flickering in vision as if someone flicked a light on and off?

Hi everyone!

This is my first post. I have been diagnosed with vestibular migraines and have been suffering with them undiagnosed for 15 years. I have started Topamax. Currently on 75mg.

I have a really strange symptom that I have had on and off for years that I can only put down to an optical migraine. Sometimes when in artificial light (never happens in daylight) lights seem to flicker at the top of my vision. As if the bulb flickered black for a second - like it does if the bulb is about to blow or before a blackout. It is only a split second and I find myself asking "if anyone else saw the light flicker." They never did. If I see it once, I often see it a few times over the next period of time.

It's not the pulsing of a fluro light - this is the flickering you get, almost as if you blinked but you didn't.

I know I sound crazy. I can only assume it's migraine messing with my vision. I take peace in the fact that I have had it on and off for 15 years also so if it was anything terrible, I guess it would have worsened by now!

I just wish I had an answer.

Thank you all for listening. I'd love to hear your thoughts.

This just sounds like a visual aura, which can happen with migraines. I have migraine without aura, however I have had two auras in my life. One of them is exactly as you describe, looked like a lightening flash except there was none.

I have to get away from that type of lighting after 10 minutes or the increased flicker effect just gets worse until there are so many visual disturbances I can hardly see. The whole thing started out a bit like you describe but if it hasn't progressed in years beyond what you describe here's hoping it doesn't get like me. I would personally avoid those kind of lights so it doesn't become a more frequent brain habit. It seems that the more exposure I get to them the more it is sensitive to doing it, not less.

regards

Di