brief vision loss/tia??

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Sherry

Sherry

Well-known member
Joined
Oct 27, 2002
Messages
1,449
Location
Southern Indiana
Hello, All,
I've posted on this before, but I had one again today and wanted to get some feedback from others. Right after I had my surgery 6 yrs ago, I had a series of visual episodes in one eye or the other which could best be described as a grey curtain being pulled down over my eye. It lasted for a few minutes and then dissipated. Since the surgery, I have had them once or twice a year, today being another. It didn't last as long and didn't cover my whole vision this time, but it was scary nonetheless. And to top things off, I was right in the middle of teaching. During my lunch, I ran over to get my blood checked and it was 1.8. She shot me with Lovenox and gave me another dose of Coumadin, and I went back to school. These things are scary -- especially when you read the stuff on the Net about strokes and visual problems. Have any of you ever been plagued with these? Thanks.
 
I did before my AVR pretty frequently. Since then, I don't recall any episodes. You might want to bring that to your Docs attention. ;)
 
Sherry,
I have a few each year, more often the first few years after my surgery.
Iv'e asked about them but they just said not to worry, easy for them to say.
Mine usually covers the top or bottom half of one eye.
It is scary because I'd rather pass on then live with a severe stroke.
 
Thanks for your replies, Ross and Rich. I agree, Rich, they're hard to ignore, and I just know that means a clot was thrown from the valve. Thank goodness for my phenomenal Coumadin nurse who was duly concerned and didn't hesitate to dip into her Lovenox stash. I hope to hear from some others on the forum who perhaps may have some experience with this and can shed some light.
 
Yep, got 'em too...

Yep, got 'em too...

Sherry and Rich -- I have them too but it's always the lower half of my eye/s. I get one about every 3 months or so..sometimes more frequently. I agree, they're scary. The doctors don't have an explanation for me as I've been tested for the 'brownouts' but no diagnosis. Like you Sherry, it does give one concern about the mechanical valve throwing a clot.

Are there any biological valve folks out there who also have 'brownouts'?
 
Hey, Janie,
It's my buddy from the old VR e-mail days. How are you doing? Thanks so much for your reply. These episodes scare the crap out of me, and I just don't know what to make of them. Maybe some others will share their experiences.
 
Sherry,
The ones I get sound just like Janie's.
I also get an occasional light headed spell but no one has any answers for either.
Can you guys believe how this site has grown since our e-mail days?
What a job Hank has done.
 
Wow, this is pretty scary stuff! What do you mean by "thowing a clot"? I had my AVR surgery last August and have a St. Jude Mechanical valve. Although I can't confirm I've had the same set of symptoms, on occassion, I have had a slight effect on my vision, usually my left eye whereas I feel there is a slight gray film that distracts my vision.

I work with a laptop computer and my PCP told me that it has more to do with eye strain than anything else, however after reading your posts, maybe I should look into this. I also experience occassional vertigo feelings, however I blame that on too much coffee.

Since my surgery, I have reduced my coffee intake considerably and have not experienced any more vertigo episodes, however your description of symptoms closely resemble mine on occassion.
 
Hi,
I had a biological valve put in in December and I have also been experiencing the vision episodes like you described. Sometimes I get a brownout in one eye, sometimes I get episodes where I can't focus if I have both eyes open, or I get what I call "kalediescopic" vision, and other times it comes and goes so quickly that I can't tell if I'm experiencing vertigo or just whacky vision. Before my surgery, I sometimes used to get vision disturbances that were more like a flashy light or a migraine aura, but since my surgery it has changed. It seems like I might go a week or two w/o an episode, but then maybe get several in a row. I asked the doc about it and he said it might be effects from the surgery that take several months to go away. He wanted me to keep a journal of what I am doing at the time that they happen, but so far I haven't found any pattern.
It is a little worrisome, especially when they can happen at any time (like while driving) but I've noticed many people on this board have mentioned similar problems, so maybe it's just one of those things that us valvers have to put up with.
 
Hello, Allen,
The term I've read about is amaurosis fujax (or something like that). It's a pretty scary occurrence.
 
Hello, Elphie,
I've had the migraine problems (jagged lines and such), but this is different. It's really a disturbing loss of vision. Anyone else experience this?
 
This has been very knowledgable. I have had many of the same symptoms happen to me. I began to have very bad headaches and a fogged vission on an all to often basis in my thoughts, went to my local cardio and was told that i needed to go to my pcp, that it wasnt a cardiac issue. I never got passed the nurse and haven't been back since. I then became very real to me that in this world of "modern" healthcare all I am is a # in the rat race to make a buck. The only thing that surpised me was they didn't bill me for the nurses time. I am with all of you every time this happens I wonder if I am haveing a stroke this time. The say that it is very posible that I have had "mini-strokes" since my last ARV in 01 . It all seems to be one big mystery.:confused:
 
elphie wrote:

"sometimes I get episodes where I can't focus if I have both eyes open, or I get what I call "kalediescopic" vision, "

Early in my recovery, I had a couple of events where I couldn't bring my eyes to focus together but they seemed to be able to focus indivudually if I covered each, one at a time.

Elphie, please describe what you mean by "kalediescopic" vision. It sounds like something I may have experienced on occassion where everything just looked 'strange' but I couldn't really describe it. Lasted only a few minutes or less.

'AL'
 
Hi Everyone!
I have pretty much had all of the same experiences you all have been describing. Most of mine occurred within the first few months post op. I still get migraine auras and little gold fleck that races across my vision sometimes. I have been to the ER, had a CT scan and was told that everything was fine. On a second trip to the ER for visual disturbances I was told that if I clot was effecting my vision, that there would be some indication of it during an eye exam, which there was not. On a third occassion, I went to see an opthomologist and was told that these were all very typical to ocular migraines. He also told me the same thing the ER doc told me. That if a clot caused any visual disturbance, that there would be some indication of it during the eye exam. There was no indication of a clot during that exam either. It seems like this is something that plagues quite a few of us valvers. I don't think anyone has a definative answer. It is very scarey when these disturbances occur. Especially when it has been quite a long time since the last occurance. Maybe someday someone will be able to tell us what is going on. It just all sounds so typical for all of us who have had valve surgery.

Take Care!
Gail
 
Hi, Gail,
Thanks for your response. I too have had occular migraines (jagged lines) and floaters since way before my surgery, but these grey curtain episodes only happened post-surgery; in fact, I had a whole bunch in the hospital right after, and the surgeon told me point blank that the valve was probably throwing small clots. They dissipated over time but still would occur a few times per year or so. My previous cardio told me the same -- that the valve probably threw a clot or something. The last two times it's happened, I've rushed to the nurse for a blood check, and my INR was in the ones both times. I haven't ever talked to an opthamologist but may go that route sometime soon. I'll be anxious to hear from anyone else about this. Sounds like a fairly common thing.
 
Hi Al,
What I mean by 'kalediescopic" vision is hard to explain other than it looks like your looking at the world through a kalediescope. For instance, the other day it happened and I tried to focus on a picture in the center of the wall. Instead of seeing the picture normally, I saw it three or four times kind of overlapping in different directions. When I closed one eye, I saw it normally, but not with both eyes open. Wierd.
 
In the past, Joe has had many TIAs. His started after the implantation of his aortic mechanical in 1977. Then they stopped for a long while and started up again when his mitral valve started to cause problems. After getting the mitral situation corrected, he hasn't had any more of them. I hope it stays that way.

He went to the ER every time they happened, and always got a clean bill of health (TIAs wise). And he also went to the ophthalmologist and this doctor was a good deal more concerned about the effects of the constant bombardment of small clots on the small blood vessels in the eye. He told Joe that these had to get under control, so they didn't cause permanent harm to his eye. Not to scare you, but that's what Joe was told.

He then went to a neurologist and was put on Plavix for a while.

But so far after having his mitral taken care of, these things have not returned.

Keeping a careful watch on his INR is very important as well, and trying to keep it up there around 3.0.
 
Hi Sherry,

Sorry to hear you had one of those "gray clouds" I like to call them.

Has happened to me 2 or 3 times in 5 years. Once on vacation in Hawaii. That was really scary. Just let that one pass.They came and went so quickly. My INR was within range 2 of the 3 times.

As I understand it....micro emboli can be an issue even with a theraputic INR.

You did the right thing by checking it out. How often do you get your levels checked? At one point I was batteling lower INRS. Had a supply of Lovenox at home so I could just pop myself when needed.;) Would not be a bad idea to get a refill come to think of it!

Good luck and keep us posted.
 
vision

vision

I just had one of those kaliediscope things today. Went for my protime this morning and after lunch vision was just not right. My INR was 1.9 last time so I am hoping that it is up. I was kind of whoozy when I got up too fast. I am glad that this information can be shared or I would think that I am getting to be a hyprocondriac.
 
I didn't know this was attributed to heart problems. Thank you for bringing this up. I had this a few times prior to my last surgery - once while driving. Fortunately, it's only my left eye that gets this, so I covered it and kept driving until I could pull over safely. Scared the heck out of me.
Kev
 
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