Oculomotor Migraine Treatment in India

Ishaan Iyer, a 28-year-old software engineer,...

Ishaan Iyer, a 28-year-old software engineer, had always been proud of his sharp focus and long work hours. Over the past six months, however, he began experiencing terrifying episodes. While debugging code, his vision would suddenly fragment, he'd see double, and the right side of his visual field would go blurry or wavy for about 30 minutes. This was sometimes followed by a severe, throbbing headache behind his right eye, nausea, and an intense need to lie down in a dark room. He feared he was having a stroke or had a brain tumor, a fear compounded by his family's history of cardiac issues. His primary care doctor, after a normal MRI, referred him to a neurologist. The neurologist, Dr. Mehta, listened carefully and explained that Ishaan's symptoms were classic for oculomotor migraine (also known as migraine with aura, specifically retinal migraine). She reassured him that while frightening, these episodes were not causing permanent damage. The recommendation was not an invasive procedure, but a two-pronged management plan: a daily low-dose preventive medication (a beta-blocker) to reduce frequency, and a 'rescue' medication (a triptan) to take at the very first sign of visual disturbance to abort the episode. Ishaan was hesitant about daily medication but desperate for relief. After starting the beta-blocker, he experienced two mild episodes in the first month, which he successfully halted with the triptan. By the third month, the episodes had stopped completely. The recovery outcome was excellent; he regained his confidence and could work without fear. Emotionally, he journeyed from a state of high anxiety and dread, feeling his body was betraying him, to one of understanding and control. Knowing the episodes had a name and a management plan transformed his fear into a manageable condition.