Got an ocular migraine on Sunday, now living in fear again.

[meganh1984]

I have dealt with horrible health anxiety since the birth of my older daughter in 2007. I've lived with off balance/dizziness every day since then so going on almost 6 years. Been to every doctor under the sun and had every test. Had an MRI done Oct 07. Well in may 2010 we were at a concert and all the sudden my vision got weird and I couldn't see. Of course I freaked out and went to the doc the next day and he diagnosed me with ocular migraines. Well I've had several since then but real random. So of course I haven't been to a concert since. August 2011 we were at a fair and I got another so I associate them with lights. Well haven't had one since aug 2011. Well Sunday we were out walking which I'm overweight since having my second daughter in June 2011, eat horrible, don't drink anything barely during the day, etc. We walked a good long distance and I drank two water bottles while walking and then towards the end of the walk my vision got weird and sure enough I start freaking out and the full blown headache starts. I get excruciating pain and numbness/tingling in my hands,arms and mouth. So I always think stroke etc. I  am so upset and freaked out now about when the next one is gonna happen so back to living in fear more than I already did. I did get an MRI in Jan and it was normal of course. My vision has been awful since that first headache in 2010. Been to eye docs etc. I don't know if its cause I've been zeroed in on my vision since that happened or what but nothing worse than your vision being messed up. I'm sensitive to light, see after images, camera flash causes me not to be able to see for a few mins afterwards, have tons of spots and floaters, etc. So basically I don't know what caused the headache Sunday, dehydration, low blood sugar? No clue. So now I'm scared to leave the house and now I'll be scared to excercise more than I already was cause ill associate the headache with exercise. Uhh it's a never ending battle. I'm 28 and a stay at home mom and live a very stress free life. I'd love to be able to just enjoy it

[wegngis]

I first experience an ocular migraine in 1986.  To this day I have no idea what sets them off.  People tell me it's diet, flashing lights, smells, all sorts of things.  But I really can't.  So I stopped trying to out-guess it.  You can really drive yourself mad trying to.  Here's what I do to deal with it:  at first sign, I take ibuprofen.  In this critical phase, every minute counts.  The sooner I get that in my system, the less severe it will be, generally speaking.  Also, I get a strong coffee...something with a bunch of caffeine.  Don't mess around with simply a soda, they just don't have enough.  I've even kept caffeine pills around just for that reason.  Then I try to just wait it out.  I don't continue to look at a computer screen (I can't see it to read it, I don't know why I try sometimes) or TV or anything video-like.  Then I hang on.  Usually by the end of an hour, I can see again, and I'm just left with a throbbing, yet manageable headache.  As soon as I can, I might chase it with some aspirin or tylenol, but only after a few hours.

This is what I've done for myself.  I'm not trying to give medical advice, only what's worked for me.  If I don't do this, pretty soon I'm throwing up AND I have a raging headache.  Not a good combo.

To encourage you on your diet, I pretty much completely changed the way I eat a couple of months ago.  It wasn't that hard, and it's actually been fun trying new things prepared in different ways.  If I can do it, anyone can.

[sixpack]

I'm sorry you've gotten yourself in such a state.

I have two questions for you?

1. Why do ocular migraines scare you so much?  Most peeps get them.  I get them.  sometimes just the weird vision and sometimes I get a headache afterward. 

2.  What are you doing?  I mean REALLY doing to deal with your anxiety disorder?  What is working?  What isn't?  What are you willing to do?  Bottom line:  no one gets better without doing a good bit of heavy lifting.

[oregoncoastlady]

I had my first ocular migraine fifteen years go. Out of the blue. I was carrying in groceries. Went to opthalmologist. Diagnosed with ocular migraine.  I lived in fear for a bit, then nothing happened and the fear stopped. Over the last fifteen years I think I have had four or five of them. It seems like each time I got them I was going through some extreme stress in my life. Sometimes after I can see again I get a slight headache above my eyes. I don't like getting them, but for the most part I do not give them much thought when i am not having them. I know it can be scary getting them...because people with HA get very fearful when something isn't "normal," but try not to let it run your life.

[kazoo]

I'm 49 and have had two ocular migraines.  There was no headache.  They were weird and scary, but I don't think they are particularly dangerous.

One was the first day of a trip to Santa Fe, which is about 7000 feet in elevation, and it was hot and we were out walking, so that could be dehydration like you mention.  Looked like a shimmery crescent at the bottom of my vision in one eye.

The other time I was in my classroom demonstrating how you blink one eye and then the other to show depth vision.  I guess that triggered it.  It looked like I was looking through shattered glass (in one eye only).

In both cases, I'd say it lasted maybe 15 to 30 minutes and then went away.