Ocular Migraine Brain Tumor Scare

[EhBien]

Hello all! Back in the HA rabbit hole, again.

I was maintaining for some time with a bit of CBT therapy and doing my best to sit in environments/situations that brought on anxiety. I felt like I had a decent handle on it all and then I got an ocular migraine..

It came out of nowhere. I was literally just walking down the street with a dear friend. The blurbs appeared in my vision and about 5-10 minutes later, my peripheral vision on my right eye was obstructed by a weird light pattern and I was washed in a deluge of anxiety and panic. I endured one in April for the first time and even knowing what it was this time, I still thought I was having a stroke or it was a sign of a brain tumor. I followed up with my eye doctor the following day (clean bill of health there) and then met with someone covering for my doctor, today (just for reassurance). Almost immediately after the doctor checked my eye with the eye light, another visual aura ensued.

I panicked and made it home as soon as possible. Again, knowing what was happening I still freaked out and felt like this one "wasn't right". My body felt a bit out of body'esque and I found myself a bit dizzy, queasy, and noticing (for some time)my short term memory (or memory in general) seeming fleeting. I feel defeated as I don't know what I'm doing "wrong" and the frequency of it happening (twice in one week) has made me feel as if there HAS to be something there. Even though the doctor reassured me, I'm convinced that I have a brain tumor and just need an MRI... I feel like I can't really "trust" her without it

Finally, I'm supposed to be getting married next year and I have this doom-filled feeling that something tragic/horrible with my health is going to happen and I won't make it down the aisle (to the point of wanting to stop wedding planning).

Thoughts? Encouragement? Experience?

Thanks so much in advance

[DaveP12]

I would try to remember that millions of Americans get migraines and very few have brain tumors. You've been checked by an eye doctor and GP and neither was concerned. Additionally, you're under a lot of stress between HA and wedding planning. Stress is a major cause of migraines.

Enjoy your wedding planning and big day!

[EhBien]

Thank you so much, DaveP12

[MJunderway]

Hello! I was getting them every once in a while about ten years ago. They are such a weird thing! I thought I was having an MS attack (don't have MS but my mom does and her first MS attack came on with loss of peripheral vision). Learned from my Dr. that they were optical migraines. I was going through intense, long-term emotional stress at the time and my doctor thought they were related to that. Haven't had one since 2007.

I've had a silent migraine during another period of extreme stress and anxiety. They are pretty weird too. I've also learned that you can have abdominal migraines. Anyway, just wanted to let you know that they are more common than people think and are usually the result of anxiety or stress. If you haven't done so already, get checked out by a dr and look to see if they are related to any stressors in your life. Hope this helps!

[melfish]

A migraine aura is unmistakable and would not be confused with a brain tumour symptom anywhere but the HA mind. They aren't similar in presentation, duration etc etc. Put it out of your mind, or you'll give yourself another migraine :/

[JITTERBUG1]

I have experienced these too in times of stress. When I had my first child 11 years ago I had 4 episodes in 2 weeks. My baby was 9 months old and I was afraid to be alone with her. I have had a couple since then but they are not as scary. Try to relax.

[poppy77]

Migraine with an aura (visual disturbances) is called a classic migraine for a reason...it's so common. Migraines also present with a range of symptoms (some people have all, some have a few, some have none)including: visual disturbances (aura), nausea, sickness, light sensitivity, dizziness, colours/sounds/smells being more intense than usual (have you seen the old 'Wizard of Oz' movie when Dorothy goes from the black and white portion of the movie in Kansas to the technicolour of Oz - that's like what I feel before I get a migraine), yawning a lot, speech disturbances (like forgetting words, not being able to string a sentence together, people can't understand you as you are speaking nonsense (although you know what you're trying to say), confusion.

Migraine comes in three parts. First the pre-Migraine. This can go on for hours beforehand. It includes a lot of the stuff mentioned above: confusion, heightened sense awareness, overwhelming tiredness, excessive yawning, difficulty with speech. Then comes the aura (although many don't get one). If you start to recognise your own personal 'migraine approaching' signs, you can often stop a migraine with certain types of migraine medication. Or at least manage to get yourself home before a migraine hits.

Then the migraine. Usually intense headache with some people experiencing eye throbbing, nausea, vomiting or light sensitivity. Again, not all people get all of those. I think I've only had about two migraines in which I was actually sick or felt nausea. Some people actually get 'silent migraines' in which you get all the pre and post migraine stuff but no intense headaches. I've had a few if those as well. Still leaves you feeling washed out but at least no headache!

Post migraine: the recovery. Some people feel washed out and fatigued. Others feel energised.

It sounds like you are suffering from very typical migraine symptoms. Possibly triggered by the stress of planning a wedding!

[EhBien]

Thank you all for you support! This has been really, really, helpful! You all have no idea!