Migraine — Beyond Headache
Aura
Visual Snow

Visual Snow

Afterimage

Afterimage
Sofia Greene [subject #1], Afterimage, 2006. © 2006 Sofia Greene

“Hi All,

Well, it is really upsetting reading all this, I’m in fact in tears, but am also happy to have found people who have similar problems. First I would like to say I hope that we can all join together and beat this, because there is no way I’m putting up with this shit for much longer…

Here is my problem:

I started getting migraines in November 2004, I didn’t know what it was because it was just the visual disturbance - just zig-zags and a few other bits. Then, three more with headache (a-ha migraine) and visual disturbance quite bad. My third one was quite crazy and I had problems with my vision for a whole week - seeing something and then seeing it again. My fourth migraine February 2005 had really mad aura - skipping lights, things seeming to melt, zig-zags and finally kaleidoscopes spinning and skipping in fours. So scary! Then nausea, then Sumatriptan, then fucked up vision that has not really gone away.

Vision proplem: I look at something, turn my head and then see it again. Or I am looking at something, move it and still see it where I moved it from (the longest an image has remained in my sight is 8 seconds). I am having biggest problems watching tele and driving. Am hyper aware of reflections and shadows, problems looking at the sky - sort of turns into stars, also looking at white walls. (Sunglasses do help on computer.) Feel overall confused, disoriented, less coordinated, and really upset about this as am active person with pretty good health until now. (Had some tingling in back of head.) (Had MRI and results were normal.) Did sort of think stroke at one point.

So, I hope that a doctor will read this and have the proper diagnosis and solution, and if not I hope that all the people that are having this problem can get together and come up with something. I would love to hear more. Thanks everbody for discussing this.

Best, Sofia”

(Sofia [subject #1], Brain Talk Communities – Specific Neurological Conditions (M-Z) – Visual Impairments - HELP!! Visual disturbances drive me crazy!, March 29, 2005)