Eye issues.

[epstns]

I can add that I'm another who has that occasional time when my eyes don't want to play well together. It feels like neither wants to focus, yet as dcc noted, each eye alone is fine. Mine seems to only affect close-up to mid-range focus -- distance seems fine. That would be a good thing if this ever happened while I am driving. So far, it seems to only happen when I'm at work, staring into two 24-inch monitors on my desktop.

Maybe I should give up working? Nah! It will take much more than that to keep me out of it.

 

[markp66]

yeah, it's only a minor issue by the sounds of it but at the same time I can understand why we worry. However, it isn't much fun when your driving when this happens!

 

[Ovie]

Since posting this ive had blurry, abnormal, messed up vision every day, multiple times a day, and I've got to say I'm not handling it well. I'm not panicking, it's just so unbelievably inconvenient and unsettling. It just doesn't give me a break. I'd rather be sore and in pain than have these issues, I'd take just about anything else over this issue if I could, it's really starting to kick me to the ground. I just feel these should not be happening as much as they are. I knew to expect it, I just didn't know it'd be so frequent and consistent *sigh*

 

[Lynlw]

Since posting this ive had blurry, abnormal, messed up vision every day, multiple times a day, and I've got to say I'm not handling it well. I'm not panicking, it's just so unbelievably inconvenient and unsettling. It just doesn't give me a break. I'd rather be sore and in pain than have these issues, I'd take just about anything else over this issue if I could, it's really starting to kick me to the ground. I just feel these should not be happening as much as they are. I knew to expect it, I just didn't know it'd be so frequent and consistent *sigh*

You said your family doc gave you migraine meds. I hope they help. Did he order any testing? Like the others said it is probably nothing, but make sure you talk to your cardiologist about it too. Also I'm guessing the stress worrying about it, can make it even worse, so i think the suggestions on trying to relax sound good. altho truthully Im one of those people who can't "relax' especially if Im trying to- so i know that can be easier said than done. hopefully things start to get better

 

[jake]

Eye Stuff

Eye Stuff

Ovie:

Yea, I get em too and I didn’t even get a new valve, I had OHS to repair an aneurism on my ascending aorta and I still have my bi-cusped.

With me, it’s the classis "colorful flashing horseshoe" thing. Being a welder, I can confidently say that the sensation of looking into the sun is similar to welders flash, and I get it just like you. I can tell you that a little over a year post op and the frequency is about once or twice a month for me, it doesn’t freak me out any more, but it does make me a bit edgy when it occurs. After one hits me (about 15 20 min in duration typically) it kinds knocks me off a bit for the rest of the day. I don’t think it’s because of anything other than just anxiousness when it happens.

Additionally, I also have had very brief incidents of one of my eyes going out of focus, or one eye just plain old going dark for a few minutes. Now the first time that happened to me it freaked me out plenty good!

I talked to my surgeon about it, he said exactly what all the others said, optical migraine. He said that he could put me on Plavix to likely stop it, but it’s not of any concern medically. I guess the eyes are very sensitive to any changes in BP or blood flow or stuff like that so it’s just a fact of life for us. Like has been said, you will eventually get used to it as the events are fewer and farther between.

In closing, let me say with the utmost of sincerity.......I know EXACTLY how you feel! I read your postings and so much see myself and my concerns and fears in your experiences. I only wish I had a way to go back to how it was before surgery, but hey, this is the new normal for us. I won’t tell you to just relax and get used to it, because I haven’t figured out how to do that just yet. I will tell you that we are here to talk about it and if not for the stuff we are dealing with post OHS, we wouldn’t be here at all! Sometimes it gets me down, WAY DOWN! But I just come out here, vent a little and everyone here reminds me how lucky I am to be alive and it keeps me going.

Incidentally, I recently just had a MRI of the brain because of this stuff, and they found absolutely NOTHING up there!

 

[Julian]

There is no shortcut to healing...

There is no shortcut to healing...

Since posting this ive had blurry, abnormal, messed up vision every day, multiple times a day, and I've got to say I'm not handling it well. I'm not panicking, it's just so unbelievably inconvenient and unsettling. It just doesn't give me a break. I'd rather be sore and in pain than have these issues, I'd take just about anything else over this issue if I could, it's really starting to kick me to the ground. I just feel these should not be happening as much as they are. I knew to expect it, I just didn't know it'd be so frequent and consistent *sigh*

I hear you loud and clear Ovie! Everybody has their "bumps in the road", some of us are lucky and have none. I was dealing with dizziness and picasso painting, broken glass vision for several months after surgery. The dizziness was everyday for like 5 months but the strange vision was far less frequent, it sounds like for you the vision is the real issue. I too thought STROKE or SOME OTHER FREAKY WEIRD COMPLICATION every time I would experience head ache or vision issues.

Know that with time these things SLOWLY get better for most. I was on a low dose of metoprolol (beta blocker) and even that I think gave me some bad side effects, freezing hands like from the inside not the outside. The past 3 months I've been on a lower dose and I have noticed that my dizziness has almost disappeared and eye issues in general are much better. I don't know if the beta blockers were actually to blame for all my symptoms or I just needed more time to be post op, now I'm 7 months post op. As I stated overall feeling pretty good, still have some annoying breathing/chest pain/valve thumping issues on the daily basis but even these have gotten way better in the passing months. I'm pretty sure another year goes by and I will have even less to complain about.

Hope this helps you feel a bit better, your not alone and I truly believe that all your symptoms will dissipate with time, but time could mean a year or 2.

 

[TheGymGuy]

Ovie, which drugs are you still on? What are the dosages?

 

[Ovie]

I'm on the same beta blocker, metaprolol, not certain on the MG. 3 mg warfarin, I take 1 painkiller in the morning, forgot the name, but got off the oxycodone, I hated that. I take Tylenol, Xanex ER which I've been on for 5 years, 81mg of aspirin, and occasionally Zyrtec for allergies. I think that's all I'm on? Ive been getting migraines every day, I don't know if it's die to surgery, or meds, but previously before surgery I NEVER got migraines, I had frequent headaches but nothing crazy. It's just annoying that I can't seem to figure out the issue. I see my cardiologist today so hopefully he has some answers, I'll be having a few tests done so crossing my fingers on getting an answer!

It's weak, because I'm sore, to be expected, tired easily, but other than that, no severe pain, everything else seems to be ok, I expected something, even the eye issue, if it happened just a couple times a week, understandable considering what my body went through, but it's every day, all day. Driving me mad!

 

[RTZdad]

Hi Ovie. I hope that all of these symptoms come quickly to pass for you. I am sorry to hear that the issues remain. Keep thinking those positive thoughts and hopefully the road to your recovery will begin to smooth out. My thoughts and prayers are with you!

Tom

 

[TheGymGuy]

Hey Ovie, how is today treating ya (eyes, migraines)? What did your cardio said yesterday about all this?

 

[Ovie]

My cardiologist said that they should pass in time. He's been a cardiologist for 35+ years and told me that these are rare, which I found odd because from what I've gathered, it's actually rather common. But he's confident that it'll pass. Still having the eye issues every day though. My family doctor says they'll pass eventually also, but if for some reason they don't than he's going to put me on some type of medication. I forget the name, and hope it doesn't result to that. Happens so frequently that most of the time I just don't even acknowledge it..just try and ignore it and let it pass. My spirits are still high though.

 

[jake]

eye issues

eye issues

Ovie:

You hit the nail on the head! I can also tell you that anxiety, aggravation, and overall stress seems to contribute to the onset of these visual issues for me. Give them less of your attention and my guess is that they will resolve themself in time.

 

[Ovie]

Yeah, ive got plenty of time, so I assume they'll pass. I will say though, im in a very calm, and quiet place with little stress so I know for me personally I don't think that's the issue. It sounds stupid, but every day I awake I know I'm going to have them, or expect to have them so I'm constantly thinking about them and I wonder if just by always thinking about it, if that may bring them on. It's a strange theory I know but I wonder if it's possible.

 

[escargome]

Ovie, You may have something there. Sometimes for me if I'm concentrating really hard on a task I tend to clamp my jaws, which then starts to give me an occular migrane. So, I try to let my face relax and then since my GP told me sometimes these things occur because of slowed down blood flow to my scalp, I will stop what I am doing, take slow deep breaths and massage my scalp and neck/jaw line area with my fingers. This helps for me, but I don't guarantee it will help you, but you could give it a try. I hope soon these visual issues clear up for you cause they truly are a bummer.

 

[Ovie]

I'll defiantly try it, and I'm going to be on the lookout of I'm doing something unusual when these migraines show up, sadly I never even thought about that.

 

[Sjrlax69]

Don't panic, sounds like your getting auras. Since my repair surgery over a year ago, I get them from time to time. The cause is still unknown, but it certainly seems to appear post op for many people. I noticed when on beta-blockers I had them occur more often. Over time you will get used to these weird occurances, and possibly even find what triggers them. My best remedy is to wear sunglasses when they pop up. Best of luck.