Does anyone have issues with their vision? I had a migraine with aura for the first time two months ago. I never heard of an aura before, so when I began experiencing a blurry spot that grew until it changed into bright flashes of color and triangles covering my entire field of vision, I panicked. I don't mean a little wave of anxiety...I full on panicked. The episode lasted 30 minutes and the entire time I thought something was desperately wrong. Needless to say, I haven't recovered. I have had two more auras since the first. I am now obsessed with whether or not another one will occur. I swear I have PTSD. Here's the thing... Since the aura, I have had many visual disturbances (blurry vision, static, flashes, light sensitivity, after images, jumping patterns, etc.). I have seen all the doctors and had all the tests...all normal. I was diagnosed with persistent migraine status. I just don't know though. How could someone have a migraine for 2 months straight? Is it possible it's anxiety?
i went to the doctor for severe anxiety at first, (health anxiety) I usee to go to A n E thinking im having a heart attack, , only for them to test everything and say its all normal, i had days when i would get constant waves of panic attacks VERY SCARY!,
the doctor gave me ‘anti anxiety’ tablets which were sertraline 50mg,
the first week was absoloutly horrendous.HORRID they sent me spiralling into depression,i physically couldnt eat anything, i could barely reach out for a drink on my bedside, i was curled up in a ball in bed in the dark for 2 weeks. headaches, pains in my chest neck, all i could do was pray this depressive feeling in my head went away FAST -
I felt as though i couldnt be left alone as i would get into a panic , they made me feel like i was totally losing my mind, i didnt eat for 4 days straight
i had the normal side effects of starting antidepressants .. loose stool, headaches, bad dizzy spells and pain between the eyes, zero apetite ) and crazy crazy isomnia which i still have, (2 -3 hours sleep a night)
all the latter side effects i can deal with if it meant i would never have to feel that disgusting draining, im going crazy kill me now feeling in my brain)
i went back to a different doctor and explained these tablets gave me severe depression which she agreed but insisted i stick with them for a little longer so VERY RELUCTANTLY i did
it was day 14 that i felt things change, still dizzy, headache and loose stool but my head started to feel clearer, i slowly felt i was getting better, , im on day 20 now and my mood is improving and panick attacks have calmed down, i still get dizzy spells but im getting back to my old self, i can now speak to people again
i went to see a private psychiatrist who is much more trained in mental health than a GP ( cost me a a fortune) to speak about this medicine as the doctors on the nhs seem to have conflicting views on it (not there skilled profession)
he said sertraline is one of the best anti depressants available and i done the right thing to stick it out for the first 2 weeks even though they were so bad
MORAL OF THE STORY - PLEASE GIVE SERTRALINE A CHANCE TO WORK - at least 3 weeks,
my psychiatrist (works in a top private hospital in london) said not to listen to too many of the bad reviews as he believes most of them
will be from people who didnt stick it out past the first couple of weeks and didnt allow the drug to work,
if this helps at least one person fighting mental health as i am ill be a satisfied man
ALL THE SYMPTOMS I SUFFERED CHEST PAINS/ SWEATING HANDS AND FEET/HEADACHES/BLURRED VISION - ALL CAUSES BY ANXIETY - so dont worry your not gonna die from anxiety
from peter parker
I get everything you described and more. I get it more often when I have high anxiety. I also noticed that sometimes it follows changes in barometric pressure. Some weather channels actually have a Migraine Index that predicts when you may get one. But I usually only check it after I get one and if you have a friend that suffers chances are they will get one with in a day of yours.
Like I said though high anxiety also seems to be a trigger. When I am high anxiety I got to stay away from harsh lights, newer TV’s, LED and fluorescents.
Sometimes I will get headaches about an half hour after my vision clears up but not always. I always got them like ones or twice a year as a kid. At my worst I got them everyday about 5 years ago. Now it depends, sometimes I get one a month or a few a week. Depends how much time I spend looking at my triggers like a newer TV. I am in my mid 40’s now.
Has something changed lately? New lights or new TV? If so try avoiding it to see if it helps.
Thanks for replying! Anxiety is just plain awful. I had it when I was younger and now it has returned.
So, you think your vision issues are related to migraine and not anxiety? I know what changed…I am a nearly 44 year old woman (hormones).
I think anxiety and migraines are related in my case and for many others. One can cause the other or perhaps both have the same triggers. I can have one without the other though. Certainly anxiety cause blood flow changes in the brain and the same thing happens with people that suffer migraines. Changes in barometric pressure also affects blood flow in the brain. If you google barometric pressure changes and “migraine” or “anxiety” you will get similar results and theories of what happens to the body. Adrenaline causes causes blood vessel changes and so does barometric pressure. I am prone to both. What came first, the chicken or the egg?
True, that does make sense. How long have you been experiencing migraine auras? How many have you had? Are you fearful of them? I am terrified of it happening again.
Sorry, I reread your post and see you mentioned frequency. I just find them so scary.
As a kid I found them odd. As an adult sometimes I was ok with them or it was an annoyance. (had to stop what I was doing because I could not see) When they got frequent they started to scare me. Now sometimes they scare me and sometimes it ticks me off because after all these years doctors still don’t have a solid reason for them or what to do about them. I do know for some people that blood pressure medicine helps prevent them. That works for a family member of mine.
hi stick with sertartine it worked for me it takes round about 4 weeks to work it give me my life back 
I fear the pain that may sometimes follow the vision problem. I fear them more when I am driving or out in public because I cant see to drive lol. Sometimes when I get the snowy vision its hard to comprehend the things that I do see. Kind of confusion sets in with it.
I didn’t have the migraine just the aura. I’ve basically become housebound because I am afraid to drive now and haven’t been to work since. I don’t know how people live normal lives with auras. Or, maybe I should be asking why some people are about to lead normal lives and I am a weirdo who is terrified.
HI Staci,
i have suffered from opti migraines for 19 years. i do not get the headache, just the aura light show. same as everyone else.. lasts 20-30 minutes i have to stop whatever i am doing and just close my eyes and ride it out. first several times i was petrified it truly is a scary experience. but after so many years of getting them , i have learned how to handle it and keep calm. anxiety and stress can help bring them on. i suffer terribly from health anxiety but i have learned to deal with this issue and refuse to let it stop my life. i get enough advance warning that it is starting and i tell work and they let me go to a quiet place to let it pass. i have never been driving and had one and i hope I never do, but if i did i would just pull over until it passed.
this is a very common condition, you will not go blind and you should not let it stop your life!!! thats anxieties goal and i plan on going down fighting!!!
They are called ocular migraines. They can be with or without pain. I don’t normally get the pain but sometimes I do. I usually get somewhat confused, unable to think. I just fear that I will get the pain because when I do, its bad. Normally the pain comes 30 to 45 minutes after my vision clears up. As a kid I always got the pain. As an adult although I get the vision problems way more often, most of the time I am pain free. I am just a few years older than you. So I am kind of used to it and can stay relatively calm during one most of the time. However the severe ones are still hard to handle. The ones that look like some old acid trip 70’s video with random swirling colors even with my eyes shut are hard for me to handle.
So for me, if I got one at work I would just tell my boss, “Hey I got a migraine and I can’t see so I am going to clock out. Normally this will pass but I may get a severe headache shortly afterwards so when I feel safe enough to drive I am going home to get some rest in the dark.” All my employers were cool about it. They rather you be honest about it than hide it, be on the clock without production. I will say though that I have not worked for two years. I developed severe anxiety and agoraphobia from constant panic attacks. I find those symptoms harder to deal with.
Make Sure you get your eyes checked out though with a good exam, not a cheap chain store. One that checks for retinal detachment, internal pressure, and macular degeneration and performed by a real doctor, not a trained assistant.
I agree with lindalou60. I always catch them and had time to pull over or whatever until they pass. The first symptom for me was thinking that I had seen something out of the corner of my eye. Then few minutes later a small dot would appear like if you stared at a light bulb. That dot would slowly grow but at the dot stage I know what is coming and prepare. Normally I have about 10 minutes of time to do something at the small dot phase before my vision really becomes impaired.
Thank you so much for sharing with me. I wish this never happened to me. It completely ruined my life. I don’t know if you are in the US, but I never met anyone who had a migraine aura. I asked my friends and co-workers. They have no idea what I am talking about when I describe what happened to me. They looks at me like I am crazy. I noticed lots of the people I talk to about it online are from the UK. I wonder if that is a coincidence.
I have developed severe anxiety from this experience. I did not have it before the migraine with aura. Unfortunately, I do not have a job where I could step away or tell my boss I need a 30 minute time out. I am (was) a teacher. I am on the cusp of losing my job. I have already entered unpaid status. So, I guess I will be adding homeless to my list of problems soon.
I had my eyes checked by a ophthalmologist and a neuro-ophthalmologist, both said migraines.
Thank you for replying! 19 years…oh, my. I don’t know how you have endured. It’s common? I asked everyone I know and they all look at me like I am crazy. No one has ever heard of it before and neither had I (43 nearly 44). How often do you get them? I am fairly certain mine are linked to hormones. I started getting menstrual migraines about 7/8 years ago. When I had my first aura, two months ago, I went to the neurologist and had a CT Scan as well as an MRI. He said he sees many women my age who first start to get migraines with auras. He also said things should settle down once I am through with menopause. fingers crossed
Unfortunately, I do not have a job that I can step away from as needed. I am (was) a teacher. There isn’t even time to go to the bathroom most days, let alone have a random 30 minute break.
I didn’t have anxiety prior to two months ago. I was an independent working woman, now I am practically housebound and scared to be alone. I was so frightened by the experience, that I have PTSD. I know it may seem silly, but it changed my whole life. Now, I am scared and lonely and depressed. I spend every minute of the day checking my vision and looking for an aura. Any slight thing in my vision, I panic. It has made my life incredibly small.
I am in the states ¶. I am jobless too, trying to recover from agoraphobia. Hope to get pack to work some day. But my main problem is anxiety and panic attacks, not this vision problem. Anyways I realize that if or when I return to work it may not be what I did before. By the way, the fluorescent lights most schools use absolutely drive me nuts. 10 minutes inside a school and my skin is crawling.
I really feel for you. If you ever need a friend, feel free to message me.
Are you Facebook there a group called vestibular Migraine Community ? you can join message people like you. Put your feet together close your eyes is what happens l bet you start swaying .