Anyone ever get Vertogo or double vision

[hook]

I had a mitral valve replacement last May, and then went on amioderone three weeks out for afib. The next day I got this very strange temporary vertigo, where my vision was distorted, and I was seeing double at times. It last between two to five minutes.

This has happened since then about every other week. When I originally told my cardio about it, the translation from the nurse was "it is probably something to do with your heart" no kidding.:confused2:

Funny thing is this, yesterday I was walking and had it for about five minutes; during the spell I was able to maintain my fast pace and balance. I only had to be careful of which mailbox not to bump into.

Anyone ever had anything like this?

 

[Duffey]

It happens to me on a pretty frequent basis, but it's never lasted more than a minute.

 

[Greg a]

Todd you may want to get your ICD interogation done sooner rather than later and I am suprised that it was not done as soon as you reorted any varience that may be relevent to a cardiac condition ...the first time I was shocked by my ICD was as described with the blurry double vision I suspect as the ICD attemted to pace then charged before delivering the shock.....the first time I was paced they could tell me the date and TIME the therapy was going on and then again the two times I was shocked back they read it from the ICD at a regular interogation....my unit is wireless and so I have an inhome unit that takes regular interogations and if I am in any kind of problem it sends the info directly to the implant clinic...............its great to be BIONIC

 

[njean]

This has happened to me several times over the years & the doctors have never been able to give me an answer!

One time I had one of those blurred vision episodes when I was driving to work & I had to pull over until it passed. Weird! I've had instances of vertigo but I usually attributed that to sinuses.

Fortunately, I haven't had the blurred vision event in quite sometime.....hope it doesn't return either!

 

[ALCapshaw2]

Several of our members have reported various visual 'disturbances' and after seeing Opthomologists and/or Neurologists, nothing conclusive is ever found. A common 'suspect' is Optical Migraine that does clear in a few minutes. Another possible suspect is a Transient Ischemic Attack (TIA) which is a 'mini-stroke' that clears after a short time. Whenever I get a Visual Disturbance, I chew either 1/2 or a Full 325 mg Aspirin (with my Doctor's OK), depending on how long it has been since I took my usual 81 mg enteric (coated) aspirin as a 'low level clot buster'.

 

[Bina]

I had a mitral valve replacement last May, and then went on amioderone three weeks out for afib. The next day I got this very strange temporary vertigo, where my vision was distorted, and I was seeing double at times. It last between two to five minutes.

This has happened since then about every other week. When I originally told my cardio about it, the translation from the nurse was "it is probably something to do with your heart" no kidding.:confused2:

Funny thing is this, yesterday I was walking and had it for about five minutes; during the spell I was able to maintain my fast pace and balance. I only had to be careful of which mailbox not to bump into.

Anyone ever had anything like this?

Double vision is something I get only occasionally since surgery and I don't like it at all. My first thought is to sit down, stay calm, and have my phone near me so that I can call somebody if I need help.
Migraine related Visual disturbances (auras) with sparkling or flashing light effects are somewhat common for me over the past 30 years and they pass after 15 minutes with no problem.
It may be a good idea to keep track of when and where your episodes happen, then report to your doc.

 

[hook]

Todd you may want to get your ICD interogation done sooner rather than later and I am suprised that it was not done as soon as you reorted any varience that may be relevent to a cardiac condition ...the first time I was shocked by my ICD was as described with the blurry double vision I suspect as the ICD attemted to pace then charged before delivering the shock.....the first time I was paced they could tell me the date and TIME the therapy was going on and then again the two times I was shocked back they read it from the ICD at a regular interogation....my unit is wireless and so I have an inhome unit that takes regular interogations and if I am in any kind of problem it sends the info directly to the implant clinic...............its great to be BIONIC

I had an interogation and asked them about the exact time and dates of the vertigo. They reported no abnotmalities, and no pacing. My heart is always in perfect rythm when this happens, and my heart rate is normal. A couple times I managed to take my BP in the middle of an event, and my BPwas 110/60. This is a mystery

 

[Marguerite53]

I have had these experience throughout my life; before and after AVR, and I am a tissue valver, so no Coumadin. The vertigo, less frequent, seems to be like someone pulling my eyes around. I have come to think that for some reason, it is muscular. Weak eye muscles? I can often stop the severity of the vertigo by pushing and massaging the bridge of my nose immediately as it starts. For me, too, it seems that it occurs with a jolt to my blood pressure or oxygen; either very salty foods, hysterical laughter, singing out loud (and loudly) in the car (maybe not enough breathing) or cheering at sports events. :confused2::confused2: I have also, always had the optical migraines (no headaches) which can be triggered by foods and bright light.

I would definitely get your doctor's take on these episodes since they will know best what all can be activating them. My best advice, if they tell you they don't know or that they are "nothing to worry about" is to try to figure out what triggers them and accept them and try to avoid the triggers. We have written alot about visual migraines here.

Best wishes.

Marguerite

 

[lance]

Hello Hook
I can't comment on the vertigo. However the blurred double vision has me concerned because they could be TIA's=trans ischemic attacks. Speaking from experience. Check you INR level.
Sandra

 

[pat45750]

I had double vision a few times before my surgery, but now it comes and goes. It is so bad that I have to close one eye to be able to see. It does not last very long - Thank Goodness. Not good if you are driving. It must have something to do with the surgery or meds. I had been off Amiodorone and still had them, so I can't blame it. Pat

 

[Enudely]

I had several episodes of severe double vision that lasted about 5 minutes each before I had my first surgery. This was when I had a pretty severe aortic "regurgitation".
I have a question too though, if y'all don't mind. I get these really weird flashes in my vision. It's hard to describe, but it shoots across my field of vision like a shooting star would in the sky and is a small line (1/8th inch?) of orange light. It looks like electricity. It happens more frequently when I'm tired or stressed. I know I should probably see a neurologist about this, but any chance it could somehow be from my heart?

 

[pat45750]

I get white pieces floating across my eyes when I am tired or have my a-fib, etc. I think all this stuff is related to the meds, the surgery and the healing heart. I had a lot of the white flashes in the hospital and it has gotten much better, unless I am tired. Pat

 

[ALCapshaw2]

I had several episodes of severe double vision that lasted about 5 minutes each before I had my first surgery. This was when I had a pretty severe aortic "regurgitation".
I have a question too though, if y'all don't mind. I get these really weird flashes in my vision. It's hard to describe, but it shoots across my field of vision like a shooting star would in the sky and is a small line (1/8th inch?) of orange light. It looks like electricity. It happens more frequently when I'm tired or stressed. I know I should probably see a neurologist about this, but any chance it could somehow be from my heart?

You are probably experiencing Flashers and/or Floaters and possibly visual migraines. It would be wise to make an appointment with your Opthalmologist. Floaters and Visual Migraines are generally considered benigh but Flashers can be of concern. It would be wise to check it out. FWIW, my Opthmologist's office has pamphlets which describe each of these phenomena and their significance. (unfortunately I don't remember where I put them :-(

'AL Capshaw'

 

[Duff Man]

I take coumadin but haven't had AVR yet. Just started coumadin a couple months ago, and I've had a few brief bouts of vertigo since then. It's very transient and not real intense, but enough to make me want to focus on a focal point and keep my eyes open until it passes. I have allergies though, so it could be an ear thing. Albeit I can't remember a specific time other than a hangover or the last couple weeks where I had vertigo.

 

[Protimenow]

There are also a few types of double vision. The double vision you get when your two eyes send images that your brain doesn't combine can be a real problem (if not just a short-term annoyance).
There's a type of double vision I used to experience - if I stopped behind a car and it looked like one taillight was positioned above the other - may have been a reported side effect to lanoxin/digoxin.
Also, if you're developing a cataract in one or both eyes, the cataract over the lens could make things - especially bright things - appear to double.

None of these, however, are vertigo.

It's probably not a bad idea to check with your doctor or perhaps a pharmacist about any medications that have been reported to cause these effects in some users, and to get an exam by an opthalmologist.

 

[Lisa2]

I get diplopia from time to time, also. It only lasts for a few minutes and happens at the most inconvenient times, like driving ! I close one eye and tilt my head a little (usually to the left) and then I can see until the diplopia goes away. It nearly scared me to death the first time it happened while I was driving. The good news is that it only last 2or 3 minutes, tops.

 

[timmyup7]

Just had a mechanical valve implanted about 4 months ago. Just recently about two weeks ago. I was carrying one of those single hand held baskets at Walmart. It was pretty heavy, but didn't think it was a concern. I'm walking down the aisles and thinking about life, etc. All of sudden I got one of those doubled blur vision episodes as well. Lasted about ten minutes and went away. Really, freaked me out!! I talked to my doctors. They have no idea. Around that time, I was drinking a lot diet sodas and Monster sodas. Maybe that caused it. I don't know. However, I just completely stopped it and bought a Blood pressure monitor. Hopefully, I don't have anymore of those episodes.

 

[normofthenorth]

I've been noticing a number of visual (or neurological) symptoms recently, and I've got an appt with an ophthalmologist in a week to discuss them.
1) My vision is often a bit blurry when I first open my eyes or re-focus on a new "target". Blinking a couple of times always seem to restore full clarity.
2) Especially when it's dark and esp. when I'm tired, I get what I call a "golden horseshoe" of light at one edge (L) of my peripheral vision. It happens when I move my head a lot, like all the way to the left, then start back toward the center. At first, I was convinced it was neurological, because I thought it happened with my eyes open OR closed, but recently I've been having trouble making it happen eyes closed, so maybe it's optical.
3) 3 or 4 weeks ago, during my weekly Cardiac Rehab class, I was doing my then-prescribed 2.5-mile power walk, while talking to one of the rehab hospital's volunteers. (Talking while exercising seems to add HUGELY to the CV intensity of the workout, at least for me.) In the middle of the walk, I got double vision -- the first type that Protimenow describes, where my brain wouldn't merge the two images from my two eyes. Otherwise, I felt fine, except that I had to take a pit stop. I hit the loo, and the double-vision was long gone by the time I came out and started power-walking again. First time for that ever, scared the @#$%&^* out of me, hasn't recurred since (despite my exercise prescription being raised to 3 miles walk-JOG), but it's on my list for the ophth'ist.

I also get occasional migraine auras, but only rarely, and no more often than pre-op, or ever since I stopped getting REAL migraines.

 

[auricula]

This thread has some observations on the subjects of headaches, ocular migraines, and vertigo:

http://www.valvereplacement.org/for...0-Headaches-Migraines-following-surgery/page2

The ocular migraines I mentioned recently have disappeared but I am now experiencing more little spells of vertigo. They seem to occur when my ears are blocked on days when my spring allergies are bad and if I can grab onto something, relax, and swallow a few times they resolve. When I previously had more serious vertigo, I had good results from treatments by a PT trained in BPPV (benign paroxysmal positional vertigo). Balance problems can also be a factor with me; mine date to bad fractures of my heel and ankle from the 90s that still give me a lot of pain so I am often off balance.

Regarding ocular migraines, note, especially, post #40 in the above thread, in which texasmike says

It seems that the common denominator of all of these threads on this issue is OHS. Some for AVR, some MVR, some aortic root replacement, but all involve being on the pump. Does anyone else see that connection? Also, it seems as if most of the people affected by this have a previous history of migraines.

 

[JulieS]

I had a severe bout of vertigo a few months ago. First time, 4 days confined to my bed without moving the slightest movement. Severe headaches for the past year. Was told was not heart condition related but no conclusions...