# Ocular migraine



## Artmuzz (May 8, 2016)

Has anyone on this forum experienced ocular migraine? The reason I ask is because I had a frightening experience yesterday morning. I got up to make breakfast when I noticed a small blob in the centre of my vision when I looked out the window and looked at the sky.

The blob gradually got bigger until I was partially blind. I couldn't watch the television because I had double vision and looking at my computer was an impossibility. It affected both my eyes but was worse in my left eye because it affected my peripheral vision badly.

I was scared and it triggered off a panic attack. It's the first panic attack I have had in ages because I have been feeling better until this happened.

I phoned my doctor and got an appointment to see him. By the time I got to my doctors surgery my vision returned back to normal. He check my vision, pulse and blood pressure but everything was fine. He then told me to go to my opticians to get a thorough eye test to test my retinas in case of retina detachment.

I went to my opticians but everything was fine and my retinas are healthy. The conclusion is that I suffer ocular migraines which I had a suspicion I had because I have experienced them a few times in the past five years.

I am sure those migraine symptoms are the reason for my experience and symptoms of feeling spaced out, dizziness, head pressure and anxiety that is giving me DPDR.

However, I am getting really worried about this even though I got reassurance from my doctor and optician that my eyes are fine and healthy.


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## forestx5 (Aug 29, 2008)

I've experienced hundreds of ocular migraines in my life. They started after a severe neuro/psych trauma I experienced at age 17. It occurred during my 1st cannabis intoxication. It was very a very confusing experience because I wasn't quite sure what to expect. What I did not expect was that I would have an epigastric aura followed by severe temporal lobe seizures. Part of the fallout from those seizures was

most likely the damage to my temporal lobe (as found on EEG) which caused a minor head tremor and the ocular migraines, and other issues. My oculars begin with small blind spots in one eye (one hemisphere of the brain). A small scintillating scotoma appears and slowly grows larger. The other eye (both hemispheres of the brain) becomes involved and the scotoma continues to enlarge and solidify until it becomes a significant

impairment to vision. Then, it all slowly dissolves and vision returns to normal. The whole process typically takes about a half hour. I suffered these for about 10 years in ignorance, before seeing a neurologist. The neuro told me that US neurology had bigger fish to fry but that British neurology had done more research on migraines. This was in 1981. Today, US neurology is still frying the same fish, as little progress

has been made in understanding ocular migraines. The last I heard, they are not so sure they are harmless. LOL. Here is a video of an ocular migraine. It gives a general idea of the experience. Mine are a bit different, but I assume there can be individual variations.


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## TDX (Jul 12, 2014)

There was a study that suggests that Lamotrigine might be able to prevent migraine auras. Topiramate seems to be pretty good at preventing migraine generally. So if this happens often maybe one of both can help.

Lamotrigine also seems to work for some people's depersonalization symptoms. I have the suspicion that Topiramate might work against depersonalization, too, but unlike Lamotrigine it has some quite unpleasant cognitive side-effects.


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## forestx5 (Aug 29, 2008)

Ocular migraines, like seizures, are a phenomena of abnormal electrochemical activity in the brain. Anti seizure meds can supress this activity, but....it's not uncommon for people to say they would rather have the seizures than the treatment for the seizures.

The same might be true for ocular migraines. There is no cure for them. Just treatments with poorly tolerated side effects. Knowing what they are and that they are not progressive should be enough information to manage them. They are not painful. I have finished

racquetball matches, billiards, and other activities after their onset. I have never been able to identify specific triggers, but they are most infrequent when I have been taking particular good care of my health.


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## TDX (Jul 12, 2014)

> The same might be true for ocular migraines. There is no cure for them. Just treatments with poorly tolerated side effects.


I depends on the drug. Lamotrigine is often well tolerated, while Topiramate is not.


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## Artmuzz (May 8, 2016)

Thanks for the replies. My ocular migraine looks exactly like this guy's ocular migraine on this video...


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## 35467 (Dec 31, 2010)

I have tried a very high dose of Topiramate for 12.weeks 15.years ago with no effect. I lost 15.kg in weight. The reason why is was tried was because a combination of a antidepressant with 2.mg of clonazepam had take 50% of my symptoms for 6.month and it had stopped working.


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## TDX (Jul 12, 2014)

> I have tried a very high dose of Topiramate for 12.weeks 15.years ago with no effect. I lost 15.kg in weight. The reason why is was tried was because a combination of a antidepressant with 2.mg of clonazepam had take 50% of my symptoms for 6.month and it had stopped working.


So, you belong to the people who responded to clonazepam? Well, the idea to use Topiramate wasn't that bad, because it also seems to act on the GABA-System among many other things. However regardings depersonalization symptoms Clonazepam seems to be superior to other benzodiazepines, so there must be a special property of Clonazepam. Unfortunately we don't know what it might be.

My idea why Topiramate might work against depersonalization symptoms in some cases is that it was found to disrupt normal functioning in several areas of the prefrontal cortex in people who experienced cognitive problems from it.


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## 35467 (Dec 31, 2010)

TDX. Yes, that was the idea to act on the GABA system without the risk of tolerance. I worked with a psychiatrist that had given me almost free access to the prescription blok. I have read psychology and also a cause in psychopharmacology. He became sick in that periode and had to retire. But, as an alternative to clonazepam was Clobazam/frisium considered. This was rejected later by other psychiatrists. You have to suffer from server anxiety and depression to get BZs and it is only for a brief periode until the antidepressants works. To give them as a treatment for an anxiety disorder is rejected by many. I had a psychiatrist that by herself offered me them again. I said no. If it worked it would have been for 6.months and then it would come back again and i had to get out of them again.

I have tried all the drugs you have tried and many more. You have also tried moclobemide(600-900mg) a reversible inhibitor of MAO. I have tried *Isocarboxazid* in 60.mg a irreversible inhibitor of MAO for 12.weeks,. You have to be on a diet. In 2001 i imported 8.punds of l-glycine and took 90.g a day in a water solution on an empty stomach. That was a trial related to negative symptoms in schizophrenia to stimulated the glycine site with a agonist on the NMDA receptor. Didn´t work. Have tried Nalmefene a partiel kappa opiod receptor agonist 5.years ago,-it didn´t work and i couldn't´t tolerante a high dose.


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## TDX (Jul 12, 2014)

> But, as an alternative to clonazepam was Clobazam/frisium considered. This was rejected later by other psychiatrists. You have to suffer from server anxiety and depression to get BZs and it is only for a brief periode until the antidepressants works. To give them as a treatment for an anxiety disorder is rejected by many. I had a psychiatrist that by herself offered me them again.


I never read of someone trying Clobazam for depersonalization disorder.



> I have tried all the drugs you have tried and many more. You have also tried moclobemide(600-900mg) a reversible inhibitor of MAO. I have tried *Isocarboxazid* in 60.mg a irreversible inhibitor of MAO for 12.weeks,.


The only evidence for Isocarboxazid comes from Jeffrey Abugel and a few other sources about the so-called phobic-anxiety depersonalization syndrome. But these are only "expert opinions", so they are quite unreliable. I would have tried it anyway, but unfortunately in Germany the only irreversible MAOI approved for depression is Tranylcypromine.



> In 2001 i imported 8.punds of l-glycine and took 90.g a day in a water solution on an empty stomach. That was a trial related to negative symptoms in schizophrenia to stimulated the glycine site with a agonist on the NMDA receptor. Didn´t work.


I am not sure about this, but sarcosine seems to be more effective than glycine. N-Acetylcysteine is also interesting.



> Have tried Nalmefene a partiel kappa opiod receptor agonist 5.years ago,-it didn´t work and i couldn't´t tolerante a high dose.


I read about that. Currently the best way to block kappa-opioid-receptors seems to be combining Buprenorphine with Naltrexone. Too bad that it's difficult to find doctors who prescribe Buprenorphine off-label. I hope ALKS-5461 will become available in the next year.


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## 35467 (Dec 31, 2010)

Yes, but i didn´t know i had DP until 2005. I was given marplan/Isocarboxazid in 2002 for a atypical depression. The normal dose in 20-30.mg and i took 60.mg. I looked up for the maximum dose tried and said to my psychiatrist. We shall try that. L-glycine was with another psychiatrist that is the second leading psychiatrist in Denmark with over 300 citations. He said to me that is was negative symptoms and related to schizophrenia and there was nothing to do. I said to him that solian/amisulprid in a low dose might be stimulating in a low dose on the pre-synaptic dopaminic auto receptor. But, that is wasn't´t on the marked in Denmark yet but the sulprid was and is related and we tried that. (i have tried amisulprid some years later 2003). Regarding l-glycine. Yes, D-serine and D-cycloserine might have better pernatation of BBB but you couldn't t get it. L-glyciine was the only option . Look it is 16.years ago . In 2001 i also did this trial. I took a combination of DHEA that is provoking a growth factor and fatty acids (omega). That was also related to a diagnosis within the spectrum of schizophrenia and the numbing a symptom of "negative symptoms" and my symptoms was related to a loss of cortical plasticity.


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## nabulldog (Sep 12, 2017)

I've had ocular migraines for years. Never have been able to figure out what triggers them. I do know changes in light (bright to dark and visa versa) contribute at times, but not always. I my case it has been passed down to a couple of my children. I vividly remember my daughter calling me in a panic, telling she could see. I had here describe it to me, simple told here it will pass in about 30 min, then you may or may not get a headache. Before that point I had not told anyone about the migraines.

I have read where Oxygen could help with migraines. My mother-in-law had COPD. When she passed she had a couple of O2 machines.

My 1st attempt with O2 in order to get relief for my migraines went like this.

Was working in the yard. As I was finishing up, I start noticing the migraine symptoms (blurriness). I waited about 5-10 min. Wanted to make sure is was getting worse. I started using the Oxygen machine ,with a mask that fits over your nose and mouth, on the highest O2 setting it had. Around 5 min into the therapy, I notice the blurriness moving to my peripheral vision, at around 8 min. it was all gone and no headache. Like I have stated, this is my 1st experience. Maybe it was a fluke. I don't know. However, if you happen to have access to an O2 machine, its worth a try.


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## Aridity (Jun 12, 2011)

TDX said:


> There was a study that suggests that Lamotrigine might be able to prevent migraine auras. Topiramate seems to be pretty good at preventing migraine generally. So if this happens often maybe one of both can help.
> 
> Lamotrigine also seems to work for some people's depersonalization symptoms. I have the suspicion that Topiramate might work against depersonalization, too, but unlike Lamotrigine it has some quite unpleasant cognitive side-effects.


It's weird,I got 2 aural migraines in one week. And I have started with Lamotrogine a month ago,the night before I got the migraine I did not take the Lamotrogine as I didn't have any left. I also don't suffer from aural migraines that often I only had like 6 in the past 7 years or so,and always after working out or boxing. So I was wondering if it was because I didn't take the Lamotrogine,a few days afters I got one again in the same week after working out,but the day prior I did take the Lamotrogine soo...


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## thanksforbeingalive (Dec 22, 2017)

every night is fireshow for me!!!))) at least i am not dped


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