Posted by Janet (193.61.159.18) on May 15, 2001 at 06:23:05:
In Reply to: Thanks, Nancy! posted by Sorcerer on August 08, 1999 at 15:27:50:
I first had this happen late on during pregnancy. Naturally I had the blood pressure checked etc, but no-one could suggest an explanation for my "visual disturbance" until I came across a description which was so like my own that it had to be right - optical migraine. I subsequently had a few more episodes, all during pregnancy, but I just had one this morning, exactly the same, not having had one for 14 years (and I really don't think I'm pregnant! - I wonder is there some hormonal issue here - I'm nearly 47 - is it menopause time?! None of the usual migraine triggers apply - stress, cheese.... )
It is always exactly the same - it starts with a tiny blurred patch, slightly top-left of centre. The patch grows until it becomes clear that it is actually a crescent shape of zig-zag scintillation. This is bright and twinkling, and fuzzy in the vicinity of the crescent, visible with both eyes, eyes open or shut. The crescent increases in size, as if approaching from a distance, with the crescent approaching the periphery of vision until it passes beyond the periphery, and is gone. The whole thing lasts 20 minutes, and leaves no after effects - no headache, nausea, tiredness or anything. This morning I had my blood pressure taken during the episode, and it was somewhat higher than 5 minutes after it was over, but that might just have been because I had been sitting for 15 minutes by that stage.
I have no idea if this is a one-off, or a sign of things to come, but at this stage I'm certainly not worried, and am more interested in the whys and hows of this strange phenomenon!