Migraine with constant visual disturbances for 2.5 months

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Wed, October 21, 2009

I have been suffering from visual disturbances constantly for 2.5 months. I have a constant flickering light and flashes in my right eye as well as a blind spot. When I say constant, I truly mean it has never stopped.

I have seen Ophthalmologist, Ophthalmologic Neurologists, Neurologists, and a large neurology team during an inpatient hospital visit. I have had MS, Lupus, Retinal, and Optical Nerve issues completely ruled out. Doctors believe that I am either still suffering from a complex migraine or experienced an extremely small TIA in only one artery behind my eye. I believe they are strongly leaning towards complex migraine.

I do not take birth control pills (for a month now). I am on a vasco-dialator (veramapil), two regular strength aspirin a day (to thin blood), and Fiorcet for pain as needed. I should say that most of the headache pain has been under control since I began taking veramapil. But I am still confused and scared. I have never heard of another person suffering from such a migraine for this long without one break.

Have you ever seen or heard of anything like this?

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mcmurraychick

10/22/09 6:56pm

i've had my visual disturbance for over 2 years. my neurologist sends me to the eye doctor, who sends me back to the neuro..... so round and round we go.

i was injured in my left eye 11 years ago. since then i am legally blind in that eye. i see shapes and colors... and faces but no detail. i can see to tell the big e is on the eye chart, but not much more. my pupil is permantly dilated. this makes life outside difficult. i do not go outside during saylight hours without sunglasses. even if it's cloudy and raining.

Nancy Harris Bonk

10/22/09 9:25pm

Hello, and welcome to MyMigraineConnection.com!

It really isn't "normal" to have aura last that long. By the sound of it, the only doctor you haven't seen is a Migraine specialist. See, here's the thing, neurologists treat so many different conditions, like MS, stroke and epilepsy it is hard for them to be experts in one area. A Migraine specialist treats one disorder - ours- Migraine disease and headaches. It's important to note that neurologists aren't necessarily Migraine and headache specialists. Take a look at the article Migraine and Headache Specialists - What's So Special? If you need help finding a Migraine specialist, check our listing of Patient Recommended Migraine and Headache Specialists.

One of the most important things is to get an accurate diagnosis. To simplify matters and make it easier for people to get information and treatment, doctors usually go by the gold standard for diagnosis, the International Headache Society's International Classification of Headache Disorders, 2nd Edition (ICHD-II). Under ICHD-II, there is no diagnosis of "complex" Migraine. We do see it used, but doctors use it differently, so it really doesn't tell anyone what type of Migraine you actually have You can read more about the importance of a correct diagnosis in The Type of Migraine Does Matter and Ocular, Optical, and Opthalmic Migraines .

Thank you for creating a SharePost. SharePosts are a form of blogging, and there are many things you can do with them. You can share an experience, suggest something that's helped you, use SharePosts as a Migraine and headache journal, and many other things.

We also have a discussion forum that you may want to check out. Especially if you have questions or are looking for information, you may find the interaction on the forum to be quite helpful. To get to the forum, just look for the orange box marked "Manage" and click on the Migraine Forums link. Because our forums are maintained by a third party, you'll need to register for the forum. You can use the same information you used to create your community log-in if you like. If you want to go directly to the forum, you can click HERE.

Along with your personal "My Home" page and the discussion forum, you'll find links to a great deal of helpful information and a spot to sign up for our free newsletter on the main page of our site, http://www.MyMigraineConnection.com.

If you have any questions, please feel free to post them to the forum or send me a message through my profile.

Welcome again,

Nancy Bonk
MyMigraineConnection.com Expert

Migraine with constant visual disturbances for 2.5 months

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