Vision disturbance - yet again

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carista

I've been reading previous posts most the night on visual disturbances and have found a couple people that have similar symptoms, but not quite the same. First off, I've had occular migranes since I was probably 10 years old. I get the squiggly lines that move across my vision and last 15mins - 45mins. This is not the same! About 4 times now (within maybe a month), I've had a black curtain that takes the vision out of just one eye. I think it's always the right eye, but I'm not sure, I haven't paid attention to which eye until my last one. I don't get any pain or numbness anywhere when it happens and it lasts maybe a minute, at the most 2 mins. I've read posts of a couple people on here who had what sounded like the same thing but had a mechanical valve and thought it might have to do with their INR, but I have a tissue valve, and never have been on coumadin. I'm 2 months post op and 27 years old. I have never had this happen pre surgery.

I saw my regular doctor today for something unrelated and happened to mention this so he scheduled me an appt with an eye doctor for friday. Once I started reading posts on this and reading about TIA's, then of course I started to get a little nervous and my anxiety is a little high right now. Anyone on right now have similar vision problems and were they anything to worry about? Like I said, no numbness or pain anywhere, no dizziness either....any info would be greatly appreciated!!

Thank you
Carista
 
Carista,

The closest I can come to what you are experiencing is an occasional, rather large, bluish-black spot that shows up instantly and lasts for about 2 minutes. There is always a rim around it that has a "sparkly" side to it which varies in intensity. Unlike my migraines, which are circular lights that start as a dot and grow in size until they are off to the side and out of my vision, the ones mentioned above are actually blocking my field of vision. However, they rarely result in a headache.

I have talked to doctors and they suspect tiny clots (or something similar) but cannot prove it concusively. Since they leave no apparent residual problems, I have just learned to live with them. They did start after my last OHS so there is probably a connection (or not) - hard to say.
 
Thanks for the reply Gina. Makes me a little nervous that there haven't been more...Is it that unusual? I guess my doc was right to suggest I get it looked at further. :(
 
When I was in my 20's I went through a period where I had vision disturbances, and was told then it was due to migranes. In time they went away. But for about 6 months after my surgery they came back big time, and then once again slowly went away. No idea why they returned, then went away.
 
That sort of sounds like a low blood pressure issue to me. I've lost vision in one eye for a short period of time by getting up/exercising to fast and causing the BP to drop. That still happens from time to time. After my OHS, anything I did caused the BP to drop. Will
 
When you see your Eye Doctor (hopefully an Opthalmologist), you may want to ask him about chewing a regular (uncoated) aspirin when such events occur, just in case it is a small clot. I for one would be interested in the response.

'AL Capshaw'
 
Hey Carista--

Nathan had many "floaters" for a few weeks post op. They gradually improved and are now gone. (he also had a history of migranes since childhood, but NONE since surgery but we are afraid to say that out loud in fear of taboo!!) Because of the floaters I thought Nathan should be checked but our GP said no, this is rather routine post op. The visual "curtain coming down" definately warrents a dilated eye exam. As Al mentioned, make sure it is with an Ophthalmologist
 
Other Threads?

Other Threads?

Carista, Seems to me others have mentioned very smilar symptoms not too long ago. I remeber replying to them, but not what the thread title was. I still have the migraine auras,(just got over one while going online) and ocasionally get blind spots that start almost like a flash of light and then go black. They don't come down like a curtain, and don't last more than a few minutes. The migraine auras almost always disappear in 30 to 35 minutes. I hope it's just a passing phase in your recovery. Good luck. Brian
 
Carista,

Lots of threads of visual disturbances. Is your vision loss complete in one eye or just a "curtain?" Curtains, or partial visual loss can also be linked to migraines. Your migraines can change after surgery. Based on the posts here, I would say there is a connection between heart surgery, migraines, and visual disturbances. For example, I never had migraines or ocular migraines pre-surgery, but have gotten them on a regular basis since surgery (over two years ago now!).

When you get your next one, try to determine whether the disturbance is monocular (just in one eye) or binocular (in both eyes). If you can close either eye and still see the disturbance, it is binocular. If you only see the disturbance upon closing one eye but not the other, the disturbance is monocular. This will be helpful info for your opthamologist.

Many of us who have had disturbances have gone through the rigamorole of CT scans, eye doctors, etc, only to be told it is migraines. You are in good company.

Melissa
 
Hi Carista. I am glad you are going to an eye doctor (and concur with others, it should be an opthalmologist). Take a deep breath and don't leave his/her office until you are satisfied with their answer.

I've had visual migraines all my life. They are always triggered by something. Interestingly, since my BP meds have increased, and I take a baby aspirin daily, they have virtually disappeared. As a matter of fact, I went off the aspirin for 10 days (prior to a tiny surgery) and had several occurrences.

Before all this stenosis stuff (and remember, I'm still presurgery), I would infrequently get a black spot in one eye. As if someone had just cut out a large corner of my vision and left a black void. It was very black. It seemed to occur during highly stressed moments, or when I ingested something very very salty. Very freaky. Didn't like them. they were deemed another form of migraine, in my case. Especially since I was able to track down what triggered them. Do you notice any pattern as to when you are getting these? And is your blood pressure stable?

Lately my grey "floaties" which,to me, act like a curtain, have increased. My opthalmologist tells me that this curtain (which moves around and is more like a spotted windshield -- although some call it a curtain) is a result of the gel sacs behind your eye :)confused: I'm not medically versed at all) breaking away some. It's called posterior vitreous detachment. Some people develop a hole. Mine are still just like tendrils floating around.

My mother had a retinal detachment. That is much more serious. That was due to years and years of very high blood pressure (several incidents of spiking BP). She completely lost vision in one eye, and her vision was not returning. She was fortunately visiting family and her brother-in-law was a doctor. They went into emergency mode, she had surgery to correct the detachment, and her vision is okay for an 83 year old.

These are just descriptions from my experience. I would certainly ask alot of questions about the TIA possibility, and again, don't leave until you are satisfied with the answers. My biggest problem, sometimes, is feeling that I am taking up too much time and so I nod alot and then walk away unsatisfied. There's alot to understand......take the time. :)

Good luck. Glad you are on top of this. Keep us posted.

Marguerite
 
Thank you very much for all of your responses. To answer some of your questions - Yes it is only happening in one eye, I think always my right eye and it's not just spots, what happens is first half of my vision in the one eye will start to get grey I guess more than black and then it grows to my whole eye, so that when I close my good eye I can't even see, then it goes back down to half my vision, then dissapears. Not at all like my migrane aura's are. (Which i've been getting a lot also). Also, I don't think it's blood pressure related because I had just gotten one the other day on my way to the doctor's office and my blood pressure was normal then. Also, yes it is an opthalmologist which my doctor made the appointment for.

Thanks for the replies, I'll let you all know what happens.
Carista
 
Good Work on The Details of Symptoms

Good Work on The Details of Symptoms

Carista, I sure hope the doctor can figure out the cause! Your description is very clear. It doesn't sound quite like either of my experiences. It would be nice to know what all of them are! All the best to you, Brian
 
I'm assuming everyone already knows this, but just to be safe - If you are having visual disturbances, MAKE SURE YOUR DOC KNOWS ABOUT IT. I developed these over three years ago, and after extensive tests, they found a blood clot in the brain that was throwing off micro clots causing the vision problems. The source of the clot itself was aortic stenosis. I ended up being on Coumadin long before my valve surgery. Play it safe !!!
 
Well the Opthalmologist told me both of my eyes are healthy and he couldn't see anything. He did mention it could be possible that it's just a different form of ocular migrane. I don't know what to do, guess I'll go back to my doctor and see what he says. I guess at this point I just want to know it's not clots anywhere.

Thanks everyone.
 
Carista - When you talk to your PCP, ask him if he thinks a consult with a cardiologist might make sense. My cardiologist was the one who was persistant enough with several diagnostic routines to find I had a faulty heart valve, and we eventually found the clot too. I'd follow this through pretty carefully to insure you get comfortable. Hope this helps.
 
Pursue IT

Pursue IT

Carista, I think you should pursue it until you have an explanation you feel comfortable with. Don't stop now unless you're really "OK" with it. Keep us posted. You are doing a geat job so far!
 
Ocular Migraines

Ocular Migraines

As another person who has gone through that "ghostly pall" on just one side (mine is on the right and in my weaker eye) I have to say I wish there was a better answer than just an "Ocular Migraine."

I did let my surgeon know that I have had these things come and go over about the last 6 years in one eye only.

An opthomologist examined my LEFT eye and was the first person of the "Physician persuasion" who EVER spotted my floater in my good left eye.

Nothing was mentioned about the right eye. The eyesight is only correctable to 20x25 in that eye, but when the migraine occurs, it is wierd.

Yesterday I was looking at some horizontal lines on the screen and they were squeezed together at a 45degree angle. They did not touch, just distort.

It is true that I only get these when I am in a very stressful month. This month has been especially bad.

You are not alone.
 
Hi, Carista,
I remember starting a thread like this several years ago and having over 100 responses. It's a common thing among us valvers, that's for sure. My story is that I had the squiggly line episodes since I was 19, had the mitral valve replacement at 33 (eight years ago), and still had them monthly until recently. After my surgery, I started having the gray curtain episodes. My PCP recommended me going to a neurologist (one of the coolest docs I've ever seen), and he said there was definite difference between the jagged lines and the gray curtains, which he called amarosis fujax (sp). He said that he would be comfortable with me keeping my INR around 4.0 (the higher side of the therapeutic level) rather than 2.4 (the lower). He felt like they were micro-emboli being thrown from my prosthetic valve. Well, eventually, my PCP put me on Plavix along with my Coumadin (last October), and I've only had a squiggly-line episode once and haven't had anymore gray curtains at all. Granted, my blood's as thin as a supermodel, and I bruise very easily, but I haven't had any more visual episodes. Just something to think about. Ask your doc for an opinion on this.
 
Sherry said:
Hi, Carista,
I remember starting a thread like this several years ago and having over 100 responses. It's a common thing among us valvers, that's for sure. My story is that I had the squiggly line episodes since I was 19, had the mitral valve replacement at 33 (eight years ago), and still had them monthly until recently. After my surgery, I started having the gray curtain episodes. My PCP recommended me going to a neurologist (one of the coolest docs I've ever seen), and he said there was definite difference between the jagged lines and the gray curtains, which he called amarosis fujax (sp). He said that he would be comfortable with me keeping my INR around 4.0 (the higher side of the therapeutic level) rather than 2.4 (the lower). He felt like they were micro-emboli being thrown from my prosthetic valve. Well, eventually, my PCP put me on Plavix along with my Coumadin (last October), and I've only had a squiggly-line episode once and haven't had anymore gray curtains at all. Granted, my blood's as thin as a supermodel, and I bruise very easily, but I haven't had any more visual episodes. Just something to think about. Ask your doc for an opinion on this.
Click to expand...

I PM'd someone from the forum from a previous post that I had read while researching because it sounded a lot like my own symptoms and they were also diagnosed with amaurosis fugax and was nice enough to give me a link, so I printed it out and will give it to my doctor and take it from there. It's not so much that these symptoms are bothering me, they don't happen very often and only last a minute, it's more just the fact that they don't know what it is that bothers me. I'll probably just end up on a trip back to my cardiologist again, as much as I've tried to avoid it. I'll be sure to keep updating as I'm sure I won't be the last person who has symptoms like this.

Thanks all for the replies!
 
Sherry said:
Hi, Carista,
I remember starting a thread like this several years ago and having over 100 responses. It's a common thing among us valvers, that's for sure. My story is that I had the squiggly line episodes since I was 19, had the mitral valve replacement at 33 (eight years ago), and still had them monthly until recently. After my surgery, I started having the gray curtain episodes. My PCP recommended me going to a neurologist (one of the coolest docs I've ever seen), and he said there was definite difference between the jagged lines and the gray curtains, which he called amarosis fujax (sp). He said that he would be comfortable with me keeping my INR around 4.0 (the higher side of the therapeutic level) rather than 2.4 (the lower). He felt like they were micro-emboli being thrown from my prosthetic valve. Well, eventually, my PCP put me on Plavix along with my Coumadin (last October), and I've only had a squiggly-line episode once and haven't had anymore gray curtains at all. Granted, my blood's as thin as a supermodel, and I bruise very easily, but I haven't had any more visual episodes. Just something to think about. Ask your doc for an opinion on this.
Click to expand...

Hello All! It's been awhile since I posted as I've been lurking lately and checking in to see what's happening with the board.

However, I thought I should add to this thread and to this post from back in 2006....

I just experienced my first gray cloud event. I've had the squiggly lines before, however never experienced any type of blocked vision. Last Saturday I was out driving with my daughter and running errands. It was a typical on/off cloudy/sunshine day in SW Florida. It had just started to rain so I removed my sunglasses and squinted into the horizon. At that time, I experienced a gray cloud over my left eye after what seemed like someone took a flash picture in my eye. :eek: It really freaked me out as it seemed like I was looking through a donut hole with gray all around the edges. There was no pain and I was able to continue driving. Luckily we were pulling into a store parking lot at the time so I only drove for a few seconds. The sensation went away in about 2 minutes and after that I was fine.

The kicker....I had my pro.time tested the day before and it was low at 1.9! The lowest it's been in a long time as I usually test in at 2.7-3.2. I was supposed to up my Coumadin the next night, but I started a day early as a result of this episode.

Personally, I think it was more than a coincidence and Sherry's note above pretty much hits the nail on the head IMO.

Prior to this episode, I had informed my PCM, Cardio and my recent eye doctor about the squiggly lines. All of them seemed unconcerned.

Hope everyone is well! :)
 
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