ocular migrane?

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whydoyouthinimanonymous

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Background: PP, last medical around 30 years ago... first because I wasn't flying due to family and other obligations, then I got back into flying via ultralights, now flying under LSA/SP rules without a medical because I don't need one so why bother?

Anyway, about 10 years ago I experienced what doctors told me was an "ocular migraine". Best I can describe it was a disturbance in my vision almost like what it would look like if you threw a few drops of water on a computer screen... a zigzag pixellated line, the rest of my vision being unaffected. Both times I was at work. First time I just sat down and relaxed until it went away in a few minutes, the second time I called my wife and she drove me to the emergency room. Docs there were worried that it might be a TIA (Transient Ischemic Attack), but as with the first time it cleared up and they diagnosed it as an ocular migraine, no meds or further treatment prescribed. There was no associated pain and as the rest of my vision wasn't affected; I'm confident it wouldn't have affected my ability to fly while it was happening, it just kinda freaked me out. Since then it has not happened again.

Should I decide to get a class 3 medical so I can occasionally rent, say, a 150 or 172, will it be an issue? If it is an issue and I don't report it, does the FAA have any of finding out from my medical records (ER visit covered by insurance)? I don't want to risk losing the ability to fly under the SP rules and I can't afford lots of complicated (expensive) tests for a special issuance I don't really need.
 
That is a special issuance. The visual event can only occur once per month, cannot be in the central visual field etc. Neg. MRI is required...
 
Man, I'm guilty of missing that and it''s plainly stated "10 years ago". sigh. TOTALLY a non-issue :)
 
Thanks.

Only one thing, I see on the form it asks have you ever had a visual disturbance... wouldn't I have to answer yes and thus raise a flag?
 
When you discuss it in the explanations section of the form, be sure and mention how long it has been since the last occurrence.
 
stillme said:
Only one thing, I see on the form it asks have you ever had a visual disturbance... wouldn't I have to answer yes and thus raise a flag?
Click to expand...
Not if are definite, that the last symptom was 10 years ago....
 
Hi Bruce, I've also had ocular migraines on extremely rare occasions. I had one today (no headache/pain, peripheral only in left eye) and the last one was probably a year ago. Overall about 3-4 in the past 10 years. Is a brain CT required regardless? Should I stop my flight training until I get this sorted out?
 
I've been dealing with some hormonal imbalance stuff for a year or 2. I get an occasional ocular migraine as well, but it's rare. My doc said it's commonly related to hormone fluctuations. Nothing serious.

Watch it and get some tests (I did) so you and the flight doc can be happy.
 
I too had "ocular" migraine only a couple times in my whole life. I put "ocular" in quotes because I DID get the headache. I guess "migraine with aura" is more accurate. I reported this to the FAA and apparently they didn't care. The last one was decades ago.
 
I'm visiting a neuro within the next week just to get an evaluation. This was the guidance I got from the AOPA PPS. If the neuro feels further tests are needed, so be it but something in writing is what I think I'll need to get submitted with my AME medical. I'll get deferred but better to get this out of the way beforehand.

Dr. Chien, do you think I should be concerned about an ocular migraine that occurred only 4 times in the past ~ 10 years? Last symptom was a week ago, before that probably 4 years but can't remember.
 
Oops I'm nj1234, didn't realize I wasn't logged in before.
 
Then, that is a situation in which I would collect the chart (the neurology eval, as well), issue the certificate (after being sure that there was no central visual phenomena, no neurol. findings), write "4 in the prior 10 years, no central vision phenomena, not in need of medication", issue the cert, send in the record, with a letter of explanation. Most likely outcome would be a "letter of eligbility and warning".

The worst would be "we are correcting the action of your AME" letter, with a time limited one year cert replacing yours, and an SI auth requiring annual reports. But I think you would end up with the FAA medical guy saying, "what good is five years of annual followup going to add, to this pilot's safety....?" and he'd approve.
 
bbchien said:
Then, that is a situation in which I would collect the chart (the neurology eval, as well), issue the certificate (after being sure that there was no central visual phenomena, no neurol. findings), write "4 in the prior 10 years, no central vision phenomena, not in need of medication", issue the cert, send in the record, with a letter of explanation. Most likely outcome would be a "letter of eligbility and warning".

The worst would be "we are correcting the action of your AME" letter, with a time limited one year cert replacing yours, and an SI auth requiring annual reports. But I think you would end up with the FAA medical guy saying, "what good is five years of annual followup going to add, to this pilot's safety....?" and he'd approve.
Click to expand...

Thank you Dr. Chien! This sounds promising so I'll stay on course with my neurol. appointment before my AME exam.
 
Just remember, YMMV by designee, and by what's actually in the letter. You could get deferred, and then asked for the one-time MRI.
 
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