Transitory full remission in continuous variety of persistent aura without infarction

All the visual symptoms disappeared for around 2 minutes this morning

"I will cut and paste my journal entry.

September 21, 2007. All the visual symptoms disappeared for around 2 minutes this morning. I was in the car on the way to school. The light was bright, but not overly so. It was great because I could see all the detail of everything and all the colors seemed really bright- because they weren't being dimmed by snow. There were no after images, double vision, blurriness, or any other problems. I did not test for trailing, or if strong geometric patterns would trigger anything. I think that this has happened two or three times before during the last year, under the similar conditions, because I have memories of enjoying the same type of situation- enjoying the bright colors and the crispness of things- or maybe I'm imaging that.

When that happened I was on Topamax and had just titrated up to 75 mg after a week at 50 mg. The Topamax definitely shifted my symptoms (some got better, some got worse). Now that I'm off it, things are shifting again.

This actually gives me hope. This and the fluctuation of symptoms, to me, have to mean the neural basis of this crap is pretty plastic and probably reversible. I'm trying to be optimistic."

(SopuliSusie [subject #405], Yuku forum visual snow or static - General discussion - Important new publication on persistent aura, October 31, 2007)

"Ok... I've been on my 100 mg Topamax dose for a little while now. It has been a hard road and I finally have my brain back, mostly, but I still can't feel my feet, or half my hands. The cognitive side effects, as lots of you know, were unbelievable. I did have my visual snow disappear for a full 2 minutes the other day, which was shocking and super cool, but I am doubtful it was the Topamax. I believe that indicates there is no permanent damage, that there is plasticity in my little brain, and that someday this might permanently disappear."

(SopuliSusie [subject #405], Yuku forum visual snow or static - General discussion - Topamax helping sort of... my full report, September 23, 2007)

"I still wonder about that few minutes of no VS I had a few weeks back. No VS, no other symptoms. That makes me wonder how permanent the process it."

(SopuliSusie [subject #405], Yuku forum visual snow or static - General discussion - Interesting info about Palinopsia, October 8, 2007)

"I have had my VS and all the rest of my visual symptoms go away for minutes at a time, but there was nothing special to precipitate it. Just waiting in the car."

(SopuliSusie [subject #405], Yuku forum Visual snow or static - General discussion - Has anyone had situations where VS completely goes away?, March 13, 2008)

Another (almost) resolution of symptoms

"Thought you'd be interested to know I had another 5 minute period without visual symptoms. There was a tiny amount of snow, but I had to look really, really hard to find it. It was Thursday the 24th July 2008, at around 6:25 a.m., and I was riding in a car through a rural area. Strangely, I was sleep-deprived, completely stressed out, and emotionally exhausted (all of which usually make my symptoms worse). Anyway, I could see crisp edges and textures on things, those shadowy grey spots which cover everything in patches were gone, no little flashes of light, no palinopsia. It was wonderful. And then everything came back. I don't remember what happened with the paraesthesias - or rather, I didn't notice either way."

(SopuliSusie [subject #405], Email to Klaus Podoll, July 27, 2008)

More than 5 minutes with a major decrease in snow!

"Yesterday I thought I was finally going to get a chance to do the blue field drawing for KSomething... had some extra time so I left early to pick up the kids from school, actually remembered my pencil and paper and was going to sit in the van facing the blue sky and do the drawing.

Figures the only parking spot was with a house in the way of the sky (any other day I'd be happy about this).

I'm sitting there laughing to myself about the irony of this...

Suddenly realize there is something VERY WRONG with the way the fence looks. So I'm looking around, and EVERYTHING looks VERY WRONG.

I'm trying to figure out what is wrong... and it hits me...

THERE IS NO SNOW!!!!

(Yes, for someone who has never seen anything in her 40 year life without VS, no VS would be, at first, considered very wrong!)

Afraid to move my head at this point... not knowing what to do... thinking maybe my neck is at the perfect angle to allow the bloodflow and spinal nerves to work normally... I move my eyes all around looking at all different colors and the only thing I could see just a tiny, tiny, tiny trace of snow on was the black dashboard in the shady area inside the van.

Still not knowing what to do, I take a chance and move my head.

STILL NO SNOW! (wow things look so different!)

I'm thinking - Ok so maybe it is the Irlen lenses and the light at this time of day... 3:05pm... so I take the lenses off... still no snow. Put them back on so I can see better...

So I spent the next couple of minutes looking around, STOPPED searching for snow and just enjoying it... trying to take in everything... afraid to get out of the van or move too much because it might make the snow come back. But then it was time to go get the kids... so I had no choice, I had to move...

I truly enjoyed looking around, knowing that at any time it might come back...

It came back gradually, not all at once. By the time the sun went down, it was back full force.

I don't think it was the position I was sitting in, I have sat in that position a hundred times. I keep wracking my brain, what did I do different... but I did nothing different yesterday.

I don't know what it was, but it was NICE!

A gift perhaps?

Wendi"

(Wendi Triplet Mom [subject #147], Yuku forum Visual snow or static - General discussion - More than 5 minutes with a major decrease in snow!, January 31, 2007)

"I don't think I was on any different meds that day, meaning no different than any other day for a few months surrounding it. I had not started taking the Xanax or Welbutrin till June or July. The meds I was on at the time were Zyrtec (10 mg/day), Albuterol (as needed, which at the time was 2 puffs twice a day), Potassium (40mg/day), Protonix (40 mg/day), HCTZ (25 mg/day) and Spiriva (once a day)."

(Wendi Triplet Mom [subject #147], Yuku forum Visual snow or static - General discussion - Transitory full remissions, November 15, 2007)

I have to say that I did not notice visual problems for the whole 7 days of my holiday

Over a period of 7 days during a holiday on Lanzarote in April 2008, 24-year-old "vs lifer" Janey (subject #282) experienced a transitory full resolution of her continuous visual snow brought on by her 1st episode of persistent aura in very early childhood and the sparkles, spots and floaters brought on by her 3rd episode of persistent aura in September 2006. "Whilst I was there, my visual snow etc etc was non existent", she joyfully reported.

"After holiday in Canaries I feel good!

I would just like to report, I have just come back from Lanzarote and a number of symptoms have changed. Whilst I was there, my visual snow etc etc was non existent. Also my sense of smell came back and my sense of taste, which I will remind you has been absent for about 10 years. I have been back for 3 days and I can still taste and smell....YAY!!!! It is sooooo fab, however, my visuals are creeping back very slowly. Little spots and sparkles but not too bad.

So what happened????? Was it the Vitamin D over load from the sun???? The sea air ??? Or the Jack Daniels over load? Any ideas anyone?§

(Janey [subject #282], Yuku forum Visual snow or static - General discussions - After holiday in Canaries I feel good!, April 9, 2008)

"Hi, if only I knew the specific thing that has made me feel so much better. The temperature was a lot hotter there than here in the UK. HOt dry atmosphere, sea air., I was outdoors 12 hours a day as opposed to being indoors soooo much in the UK, cos its soooo bloody cold most of the time... also my tinnitus symptoms changed. They improved greatly BUT I put that down to being exposed to cabin pressure on the air craft... who knows!!!"

(Janey [subject #282], Yuku forum Visual snow or static - General discussions - After holiday in Canaries I feel good!, April 9, 2008)

"I have to say that I did not notice visual problems for the whole 7 days of my holiday, my sense of smell and taste came back on day 2, after I had been swimming in the sea which was very very salty. My sense of taste and smell is still present on and off now, almost a week after I have returned home, I am praying that it remains because I am enjoying it so much. I will probably get fat because I am having a taste of all the things I haven't tasted in years. The tinnitus was absent for about a week [9 days], the whole time I was away, but returned yesterday, I think it is still a bit quieter though. My joint pain was absent for the whole week I was away but has returned once I arrived home. I notice the joint pain seems to be present when the weather is damp. I will have to keep an eye on this but it always seems worse before the rain comes.

Only 8 months till my next holiday."

(Janey [subject #282], Yuku forum Visual snow or static - General discussions - After holiday in Canaries I feel good!, April 11, 2008)

Has anyone had situations where VS completely goes away?

"Hi all,

I'm just wondering if anyone has been in stressful/worrying situations where their VS completely goes away?

It's happened twice to me, the first time was at the dentist where I was overly worried (I suffer from anxiety and was in major pain)... my heart was beating very fast, obviously blood was flowing faster etc, about 5 minutes in I noticed VS was not present, I then looked around the room checking for it, it just wasnt there!...soon as I calmed down it was back though..

Second time was when I was rushed to hospital with heart palpitations (thought it was heart attack at the time)... while they was taking my blood... I was in pain... panicking, heart beating fast, blood rushing... I noticed again VS was completely gone, especially so when I was taken for an xray (this was around 3 a.m. btw)... none of the lights were on and I was suprised to go in and seeing perfect darkness... again I was suprised when we went into the xray room and everything was clear... of course soon as xray was done... results back, I had calmed down... and again VS was back.

It makes me wonder if VS is a blood flow/oxygen flow problem to/from the brain/neck area??

Maybe it's just with major distraction you dont notice it at all, it sure was nice though, even if it was only for a few minutes."

(darkprince86 [subject #540], Yuku forum Visual snow or static - General discussion - Has anyone had situations where VS completely goes away?, March 13, 2008)

"I can assure you it really wasn't there, I tried looking for it, it just wasn't there, it soon came back once blood flow slowed back to normal though."

(darkprince86 [subject #540], Yuku forum Visual snow or static - General discussion - Has anyone had situations where VS completely goes away?, March 13, 2008)

"The first time was 3 weeks after VS started, I was in the dentist's room for just over 30 minutes, VS completely dissapeared after having the local injection and my anxiety kicked in (as I felt I couldn't breathe)... although I didn't notice it at first as my mind was elsewhere, however when she was trying to remove my back tooth I noticed that the ceiling was completely white rather than full of dots/snow, I thought it a little weird and out of place at first but when she left the room for a minute I decided to take a look around, looked at the computer screen, looked at the assistant, at some things in the room, VS just wasn't there, it came back roughly 15 minutes later though, as soon as I left the room it was there and seemingly worse than ever.

The second time was just a week ago (March 7, 2008, i.e. 4½ weeks after the onset of persistent visual snow) when I awoke at 1 a.m. to tight chest pain and a fast beating heart to which I was rushed to hospital, while there I had my blood taken, ECG test done amongst other things.. during this (I was panicking alot) VS wasn't there, at first I thought it was just selective viewing and I wasn't paying attention to it, but I looked around, couldn't see it, however I was in a small room so decided to try looking for it when I went for an xray, through the 2 minute journey there was no VS, it was simply amazing being able to see properly, even more so upon entering the xray room with the light off as everything was just dark as it was supposed to be, after xray was done it still wasn't there, however I was waiting for results and remember still being abit panicky and worrysome... after everything coming back ok and being told I could go home I was a little dizzy but still no VS, even on the way back to the car, it wasn't there.

In total I was in hospital for a little over 2 hours with no VS, no trails, no blurryness, no afterimages (I really liked this alot, more than having no static as there was alot of bright lights), as soon as I was home though, I sat down and stupidly thought about VS, looked at the wall and sure enough it was there.

Very interesting experience, which makes me believe its a bloodflow/neck problem or perhaps psychological (stress induced).

Hope this helps."

(darkprince86 [subject #540], Email to Klaus Podoll, March 14, 2008)

Everything for the first time in about a year n' a half was clear as a bell

"I've had vs consistently for two years along with constant headache. I was paying very close attention to what might affect it long before I heared the term vs. It seemed to me to have a strong connection to my sleep patterns. To much sleep is just as bad as not enough. One night I went to sleep and woke up about 7 hrs. 20 min later. I sat up, the sun was shining in my room and everything for the first time in about a year n' a half was clear as a bell. It was so great! And then I was stupid and went back to sleep for what seemed to be about 20 min., when I woke up everything was back to static and a dull headache."

(Sam Rozell, Yuku forum Visual snow or static - General discussion - Sticky - Things that have helped, January 1, 2007)