Ellen
I have had opthalmic migraines off and on since I was a child and so have several members of my family. I used to get a terrible headache, but eventually taught myself to stay calm during the 'twinkling lights' part and got no headache afterwards - just a kind of sleepiness. I usually do not know what triggers them, but I do know that at one time, extreme aerobic excercise was the culprit, and for a period, too much caffeine in my diet. For a while, I got them right before my period. Most of the time, however, I have no idea why they start. I don't think I have any kind of brain abnormality or disease, though. These migraines are kind of mysterious to me. I don't know if this has been at all helpful, but I thought you might want to hear about someone else's experience. Ellen ps feel free to respond