Posted by pinksharkmark (12.128.191.76) on January 06, 2001 at 00:07:36:
Okay... I am at a loss here to know whether this is CH-related or maybe a sign that I'm getting a brain tumor or something. If others have experienced it, then I'll just chalk it up to another weird "precursor" sign and get on with my life.
For a couple of months now I have been getting occasional (maybe once every week or ten days or so) episodes of visual distortions... sort of like a swirling black and white kaleidoscope effect at the periphery of my visual field... it sometimes "sparkles" a bit as well. If I am lying in bed reading, it is very difficult to read the words. This is not a blurring... more like an "overlay" of a moving, semi-translucent pattern. Even though the effect seems to be mostly at the periphery of my vision, it interferes with the clarity of print in the center of my field of view. It seems stronger in the right eye (my CHs have always been right-sided), but even if I close my right eye, I still get this effect.
It seems to last no longer than about ten or fifteen minutes, then fades away fairly rapidly. I have never had this symptom when actually "in cycle"... actually, I have never had it until I few months ago. I have been in remission since late September, and I first noticed this in mid-November.
Tonight, at work, I had a new variation. My vision suddenly went double, (in less than a second, it seemed) but I was not seeing things side-by-side, rather a split image that was slightly raised on the right side... sort of a vertical double-image. Closing either eye would eliminate it. The more familiar "swirling kaleidoscope" effect was not present at all.
At the same time, there was a tingling numbness centered on my upper LEFT incisor (eyetooth) that rapidly spread to encompass my entire left upper gum and left upper lip. The double vision and facial numbness lasted three or four minutes, then vanished as rapidly as it came.
I have had cluster headaches of the episodic variety since 1984, and each cycle gets longer and more severe, but this is the first time I've ever experienced anything of this nature.
Any advice would be greatly appreciated.
pinky