I went out to get groceries tonight and the entire time I was out from door back to door I had weird fractured vision.

It's a psychedelic-looking thing. Straight lines, like a door frame, get wonky and prism colors flash around.

I had this maybe twice before over the years, but many years apart.

The time before tonight's incident, however, was last summer just before I got hit with the peri ton of bricks.

I feel like I've completely fallen apart.

Nevermore,

I think you expereinced an ocular migraine; some people expereince broken glass vision and flashing lights. Some will expereience pain and others don't. I think its hormonal as well.
Do take care and try not to panick... I know easier said then done.

Before I got on hormones I would get the head pressure. ear pain and blurred vision, intermittently throughout the day, so many times I thought I was getting a stroke. Even with hormones, I still get symptoms but not as severe.

Plumeria

During my peri years, my eyes had a party with strobe lights and I was not invited. Pretty common.

Thanks, girls. I knew it had to do with this s**t.

Take care,

Nev

Hi Nevermore,
I had that doorframe thing. Mine was in bright red and it scared me to death. I actually got it 3 days in a row. It seemed to come back every night. I was going to get it checked out and it went away and never came back.
I've had the flashing lights and zigzag lights and also the fragmented vision. I had these checked out and I was diagnosed with ocular migraine just as Plumeria said. The specialist said this type of thing is very common as we age

How strange -- common as we age, yet I never heard of it before!

My penultimate one was about six months ago. On line we found that it can indicate glaucoma, or that it's your cornea being dry. Didn't see "ocular migraine".

Sybilleruth you have SUCH a way with words! LMBO! This happened to me about 5 years ago and scared the bejeezus out of me. Had a trip to the ER to find out that it was the occular migraine. LET me tell you. I just finished with a bout of migraine pain for the past 24 hours and I would MUCH rather have the occular one as opposed to this~! Migraines s*ck. Big time.
Hugs, Kleeo

Girls,

When you have these occular migraines is your entire line of vision weird or can it just be the peripheral vision? I've had instances where I have the "strobe type, broken glass" vision going on in my peripheral vision. I can see things okay straight ahead but things are flashing on the sides. It's bizarre and doesn't usually last long. I've also noticed that while I can see plenty good enough to move about and such that I really can't read as well during these times. I can read...but it's like it takes alot more work. Do you guys think I'm experiencing an occular migraine during these times?

TeeJay

Teejay, this is precisely what I have, and it's mostly when I'm in a darkened room that has light illuminating into it from another source. If you've read any of my other posts about this, you would see that I've been to several doctors. One said it was an occular migraine, another said it's nothing to worry about. I've had it for seven years, and I'm still fine, so I wouldn't worry about it.

I'm not sure what type of migraines I have, but they've been the same for years. I'm watching TV or reading a book, when I suddenly realize there's a ...dead area? Not sure how to explain it...I just can't see a part of the face...or some of the words. Then shortly there after, the zig zag flashing starts and that slowly moves across my eye until it disappears...

Is anyone like me tho? For a day or two prior to a migraine, I would get really light headed, then the migraine would hit, and the light headedness would go away? I always knew mine was hormonal...I'd have a migraine every week except when AF would come...

The good news however? Many many years ago my doctor told me, once into menopause, most women don't have migraines anymore...we can only hope - right?

Last evening mine started as I left the house. I noticed straight lines were broken. It started off lightly at the peripherals and in about 8 minutes moved more central. I was functioning at a food store, collected my things, behaved normally, even asked for delivery, paid, everything. I was just hoping I wouldn't faint or crash into something because I couldn't see it.

The first time I had this sort of thing was after a chiropractor visit many years ago. He had this method where he'd want everyone to stretch his or her neck, after a treatment, with weights. I was at a shop this time, too, when it hit hard. **The print from all the labels disappeared.** I thought I was having a stroke, but tried to act normal. I called the chiro's office and the receptionist said she'd tell him. When I told him about it, he'd never heard of this sort of thing. OK, this might have been 12 years ago -- could it have been so rare?

Ladies,

Thanks for the feedback. I never thought of this as being an occular migraine because my head didn't really hurt it just seemed to effect my eyes. I've experienced this "strobe light/broken glass" effect in my peripheral vision all of a sudden when I'm driving or at work. I feel unfocused during these times and while I can function as I shared reading is a chore until it stops. It's all really bizarre..do you ladies have a headache with these migraines? I guess anytime I hear migraine I think of a pounding headache..so I thought an occular migraine would involve a headache as well...not just psychodelic vision.

TeeJay

Nev - like you, the first time I was hit by a migraine was in a grocery store as well. I was reaching for something on the shelf and realized I could see part of it. Yeah...it's scary! I thought I was going blind! My heart started to race...wow! Thankfully, I ran into a friend who suffers from migraines too, and she was the one that told me what they were, because I'd had no idea. That was the first one, and they carried on for years during my cycle.

Then 2 years ago they stopped. By then my periods were all over the board, so I was glad something was going my way. Then last summer they started again, altho they are alot less intense. I used to be sick for 2 days, now I can treat it with aspirin...but again, I sure wish they'd leave and never come back. Why is it, everything falls apart at once?

TeeJay, no you don't have to have head pain with the ocular migraine.

Meryl is right TeeJay. My daughter, son and I all suffer from this form of migraine and none of us has pain when it occurs. I never considered it migraine related until I saw a neurologist and it was explained to me.

Meryl and Arla,

Thanks for sharing! I had no idea what these were and now I guess I know. Peri sure has been a wild journey for me. You don't know how much I appreciate the education!

Have a great weekend!!
TeeJay

Hi Everyone,

I've had the zigzag arch ocular migraine before, but starting about 6 months ago I started getting a strange dark grid-like pattern in my left peripheral vision. This only lasts a couple of seconds. Usually happens a few days before my period. I've just turned 45 and was wondering if anybody else has had their ocular symptoms change with peri. Also, I think it's strange that this type only lasts a couple of seconds where the zigzag one lasted 20 minutes. I'm getting an MRI, but my dr doesn't think it is necessary. I'm just so tired of being anxious about this.

I've had the grid, also have had complete cobwebs and other weird hallucination-type things. The doctor told me not to worry about them. Haven't had them in quite a while, so maybe now that I don't have any estrogen they are gone for good!

Meryl,

Thank you so much for your reply. This forum is definitely the place to go to keep our sanity!

After I posted that, I wanted to add something. My grids come in colors, as do the spider webs. I have them vividly with my eyes closed, but I can still see them with my eyes open, but faintly. Kind of a weird phenomenom. I think it's related to lack of sleep.

I'd just like to add my experience to this topic--this hasn't happened to me for two years now, but when I was in the throws of peri hell, I would be out grocery shopping, and then stop and talk to people I knew. As I was talking, there faces would waver, like heat coming off a pavement. The same thing would occur when I was standing for long periods of time doing anything. It scared the doody out of me But, like everything else, it passed

Mz*Cris

On the upside, the vision distortion, though distracting, gives you an opportunity to treat your migraine before it arrives. My migraines would usually arrive about 1/2 hour after experiencing waterfall vision or peripheral foggy vision. It gave me just enough time to get a cold compress and go to a dark room.

I really had to reply to this post. I experienced this fractured vision at a very young age. It started around 10 years of age. I then had it a few times spread out in life. At around age 30 I was to point of stopping on interstate due to them. I could not even read the big green signs. I finally tracked down a doctor by mistake. I was told in my thirties that Laser surgery would repair the problem and to be careful and wait as long as i could. By time i was 40 I had to go see a doctor. When I did he gathered his team and me in a office and explained.

THe occurrence I was having was a commmunication error between my brain and my eyes. It just so happens "I" (the doctor) have been studying the condition you have as a Specialty. THere is no cure. IT will continue to get worse thru your life. Being that yours dave has started at such a young age be prepared for a rough road ahead. I still see this doctor on a regular basis for free for him to study my condition.

True to fact... I now use a sony vw100 projector and have fractured vistion 2-4 times per day. It is progressively getting worse and has brought me to almost total dissability.

Doing more homework on this it can be caused at young age from head trauma, child abuse, baby shaking etc. At some point in ones life there head simply has been injured.

ONE TIME IN WALMART HALF THE STORE WAS LIGHT AN THE OTHER DARK IN MY VISION, IT REALLY SCARED ME BROUGHT ON A PANIC ATTACK.ONE TIME I SEEN FOG AROUND A MAN IN STORE I THINK THE LIGHT DOES IT TOO. COULD BE SOME KINDA MIGRAINE.

I only had an occular migraine once, with zig zag vision in the periphery. I was watching television and realised that no matter how hard I tried to focus or from what angle, I couldn't see the faces on the screen properly. It was the 'broken glass' type vision.

It happened just before my last ever period at the age of 53 and there was no pain with the migraine. I thought I was having a stroke! Within about 30 minutes to an hour however I felt the cramps of a period and started bleeding, much to my surprise as my periods were very irregular by that stage. When the period itself started, my vision became normal again.

It never happened again and for me, was obviously connected with the hormonal let-down necessary to start a period. I have had more normal types of migraine with pain - and had these connected with the menstrual cycle when I had one. However now I'm post these are much rarer.