kaleidoscope vision? but not accompanied by worsened headache?

Hi, everyone.

I'm a sufferer of an on-going headache for about 5 or 6 yrs now... has never once gone away, just the intensity changes at times. Severe pressure in head, and constant, persistent tinnitus (ringing in ears) accompanies it always. Blurry vision occurs with it at times. Nothing OTC touches the pain.

On top of that, I have had odd vision disturbances for I would say 3 years now, on and off. An eye doctor mentioned ocular migraine. But I have been thought in the past to have MS because I also get severe vertigo and nystagmus too (where my eyes rapidly shake back and forth on their own), along with a huge list of other neurological symptoms. But anyway, that's sort of a different story...

The vision disturbances often used to come with severe bouts of vertigo, to which I couldn't even stand up without falling down and hurting myself-- had to stay in bed all day long. Beforehand, I would see things as wavy lines or zig-zags... those types of visual disturbances. I think some people describe it as see-saw vision? But even back then, no worsened headache ever accompanied it.

The vertigo has not occurred for about 2 yrs now (knock on wood)! but the visual disturbances still come and go.

Recently, I experienced an all new visual issue in which I have never had before..

It looked like rainbow-colored lines floating around up above my left eye. It stayed to the left of me always, but when I would cover each eye up at a time, it was always there... so it seemed to be an issue in both eyes. Either way, when I would close both of them, I would see colorful rainbow shapes dancing around together... squares, triangles, circles, etc. all in rainbow colors! It really looked like a kaleidoscope! It went away within 20 minutes though, and no worsened headache accompanied it at all. That was it.

Has anyone ever had anything like this!? I'm working on getting health insurance coverage at the mo, after struggling without it for yrs now. So I'm just wondering if anyone on here has ever experienced something like any of these symptoms, and have been diagnosed with anything in particular...

I am only DX with Fibromyalgia but it is strongly thought that I have autoimmune disease(s), as well... so I don't know if these are only ocular migraines, or attributed to something else. No worsened headaches have ever accompanied the odd visual disturbances.

Thank you!

Eden

Hmmm, interesting...

Have you been working with any other doctors to try to get it figured out, by chance?

I remember us speaking about our similar symptoms before, yes!

Luckily, I have not had any vertigo spells in well over a yr! (*Knock on wood*)! Mine were very bad... I would not be able to stand up or walk without falling down and hurting myself. It lasted for full days, I had to lie in bed all day long. Does yours get that bad??? JW

Sometimes vertigo can be caused by infections in the ear too... maybe you could see an ear, nose, throat specialist? Especially with your tinnitus symptoms too... I get the same thing with the headache & pressure! I'm not able to see doctors yet though, still getting all of this insurance BS figured out... trying to get a hold of someone at the office

Yeah...but this "rainbow" vision thing was the weirdest thing yet for me... Who knows..

Eden

Hi Evanescent Eden

My ears are a problem as they do feel full and cant pop, they also crackle but I actually went to an ENT specialist who looked in ear in a 5 minute consultation and said my ears were clear and it's a headache issue. I too think it may be something to do with my ears but since ENT dismissed it I'm out of ideas.

I have a lumbar puncture coming up on 8th of April and that the last test headache specialst said we will be doing.

My last Vertigo attack was 3 months ago at work, I had to go to toilet and lock myself in cubicle till it passed.

Well before this headache I had no anxiety or stress in my life but since it's came about I guess I have become anxious for not knowing why I feel like crap every single day, I have been on anxiety meds but they done nothing.

My Lumbar Puncture has been put back to the 22/04/14 now due to me having to attend Jury Duty (can't get out of it) so it's a month wait to see what happens next.

Not sure if I can get copies, not sure how it works here in the UK. I paid privatly for my MRI but my CT scan was through the NHS as will the Lumbar Puncture.

I'll keep you updated on how things go!