Not as bad as the traditional kind, but...

[jducoeur]

Garh -- got hit by a visual migraine about 20 minutes ago, and it's wrecking merry havoc with my day.

For those who, like me until a couple of years ago, don't know what a visual migraine is, it shows up as sort of flashing blind spots -- in my case, typically near the center of my vision. As I write this, it's beginning to ease off, but the Subject line above was typed mostly by feel, because I couldn't actually read what I was typing. (At times like this, I'm glad that I touch-type.) Right now, the flashing has moved slightly peripheral to the center: before, I could only read what I *wasn't* looking at, which is difficult.

I can count my blessings that I don't generally get the headaches: it could be much worse. And they don't happen often. But it's still damned irritating to be interrupted for half an hour because I suddenly can't read. (Much less drive, so going and getting the DBA for Crossert Consulting is also out until this is done with.)

The first couple of times it happened it scared the heck out of me; by now, I know that I just have to wait it out, which usually takes 20-60 minutes. Annoyingly unpredictable, though...

Comments

[msmemory.livejournal.com]

Ugh. Let me know what I can do to help.

[mikekn]

Ugh. My migraines always start visually. Same sort of flashing blind spot, but then it begins to open up like a ring and expand. I'm able to see through the middle as it gets bigger, but if it reaches the edges of my vision then the real headache begins and I'm out of commission for a few hours at best. I've found if I take Excedrin as it begins I can get it to go away before the pain hits.

[cvirtue.livejournal.com]

Sometimes mine have pretty rainbow edges. Fortunately they rarely turn into pain migraines. The pain ones just start on their own without the light show, and thankfully, not so often anymore.

I remember getting scared about them, too, as you describe. "I can't see!" is very frightening.

[meiczyslaw.livejournal.com]

The technical term you're looking for is "aura". Not all migraines include them, but they're pretty common.

(There was an article on how migraines might work in a recent Scientific America.)

[oakleaf-mirror.livejournal.com]

My sympathies. I've had ocular migraines on occasion (a few times a year, typically) for as long as I can remember. They've never progressed to the headache and vomiting stage. The only time I had a headache and vomiting migraine, it wasn't preceded by an ocular migraine. I do sometimes feel sort of blah for a few hours following the ocular migraine, though. Still, if I have to have them at all, I'll take the ocular kind over the other, always.

[baron-steffan.livejournal.com]

You're having the "aura", the phosphenes that are the common predecessor to the pain, but without the progression to the pain. Count yourself lucky on that point, I suppose. auntie_elspeth has been getting those forever. Usually they're merely inconvenient, coming at a bad time (like work, or driving). Occasionally she has actually sat back and enjoyed the sparkly light show.