if it is likely to be a Migraine, or you've had Migraine before , just to be sure that it isn't GCA , you may find your GP would also suggest a particular short term increase in Pred dose to prevent a GCA flare if the Migraines or Cluster Headaches you are having are recurring or regular.
Have you been diagnosed with Migraine in the past or did you used to experience before GCA?
Are you prescribed Migraine specific medication eg: Sumitriptan
It's actually worth having your eyes examined again by a Specialist to rule out other eye issues and being referred to a Headache or Migraine clinic for a proper assessment. If you suffer with mixed Neurological and Inflammatory/ Vascular Migraines it's worth having them assessed and treated with the right preventative or attack medication during your time with GCA . It helps reduce the chances of either condition causing a flare up in the other one , like a nasty vicious circle and therefore slowing down your recovery.
I would take a few steps down in dose over a number of days from 6 mg back to 2mg , perhaps by reducing to 4 mg for two days , then 3 mg for another two days first. Only , as I found from experience I would still get a rebound Migraine if I jumped back down the doses in one go even after short term increase .
Thanks, Bleareyed, for your very detailed response. I agree that it probably isn't a good idea to drop directly from 6 mg to 2mg, so this morning I took 5 mg and will drop by half a mg daily until I get back to 2. Unless shoulder pain gets worse, of course.I haven't often experienced this kind of aura, but as others have pointed out, it's scary when it happens but not something to panic about.
Hi Dochaz! I have had this visual aura since my teens. It's a migraine without the headache. Mine start with a loss of central vision, starts rotating in a zigzig, then turns rainbow-coloured and flickers. Lasts about 20 mins. Have had to pull over when driving before now. I've had GCA PMR for around a decade, and this doesn't seem to be related.
I have this on a very regular basis and it looks just like your picture shows. I used to suffer with the whole bag of mashing, scream making headaches, vomiting and visual disturbances and I used to take prescription medication for it. Nowadays I just get the visual disturbances and very rarely a low grade headache. Whilst it is inconvenient it’s not life threatening, I just wait it out for 20 minutes or so.
This is exactly what led to my diagnosis so I would not ignore it. It was a very switched on optician who referred me to GP as she thought that I was getting the ocular migraine as a consequence of reduced blood flow to the optic nerve. The (locum) GP referred me straight to the emergency eye clinic who then referred me to rheumatology the next day. One week and a PET scan later, I was diagnosed with LVV.
Admittedly I was already under investigation because my inflammatory markers and platelets were really inflated and I was anaemic, but it was the ocular migraine that tied everything up.
I have lupus and all its friends. I’ve had migraines with aura a few times in my life but last month the hospital kept me overnight because it was a TIA. I recommend seeing your Dr. Soon to make sure you and your eyes are healthy.
HiDochaz, yes I had same thing, GP sent me to hospital and was kept in for tests she thought it was mini stroke, but after tests doc says I had G C A, upped pred to 40mg for a few weeks, all ok now.
Yes. Had this a couple of years ago. Ocular Migraine. I had been looking out my bedroom window and the sun was very bright. Went to the ER. They did a head ct scan. Also referred me to a Neurologist. I was never called.
I’ve had this several times: I think I found exactly that same image when I first searched online! I realised it wasn’t actually eye related as the effect is still there when closing one eye, and then the other. If I pay attention, it starts as a small area then gradually expands out until it goes out of the field of view (which gives me an idea how long until it disappears).
It seems to be more likely to happen if I’m dehydrated, and/or tired. Sometimes leaves me feeling more tired for a while after.
Yes, I've been getting these for about 7 years now... maybe 4 times per year. First time it happened it freaked me out as I was speaking at an international convention in Toronto and thought I was having a stoke. When I got home, my ophthalmologist confirmed it was an ocular migraine and that it was not something disastrous.
I have had a similar vision disturbance occasionally four fifty years,and like yours it only lasts for a few minutes. I have recently been diagnosed with G C A
A few years ago, while reading the news on my phone, I lost the left side of each page. I tried reading a book - same thing. I tried each eye separately - same thing. Very frightening. I called my Opthamologist (whom I see every 3 months for glaucoma), and she asked if I’d had a history migraines . I was plagued with them as a teen and young adult. She said it was probably an ocular migraine and to lie down and close my eyes for 10 minutes to see if it went away. It did - and follow-up showed nothing related to GCA. I’m very lucky to have this doctor whom monitors me closely.
If it's migraine, a consultant ophthalmologist suggested Vit B2 400mg & Magnesium 500mg for 3 months to see whether that helps, which it does with some patients. They are not the first person to suggest this so evidently it can work.
I've had this three or four times over the last two or three years. Mine always comes on when I'm sitting watching TV. Always my left eye. It goes after 10-15 minutes..Ive always assumed it was something on the screen that triggers it off.
I 've had it on and off for over 45 years, came on with my first pregnancy and was checked out and told it was an ocular migraine. Comes in phases, a couple per week then none for months if not a year. Stress, bright lights, reading my kindle for too long, all seem to be triggers or it can come in the night when I'm asleep and I usually wake up to find the zig-zag lights that start very tiny then gradually spread out to the outer edges of my eyes where they flicker a bit and disappear. Usually starts with a blank spot in my vision. No pain except might be a bit achy and tense at the back my head/neck. Lasts for exactly 25 minutes!
I too have had this. Great image and just like mine. Like others had to lie down in a dark room till it subsided. My GP also said it was ocular migraine and onset of a proper migraine. I don't agree though that it isn't related to GCA. Just look at the number of you posting who now have GCA. I think it could be an indicator of those more likely to get GCA. Maybe an early sign/symptom.
I used to get these ocular migraines a lot when I was going through menopause. I would also get regular migraines (hormonal) but they didn't occur at the same time. I haven't been diagnosed with GCA but I do have PMR.
I’ve been having these (Occular Migraines) for years. Long before PMR diagnosis. They come out of nowhere and usually only last 15 minutes. They seem to be benign as medical professionals advise. Can’t pinpoint any particular cause as they are very random, have even woken up with one!
Migraine. Had them for years but much worse when I was on Methotrexate. They are a damn nuisance. Hopefully you won't get them too often . Best wishes.
I get this occasionaly, also left eye only. It seems to correspond to either/both higher level fatigue and increased neck pain/inflamation. I was diagnosed PMR, seroneg RA and osteoarthritis 3 years ago. Started on 15mg Pred, currently down to 4mg (reducing by 1/2mg month), but will keep on 4.5mg through December due to increased pain and cold, damp weather! I have just had a 'clean bill of health from optician'.
I also get this - it started in my 40s/50s so thought it was related to the menopause. Still have them but much less often. Started with them before PMR.
I've had these occular migraines many times , as have other members (young and my age) of my family. If I hadn't known about them, I would've thought I was having a stroke or something. First time, I was in Costco, it lasted about 10-15 min and then, I was fine. Had another one in Costco too...so maybe something to do with the lights. But, I just had one yesterday, one eye only, while just sitting at home. I did go have it checked out with my opthalmologist to be sure and he said, not to worry about it. He did say my description of 'jaggedy prisms' was an accurate way of describing these events! Sometimes I get a headache after it, but most times not. I usually will take an advil, just in case.
Dochaz, Ocular migraine my foot! I NEVER had anything of the sort until my GCA started up, and have never had a migraine. Now it has become a fairly regular event (every couple of months) for which I up my pred as you have.
BTW, the picture you found is a very close approximation of it except that, for me, it slowly moves around, changing shape and the entire disturbed area "scintillates" constantly. Like yours, mine last ten to thirty minutes and gone. I take it as a warning that my pred dose is getting a little too close to "not enough".
I would agree with others who feel it is not PMR related because I have had these 15 minute strange effects with eyes, always seperate eyes. In my case it is hyperthyroidism, not the PMR, and varies with the thryoxine replacement dose. Visit your doctor and if GP does not suggest it, ask for a tyroid test.
I get these off and on. I find the best thing is to take two aspirin. They go away after about 15 minutes. Otherwise I kind of get sick to my stomach. I have never gotten the headache. I carry aspirin in my purse for I never know when it will come on. I can go a long time without them and then get them quite often.
I get the same but in both eyes. My orthodontist said it was as you said an ocular migraine. No pain. Mine last 30 minutes. It did start after I was diagnosed with PMR. BUT?
As a GCAer, I've never experienced that and hope you follow thru with a physician. Once you know, you are armed and less likely to worry. The unknown is the worrier for me.💞
Yes. Before and after diagnosis. Both eyes, whether open or closed. Not had one for 3 years. Starts as a dot, which grows slowly like a big square sort of squashed C to cover my vision over about 15 to 20 minutes. Hangs around for a while then goes in a few minutes. Last one was when I was hanging onto a trolley in Costco. I guess people wondered why this daft person was blocking the aisle. Never any headache.
I get it as well. Have had it for years. Optician and GO can find nothing other than the migraine type thing you refer to. Mine is triggered by overdoing it and disappears when I rest. Take care
Yes I’ve had the same quite a few times. Pretty scary the first time but once I read up about it I accepted it. It usually comes on when I’m a bit anxious or tired. My eye specialist wasn’t worried about it.
That is exactly how the pre-aura to my migraines would appear. Very scary at times, as I had temporary sight loss half way down an escalator one time and had to ask for help from someone standing next to me. This was long before I knew anything about PMR or GCA. My migraines were mostly hormone related and almost completely stopped when I reached menopause. They were also triggered by flickering lights, so much so that the maintenance man gave me his personal mobile for when there was a failing strip light in the large office that worked in, which happened quite often. He would come directly to change the strip if I called him. I wonder if the flickering lights in the film set you off.
Exactly the same thing happened to me a few years ago,when I was playing golf(well before I was diagnosed with PMR),it only lasted a few minutes.It happened again a few weeks later when I was watching TV,again it only lasted a few minutes.It has never happened again.Fairly sure,on it's own,it's not related to GCA.
I get these often lately. They usually last 20 minutes, both eyes. I've started using medical mmj in tiny quantities at bedtime. I blame that. I went 30 years w/o an event and it started when I tried a quarter dose of an edible.I did have a few classic migraines only when pregnant, numb hand, scotoma and garbled speech, but no headaches aside from two times.
Yup, good ol' ocular migraines. I thought I was losing my mind - or having a major flashback - when I first got them. Hard to believe they're benign.
It looks like they affect about 3% of the population. Simply based on the number of posts I see here on these, I am seriously wondering if there is a correlation.
Thank you for that. I didn't get the grey area at the centre and the zigzag circle was very zigzaggy, but the flashy colours were very similar. The aura arc followed my eye movements. It's incredible how many of us have experienced this!
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