Does anyone else see spots? If so, care to describe them? How often do you see them? Is there any sort of pattern? What do the "spots" look like?

I have a lot of "floaters". The grey or cloudy passing things that swish around in front of my eyes. BUT I also see spots, which are brief glowing spots, sortof like a small camera flash, they come and go throughout the day, some days worse than others, without provokation sometimes. Suddenly, there will just be a shiny spot in my vision, as if I'd just looked at a glaring light then looked away (only no glaring light!) and it will hang around for a bit, then disappear. The spots are clear most of the time, and they don't last long, a minute or so.

Anyone else get this? PLEASE, I am going crazy over this tonight. Keep thinking it is one of the "bad" symptoms that is going to get me a grave diagnosis at the neurologist.

Help me not worry! HP

Hey Heartpeace, I get lots of strange vision floaters, etc. Blurry vision, floaters, spots, off and on. Have for a couple years now. Just had my annual eye exam and everything was fine, so I guess they are nothing to worry about. It is unnerving sometimes when it happens, but this time of the year with allergies and all, I try not to let it drive me nutso. If you look at the list of menopause symptoms, I do believe this is listed. Don't worry yourself sick! Have your eyes checked if you haven't lately - if for nothing else to give you a piece of mind!
HUGS!
Kleeo

Heartpeace, I have floaters, flickering lights, and have had the flashbulb sensation too. I've had my eyes checked by two opthalmologists and everything was fine. Try not to worry, but it's a good idea to go to a good opthalmologist for his opinion. It's probably nothing at all. By the way, you can have an opthalmic migraine and you won't have any pain. Don't have a clue what they are, but the flashbulb sensation is really weird. I have a skylight over my bathtub, and it happened while I was in there. I thought some space aliens were taking my picture! The doctor didn't even want to see me. Just told me it was an opthalmic migraine. (I think that's what it's called!)

Hugs,
Meryl

Kleeo - yes, I've been to an eye doctor, said my eyes were fine and to cut down caffeine. I see spots regardless of how much caffeine I have. *shrug* Thanks for always being here for me and my worry wart questions about my symptoms!

You see spots sometimes? Not floaters, but spots? Like tiny camera flashes, only without the camera? How often do you see them? Have you found any sort of pattern? I have a history of migraine w/ aura, and although these spots are not at all like an aura in intensity and length of time, they sorta remind me of how a migraine feels when it is *just* starting. The very beginning of an aura, only the spot doesn't grow, it just hangs for a few minutes, then goes away. The human body... its a mystery. HP

That is a good description of what I get, the camera flash spot and or like the spot you can see after you look at the sun reflecting off of a chrome bumper or what-have-you.

My eye surgeon (who performed the Lasik) said these originate back in the retina, the gooey stuff that moves around, and instead of causing pain, it causes the light streaks or silver bars to appear instead.

And if you are near-sighted, you will be more suseptible to retinal tears ("tear" like a tear piece of paper, not like crying), which will cause these symptoms, only persist instead of going away. These have to be corrected through surgery.

It isn't neurological; it's from the eye itself.

Hope that helps.

P.S. My memory is not great, but I think that is basically what he told me.

Hey HP, glad to share experiences with you - I know it's VERY consoling knowing someone else has had the same feelings - makes you worry a little less I guess!

AimeeDecorates pretty much summed up exactly what I experience..like light reflecting off a bumper or something shiny. I notice that if I go out into the bright sunlight, for about 1/2 hour after I see the little 'light' spots. Drives me wacko if I let it, but I try my damndest to ignore it because it ALWAYS goes away after a bit.

What Meryl said about the opthalmic migraines could be something you're experiencing, too. They claim there is no pain with them...just weird eye stuff. If you've been checked out, which sounds like you have, then just go with the flow and know that we are going through the SAME thing you are, and we are ALL menopause babes, too! MUST BE THEM HORMONES AGAIN! Hang in there, you are FINE!
HUGS!

I get something strange. It occurs occasionally when I wake up during the night . Out of habit, when I get up during the night, I usually look at the digital alarm clock in our bedroom, and sometimes my vision is so blurry I can't make out the large numbers. Everything I look at appears very fuzzy and I can't read even large print. It will last about half an hour. If I go to sleep and wake up again later, my vision is normal again. This happens once every few months. Last year I asked my eye doctor about it, but everything was normal at the exam. So I don't have a clue as to why this happens or if it could be something neurological.

I had this happen again just a few nights ago (2:00 AM when I went to the bathroom.) Couldn't see anything clearly. But I'd just had my annual eye exam (with dilation, to check for macular degeneration and to check the retinas). Everything seemed okay. Not sure if I should see a neuro or not.

Another thing I get now that I'm older is also odd. When I first wake up, just before I fully open my eyes, I'll see bright rings of light, kind of like bright goggles around the outsides of my eyes. Once my eyes are open, though, it disappears. My eye doctor says its because the muscles at the edges of the retinas of my eyes are not as flexible, and not to worry.

I also see tiny flashing lights during the day at times, and it usually occurs with tingling in my scalp. It happens on days when my tinnitus (ringing ears) is louder than usual. I don't know whether this is a form of migraine, or whether it's just some kind of weird electrical storm going on in my head. Anyone else ever experience this ?

Hi I too have had a strange occurance at night-time with my eyes. About a year ago, I awoke during the night and had a sort of rosy glow all around the room. I could see everything, but as if through 'rose tinted glasses'! This happened several times last year and again once recently.
I mentioned it to my doctor last year, but she didnt know what would cause it. It lasts only about a minute or so and then clears. I wonder if its the same thing as you are describing Madge.
love Alfreda

I get the tiny flashes of light too, but had my eyes checked and they were ok. (I also have lots of floaters but always have had them). My Dad has glaucoma so I always get checked for that as well.
But sometimes when my eyes are tired I close my eyes and rub them from the inside of the eye outward I get the pin point flashy thing only its like a string of flashing beads on both eyes- sounds weird huh?
This just started about 3 months ago and only occationally happens. My doc doesnt know about this one yet. I've decided I'm tired of this body! I want a newer model! I also just discovered that I may have Plantar Fasciitis which are tiny tears in the ligaments that run from the big toe to the heal on the bottom of your feet! Causes big time pain especially in the morning. Bahhh Humbug! What else!!
Lucette

I was so scared !!!

This happened to me about 2 months ago ... I was out in the elements (bright snow) and all of a sudden my vision got out of focus, THEN these bright streamers/floater started ... I went in and took some Advil immediately and within 20 minutes all was well again, although I was scared and shaken and had hubby take me to the emerg anyways as I thought I was having a stroke or something ... it was at the hospital when they told me that it was "probably" a migraine as these were symptoms ... I never knew !


It just happened again ... I am so scared even though I'm sure I know what it is, doesn't lessen the feelings ... I'm at work this time, out of focus started, took Advil immediately, then the white streamers started, I sat in a dark office for 15-20 minutes and it seems to alleviated BUT now my hands are shaking and sweaty ... I have inner tremors/my teeth are chattering and I feel like I have a very "thick" head ... although the pain hasn't started yet in my head, I'm bracing myself for it.

Still so scary, I had to come here to read more about it to ensure I'm okay (as is always the case, come to PS to ensure I'm not insane, dying of some neurological disorder, etc.etc.)

Thanks for listening.

You definitely are not insane and you definitely are not alone. Unfortunately I get lots of migraines and I have a lot of the vision stuff too. I also often feel nervous and shakey when a migraine is on the way.

By "thick" head, do you mean the difficulty in thinking and comprehension? That symptom certainly makes it more difficult to calm yourself and to remember that this is probably peri related and not a life or death situation.

I hope you feel better ASAP. Life can be the pits when you feel like this.

[font=Book Antiqua][i][size=5] I for the first time yesterday ....Started seeing what looked like white jagged lines . I couldnt see anything it seemed until the jagged lines finally disappeared . It just happened scared me silly . The jagged lines went away in about 15 to 20 mintues . This morning i did it again . Scares Me To Death . and now just like yesterday i have a headache . I started my period yesterday to ,But this is the frist time in my life i have ever saw the white jagged line thingy . Now it has me panicing and im afraid to go to out in the car . Is it just me ????????????????? and when will i go completly insane ? lol Hey before i go is this normal ? and is it part of perimenopause ? and am i the only one who feels like im going to lose my mind and end up in a mental hospital ?

I've got the spots...in fact I've got so many floaters in my eye that I can't read sometimes. Fluorescent lighting is the worst...all the switches in my house have dimmers on them. My doctor told me it should get better as I get older.

The flashing lights happen whenever I take a really hot shower...they freak me out. My mom has a detached retina, so I'm always nervous that's what it is. So far so good, though...I guess as long as they don't get markedly worse, I"ll just chalk it up to another bizarre health issue (I'm just loaded with 'em...)

I first got the flashing zig zags (which with me, get bigger until all vision is distorted) when I was about 20yrs old, so wasn't that scared (suppose at that age you don't think of anything serious). Have had them from time to time over the years and they can be triggered by - alchohol, glaring lights, and with some people certain foods can trigger, although I never found that. These are migraine auras and strangely, I only get a mild headache afterwards - not the real banging kind, so although they're a bit debilitating for me and usually last about 15 minutes they were never very scary. If they're causing real problems, and lets face when your vision is affected that is a problem, there are medications that can help prevent them.

Thank you all so much for your replies and ensuring me I'm not dying

Luckily, no major headache came (yet) and its been just over 3 hours ... I'll keep the meds in me for the next 8 hours or so, just to make sure ... and I think I need to look more into the opthamolic migraine? is that right?

Hi Shine- yes they are called opthalmic migraines. They are very scary because they come out of the blue. I had one not so long ago and it seemed to start after looking into bright light. Sort of a a flashy zig-zag thing. Sometimes they come just before a migraine headache but sometimes they are a thing on their own. They are very scary if you dont know what they are but they are honestly nothing to worry about. They often occur when you are tired or stressed. I found that the best thing to do is to lie down in a dark room for a while. Then it will go.( If you close your eyes where it is light you will still see it)
I also have loads of floaters and spots on my vision-have had for years-gets worse with age unfortunately.
Please try not to worry. You have obviously fixated on this as a panic trigger-I remember doing this myself years ago so i know what I am talking about!

I have had this kind of thing gradually increase in the last yr. I get 2 different things one being I see , what I call the disco. usually in one eye only and takes over one side of the eye to the point it is hard to see out of it and will go away after about 15 min. ending with a headache...........the other I get more often, I describe it as if my daughter has sprinkled a jar of glitter throughout the house and the light has to hit it just right for you to see it and then it is gone. Like little sparkles here and there. My mom says she gete that too. I went to an eye Dr. just in case and everything was fine with my eyes and had an MRi done recently for dizziness and spaciness which was also fine so as annoying as it is I just come here and see this is just probably another hormone related problem . HUGS MIkki

I had those when I first started in 1998 - scared me to death. My eyes had a party and I didn't give them permission. Add insult to injury, I wasn't even invited. Those strobe lights ended with a slight headache. The doctor called them asymptomatic migraine headaches.

Hi All

Yes I too have experienced weird optical occurances , my first one happened about 3 yrs ago I was watching t.v and my right eye felt as if a drop of water had landed in it , it wasn't bleary but like a small puddle (?) in my eye , if that makes sense. It seemed to get bigger so i panicked , shaking , and my partner took me to emergency , they checked and said it looked ok but i had to go back the next day and have a thourough eye check, the doc said it was a visual migraine , i had never heard of it before and i don't suffer with migraine headaches !! It has happened since but now i just try and keep calm and i know it will dissapear in 15 - 20 mins.

Obviously when it first happened i dedcided i must have been having a brain haemmorage or something !!!

Our minds are weird and wonderfull things !!

I don't get migraines, thank God, (I've had 2 in my entire life and that was 2 too many), but I am very light sensitive. I'm always turning lights down that have a dimmer. My husband thinks I'm nuts, but I don't care, I have to turn them down.

The weird thing is I need sunlight to stay upbeat, but I have to wear sunglasses because I just can't stand the glare.

Shel

I just experienced a new one. I have had floaters before, but this time it was like shaking diagonal lines. I closed each eye and it was there in both of them. Then it moved off to the left so it was in my peripheral vision and finally went away completely after about 15-20 minutes. I now have a slight headache on the left side - weird and scary! If it wasn't for this website, I would be going crazy and running to the ER all the time. All the input is so appreciated and helpful.

Greetings

I also get a few minor floaters and have had a resurgence in migraines with peri - my aura is jagged white flashy lines in both eyes - so bad it almost obscures my vision. Last time I had this was in puberty - so I am going with the hormones theory on this!

Its a whacky journey this one!

Mele

Hiya jamm,

Yep, floaters for me too but what you had sounds like a migraine aura...there are loads of interesting (not) variations! Mine is flashing zig-zag lines over the top part of both eyes, this lasts about 20 minutes then the pain starts if I don't get to the meds first.
I've also had a lot more migraines since being in peri. Oh joy.

I've had floaters for years. I've also had the diagonal lines that I could see even with my eyes closed. These the neurologist put down to my migraines which I've suffered from with my period since I was 16 - definitely hormonal. I would also see huge circles of colour, mostly yellow and green - really weird. It has been so nice since skipping periods - no migraines.

Had another visual migraine last night. This is the worst symptom for me besides the depression. It came on so quickly compared to the others that I've had. I've been in Peri for about 3 years (thats when they started) and I must have had approximately 6 attacks during the whole time. I've had 2 in the last few months and I really dont know how to stop fretting when I see these bright lights. I always think something else is going on. I tried to rationalize last night and tell myself that its Peri related and that my period is due tomorrow. It helped a little I guess. I couldn't lay down on the bed like my husband suggested...I dragged him out with me for a walk, poor guy. Its the only way I could distract myself. He is always loving and supportive as usual but even he is surprised by all these bizzare symptoms.



Here is my description of the Aura.

I see a brief unusual visual disturbance... eg...words disappearing from a page when I an reading..OR I see half of someones face when I look at them ... then I become uneasy because I know something is happening but not quite sure what it is at this stage. Then I see a small, vertical zig zag line in my right eye usually (in the periphery) ..then it gets bigger and becomes like an arc or semi circle with blue/white/red shimmering light ...like a disco as someone described earlier. It gets bigger and bigger and distorts my vision completely in my right eye. I wait until it subsides but I always worry that it wont go away again.

This journey is making me lose more confidence. I feel like I am shedding an old skin and turning into something that I dont even know anymore. Oh well...heres to better days for all of us~


Thanks for letting me vent girls...


Much love~


Gez~

I am getting so sick of this. I woke up to my alarm this morning and was already seeing these visial lights again. They scare the hell out of me. Has anyone been to their doctor and got medication that helps? I can't keep having these so close together...

Any advice on what I can do?


Gez~

Gez, your aura is EXACTLY the same as mine. You don't say if you get the pain when the aura subsides. With me the aura lasts about 20 mins - and then if I don't get the meds in the pain starts.

If it is worrying you, see your Dr. There are many meds that can help a migraine and you should get your eyes checked too. I'm sure it's just to do with peri but it will ease your mind if you know there's nothing "serious" wrong.

Hi Peribelle,


Thanks for writing back. I went to see my doctor this morning and explained what was happening. I have had all the eye tests including a close examination of my retina. had He checked my BP and that was okay but he wants to send me for a CT scan so now I have to wait. At least he is checking for other things first I guess.

I've had really bad migraines leading up to my period (that have lasted 6-10 days) ..never had an aura with those. I dont really get a bad headache anymore but I get this "aura" and then a very mild headache afterwards..sometimes I dont feel even the slightest pain.

It was a shock to see these lights on immediately opening my eyes when I had just woken up. Nothing like that has ever happened before.

Thanks for replying to my post ... I really needed someone to talk to about it.


Hope you're doing okay.


Gez~

Just waiting for the results of my CT scan. Still getting headaches but surviving I guess.


Just looked back at my previous post...jeez...I should go back to school.


Love you all loads~

Gez

I never made the connection until I was about 45 years old but it turns out that about 30 minutes before every migraine headache hits, I see what looks like the imprint of looking at a flashbulb in my right eye. The bad ones start as a flash spot and slowly grow larger, shimmer, and block my sight from that eye (kind of looks like a amoeba in shape.) The migraine I invariably get is like a knife is lodged in my brain. Sometimes I don't know how I am going to stand it if the pain gets any worse (which it always does.) The headaches used to last for two or three days. I say "used to" because I discovered Imitrex when I went to the neurologist. Now when I see the first beginnings of a spot (I try to make sure I haven't inadvertently glanced into a bright light, the sun, etc. by mistake) I take 25MG of Imitrex. If I still feel a headache looming after 30 minutes then I take another 25MGs or so and take a rest. I have been almost migraine-free for 4 years after suffering with them twice-weekly for as long as I can remember.

Hi there,

I can sympathise with you, very much so. I've had migraines for most of my adult life. Just your average headace via sledgehammer type of sensation. Those of you who experience migraine will know the feeling. Then, about 18 months ago, I thought I was cured of migraine for some reason as I hadn't had one in a while. All of a sudden I started to experience visual disturbances in my left eye which would last anywhere between 5 and 15 minutes. Sometime these were followed by a slight headache but most of the time all I would get was an appearance of snowflakes in my left eye and perhaps a pressure feeling on the left side of my head. I would sometimes almost completely lose my vision in this eye but I'd be able to make out the outline of objects. The episodes would scare the life out of me. Talk about panic. I thought something terrible was happening. It sent me into a state of anxiety I'd never known before.

I now know that what I've been experiencing since the onset of perimenopause is a "silent migraine with aura". I still get a little anxious when they happen, every six weeks or so to varying degrees, but I try to relax and just let them pass. I've been checked out and there's nothing wrong with me. If you're worried, do see a doctor for peace of mind.

I've found that with perimenopause, you don't know until you need to know! Sound odd, but I never knew that hormones could bring such impactful changes to my life. I feel better now that I have explanations to what I'm feeling. The thing is with migraines, write down what you eat and drink on the days you experience headaches and what you've been doing during your day leading up to your headache or migraine. See if you can spot any triggers. Take care.
Gabby