Visual Effects while Bridging

[ALCapshaw2]

I am on Lovenox Bridging Therapy following an Upper Endoscopy and Colonoscopy last Wednesday. I stopped the Lovenox 24 hours before the procedure and restarted 12 hours after the procedure, along with a 'loading dose' of Coumadin (6 mg Wednesday and Thursday night, 4 mg Friday and Saturday night, then return to my normal 3.5 mg dose)

The day of the procedure, I noticed some incidents of 'difficulty bringing my two eyes together to focus'. I was able to do it, but it took what seemed like more effort than normal. While checking into the hospital for my procedure, I experienced a 'twinge' on the right side of my face, neck, and upper arm, along with a cold sensation. This lasted for a minute or so. An EMT in the lobby checked my grip (both hands) and recommended going to the ER instead of my procedure. He suspected a TIA and was concerned about stroke risk. I called my GI Doc who told me to come straight up and he would have his nurse check me out which I did. All was OK and I had the procedure.

This morning, I am seeing intermittent 'gray blobs' outlined by straight lines (sort of like fluorescent tubes) in a jagged outline. I just took half an aspirin.

My guess is that I'm throwing mini-clots that are getting caught in the small capilaries of my eyes.

Since I'm already back on my Coumadin and still taking the Lovenox injections (until Sunday pm) that I'm 'covered' and there isn't much else I can do.

Anyone care to comment on that assessment or offer alternative advice?

FWIW, the GI tests came out OK so hopefully I won't have to repeat those for several years. I'm NOT looking forrward to having to go OFF Coumadin anytime soon!

'AL Capshaw'

 

[ClickerTicker]

If they look like this...
http://www.migraine-aura.org/EN/Visual_Hallucinations.html
...it may be a visual migraine?

 

[Nancy]

Al-

I feel you should call your cardiologist or Internal Medicine doc and ask about what happened.

It could be visual migraines, or it could not. At any rate, it is not a normal thing and should be checked out.

Joe has had many TIAs and a large majority of them presented as visual problems, blindness in one or both eyes and other visual things.

We always went to the ER to have things checked out, and he did have a neurological workup and was put on Plavix for a time. He is not on it now, and it's been many years since he's had any more of them.

We have found that he has problems when his INR dips below 2. He developed splenic infarcts when his INR was at 1.8 briefly. Those clots could just as easily gone to other parts of his body.

His range was just changed to 3.5-4.0.

 

[Guest]

Another thing that you have to rule out is a reaction to the sedatives that you got for the tests.

Blood clots in the eyes are fairly rare. More likely the visual disturbance would be caused by something in the brain. The reason is that from the heart to the brain is a straight shot. Clots tend to travel in straight lines because they are more dense than the blood. There is no more reason why a clot would get to your eye than your finger.

 

[CCRN]

Clots or platlett aggregation?

Clots or platlett aggregation?

Al, are you sure clots can't affect vision? I've heard of people losing eyesite due to clots and returning. Then again......that's in the brain, right?

I had the same visual distrubances (trouble with double vision and spots) this past week and I'm thinking of getting my INR checked early this week. I haven't had those symptoms since before my surgery. My surgeon told me I could have been throwing platelet aggragates off my valve. It was probably more like clots since one was found on the back side of my stenotic valve.

 

[Mary]

Al Capshaw,
When I've thrown TIAs, I "feel" them as a "momentarily dizziness, with my eyes being pulled back and forth" sensation. Kind of like I'm on a really fast spinning merry go round. This sensation has always immediately preceded the numbing, tunnel vision, lack of grip strength or other signs associated with clots.

Sometimes I had the sensation without any other symptoms. They were attributed to my valve calcification, and I've had none (knock on wood) since my replacement.

IMHO, it sounds like you might have experienced a slight TIA.
Mary

 

[Guest]

Of course you can have clots in the eye, but it would be very unusual for them to originate in the heart. They are usually an indication of a serious clotting disorder. For this to be diagnosed as a first clotting episode in a man Al Capshaw's age would be stretching the odds to a great length. That is why I say that it is much more likely to be a clot in the brain. However, he was bridged, so this would be uncommon also. I think that it is more likely to be from the sedation that he had.

 

[Marty]

Of course you can have clots in the eye, but it would be very unusual for them to originate in the heart. They are usually an indication of a serious clotting disorder. For this to be diagnosed as a first clotting episode in a man Al Capshaw's age would be stretching the odds to a great length. That is why I say that it is much more likely to be a clot in the brain. However, he was bridged, so this would be uncommon also. I think that it is more likely to be from the sedation that he had.

Al, I agree with all the above comments but have one thing to add. I had some funny eye symptoms over a year ago and it turned out they were due to a branch retinal vein thrombosis(BRVT) in my right eye. The retina specialist recognized it immediately. so if your symptoms continue you should let one of the doctors look in your eyes with an ophthalmoscope. If anything looks abnormal see a retinologist. These eye docs are really busy these days. My man is in a group with 13 docs.

 

[Sherry]

I've suffered from the jagged lines since I was 19, which was 18 yrs. before my replacement. Just lately, they've gotten pretty frequent - about eight or so in the last few weeks, which I'm going to bring up with my doc this week at my yearly. (BTW, my INR has been rock steady at 3.6 for the past month.)

I've only had the gray blobs since the surgery, and when I have had a few within the last year, my INR has been low. But, something I've just recently noticed about those jagged lines (since they've been so frequent lately) is that if they are concentrated in one spot, say the lower left peripheral area, it almost is perceived to be a little blob in my vision. When I've had the gray blobs, it is just that, only a blank spot in my vision. Sorry for the rambling, Al, but just wanted to share the experience.

 

[lance]

Contact your dr. about visual disturbances

Contact your dr. about visual disturbances

Al

If you have not already done so contact your doctor about visual disturbances.

Patient Medical Information sheet on Lovenox obtained from drug store reads in part as follows:

"Tell your doctor immediately if any of these rate but very serious signs of bleeding occur: dark urine, black stools, severe headache, confusion, vision changes, unusual dizziness, fainting, seizures, weakness, numbness".

This print-out is two pages long in very small print and I just read it a few minutes ago and remembered your posting about vision problems.