[Tiberia]

Age 31, male
What i am describing was a few months ago.
I small Lightning Bolt appeared out of no where on my left side and every where I moved my head or eyes it moved also.
The strange lightning Bolt increased in its size and kept on getting larger and larger, combined with sudden headache and other strange feelings.
I was terrified but didn't informed any one else.
I went out for a walk and found a nearby drug store in my area.
I went there and not knowing what to do just bought aspirins because i had headache.
After taking 3 pills of 500mg each things started to change a bit it lasted a few minutes more.
What was it?
I still get blurred vision and sudden headaches as well.
Please any one guide me.

[sabby]

Hi Tiberia,

Welcome to Psych Central!

I think, what you are describing with the lightening bolt and the blurry vision are what's called "auras". These auras very often happen to someone right before a blinding migraine comes on. It sounds very similar to what sometimes happens to me before I get a migraine.

I have had the blurry vision before. It's like opening your eyes up underwater, at least for me, is that what it seems like to you too?

I haven't had the lightening bolt, but what I get are blinking lights, usually in the design of triangles and in different colors. They start off very small and grow to take up most of my vision in that particular eye. Then they go away and in about 2 minutes, I'm in massive migraine pain.

I've even had a double aura before where it started in one eye and then moved over to my other eye. That was pretty freaky!

I believe it would be a good idea for you to go to your regular MD and tell them what is happening. They should be able to prescribe a good migraine medication for you. If you can't afford the medication, I have found that Excedrin Migraine or even the store brand migraine meds will be helpful.

If you can, when you get these headaches, take some medication, lay down in a darkened room and try to sleep. Sometimes a cold compress on the back of your neck or over your forehead and temples may help reduce some of the pain of the headache.

Please take good care of yourself and get it checked out by a Doctor soon!

[H3rmit]

I had this happen to me once - the lightning bolts on one side and dizziness. Everyone said this is part of what a migraine is.

[Tiberia]

The admin sabby, your words have really lifted the heavy loads and fears of unknown upon my head.
Knowing that i am not alone and some one else had experienced same situation is a life saver no doubt. because i thought i might had mini strokes, and stuffs like that.
That was the reason to take heavy doses of aspirin as well.
One other thing i would like to share with you is that after taking aspirin i get much better. blurred vision, headaches, dizziness they all disappear.
Thank you.

[FooZe]

From what I've read, symptoms like those are often associated with migraines. Mine apparently haven't been. I've been getting the "scintillating scotoma" part every few years but never the headache part of the migraine. Mine usually finish drifting across my visual field in half an hour or so and leave no other symptoms. I've never tried taking anything for them; usually I don't even interrupt whatever I'm doing.

Here are a few things I've found online about this:

Scintillating scotoma, Wikipedia

Migraine Aura: Scintillating Scotoma (pdf, 1 page)

Googling on "scintillating scotoma" also brings up a YouTube depiction of the phenomenon. It's not much more detailed than some of the animated graphics in the Wikipedia article. I didn't want to post the actual link here because the forum software turns it into a "viewer object" right in the post.

[pachyderm]

I too get the aura without the headache. They start as a small area of no vision, then grow, in the form of a 'C' or backwards 'C', depending on which eye they are in. The C letter consists of a scintillating, jagged series of lines. Mine eventually grow out of the field of view, and that is the end. They do interfere with my vision when they are there; not only the jagged scintillations, but areas of no vision along or inside the C or backwards C shape.

[lynn P.]

Hi Tiberia and welcome to PC. One thing that hasn't been mentioned is an actual eye problem being the cause. The reason I mention this is it happened to me 2 yrs ago. When I look to the side, it was like a lightening flash....so I went to see my eye doctor. Often this is just Posterior Vitreous Detachment - some of the gel like structure shrinks slightly with age and this causes the flash. Other times it can be more serious like a detached Retina. Yes it can also be light symptoms of a migraine. If you still are getting these flashes its most likely your eye and you need to get an eye exam. I was also concerned because I never heard of this before. Hopefully this will get better. Here's a link explaining light flashes in the eye:

http://www.livestrong.com/article/10...t-flashes-eye/

[ECHOES]

Please see an ophthalmologist any time something happens regarding the eye. There are some situations where time is of the essence, to prevent vision loss.

It sounds to me like vitreous detachment also. Which isn't serious in itself, but there is a risk of a retinal tear. Also, if that's what it was, you are young for that to be happening, so I strongly suggest having your eyes examined by a physician.

[pachyderm]

I agree with ECHOES and lynn. It could be a retinal tear, or vitreous detachment, both of which I have had. The symptom of the thing "growing" makes me think it was a migraine aura, but it is best to have it checked by someone expert.

[bebop]

my eye dr told me if I saw flashes of light to get in to him right away. could be retinal detachment. I would err on the side of safe just in case and see the eye dr

[Perna]

Eye problems Harvard Medical School: Floaters, flashes, and retinal tears don't generally have the headache nor respond to the quick use of aspirin (migraine can if you catch it quickly) and it does not sound like floaters or flashes but a consistent shape.

I'd make an appointment with my GP doctor and discuss it with them.

[Tiberia]

Ok thank you all, for your response to my thread.
Well i had visited an eye specialist in my area, he checked and i told him about my issues.
He said I had slight less visibility issue in my right eye and recommended glasses.
He checked with his equipments and said there was nothing major issue with me eye site or internal eye structure.
The flashes were may be migraine related he said.
I m still confused because some times i see colors mostly when i have headaches.

[nicoleb2]

I get auras with migraines too. And have had the lightning bolt type of thing MANY times.
The best thing to do, if it is a migraine, is to take something (I used to take Excederin migraine which is a combo of acetaminophen, aspirin, and caffeine), and then lay down.

If you are having migraines frequently, your doctor might prescribe something to try to prevent migraines.

If an over the counter medication doesn't help, there's a lot of migraine specific medications available by prescription that you take at the first symptom of a migraine (flashes, blurred vision are my typical signs).