A flash of light

[LisaJF]

Has anyone have had (MS or not) hallucination of a flash of light in their peripheral vision?  Could this be due to baclofen that I'm taking? Should I stop it?  This is totally weird.

I know I look like some kind of hypochondriac but it seems that everyday I have something "new".  This has happened to me about three times throughout the day.

Let me know.

Lisa

[sandythegeek2]

I am new here and have so far been told by my neuro that I may have MS. I actually went to my Regular doctor because I was having ocular migraines. I had three within a week and it was scaring me. Eye doc said my elyes looked perfectly healthy. He kept stressing for me to see reg doc. When I did, she finally asked me the right questions (ie balance issues)  to inspire getting an MRI. I was seeing wavy lines blinding me in my right eye for up to 20 minutes. I have had migraines for a few years. I have seen the fireflies when standing up for several years. I don't think that's related to ms though. Maybe the ocular migraines are. I read that some people don't get headaches following ocular migraines. I do though. My bp is normal and usually low. Don't stop your baclofen without checking with your doctor though.

[SarahL2491]

floaters are normal for almost everyone.
your flashes are not from the baclofen.  I agree with above about the ocular migraines.  I have had them for years, prior to my Dx of RRMS.  I too think they are because the ocular nerve has been damaged.

Your baclofen is for spasms probably unless someone else on here says they take it for other reasons.......jump in!

its not anything that you can take meds for, just a nuance s/s that can be caused by several things, including but not limited to MS

[Jeunefille]

I have had floaters since I was 25. Within the last day or two, I have noticed a new one, rather large and circular in origin; not as easy to ignore as the other ones. Today, I have seen a brilliant flash of light (similar to lightning), in the entire circular periphery of vision in my right eye. BTW, I am 58 and at the end of menopause.

[jensequitur]

The flashing light is definitely not the Baclofen.

The optic nerve is often damaged from MS disease activity.  For some reason, white matter tracts in the head area get attacked more often - I guess because there's more blood flow.  

So when the optic nerve is damaged, what you'll get is a flaring spot in the eye.  It looks similar to the light from a welding torch.  Mine will flare white, then turn black, then go away.  I also get a flash of static across the top of the right eye, pinpoints of white light, and a weird glowing bubble in my vision.  The  bubble can be blue or green, or black.

[LisaJF]

The only thing is for me is that I dont get migraine headaches (never had) or had pain following it.  But fortunately, I can say that it only lasted that day and did not happen again. So I'm crossing my fingers on that one. Hehe.  

[opie74]

Sorry, I had my fingers on the wrong keys :-)

[opie74]

I get the bright light thing.  It is like a car passing me on the road and the sun reflecting off of it.  Usually something is moving in my perifrial field, but not alsways.  I also get "swirleys" in my center of vision.  The seirleys are definately migrane...usuallyw ithin a couple of hours the pain sets in.  I think that the sright steeks are just a sensory thing.  Like our eye sees something move and mis-inturprits it.  Mine are fast and only last a second.

[rlsFMS]

Hi tick123;
Love the "sparklies" name... Describes it perfectly... I usually get them after a shower...
Anyone else?

[cainer]

well glad you posted trhis!! i have that off and on since i was like 30 yrs old- i thought just another symptom, have sparklies to,-little dots of light flashing- so just have dealt with it.
hope they go away!!

[LisaJF]

@ Moniquque: I've not been on Baclofen long term, only 6 days at a low dosage.  So its not like I need to taper off from months/years of use to avoid withdrawal symptoms.  

@Samanth:  Thanks for the website link and thank you for letting me know that I'm not the only one with this.

@beemer:  It is totally weird but its not happening now.  Just occasional double vision or diplopia.  Unsure which eye though like it switches.  I still wonder if this is the baclofen causing this.

[Moniquques]

DK if I have MS yet, but I do have the flashes of light and please for goodness sake don't stop taking your Baclofen without first consulting your dr.

[Samanth]

Go to this website. http://www.allaboutvision.com/conditions/ocular-migraine.htm

[Samanth]

Lisa, you are not having a hallucination.  It is real.  I had them, see my other post. I forgot to say earlier that I did ask my doctor about them and after asking me a bunch of questions she said it was ocular migraines.  Instead of your head hurting, the migraine comes in the form of the lights flashing in your eyes. It would have been smart of me to mention that in the beginning, but I had forgotten I spoke to the doctor about it until just now. Memory, on thing that gets worse as you get older.

[beema36]

Sure looks real to me Lisa. I seem to get them even more if I am startled by something. It's just weird.

[Samanth]

By the way.  I don't have MS, that I know of.  I could have because I had a cousin who had it.  I had a visit with the opthamologist last week and she found nothing unusual.

[Samanth]

I started getting the flashing lights in my 40's. Both eyes. Don't know your ages but if your are near the deadly menopause age, the flashing lights could be a perimenopausal sign.  I have been going through menp for 10 years but I don't get the lights much anymore.  I get a lot of other stuff but the lights have finally gone, I think.  When I was getting the flashing lights it happened at various times of the day and night. It would happen at the worst times like when I was at a doctor's office training a new user on the software my company sold.  I would not be able to see, it was so bad. It would last about 5 minutes and then go away. It is very distracting.  If it happens when you are driving, just pull over until it stops.  Good Luck.

[LisaJF]

It's actually my "right" eye that is doing this.  This is the eye that supposably has had a resolved retrobulbar ON.  Perhaps this is why instead of the baclofen? I have no f'n clue.

Well Im glad I'm not alone!!!

@ rls: I have had an opth exam in the hospital where she said I had retrobulbar ON.  That's all I know.  

@beema:  It's totally weird isn't it? Would you call it a hallucination or an actual flash of light we are seeing?

[beema36]

I have ms and I am not on baclofen but I have the flashes you described. I have told my neurologist for years but he never responds so I can't tell you why.

[rlsFMS]

Hi LisaJF!
Let me start by saying I know absolutely nothing. Seriously!
I have probable MS, but am not taking any specific meds for it (only other meds for Fibro and RLS).
Anyway, I also get flashes of lights in my peripheral vision, frequently. I've had the Ocular tests which have been negative.
Have you ever had such a test?