(got your attention Buffy :-)

My 16 year old son (AKA Sharkboy) has had ongoing migraines for the past couple of years. The last 6 weeks have been horrible – he has missed a month of school and has been admitted to hospital twice for a lignocaine infusion. Whilst in hospital he had a lumbar puncture where his pressure was found to be high (25.5). His neurologist thought this could be the cause of his migraines (I am not convinced). He is seeing another neurologist in Sydney on Monday.

Based on advice from another Facebook group, I took him to an optician to check to see if his optic nerve is inflamed (Papilledema). Fortunately his optic nerve is all good, but the results of the peripheral vision test were ´outside normal limits´. I asked the young optometrist how far outside of normal it was, but she couldnt give me an answer. (sorry Buffy, we could only get into a cutprice chain optometrist) She said she would normally refer to a opthamologist, who would possibly refer to a neuro. As we were going to a neurologist on monday, she said just to take the results with us.

So, being the impatient person I am, I cant wait until monday. And I want to understand the test result, so I can ask intelligent questions.

He has migraines that manifest in his right eye. The pain has almost gone – but it is still a 1-2 on the pain scale.

The test used the Humphrey Matrix. For the left eye it says:

GHT:
Outside normal limits

MD: -4.89dB
PSD + 5.34 db P<0.5%

Right eye
GHT
Outside normal limits
MD -2.29dB
PSD +4.76 dB P <0.5%

The results could be hampered by him having an aura due to his migraine, so I dont know if I should be worried or not.

Thanks for any advice

Hi Brindabellas. Wait for the neurologist. GHT is a glaucoma test. I do not do field testing, I send out for that, and in general I’d be using a specialist with the symptoms you describe, as you are doing. All field testing has quite a considerable learning effect, ie when you do it for the second or third time, the individual tends to get better as they work out what they have to do. And if he had an aura at the time of testing, it would be rather difficult for him to do.

If there is no papilloedema, that generally means the brain is not swelling from behind and squishing the optic nerve. It’s a sign of intra-cranial pressure if it is there. But you had the lumbar puncture done and a high reading there definitely needs the neurologist.

I hope things work out OK.

Thanks Buffy. He did the test twice, the first test had a high level of false negative errors, the second test, there were no errors. Hopefully will get some answers tomorrow. He is so terribly tired at the moment, he can hardly function.

Sympathies Brindabellas, I hope he improves soon.

yeah that must suck or both of you.

I hope you can find some answers and workable solutions

Bubblecar said:

Sympathies Brindabellas, I hope he improves soon.

+1.

Where in Sydney is the neurologist?

And apologies for the delay. I didn’t get online this morning because Buschka and I were walking along the river in Casterton and then I did some weeding and mowing over there in the garden. I do usually do a mid morning check on the forum on the weekend, but I was interested in getting the weeding done ahead of the (non existent) rain…

you should consider this your first warning, Buffy

Arts said:

you should consider this your first warning, Buffy

Do I get three strikes?

buffy said:

Arts said:

you should consider this your first warning, Buffy

Do I get three strikes?

then you have to resit the forum test

buffy said:

And apologies for the delay. I didn’t get online this morning because Buschka and I were walking along the river in Casterton and then I did some weeding and mowing over there in the garden. I do usually do a mid morning check on the forum on the weekend, but I was interested in getting the weeding done ahead of the (non existent) rain…

What? You have a life away from here?? And seeing that I dont come here often anymore, I cant expect priority service :-)

We are going to a neurologist at St Vincents, supposed to specialise in migraines. Hope she is better informed than the two he has seen in Canberra.

Brindabellas said:

buffy said:

And apologies for the delay. I didn’t get online this morning because Buschka and I were walking along the river in Casterton and then I did some weeding and mowing over there in the garden. I do usually do a mid morning check on the forum on the weekend, but I was interested in getting the weeding done ahead of the (non existent) rain…

What? You have a life away from here?? And seeing that I dont come here often anymore, I cant expect priority service :-)

We are going to a neurologist at St Vincents, supposed to specialise in migraines. Hope she is better informed than the two he has seen in Canberra.

I thought you might be going to Westmead, but either of these two places will have the best specialists. Hopefully they can provide some answers quickly and it’s nothing serious.