occualr migraines

Yes, I do. I don’t think they have anything to do with CIDP but I don’t really know. My primary care eye doc who is my son-in-law and knows some about CIDP is not concerned about the migraines. So, I am not concerned either.

I have had three bouts. The first one really scared me as I didn’t know what was going on. I was sitting in a class and a horrible headache came on with nausea. A blind spot (not a black spot, but a hazy, nondescript, area) started small but grew in size until the class was over. I was in Houston and had to drive home (about 60 miles away). As I was driving under the overpasses I noticed that I could see cars on the right side of the overpass and then they would just disappear and then reappear on the left side of the overpass 😮 (you are justified in questioning my intelligence, but all I knew was that I was scared and wanted to get home). By the time I arrived home, the spot had begun to shrink and finally disappeared.

I have had two bouts since then. I described it to my mother after the second one and she told me it was a “visual” migrane and she had a experienced them before. I’ve since heard that there is a genetic component to migranes.

Even considering all the woes CIDP brings, I too don’t think they are related to CIDP. I had these many years before CIDP onset.

Gary

I had an ocular migraine once, in the evening following an IVIG treatment. (Coincidence or cause?) I spoke to my primary care physician the next day, who referred me for an ASAP appointment with an ophthalmologist who specialized in retinal conditions. Apparently, seeing flashing lights is a common symptom of potentially serious retina problems.

Yes I get them too..sometimes I can only see half of everything. They are migrains..they run in my family. As soon as I get a visual disturbance I get home asap cause I know what is coming. I have had them after an IVIG treatment as well..sometimes have ended up in the er. This is not as common any more now that I get a large bag of saline before and after eah treatment.

Sonia

I’ve had three all after getting CIDP and seemingly unrelated to IVIg treatment. The first time freaked me out – it looked like the entire world was under water and somebody tossed a rock in causing ripples. My Optho also said they are not harmful to your eyes and may or may not lead to a full migraine. It’s still kinda weird but now I just sit back and watch the show. 🙂 I have so much trouble with my vision anyway it’s just one more aberration to deal with when it happens.

P.S. I don’t get a headache with the ocular migraine – I don’t get migraines at all – I get meningitis which I’m told is almost as fun as a migraine.

I have never had the visuals, but I have had bouts of “eye stabbing” headaches. It feels like someone is hammering a railroad spike right through your eyeball back through the back of your head.

Not often, but when they happen it drops you to the floor. Find a chair, sit, cover your head and get ready to cry.

[COLOR=black]I too have had various visual disturbances, of two different types. One is an obscuration of approximately the center of the field of view, with a fairly bad obscuration for about 20 minutes. The other is a shimmering partial circle towards the edge of the field of view, most notable when I close my eyes or am in a dark room. We have no explanation for the second type. It may be related to glaucoma and caused by a slightly high pressure or it may be related to CIDP. The first type, when described to my neurologist, was identified as “migraine aura without pain.” He did not think they were related to CIDP.[/COLOR]

[COLOR=black]Seeing flashes of light for no external reason should be taken seriously. However, a migraine aura and the flashes from a retinal tear look different (I have had both). The flashes from a retinal tear are very bright, appear much worse in a dark room, and will occur for hours. Not all bright flashes you might see are from a retinal tear, but if you seem them, you should try to make an optometry or ophthalmology appointment as soon as possible.[/COLOR]

[COLOR=black]MarkEns[/COLOR]

I have different names for those eyeball headaches Dick… there is:
1) The Q-Tip
2) The Finger
3) The Pencil
4) The Screwdriver
5) The Ice Pick, and finally
6) The Railroad Spike (yes I call the worst one that too)

Lots of things bring those on for me but sunlight always does.

Julie,

If my imagery matches your pain, I hate it for you.

Dick