I think I have only ever had one migraine before and it was bloody strange.
Now I have another, and at least I know it has happened before and will pass.

What is strange is that it is a visual effect, and this time it has started right in the middle of my vision (so I am kind of typing this blind). It does mean I can actually see the effect this time though, as last time it was slighlty off centre and you can't look at something off centre when it is all in your head.

It appears to be both eyes, i.e. the effect is clearly not actually in my eyes but in my brain.

The best way I can describe it is like looking through some sort of strange cut glass, with lots of sharp angles and colours all in front of what you are looking at. The colours are like the colours on the edge of a prism - sort of not quite really there. It started as a dot and is getting gradually bigger and bigger. It is flashing, and I am sure I have seen the effect on an old BBC micro before now with the alternative red/green flashing colours and random triangle plots.

Also, a headache - not too bad, but getting worse, and a feeling of being spaced out.

I would go home, but I cannot see that working well on a bicycle.

It is damn strange trying to read this as I have to read it off centre with what vision I still have.

Last time it lasted maybe half an hour. Lets hope not too long this time.

Hmm, now it is bigger I can tell it is only my left vision, and the headache is only on the right.


  1. Visual effect grew and grew and finally faded out, but now a serious headache is starting.

  2. OK, a few hours later, after a lie down - feeling a bit "dulled" but fine. Sounds like a good reason to have a few stiff drinks to me.

  3. Bloody hell RevK, It was probably some strange "ray beam" from BT altering your mind.

    Here's a test:

    "Is NAT Evil?"

  4. I get migraines all the time and mine start with my vision slowly tuning itself out, as if you are detuning a TV.

    Once that has started I have 10 minutes before I feel physically sick whenever i move, even rolling over in bed, so I will go and lie in bed and generally go to sleep during it.

  5. I had exactly that visual effect happen to me at work a couple of years ago, and, since I did not know what was happening, it freaked me right the **** out. I got one of the lads to bring me in to the opticians, who told me what was happening. Scariest day of my life. Never had one before or since.

  6. It freaked me out the first time, and only did not get investigated more as was told "yeh that's a migraine" by my wife. I assume that is what they said to you.

    Though today I had a slightly different visual funny and I am going to get my head examined I think...

  7. I suffer with the exact same symptoms, you are most likely experiencing a Migraine with aura. Only a small percentage of people get aura, it can occur without a headache, or with a non-migraine headache too.

    When I feel the aura starting I usually take a migraine tablet and drink water which can I find reduce the time the aura stays and avoids any headaches.

    The whole experience can take a while to disappear and you can feel quite odd for a while.

  8. Yes, "odd" is right. It was probably half an hour of visual effect, and then an annoying headache that was not too severe. But feeling "odd" for a few hours afterwards.

    Today I had another incident, and so plan to see doctor ASAP. This time one eye was mis-aligned, so seeing double, and only lasted about a minute. But the "odd" feeling was there for a while still, so sounds related to me.

  9. I have had 19 migraines in 21 days all fingers crossed sorted out now, got beta blockers twice a day , take care and stop getting stressed xxxx

  10. Your description nicely matches my migraine experiences. I've suffered from them, infrequently, for about 20 years now. The migraine itself only persists for about 30 minutes but recently the longer term problem is eye strain. It seems that the migraine makes me hypersensitive to sitting in front of a monitor for about a month afterwards. Not a good situation when my job involves sitting in front of a monitor for long periods.

  11. Thanks - I suspect it is indeed nothing to worry about - but I am getting checked out (neurologist next week) just in case.

    Thanks to everyone that has commented and emailed on this - even those that say "brain tumour"...

