S
Sierra Bob
Hi all---I don't post often, but I have been a long time member since my quadruple by-pass and my aortic valve replacement wirh a St. Jude Silzone mechanical valve in April, 1999. I do, however, read the Heart Talk and Anti-coagulations Forums regularly.
My heart problems took a back-seat in September, 1999, when I developed a large lump on my neck and was diagnosed with "Metastatic Squamous Neck Cancer With Occult Primary" (meaning they don't know where the primary cancer was/is located and it has travelled to other locations). The secondary cancer (large lump) was located "deep to the sternocleidomastoid muscle" in a lymph node.
I had a Modified Radical Neck Dissection to remove the secondary cancer, my internal jugular vein, stenocleidomastoid muscle, submandible salivary gland and 23 lymph nodes from the right side of my neck (all normal for an MRND). An additional secondary cancer was found encapsulated in one of the 23 lymph nodes. Because the location of the primary cancer was unknown, I then underwent 35 days of radiation to my head and neck in an effort to kill the primary cancer. This resulted in long lasting debilitating mucositis, xerostomia (no saliva due to killing the salivary glands), trimus (I can open my mouth less than one inch), and osteoradionecrosis (killing the jaw bone due to the radiation). It must have worked because I'm still deemed to be cancer free. I also belong to a Head & Neck Cancer Forum, and because of the above problems, as long as I'm "on the right side of the grass", the cancer, not the heart, normally takes precedent.
Now my "heart" problem is taking precedent!!
On the morning of December 30, 2005, while upgrading my computer operating system from Windows ME to XP I went totally blind (a gray out) in my right eye. The ER doc dianosed a detached retina and sent me to an ophthalmologist, with the instructions if it was not a detached retina,to come back and he would write an order for a carotid ultrasound and cardiac echogram (which I later had). The ophthalmologist diagnosed it as "Amaurosis Fugax" which is similar to a TIA, but the blood clot goes into an artery in the eye rather than to the brain. This normally lasts only a few minutes and in 85 to 90% of the cases does not result in any permanent damage to the eye. However, mine lasted for about 8 hours and did result in damage to my vision in the right eye. The ophthalmologist said nothing could be done to restore the vision. Between 12/30/05 and 1/15/06, I've had seven additional episodes of losing total sight in the eye. Five occurred during the day for a relative short time (minutes to a few hours) and two occurred during the night while I slept and I woke up "blind" in the right eye, so I don't know how long they lasted. Today the right eye continues to have blank (grayed out) irregular spots throughout the field of vision. I can read some individual letters, but can't see entire words. The vision is not as bright as the left eye. And, it continues to be very difficult to watch TV, read, or use the computer due to "blurry" and "grayed out" vision from the right eye unless there is a patch over the eye to blank out all sight.
I had not been taking my blood pressure for many months since being on Enalapril and Toprol, as my blood pressure had been averaging about 120-130/60-70mm Hg and my heart rate 65-70bpm. However, when I went to the ER on 12/30, it was high, which I contributed to anxiety over losing sight in my eye. I took my Blood pressure at home on 1/12/06 and it was 201/101, so I went to my PCP's office. After waiting and resting for 15 minutes, it was 180/84. My PCP doubled my Enalapril and started me on Atacand HCT 32/12.5.
I was scheduled for my regular stress test on February 8, but got it moved up to January 17, when my cardiologist returned from vacation in Hawaii. After the stess test, I reviewed the results of all the tests with him.
Stress Test: No abnormalities found.
Carotid Ultrasound: "Mild amount of smooth appearing partially calcified
plaque in the proximal internal carotid arteries bilaterally, slightly greater
on the right side than the left. There is no area of hemodynamically
significantly stenosis. Both vertebles have normal antegrade flow."
Cardiac Echogram: "Compared to previous study of 5/6/05, there is no
change."
My cardiologist said he didn't understand why I was throwing clots as he has me at an INR range of 3.0to 4.0 with a target of 3.5 rather than 2.5 for an aortic valve. (I self test and take my INR every Tuesday and intentionally keep it at the high end of the range.) He said he could add asprin and Plavix to my mix of drugs (warfarin, Enalapril, Timolol <added by the ophthalmologist to reduce pressure in the eye>, and Toprol). He said, however, this would increase the possibly of a hemorrhage into the brain as happened to Ariel Sharon. I declined and he agreed. He also agreed in doubling my Enalapril and continuing Atacand HCT as prescribed by my PCP.
My cardiologist had originally thought I had come in for my normal stress test. When he learned of the eye problem and that I had had a total of eight episodes lasting from eight hours to minutes he stated: "The odds are astronomical that one could have eight blood clots go to one eye." He suggested that there might be another cause other than blood clots. This is supported by the fact that photographs of the arteries in the eye didn't not show any clots, although it was long after the pictures were taken before I got some sight back. I see my ophthalmololgist on January 26, when he returns from vacation.
Now to my questions:
Has anyone else on the Forum experienced losing sight in their eye as I've
described? If so, could your sight be improved? How?
Has anyone else had their blood pressure shoot up for no apparent reason
while you were on an ACE inhibitor and Beta Blocker?
Any answers or comments would be greatly appreciated. I appologize for any typo's, as I don't see so good any more!!! Have only positive thoughts, I do. Regards, Sierra Bob AKA Bob Kreps
My heart problems took a back-seat in September, 1999, when I developed a large lump on my neck and was diagnosed with "Metastatic Squamous Neck Cancer With Occult Primary" (meaning they don't know where the primary cancer was/is located and it has travelled to other locations). The secondary cancer (large lump) was located "deep to the sternocleidomastoid muscle" in a lymph node.
I had a Modified Radical Neck Dissection to remove the secondary cancer, my internal jugular vein, stenocleidomastoid muscle, submandible salivary gland and 23 lymph nodes from the right side of my neck (all normal for an MRND). An additional secondary cancer was found encapsulated in one of the 23 lymph nodes. Because the location of the primary cancer was unknown, I then underwent 35 days of radiation to my head and neck in an effort to kill the primary cancer. This resulted in long lasting debilitating mucositis, xerostomia (no saliva due to killing the salivary glands), trimus (I can open my mouth less than one inch), and osteoradionecrosis (killing the jaw bone due to the radiation). It must have worked because I'm still deemed to be cancer free. I also belong to a Head & Neck Cancer Forum, and because of the above problems, as long as I'm "on the right side of the grass", the cancer, not the heart, normally takes precedent.
Now my "heart" problem is taking precedent!!
On the morning of December 30, 2005, while upgrading my computer operating system from Windows ME to XP I went totally blind (a gray out) in my right eye. The ER doc dianosed a detached retina and sent me to an ophthalmologist, with the instructions if it was not a detached retina,to come back and he would write an order for a carotid ultrasound and cardiac echogram (which I later had). The ophthalmologist diagnosed it as "Amaurosis Fugax" which is similar to a TIA, but the blood clot goes into an artery in the eye rather than to the brain. This normally lasts only a few minutes and in 85 to 90% of the cases does not result in any permanent damage to the eye. However, mine lasted for about 8 hours and did result in damage to my vision in the right eye. The ophthalmologist said nothing could be done to restore the vision. Between 12/30/05 and 1/15/06, I've had seven additional episodes of losing total sight in the eye. Five occurred during the day for a relative short time (minutes to a few hours) and two occurred during the night while I slept and I woke up "blind" in the right eye, so I don't know how long they lasted. Today the right eye continues to have blank (grayed out) irregular spots throughout the field of vision. I can read some individual letters, but can't see entire words. The vision is not as bright as the left eye. And, it continues to be very difficult to watch TV, read, or use the computer due to "blurry" and "grayed out" vision from the right eye unless there is a patch over the eye to blank out all sight.
I had not been taking my blood pressure for many months since being on Enalapril and Toprol, as my blood pressure had been averaging about 120-130/60-70mm Hg and my heart rate 65-70bpm. However, when I went to the ER on 12/30, it was high, which I contributed to anxiety over losing sight in my eye. I took my Blood pressure at home on 1/12/06 and it was 201/101, so I went to my PCP's office. After waiting and resting for 15 minutes, it was 180/84. My PCP doubled my Enalapril and started me on Atacand HCT 32/12.5.
I was scheduled for my regular stress test on February 8, but got it moved up to January 17, when my cardiologist returned from vacation in Hawaii. After the stess test, I reviewed the results of all the tests with him.
Stress Test: No abnormalities found.
Carotid Ultrasound: "Mild amount of smooth appearing partially calcified
plaque in the proximal internal carotid arteries bilaterally, slightly greater
on the right side than the left. There is no area of hemodynamically
significantly stenosis. Both vertebles have normal antegrade flow."
Cardiac Echogram: "Compared to previous study of 5/6/05, there is no
change."
My cardiologist said he didn't understand why I was throwing clots as he has me at an INR range of 3.0to 4.0 with a target of 3.5 rather than 2.5 for an aortic valve. (I self test and take my INR every Tuesday and intentionally keep it at the high end of the range.) He said he could add asprin and Plavix to my mix of drugs (warfarin, Enalapril, Timolol <added by the ophthalmologist to reduce pressure in the eye>, and Toprol). He said, however, this would increase the possibly of a hemorrhage into the brain as happened to Ariel Sharon. I declined and he agreed. He also agreed in doubling my Enalapril and continuing Atacand HCT as prescribed by my PCP.
My cardiologist had originally thought I had come in for my normal stress test. When he learned of the eye problem and that I had had a total of eight episodes lasting from eight hours to minutes he stated: "The odds are astronomical that one could have eight blood clots go to one eye." He suggested that there might be another cause other than blood clots. This is supported by the fact that photographs of the arteries in the eye didn't not show any clots, although it was long after the pictures were taken before I got some sight back. I see my ophthalmololgist on January 26, when he returns from vacation.
Now to my questions:
Has anyone else on the Forum experienced losing sight in their eye as I've
described? If so, could your sight be improved? How?
Has anyone else had their blood pressure shoot up for no apparent reason
while you were on an ACE inhibitor and Beta Blocker?
Any answers or comments would be greatly appreciated. I appologize for any typo's, as I don't see so good any more!!! Have only positive thoughts, I do. Regards, Sierra Bob AKA Bob Kreps
Regards, Bob
