redshifter.org

Hi.. I know what you mean about the scintillating scotoma. I don't get the headache either, just the weird vision of the saw tooth and then it gets bigger and is very colorful. It lasts for anywhere from 7 to 20 minutes. I hate the doggone thing. I use to get them years ago once in awhile, but now for some reason I have them more often. It runs in my family. Are they dangerous I wonder? Thanks for listening. I am an artist and am thinking of drawing one of them.

Just found out the other day
what that crazy moving saw tooth
arc was...scintillating scotom!
I thought it was someting serious
for the past 8 years when they
started suddenlly on a Sunday
morning. Went to many eye docs
over the years...always the same
diagnosis...."your eyes are
perfectly normal." I had the
idea it was a "brain job" for
a long time becaused I had
deduced that it was going
across both eyes. My vision
looks just the images on
the computer...no migraine...
just the flashing, saw tooth
lines which form a sides ways
V or arc and which gets larger
and larger untill it disappears.
Nice to know there are so many
of us......bet the eye doctors
make a fortune out of this
scary event.

I got my first "migraine with aura" when I was 19...thought I was dying! Sad to say, I will be 48 in July and am still suffering with scintillating scotoma. After all these years, you'd think I'd recognize what it is and go with the flow...but no, I think my anxiety is worse than ever. I don't even hold a job anymore because of these damn things..how do you tell your boss you can't see for the next hour (if you're lucky...done in a hour)? I've become agraphobic (sp?) Having this syndrome has really ruined my life...I call it a living hell.

Glad to ear so many have such awfull disturb.
In the last 6 month I had it almost daily, and it happen always in the morning. When it start I go into panic and my working life is effected badly. Can be prevented ?

This year I began experiencing a strange and disturbing visual event. It always begins as a small flickering spot that grows larger and forms a curved flickering shape. It moves toward the left or right side of the eye until it disappears out of the field of view. I have racked my brain thinking of how to describe this to my ophthalmologist.

Today I entered "eye problems" into Google and drew a site with a long list of problems people were describing. I could not find mine on the list. I selected "Didn't find your problem?" and discovered scintillating scotoma! Can you believe it! Like Jim M. above I thought it might be on the brain because it appears the same in both eyes.

The Internet is great!! Now I can discuss this with my doc. Best wishes to all of you,
Jerry T. Searcy

i just had my third one yesterday. - it was a nice day so i just went down to the park and enjoyed the 20 minute metallic lightshow... i kind of like the way they just suddenly stop..-im 40 and they started out of nowhere 2 years ago... and THAT was scary as hell. at the time i thought i was going blind. i first described to my doctor as 2 jet engine turbines rotating across my field of vision. better to just enjoy the trip rather than panic.

Not to worry. I have had scintillating scotoma since 1965. It happened for the first time after a particularly serious bout of flu when I was 19. It terrified me until I went to an ophthalmologist who said it is nothing to worry about. He said it is a condition common in people who get migraines or have mothers who get migraines (my mother gets migraines, I don't). He said taking birth control pills can increase the frequency of occurrences. Mine seems to occur as a precurser to the flu or when I am very stressed. The incidence of "attacks" has decreased over the years and I thought I was totally rid of them until I had one recently. They are a nuisance as I have a blind spot in the center of my vision for a few minutes, but the zig zags always move to the outer edges of my vision and disappear in about 20 minutes. No biggie.

Have had these since sometime in the 70's. Just read that they are connected with migraines and if you don't get the headache, they are called ocular migraines. That seems to be consistent with my handling of them which is to close the eyes and relax...let the tension drain away and clear my mind as much as possible. So they just last 4-5 min. for me. I felt sick only once when I had one at a mall in the early 90's. Had to sit on a bench for awhile. During the recent years, have had almost none, but they are starting again. I describe mine as an arch of lines of various geometic designs, flashing and scintillating like so many colored neon tubes. Hard to pin them down long enough to see them clearly enough to try to sketch them. And usually it is only in my left eye.

I have experienced the scotoma described by others since I was about five years old. They used to occur frequently until I was out of my teens. For the past 30 years I have experienced them occassionaly but when I do the attacks come in clusters. Glad to see that someone has been able to put what I see into a visual. I can remember how difficult it was as a youngster trying to describe the scotoma to a doctor.

Just happend upon this forum while searching on "scintillating scotoma". I'm in my early forties. I had my first "episode"last summer, then didn't have any until about February, then in May, and just now (June 14). They seem to be becoming more frequent which is kinda scary, even though from what I've read they're a benign phenomenon. Today's started out as a blind spot just below the central point in my vision, then spread in a expanding sort of circle and finally disappeared although I'm still having trouble seeing; it's sort of hard to focus, especially on my computer monitor.

- Martin

wow. I had my first "attack" about a month ago, and it really freaked me out. then last week, it occured again, and then yesterday. I was thinking brain tumor or something. its like a couple of really wild crescent shaped kalidescopes that are moving - it usually starts on the right side of my vision and slowly progresses left and then seems to exit out of the top of my vision. I am going to go to the doctor, but at least now I can put a name to it.

I had my first attack (tiny blindspot to big blurry wiggly area which eventually goes away leaving me with a raging headache and just generally feeling crappy) maybe 2 1/2 months ago and it spooked me a little, but I chaulked it up to having just been exauhsted which I was a the time. Since then it has happened maybe 4 more times and it is really beginning to scare me, especially if its some sort of neurilogical buggaboo as i have no insurance to deal with some pricey brain problem. I am glad to discover the symptoms i've had here and to see that it probably isn't serious. still, i'm going to start saving up for a checkup.

Pleased to hit on this forum. Just had my first . Age 37. A terrifically bright jagged-edged scythe like form floating before my left eye. Reading the messages above I realize now it started as a small but very bothersome blind spot, as though I'd seen a reflection of the sun in a car wing mirror. Anxiety and mild panic accompanied the attack as I feared for my sight/brain/family (!). Mild nausea. Dizziness. Gas. But some of those could be down to lack of sleep. It's all Paul Auster's fault. I was up until three finishing his "Music of Chance." Irony is, that story ends in a blinding light.

I was sorry to read Lois' message. Come on Lois. Let's try and relax next time it happens.

Alex

I have had several of these scintillating scotoma occurences. I had no clue what they were called or what caused them. Went to the doctor and he didn`t know. Checked on the internet.....flashing lights in the eyes etc.
No luck. Today my sister came to visit and we got around to discussing eye problems and I described the weird thing that I have had.
She knew right away what it was. She said she gets them right before a migrane. I don`t get migranes when this thing happens....luckily. It`s just a pain in the butt to wait for it to go away. About 20 mins. for me.

I am sooo relieved to have found this forum! i'm a 25-going-on-26 year old woman and i experienced my first ss (i think?) yesterday. i was at work when suddenly i saw a pulsating jagged-edged blurry spot which would then move step-wise to the bottom right corner only to return to the original location. i started panicking, thinking i was going blind or was going to pass out or had a brain tumor. i went on with work anyway, hoping it would pass when it only enlarged then moved to the right side of my peripheral vision. after a few minutes, it disappeared just as suddenly as it had appeared. some colleagues in other areas of healthcare didn't know WHAT the heck i was describing! i haven't been able to go to an opthamologist yet but am so relieved to read on this forum that it's not that much of a hindrance to daily living! thanks!

I would just like to take a quick minute to thank each and everyone of you who posted here. It has made me feel so much better.
I am 33 year old female and for the record (as Sharon's ophthalmologist stated) I have a mother who gets migrane's (I don't) and I am on birth control. Seems like possbile links to me.. I have an appt with the Opthamologist on Weds 8/25/04. If they give me any further information than what everyone has stated here (causes, cures, instigators) I will let you all know. Thanks again to everyone who took a minute.

Wow, I just got back from my opthamologist (sp?) and found out this is what I have also. Relieved to find out I am not losing my vision or have a brain tumor =) My doc said there is no rhyme or reason for these things happening but if you pay close attention maybe you can judge what kind of activity, etc. triggers the episodes. He gets them when he works out vigorously. He also said some people get relief with drinking caffeine, but some get worse when they drink caffeine. Guess we all just have to ride it out when it happens but I am truly relieved this is not something more serious. Good luck to you all.

Hey all, I just had an episode and am glad that it could just be SS. Three times in my life I've had blurred vision with blind spots accompanied by numbness, dizziness and an inability to speak or understand words. Very frightening as the first time it happened I was only 9 - then again at 19 and the third time I was 30. I'm now 33 so the regular 10 year interval hasn't passed. This time, however, it was just the bright jagged lines as so many of you have described.

What is frightening is that these symptoms are consistent with minor stroke as well. I hope it is just SS before migraine without pain - so much easier to deal with.

I had a scintillating scotoma last night, not my first, but unusual for me. (This morning I have a migraine.) I wondered at the time if it was brought on by driving on a tree shaded road on a sunny day - light patterns such as this have always bothered me. I believe this is called a 'strobe effect'. Another example is when a camera moves quickly across the landscape on a movie or when they flash things quickly on tv. It makes me wonder if there are visual catalysts for these annoying scotomas. The scotomas themselves are not painful, but the migraines surely are and I have never found anything over the counter that alleviates the pain of them.

Hello,

I just had my first ever ss about an hour ago. I guess I'm lucky--called the eye dr. immediately and even tho they were trying to close up the office, they talked with me and diagnosed it in about 2 minutes!

I have had "hormone migraines" off and on for a few years, but never had to treat with anything. So this is something new. Kind of scary, as everyone said about their first episode. I have been battling bronchitis for a few weeks and thought for sure I had coughed something loose in my eye or brain!

But it went away in a half hour, while I was still on the phone with the doc! Too funny! (She is real funny, and said "I must be a really good dr. to make it go away over the phone!")

I guess the only things to wonder about is--will a headache come on now? Will I start having these regularly? Was it related to my other "migraines", or stress-induced?

Too much to think about. I think I'll go lie down...

Karen

hi all, i have been getting ocular migranes off and on for a year and they have increased in frequency lately. my optamologist told me that poor circulation of the blood to the eye could be the cause, so the next time it happened i did some deep breathing, the symtoms went away immediatly BUT i had a pounding headache for two days (i don't deep breathe anymore i just ride 'em out.) today though i had trouble processing information after the OM had ended, i was looking at words and i knew them, but i couldn't say them or remember what they meant. this kinda freaked me out and made me get anxious, it passed but i was wondering if anyone else has experienced this. . . thanks

Holy crap... ya know - I thought someone spiked my food w/DMT - ya know that 15 minute acid trip?

Then It was time to freak out a little trying to recall that I did experience this crystal growing half circle light show once before but that pesky adrenaline... heh - I know - I'll call the wife and tell her I may be going blind or maybe that alien probe in my head was starting to move.

When I realized the half circle grew and what was once a blind spot was readable again, I felt a little better - but the damn jagged crystal light show just got wiggier and larger... No headache, no dizziness, nothing...

Naturally one gets home, looks up all the horrid things like brain tumor visual jagged disturbance etc... but nothing really hit the nail on the head with a description of what I was experience until I found this forum.

To the T. Little mountains of crystals shimmering like the game of life I used to play on my Apple ][ growing in a half circle outwards on my right side allowing the center to reappear and like shampoo, it repeated.

While I still think we're all part of the alien's tracking device plans, I'm getting a little migraine now so I've willingly bestowed upon my person the cure I did for migraines when I was in Jr. High School and got migraines all the time (but not the scintillating scotoma): Excedrin. Funny how they repackaged it without changing any ingredients and called it Excedrine Migraine but it works wonders. Can't take two - One full one is bad enough as it's 8:30pm and at 1AM I expect to be vaccuuming the living room while washing the cat at the same time. Oh joy.

Shoot! First time I had one I thought it was a religious experience (age 50-ish )until a doctor (over a bridge game)brought me down to earth. I've enjoyed 'em ever since (age 74). But -- no headaches, and they're over in 20 minutes.

i too have suffered for 50 years with the blurry sawtooth prism, until lately i had no idea it had a name but knew it was connected to migranes and sinus, the minute one hits i take an excedrin to ward off any migrane that might hit,,its nice to know i an not alone and it is not fatal, just annoying...im sure there are many out there that are terrified by the experience and more information should be made available..

Spooky isn't it.

I had my first one this year at work, I though..It's a little freaky. I was reading the screen and noticed that it was becoming increasingly difficult to read. I thought shit...

1/ Spontaneously detached retina.

2/ Haemorrhage/infarct or lesion/tumor around the optic chiasma (Homonymous hemianopia)

3/ Haemorrhage/infarct somewhere else

Luckily enough there is an specialist eye clinic on the ground floor where I worked. Popped down there and they told me it's a sort of migrane.

It starts with what appears to be an extra blind spot but nearer the fovea. Most noticeable when reading, requiring detail vision. Bits of the adjacent letters are missing, as if the printers got dust in it, if you like. Then tiny little kalidescope(?) patterns appear as if one is watching the world in a reflection of a pond where someone is disturbing only certain parts of the water. After a while colours start to appear inhancing the kaleidescope effect and half of my field of vision is behind some weird scintillating Predator like being, shimmering away.

Ok when you know what's going on, quite psychadelic really, the show lasts 20-30 mins and then it slowly moves toward the RHS fading as it leaves my field of vision, bowing curteously and leaving the stage.

Bonkers, I though, mmm was that due to a joint I smoked yesterday in the city? Surely not, and indeed, just one of those wacky human body things, like epilepsy or something.

Martin

Amsterdam

Netherlands.

Thank god for this forum! The first time I got one of these, I was at work, nearly had a mental breakdown in front of my coworkers and drove (yes, intelligent move when half of your vision is a wiggly disaster) to the opthomologist, who told me that it was an ocular migraine. I went home, satisfied, but after three more in the next three weeks, I returned. A different Dr. told me the same thing. So I cut out Chinese food and nutrasweet... still got two more. Anyway, after all that, in the midst of a mental breakdown because I was convinced that some rare tumor was growing against my optic nerve, I found this forum. Whew. Just in time! Thanks everyone.

And I'm lucky enough to work in an office with a extremely flexible schedule and an apt in the building for employees from other offices visiting--a perfect place for a 20 minute nap while the beast passes... :)

i have written before but am amazed at the number of people that experience this very frightening light show...what a great column this is, it is such a relief to those who have no idea what is happening, however, if you dont know what it is you dont know where to look for help..more information needs to be gotten to the public.....it is terribly frightening and needs to be addressed...thanks again for this page.

I just got this same thing and was relieved to read about other's experiences. It happened toward the end of a ballet class (thank god we had finished practicing turns!) and lasted about 20 minutes before suddenly going away. At first I thought it looked cool, and I wasn't feeling dizzy or sick, but I got worried when it didn't go right away. I had been drinking a decent amount of water before and during the class, but the radiators were pumping and my throat was very dry. The thirst disppeared once the light show did.

It looked like a giant backwards letter "C" on the right side, and was very colorful and bright. It reminded me of 3D renderings, all buzzing around.

I'm 29

Thanks for posting this info. I started getting these things a while ago -- a blurry spot in my vision, widening into an arc on the left side of my visual field, sort of kaleidoscopic, like the beveled edge of a mirror. The first time I thought I'd been staring at the computer too long, the next time it occured to me that this is how people describe migraine auras. I used to get migraines in my teens, but no aura. Now I seem to get the aura, but no migraine. Much better this way!

I'v been having these pesky little events for about 20 years now & have learned that we just have to live with them. Now I'am no Dr. but have found that Ginko Biloba seems to lessen the frequency of occurences. Maybe just wishful thinking but it seems to work for me. Good Luck Everyone!

I have had ten occular migraines in 47 years.I first notice a partial distortion of someones face or my hand when its held out infront of me. Images have blank spaces. The end of a word is missing etc. The flickering lights come after that which bring comfort because I then know it's a migraine and I am not losing it. It usually happens after a stressful event. Sometimes I feel bright lights or reflected sunlight my trigger them. I do not like the loss of control but atleast they only last 20 minutes to an hour. Not knowing when one is going to occur causes slight anxiety. Having one alone in public is a very alienating experience. Blind spots from bright lights cause me to think a migraine might be beginning. I try to stay relaxed. It really is comforting that I am not alone in the experience and that I do not have them very often.

Wow, thank you for the feedback on this site! I just had my first experience with this about 45 minutes ago. It was sending me into a full blown panic. A close friend I called immediately to cancel plans told me he gets the same thing before his migraines start. I hope I miss out on that part like so many above... we'll see I suppose. Glad I wasn't at work! Thanks again!

I first experienced this condition about 8 years ago when 58. I was looking at the price of carpet when the price tag disappeared. I thought it was a reaction to the cost! I then looked outside at a McDonalds sign & it too disappeared. I thought I was having a minor stroke, & asked to be driven home. The scotoma disappeared in 30 minutes & now I get them only occasionally and with no headache, fortunately. My doctor informed me it was a "migraine without a headache".

When the scotoma occurs, I see a large blank area mostly in my left eye vision and a bright shining coloured patch when I close my eyes. It happened while I was playing tennis this week and sometimes occurs at golf. It can make playing sport difficult!.

I got ss on Friday night. I was at the mall and had been very tired and stressed out from the weeks events. I hadn't eaten anything all day and it was 8pm. Suddenly the tiles on the floor started to morph and slightly disapear. I turned to my girlfriend and could not focus on her face. If I tried to look at her face I would only see her eyes, her nose and mouth would disapear. Suddenly that multi colored triangle curved fense thing appeared and I freaked out. I felt no pain, but thought for sure I was going blind. I thought it was either a brain tumar or a stroke. I had a friend drive me to the hospital. The ER was packed. The SS started to disappear and it was about a half hour. It originally began in my left eye and spread to the left corner of my right eye. It pulsated and made shapes. I was so scared. They ran a MRI on my brain to see if it was a tumor or any signs of bleeding. There was none, thank God. At this point I was having no visual symptoms but I started to get a head ache. The ER doctor had no clue. I was later told by others that they thought it sounded like a Migrane. And now that I have read your posts, I feel much better. I still have a slight headache but that is all. Thank you. OH, THIS MAYBE IMPORTANT INFORMATION, I HAVE A HABIT OF GRINDING MY TEETH TOGETHER WHEN I GET STRESSED. Clenching my teeth could put added pressure on my head and the nerves inside which could be a precurser to Migrane headaches.

I had one of these odd ss episodes for the first time last week at a meeting. My boss is a woman who I really adore (she orders Italian food for our meeting and she is really as sweet as can be) and here I am seeing the sawtooth arc in both eyes even when I closed them.

I have glaucoma so I am going tomorrow to see my eye doctor. My pressures have been good lately since I lost 80 pounds and that has helped. I am 58.

My boss, bless her sweet heart told me what this was. I actually drew a picture of it and showed it to her at the end of the meeting as I was helping her put the sausages, chicken and meetballs away, and she called me a few days later and told me what it was. Her sister had the same thing and identified it.

I reported it to my eye doc since I do have glaucoma (high pressure treated with timolol) and I will see him tomorrow.

I've had two scintillating scotomas (both in 2002) and THANK GOD my Mother has had them, also, because the first thing I had my husband do was drive me to my Mom's house when the first one happened! She reassured me that what I described matched the "eye disturbances" she'd experienced, so I knew I wasn't suffering from early MS, a brain tumor, blindness, etc!!

This site and the above posts here confirm it's perfectly normal! What a relief to know that there's a name to this thing and to know why we're having it. No doctor of mine (eye or otherwise) knew what the heck I was describing!

Just had my first scintillating scotoma about fifteen minutes ago. Gave me quite a fright because I had cancer last year and, although the surgeon thought he got it all, the possibility of some of it remaining (and spreading) still haunts me. I don't know if a migraine is coming or not. I ran to a coworker for some Advil just in case. The internet is great, otherwise it might have taken me days to find out what it was!

I've been experiencing occasional scintillating scotomas for the past 20 years - I think I was about 35 when the first one scared the hell out of me. I had another today, which prompted me to look up the term on the internet.

Here's a question: I think my increasing occurance of SS may be being triggered by the 'flickering' of my CRT computer monitor. It's set at a fairly high refresh rate - 85Hz - but would a LCD monitor help?

I've had migraine with aura since I was five (I'm 34...uh...I mean 28 now *snort*). Sometimes the scintillating scotoma will be followed by headache (aura on one side, headache on the other), sometimes it just goes away. Very odd. Anyway, my trigger, which I figured out after an arduous year of writing a "headache diary", is a change in the weather or barometric pressure. I also get them when I'm flying (I would imagine due to cabin pressure change).

If you get SS often, even if its not followed by a headache, I would recommend writing down what you were doing right before it started, along with whether there was a change in weather, what you ate, etc. Just a suggestion, but if you know your trigger and its avoidable...SCORE! Of course, if it only happens once in a blue moon this would probably be more of a nuisance.

For those who get migraine with their SS, I take Imitrex for the headache...its a miracle drug! Ask your doc about it. Hope this helps. Cheers!

I have been sitting here reading all these posts, nodding my head as I read the exact description of my symptoms over and over. God what a relief!! I have been having these little episodes for about the last 3 years, and thought I was the only one who did. While I do occasionally still have the full blown headaches (as do my mother and brother) with the pain and nausea, I have these little suckers about once or twice a week and they precede a sinus headache. If I take sinus meds immediately, no headache. Anyway, Thanks sooooo much for letting me know that I am not the only one who has to put up with people looking at me strangely when I say I am going blind!!

I.m very thankful for finding this site,like everyone else i thought i was having some kind of stroke or brain tumour.

After having a really bad left eye headache one evening and into the next day, this cleared up and today the bright light appeared. No headache but my peripheral vision was shimmering like heat on a road suface, this turned into what looked like lightening forks shimmering on the left hand side of my left eye when i closed my eyes.

Has anyone else had this experience?

Hello all,

Well - I too am happy to have found this site to post on. I am not quite convinced of what I have due to the frequency of my "attacks" - I have been having visual disturbances that wax and wane in severity every single day, most of the day (at least every time I close my eyes to check, and when I turn out the lights at night) for almost 2 years now. I was checked out by a neurologist who thinks it is migraine - but who referred me to an ophthalmologist (sp?), who in turn thought it was epilepsy - and referred me back to the neurologist. EEGs and MRIs were normal, now I have finally worked up to 50mg Topomax BID, which really hasn't helped too much with stopping the lights – but has relieved the painful headaches I used to get. I guess I need another trip to the Dr or a second opinion? Is it normal to have these things going pretty much non-stop? Mine are not geometric at all - they are like black/gray bubbles (I guess) bubbling up and down in a crescent shape in both eye's periphery. At least they don't hurt and I have pretty much gotten used to them. Any thoughts? Anyone else have them almost 24/7?

wow! I just had my first one yesterday and like all of you thought I was going to pass out, had a brain tumor,losing sight etc etc... good to list any common denominators... (as some were listed above same as mine) I wear contacts, the day of the attack, was on the computer a particularly long time, font/lighthad been changed on the computer(my boyfriend changed it on me a couple days earlier) am extremely sick almost a week now with some kind of sinusitis,bronchitis,flu type thing I dont know.. lots of blowing my nose, have two red yes(pink eye I guess, had to take one contact out).... what I was doing during the attack,? even though I was sick and weak, I made myself clean the kitchen and cook ( a two hour process during which I was exhausted and even sweated) finished cooking but couldnt even transfer the finished result to one big pot because the attack started and I had to sit down.. for 45 minutes.... same as all described, a shiny bright flickering zagged edged arc shaped thingy.. with one super bright one that reminded me of the film projector light in a dark movie theatre. I was relieved to find im not dying, but now sort of not relieved to find out that it seems I may have them for life? Has anyone ever had just one????

also since people said to note the weather.. it has been nasty!!! non stop raining and cold dreary grey for days. I believe its why im sick with this nasty flu.

I have had migranes very occassionally ( one every 4 years) with aura then mild headache followed by numbness in hand & nose since adolescence. In the last 3 months have had a rapid increase in the number of incidence, but now with just the aura (blind spot that turns into a scintillating scotoma, no headache to speak of). I am having between 2 & 4 a week! I am 47 and wondering if they are also related to hormonal changes. Does anyone else have them this often?

Well I am so glad I found this site!

This morning while at work I got this wriggly black and white light thing in my peripheral vision of my right eye and it scared the bejesus out of me! Really very scary because they say sudden changes in vision require an emergency visit to the doctor.

So I just got back. He said it is SS and told me to go online and read up on it and understand it as there is no treatment.

This is the first time in my life (55 yrs old) and it's curious to me that most of you here have been dealing with this for a long time... so I'm wondering if there's an underlying neurological thing going on? hmm. Maybe time for a visit to my PCP as I've never really had migraines before, any kind.

Thank you everyone for helping me deal with this through your experiences!

Suz

I just had my first intense SS tonight. I have had some visual disturbances before, twice i have gone blind in one eye for about an hour, and i often have popping lights like flashcubes. tonight i had just come home from doing some night photography. at first i thought it was my eyes reacting to bright light after squinting in the dark. it was like a squiggly line in my vision and it seemed colorful and electric. it got larger until it was a large c shape, but more angular, like a boomerang. it had a zig zag pattern through the C shape, and it was pulsing with red and other color and white light, like an electric element. it scared the hell out of me and i guess at that point i realized what was going on and looked it up on the net and found this page.

in total i guess it lasted 20 minutes. as soon as i knew what it was i took a dose of relpax. it consumed my entire field of vision then moved into the left eye and then the far left corner and then went away. my vision is still a little splotchy. but i feel okay, no pain or real weirdness. i really hope i don't get one again, but if it does happen again, maybe it won't be as scary.

Hi folks,

Excellent posts for SS symptomatic description.

Just had my first about an hour ago at work. Left-eye, square "C" shape in multi-color zigzag. Also detectable in right-eye visual pattern, but not as prominently. Had a small gradually blurring spot inside of the "C" which made it difficult to read small parts of an LCD screen without shifting my perspective. Blur and light show receded in about 10-15 minutes; gradually clearing to left-eye periphery.

A small touch of headache following, but nothing requiring analgesia. I found the experience more fascinating/puzzling than disturbing. I can imagine that an extended episode could become very unnerving.

I'm 44, have never had a migraine or an SS episode, but burned the candle ends pretty hard during a three day weekend of snowboarding, minimal sleep and a small variety of other excessive behaviors.

Of course, it could just be the stress of returning to work after so much recreation.

Thanx for sharing your experiences and knowledge. It is comforting to know that this is a fairly common occurrence for many people.

No true need to repeat all that has been said, but to summarize...

-Started 4 years ago

-I'm a junior in HS

-still pop up, usually right after meditating... Apparently the long rest-time effects it induces duplicate whatever brings on the scotoma...

-Haven't ahd it checked out, but it is now pretty clear to me what my previous cases of "flash blindness" were...

I'm glad I found this. I had my first one in a book store 4 years ago with my family and thought I was having a stroke. I was 38. I also had nausea, dizziness. I honestly have never felt the same since. I have been told it is anxiety, but I was not anxious when it first happened. Now, I am worried about it all the time. My pulse races, i feel dizzy, my vision blurs and the zig-zag thing happens. I call it my "Flashy eye thing" and my whole family thought I was nuts. It's so nice to know that it has a name and that I am not alone. Mine are accompanied by mild headaches. I never thought about it, but I guess I better see a doctor. I think I am having migraines. Anyone else getting symptoms of dizziness or racing pulse or difficulty swallowing when this happens? Is this just a reaction of panic to my "flashy eye" thing? Lisa

Thank you GOD I am not alone. I had my first one of these things about 7 months ago. A mild one with no headache. It went away after about 10 minutes and I basically forgot about it. Last week, while watching tv something started happening in both eyes. The colorful pastel jagged rings. This one was very intense nad I even shut off the TV to enjoy the light show. About 15 minutes into this I started thinking I was having a stroke. The next day I talked to my obstatrition and she said it sounded like an "Ocular Migraine". That was last week.

Yesterday I had another one during work. Full blown. I had to try to explain to my boss what was happening. He was clueless and went to his boss (the owner). He got it all wrong how he explained it to him. I must have confused him when I mentioned it was like I was having hallucinations. Anyways I was in deep doodoo for something I have no control over.

I was confronted by the owner and aparently this 60 year old man has been having these things since he was 15. WHEW!!! We talked for over an hour about this and he had some does and donts and tricks and tips.

My concern is that I am 41 and it is not common to start getting them at my age. Also the frequency went from 7 months between the first two and now only about eigth days between the 2nd and 3rd.I too am thinking of drawing one of them. I am becomming obsessed with these things.

Stay safe all and happy aura's

Millard, I am 44 and just started having these also, so you are not alone. I have had five episodes so far, four of them in the last two weeks. It is funny to read what other people think triggered them, because mine seem to be a combination of triggers like:

- long day at the computer + stress

- bright sunlight + weather change (yesterday I was just sitting on the patio relaxing and watching an afternoon storm roll in when one started).

Like everyone else, until reading these posts I was thinking mini-stroke or tumor. Today I remembered that up until two months ago I had taken a baby aspirin every morning for about 10 years. I'm going to restock and start taking it again.

Oh, and if you want to see some images others have drawn, do a

Google image search.

Also, thanks to everyone for sharing your experiences.

I'd like to add my experience, as there is a variation in the way things are happening on this (third) occurrence of SS.

I am 57, my first 2 incidents were in the last 18 months and followed the well-documented pattern of a central blind spot followed by the jagged light show, 20 minutes and all over, with no headaches. I put it down to stress/exertion/computer screens etc and didn't follow it up as there seemed to be no lasting damage.

I'm now in day 2 of a different pattern: large peripheral blind spot in the bottom LHS of my left eye. This followed waking up with an acute pain in my right jaw 'hinge' which gave me a combination of toothache and earache. (That might be just coincidental). The blind spot doesn't want to go, and although there is a bit of saw-toothed pattern in the left eye, it is showing no signs of a full light show!

I'll come back on and report any developments.

Keep posting guys, it's a comfort.

I had my first experience with this back in November 04 (I am 38). I have never had a migraine that I can identify. I was extremely stressed about a work project and had been so for a months. The disturbance was like a toroidal afterimage that would not clear and had no origin in anything in my visual field. I thought it was a stroke or other neurological event, so I began running through some mental tests- short and long term memory, speech, coordination, facial recognition, etc, but found no deficiencies. I had a near-panic attack and my wife took me to the ER. It started to clear in about 20 minutes and at the ER my neurological exam was fine. They sent me home with 2 lorazepam and told me to follow up tomorrow with an opthalmologist. He checked out the eyes and found nothing wrong, diagnosed it as ocular migraine. There was no pain, just much pathos. But the story gets better...

In Dec I started feeling detached, like I wasn't actually there, just smiulating all of my responses- "I'll laugh now because that's the expected response". I went to my Doc in Jan and told him about the migraine and my dissociation. He authorized an MRI, thinking that the visual event might have been optical neuritis, which is a common first manifestation of MS. Here's where my stress level goes almost off the scale. Anyway, MRI showed a small non-specific lesion and a generalized very diffuse structure in the white matter of my frontal-parietal lobe. I also started having tingling in my left hand and a strange feeling in my legs. Stress is now off the scale. I self-diagnosed hypothyroidism at this point (which was confirmed, TSH = 64). Enter the neurologist.

A second MRI a little later showed that the diffuse area is there, but the lesion was actually a vein. The diffuse area could be nothing or may be a phase 1 glioblastoma. The head of the neurorad dept pronounced my MRI normal and thyriod replacement plus a little physical therapy has mostly done away with the tingling. I followed up with a second eye doc visit, because I do have some floaters, and of course by then I was hypersensitive to any bodily abnormality. No sign of any damage to the optic nerve.

Anyway, I do occassionally see a blue flash. It's not really a flash, just a small colored spot- not bright- that lasts less than a second. This happens every couple of weeks, and although the first time I saw it I did get a panic attack, now I think nothing of it. Life goes on and I am returning to my old self, gradually. I still think about MS, but I'm getting that under control.

OK, interesting other facts. Ocular migraine seems to be linked to the tendency toward car sickness, and I can tell you that I get extremely car sick if I'm not asleep or driving. Strangely enough, I have never gotten sea-sick. My OM experience has not recurred. If it does, I'll sit back and try to enjoy the show. I am using about 360 mg of Calan (verapramil) a day for blood pressure and this is also effective for some migraine patients. Maybe I'd get this kind of thing more frequently without it, but it's not a test I'm willing to do. I have minor postural tremor, but this is not uncommon in thyroid replacement users, especially if it is overcorrected, which it seems to be. This may also be due to an SSRI I'm taking.

So take heart. Ocular migraine seems to be benign unless it interferes with life and livelihood. And remember, migraine is associated with creative individuals!

I've had this since 1976..Scared the heck out of me the 1st time. Since then I get it two or three a year. No pain, just a small strobing metalic looking V shape that takes uo about5 percent of my lower field of vision. It grows until it is larger than the whole field of vision. I've carefully timed it until it disappears, always within 25 minutes. I described it in detail to my opthomologist and she said I was a CLASSIC description of 'Scintillating Scotoma'. I have no other side effects and I just "watch it" with curiousity. My 40 year old daughter also experiences this.

Just finished having one. They appear irregularly, and have done for several years. Used to have 'classic migraines' that were totally debilitating, from age 9 to 38, so these are a blessed relief. Not much consolation if you haven't experienced the horror of classic migraines. In fact, I still get scared when the visual disturbance begins and am always happy when it doesn't develop into the 'real thing'.

Certainly if life's going well and I'm relaxed I don't get them. If there's a lot of unresolved stuff happening I could get them 2 or 3 times a day. So what I'm guessing is that we all probably have a similar sort of personality. I try not to worry about things I can't change, but I suspect my body doesn't let me get off that lightly.

Same with a full-on migraine. I found that any medication that might have afforded me some relief only postponed another huge one. So I think it's the body's way of clearing out a lot of stuff, and it's better to let it happen.

Trish, I was informed by a person that has been having these things for fifty years that they have a tendancy to come on after the stress has been resolved. Stress does cause them in a manner of speaking. They come when the stress is gone and you can sigh relief . . .

This used to be my experience with 'classic migraines'. It's as tho the body is saying, 'If you think you can relax now, you're mistaken!' I thought there was a name for this, like 'holiday migraine', but can't find any reference to it. (Not that I've looked hard.)

But I sometimes wake up with scintillating scotoma (not as exciting as it sounds), have them in the middle of teaching, driving, whatever. The pattern seems to be quite different.

I guess we all have our own triggers. Thanks for your input, Millard.

Had 2 ss events over the past few years. Seems to be caused by sensitivity to GLARE. Mine started with the sun.Classic symptomes. The disturbance originates from the brains interpretaton of "filling in" areas that the eye cannot see. These "blobs" start with visual persistance of a bright object and then retained in the brain.Normally the vague details of all vision presist for a short time and then are replaced constantly with new ones so you don't notice it. (you can try this by staring at a lite bulb and then close your eyes. The shadow will stay around for a while and always start to move and morph. BUT with an ss event, brain seems to take the disturbance as reality instead of the surrounding area and blanks out your vision. If one trys, you can discover many anomalies we all have. Scarry stuff. After all, we see everything upside down and the brain turns it over. I have heard if you turn upside down for awhile, things will eventually look right side up. Don't try this at home! Anyway, try a Google search with"Blind spot" for some added fun. Seeyall.

My 79 year old mom just informed me that she started having this problem yesterday. She is calling her doctor now as I headed to the Internet to search. Do you usually see this flash in one eye or both eyes?? She is only seeing it in her left eye. Thanks so much!

I have been having the auras for over 15 years and mine appear in clusters-if I have one I will have more in the next few days. Sometimes I am spared months even up to 6 mo's before another episode. I work in a 3rd grade classroom and I just hang on for the ride so the kids don't think anything is wrong with me. It is hard because my auras present like so many of your descriptions- a blind spot then an increase in size of a twinkling zig-zag C shape (I described this to the first doctor I spoke to as it looking like rick-rack) and usually moving from right to left lasting 20 mins or so. I don't panic because I know it will end. Sometimes after, however, I feel disorientated, then I excuse myself and go sit somewhere quiet. All the adults in the building know I get these and several other teachers get various other headaches .

One thing, if I am driving I pull over because at the onset my vision really is affected. I also wake up in the morning smack in the middle of a peak light show! I like the suggestion above to keep a journal to see if there are possible triggers to the ss. I hope all these posts will help others to see we can live with this.

I kept a diary of food I consumed.The scintillating scotoma happened every time I consumed certain food items. I did this because a Dr.told me it was a digestion problem.I stopped eating the problem foods and no scintillating scotoma. Resumed eating the certain foods and s.c. came back. That simple folks!

I have been having these things for the past 2 months, used to get them only once or twice a year when brite light or glare would kick it off. Now it's every week and it seems everything starts it. I've seen the doctors and they all say the same thing. Optic, occular, opthalmic migraine. I'm sick of it. It scares me so bad I run for the sofa and cover my head and it always passes. I look for it sometimes, I monitor my vision. I've turned into a nut! I've been under a lot of stress lately and I do have back, neck, and shoulder problems so I guess that does contribute. It was a relief to find this post, I guess.

I have been getting ss for about 2 years since the age of 64.I get about 2-3 per year, always when coughing while watching TV.

After the first episode I went to my optician (I wear glasses) and he said migrain which puzzled me as I have never had headaches except hangovers.

Doesn't seem related to food.Its a relief to know other people get these weird things

A very useful forum.

*WOW* My symptoms, like a lot here! In my right eye only. Starts with a small, bright circle spot...like sun spot. Then it slowly changes and looks like an icicle or a tear of cyrstals. Silver and colors and increases to a > shape that is all of my peripheral vision to the right corner. I loose sight of small areas. Today was the first time I experienced a headache to the right side of my head deep inside, from brow to top of my head. Annoying yet able to keep on moving. Head ache is still lingering. Dx: from opthamologist OCULAR MIGRANE either aura to a migrane or the migrane itself. I feel it is related to my hormones/menstral cycle and caffine and stress. Ya hoo the daily grind of life !! :o)

Tiffany from Ohio.

YAY!!!! I finally have a name for it! I describe mine as a crazy "C" shape that floats through my vision until it grows so big I can't see it anymore. It’s silver with blasts of color, and it moves, almost churns. It is almost always in my left eye and I get very disoriented when this happens. I find it difficult to think and speak. It doesn't freak me out, I have little if any physical discomfort, but I find it annoying. I had my first one around 10 years old, and have them a few times a year, usually in clusters. Does anyone else find that they have trouble thinking and speaking while experiencing one?

Thanks!

i had my first one yesterday (i'm 33). i was having a bbq outside with my family and i got a blurry spot just off centre in both my eyes. then the zigzaggy flashing lights around the blurry spot started and it gradually got bigger and then it left my right eye and was very large in my left eye with a blind spot in my peripheral. i nearly had a panic attack because it freaked me out so much, i thought i was stroking out or something. it was gone altogether in about a half an hour. scared the crap out of me. i'm glad to know it wasn't serious. i had a slight headache afterwards but nothing to warrant even taking a tylenol for. i don't get headaches too often and when i do they are sinus or tension. i know my mother had suffered occasional migraines. if it happens again i think i'll just go along for the ride. i'm glad there are a lot of other people with this same strange aura.