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Suggest Treatment For Ocular Migraines
Question: I am a 61 year old male in relatively good physical condition, don't smoke or drink. For the last three days I have experienced ocular migraines. First day, (in afternoon) noted zigzag line and mild headache followed after about 30 minutes. Yesterday around 6:30 AM experienced zigzag line and blind spot and headache. I took 2 extra strength Tylenol when I first started experiencing the visual. That kept the ache to a minimum. Yesterday afternoon around 1:30 had additional visual symptoms and headache. Again I took the Tylenol which made it tolerable. This morning around 9:45 I started having the visual symptoms again, but had no zigzag lines. Had blind spots where looking in a mirror I could see my left eye but not my right eye and there was a blind spot in the right periphery. Took two excedrine Migraine at the onset but have had the worst headache over my left eye and into my neck. I have not had this type of activity in about 7-8 years.
Brief Answer:
Migraine with aura
Detailed Answer:
Good afternoon. I am an adult neurologst and headache specialist in the XXXXXXX Ohio area of the world. I've read your symptoms and problem. Sorry that you've recrudesced with your headaches. Just so you know the terms ocular migraines are also sometimes referred to ophthalmic migraines, migraines with visual aura, or in case there is no actual head pain associated with the event, retinal migraines.
From the sound of your symptoms it certainly sounds more likely than not that what you are suffering with are migraine with aura or ocular migraine.
The thing about ocular migraines is that can come on at any age and occur once and never again, or occur daily.
I think that a consult with a live neurologist is a good idea since they can decide whether or not you may need to be propylaxed. In the mean time and until you can easily have someone check you out I would recommend taking a good "stiff dose" of ibuprofen at least twice at the same sitting to see if you can calm the headaches down By stiff dose I am talking about 800-1200 mg. per dose with a maximum at the outset of 3000mg daily between all doses at once.
In my clinic my patients are required to fill out headache diaries which they turn to me every visit. It expresses some of the most salient features of the headache which we use to come up with treatments and therapies.
Bottom line....I would seek out a neurologist who can give you a thorough neurological examination and take a thoughtful history in order to decide whether or not you may need imaging studies (personally, I would go for the MRI and consider gadolinium contrast. They yield much more information for this type of case where it appears that you may have had symptoms 7-8 years ago and now are revisiting these exact symptoms again. It's certainly not unheard of and I have many patients that similarly have headaches during one part of their life and then, in a later part of their life nothing for years....and then, one day, BAMMMM.....back again to headaches. It's maddening to you I'm sure....but we should work it up as if they are headaches for the first time.
You are more than welcome to come the short jog to XXXXXXX and I can show you all the neat things we do with headache logs in case your events convert into something more chronic. ALSO, BE VERY CAREFUL THAT YOU DO NOT CROSS THE LINE OF MEDICATION OVERUSE since this is very easy to do with OTC types of medications. Taking Tylenol, Excedrin, Naprosyn, Motrin, etc. on a daily basis is potentially setting the stage for making your headaches not only worse but more difficult to treat.
I hope this answer satisfactorily addresses your question. If so, may I ask your favor of a HIGH STAR RATING with written feedback?
Also, if there are no other questions or comments, I'd appreciate it greatly if you would CLOSE THE QUERY on your end so this question can be transacted and archived for further reference by colleagues as necessary.
Please direct more comments and questions to me in the future at:
bit.ly/drdariushsaghafi and I would be honored to answer you and continue this discussion.
All the best.
The query has required a total of 51 minutes of physician specific time to read, research, and compile a return envoy to the patient.
Migraine with aura
Detailed Answer:
Good afternoon. I am an adult neurologst and headache specialist in the XXXXXXX Ohio area of the world. I've read your symptoms and problem. Sorry that you've recrudesced with your headaches. Just so you know the terms ocular migraines are also sometimes referred to ophthalmic migraines, migraines with visual aura, or in case there is no actual head pain associated with the event, retinal migraines.
From the sound of your symptoms it certainly sounds more likely than not that what you are suffering with are migraine with aura or ocular migraine.
The thing about ocular migraines is that can come on at any age and occur once and never again, or occur daily.
I think that a consult with a live neurologist is a good idea since they can decide whether or not you may need to be propylaxed. In the mean time and until you can easily have someone check you out I would recommend taking a good "stiff dose" of ibuprofen at least twice at the same sitting to see if you can calm the headaches down By stiff dose I am talking about 800-1200 mg. per dose with a maximum at the outset of 3000mg daily between all doses at once.
In my clinic my patients are required to fill out headache diaries which they turn to me every visit. It expresses some of the most salient features of the headache which we use to come up with treatments and therapies.
Bottom line....I would seek out a neurologist who can give you a thorough neurological examination and take a thoughtful history in order to decide whether or not you may need imaging studies (personally, I would go for the MRI and consider gadolinium contrast. They yield much more information for this type of case where it appears that you may have had symptoms 7-8 years ago and now are revisiting these exact symptoms again. It's certainly not unheard of and I have many patients that similarly have headaches during one part of their life and then, in a later part of their life nothing for years....and then, one day, BAMMMM.....back again to headaches. It's maddening to you I'm sure....but we should work it up as if they are headaches for the first time.
You are more than welcome to come the short jog to XXXXXXX and I can show you all the neat things we do with headache logs in case your events convert into something more chronic. ALSO, BE VERY CAREFUL THAT YOU DO NOT CROSS THE LINE OF MEDICATION OVERUSE since this is very easy to do with OTC types of medications. Taking Tylenol, Excedrin, Naprosyn, Motrin, etc. on a daily basis is potentially setting the stage for making your headaches not only worse but more difficult to treat.
I hope this answer satisfactorily addresses your question. If so, may I ask your favor of a HIGH STAR RATING with written feedback?
Also, if there are no other questions or comments, I'd appreciate it greatly if you would CLOSE THE QUERY on your end so this question can be transacted and archived for further reference by colleagues as necessary.
Please direct more comments and questions to me in the future at:
bit.ly/drdariushsaghafi and I would be honored to answer you and continue this discussion.
All the best.
The query has required a total of 51 minutes of physician specific time to read, research, and compile a return envoy to the patient.
Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar
Answered by
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