The flash you describe sounds like on ocular migraine. Those are migraines with aura and without pain. I've had those for years. There's medication for those, and they are very easy to manage. Just mention it to your doc when your next visit rolls around.

I just hopped on to check one thing and saw your post. ON is my #1 issue, have battled it for years.
I have experienced what your dealing with. The first time it happened I called my retina specialist and he had me come in on a sunday morning to make sure it was not a retinal tear. In my case it was not a tear, just major inflammation in my retina. I have been on all kinds of drops for my eyes over the years and it helps clear up the flashing.

Sometimes it's like a photo flash, other times I have a arch of light on the side of my eye when closed and other times it's the "bolt" your describing. Headache for me is constant and does not get worse with the flashes.

Anyhow when it appears I know it's a beginning of an episode for me. I hop on the solumedrol bandwagon and within 10 days the flash is gone. I'm not saying my vision comes back 100% but the flashes go away.

I am not a Dr and everyone is different. If you have never experienced this symptom before it could be a retinal tear or detachment and they are very serious and must be treated immediatley.
My advice would be to call your eye dr or neuro's after hours number. If its getting progressivly worse quickly go to the ER.
Not trying to scare you just want you to be careful. You know as well as I do, vision is not a symptom to be ignored.

Take care and keep me informed. I'll be thinking of you!

Oh my stars. You are right. I googled it and that exact image showed up. It lasted about the same amount of time it said it would and everything. For once I am happy to have a migraine. :P

So relieved it is not my MS. See, when anything happens we seem to blame the MS right away.

So glad it is just a migraine, especially since the headache part is minor.

Thanks Lila.

Dallas. I will keep an "eye" on it. :P But the zigzag pattern does match the ocular migraine that Lila mentions. I did read with ON that flashing lights can occur too. So time will tell.

It has gone for now, so I am comfortable that it is not a retinal tear.

I will wait and see what happens. Thanks.

I got my first ever migraine aura (without pain) and that's why I got my 1st MRI and found 30 lesions. There can be other causes, and the doc said if it happens again to go to ER - until we know for sure that it's MS.

Mine had flashing lights and looked like: http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_ewCRrSoDIHw/SFp4VxnOD4I/AAAAAAAAARU/UkLtqMA-EP8/s1600-h/Roger_Heaton_Migraine_Images_1992Small-704687.jpg

I also had a poor VEP test, in fact the doctor was amazed that my eyesight was as good as it is. I think my body's just good a growing new neurons to circumvent damaged areas.

Pretty cool light show, eh?

.

Indeed, Denise but a light show I could do without. :P I will wait and see if it happens again or frequently.

I had flashing lights a couple of times that didn't go away when I closed my eyes. I had never had them before my Rebif shots (when I was on that) and I was told by my doc that it was the beginning stage of a migraine. My neuro doc said that headaches were a side effect of Refib. Yep, that is what did it.

So, I went on Zomig to relieve the migraine flashing lights and the headaches that were caused by interferon.

I had never had a migraine before interferon and they have abated in recent years and now I am on Avonex. So I pretty much don't have the flashing lights. But I hope that you get the relief also.

I see that you are on Copaxone, so I do not know what the side effects are. But allergies can cause a migraine. A lot of the migraine meds work.

Had only one small, short with ON. Lasted a couple of days, on & off.
Was frightening, but completely resolved, without treatment, never to come back again.

Hope you don't have too much time with this.

Migraines, have had this happen before, not painful just annoying...

It's very easy for your neuro to find out if it's a migraine that's the cause. If that's what it is, neuro can treat it.

This another thing to add to the list of things to talk over with your neuro.

I've never had optic neuritis, so I have no idea if that could be the cause of your symptom.

hope you are doing well. i have had two bouts of optic neuritis, the pain seemed to be located in the side of my head . at first i just thought it was a headache that wouldnt let up. after almost two weeks it was like someone started to pull a shade down and i lost the complete sight in my eye over the period of about two days. the pain made me sick to my stomach. after a few months i started to slowly get specks of light back , after about a years time most of the sight came back even though the sight in that eye is darker.second bout was not as severe. i feel so blessed to have gotten most of my sight back, some are not so fortunate. if you continue you have problems see your dr they can do tests that are not painful( i am sure most of us get sick of tests!!!!!!)but my be helpfull in knowing for sure what is going on .GOOD LUCK hope you are doing better.

Thanks Gretchen. I have ON in both eyes. My right is the worst. But this was different and really feel it was an ocular migraine. Fit it to a T.

I am however gonna go see my eye doctor anyway, time for some new glasses and he will check out my ON while there. He is the one who first said I might have MS.