HealingWell
Search Close Search
☰

Triggers for eye migraines and regular ones, the same?

Support Forums
>
Migraine Headache
✚ New Topic ✚ Reply
❬ ❬ Previous Thread |Next Thread ❭ ❭
Posted 9/22/2007 6:44 PM (GMT 0)
I've been a migraine sufferer since I was 8 years old. Thankfully, they've been under control for the most part over the past few years - I only get about 3 migraines a year now versus every few days.

Funny thing happened this week, out of nowhere I had an eye migraine. I was talking to a co-worker and the funny lights started flashing and I got it on the opposite side of where I normally have a regular migraine. I've been under a huge amount of work-related stress over the past month and figured I'd have a real humdinger of migraine sometime. I haven't, just the eye one. Once the flashing aura passed, I had a dull headache and then I was fine. Weird.

Stress is a huge trigger for me, as are some foods and smells. Are the triggers the same for all migraines?

I'm curious, really threw me for a loop this week. I appreciate any comments.
Posted 9/23/2007 8:24 PM (GMT 0)
Hi Starrnr,

Sorry to hear that you have been startled with suffering this! The truth of the matter is that we each have our own individual triggers, and sometimes we cannot even work out what exactly does trigger the migraine off!

Stress, food and smells are common triggers but not everyone experiences these!

The other difficult thing to grasp is that as time goes by migraine can evolve into different types along with what triggers them - sounds very confusing I know, but you must report any changes to your Neuro, In some people the migraines do change sides as time goes on!

Hope this helps, take care

Ann
Posted 9/24/2007 3:29 AM (GMT 0)
Ann, thank you for your comments. I had no idea migraines could also change sides. I have had eye migraines before, however they've always been on the side I typically would have my regular one. I can feel a regular one brewing, but it just hasn't gone full-blown just yet. Maybe the eye one took some of the pressure off (one can hope, right?!).

I'll see how things go this week - I may have to call the doctor after all. *sigh*

Thanks again,

Sherree
Posted 10/18/2007 6:51 AM (GMT 0)
Hi Starrnr,

I've had so many eye migraines I've lost count of them. This August 07 I was diagnosed with Occipital Neuralgia it was caused from a car accident back in 1992 when I had severe whiplash. I always did have migraines but, before the car accident they only occurred once a month. And they NEVER affected my eyes.

In 2005 I had a sever migraine that was going on for it's 9th day and it creeped into my right eye that was then it all started. Ofter that my eyeball migraine seems to now just be an 'added' extra I tend to get. In 2005 I went to the ER because my right pupil was fixed and fully dilated and everything look completely bizzar (hard to explain). I was told that the migraine was placing a huge amount of pressure on my Optical nerve which created the problem. I've since experienced that same thing (fixed and dilated pupil) when my migraines are really bad.

In August with my diagnoses of O. N. my neurologist gave me Botox injections in my neck, forehead including the hair line and my temples...she wanted to see if this would relieved my migraines and eye issues. I can certainly say YES it sure has! Instead of 20+ days of migraines each month I'm now down to having 6 -9 days per month. So for me after 15 years of sever horrific migraines this is like a miracle. Before my Botox injections I certainly did try an array of meds for migraines but, they never helped for me.

Bye 4 now
~waving~ Odessa
Posted 10/21/2007 5:38 AM (GMT 0)
Hi, Starrnr, I had the experience of driving and having floaters and then like in a cartoon, my vision tunnel down to zero, luckily I was able to pull over and it was late at night so not so much traffic. My vision soon returned and then I had a headache. Eye dr told me it was an optical migraine, of which I had never heard of and it has never happened again.Still get regular migraines though Toni
Posted 10/23/2007 4:08 AM (GMT 0)
I've had another eye migraine, just like the last one. While they certainly give me pause, I'm just wondering if it's really worth it to call the doctor. It just seems weird that they are occurring on the opposite side of my regular migraines. I did have my regular migraine (like I thought I would), but it wasn't nearly as bad as I anticipated. Bad enough though!

Thanks all.
Posted 10/25/2007 12:11 AM (GMT 0)
Hey Everyone

Sorry to be jumping in so late...but wanted to chime in on this topic. I'm usually on the ms forum, but do suffer with optical migraines and they are HORRENDOUS!!!! I've never had such pain in my life until i started having that pain. It literally puts me in bed until i can get it to stop or it goes away on it's own. Usually a day and a half or longer. I get the full array...auras to include dizziness (as far as i know this is why i have this...not dx'd with ms) balance probs, blurry vision and vomiting. I'm using Maxalt and sometimes it helps, sometimes not. I've also tried Frova and so far no help. Like others here....i didn't realize migraines could change sides until recently when i had one in the other eye. Prior to that tho, that eye dialated fully! Scared the heck out f me! That lasted for several hours and the next day i got the migraine. I guess i'm not offering any help, but maybe the information here will at least help someone to know it happens!
Posted 10/26/2007 5:45 PM (GMT 0)

You said you are experiencing more stress.  Are you eating differently?  Sleeping less?  I lived with migraine headaches until 5 years ago.  I had a stressful job, I had a newborn son along with a 3 year old.  I was experiencing 25 - 28 migraines a month.  What helped me most was getting off the migraine medication (probably not your problem).  Second was getting 7 - 8 hours of good sleep.  I know it sounds crazy but getting a restful sleep cut my headaches in half.  Finally I started to eat less prepared foods (fast foods and boxed/canned foods) and added daily exercise. 

 

Doing everything right I can go 6 months or so without a headache.  When I get 5 - 6 hours of sleep my migraines return the next day.  Take a look if your normal routine has changed due to your increased stress, if it has, try to make changes where you can.         

 

 
Posted 10/27/2007 4:59 AM (GMT 0)
I am 27yrs old and have been dealing with this for a while. It started off with chest pain and then that feeling of something being stuck in my throat. I'm tired and feel like my head is in a cload, that spacey feeling. I don't have this symptoms all the time they come and go. I had this feeling in my throat all day long some days. Eating never had anything to do with it. It would come even on an empty stomach. I have had Drs. tell me it is acid relux. I seen a GI Dr. and he did a EGD with a bravo placement to check my bodys PH level. Like I already knew I didn't have acid reflux. I didn't think I had all the symptoms. I didn't have the burning feeling in my chest and the acid taste in my mouth. My Dr. sent me in to have an MRI done. To make sure everything was ok in that area. I seen a Neurologist to get the results and found out that I have Chiari Malformation Type 1. Only an MRI can tell f you have this. Not an X-ray or Ct scan Basically Chiari Malformation is where your brain is to big for your skull or your skull is miss shaped and it pushes you brain back. It causes the brain tonsils in the back of your head to be pushed out of the bottom of your skull. Causing a hernia. They call it herniated tonsils. It restrict the spinal fluid to your brain. It can cause alot of problems.
Posted 10/27/2007 5:00 AM (GMT 0)
really bad headaches are another symptom
✚ New Topic ✚ Reply