Eye Problems??

[Agreeky]

Hello everybody. I am new on this site and had a few questions. Been sick for a year now with no answers. I will not tell you my whole story because it is long. A quick recap of my symptoms... Started with tingling left hand and foot. Breathing problems, stomach pain intense by upper left rib, vertigo, dizzy when i walk ( more recent) intense whooshing in my head when i stand! Noticed my blood pressure goes up a little. Had a two month period of face numbness and tingling. But I wanted to ask about eyes? My night vision is awful. Also I get a moving blur and floater in my right eye. Eye doc found nothing. Newest scariest symptom when i turn off light to go to bed I get tunnel vision and go almost blind. Im very worried I have MSA or another progressive neuro disorder. Any advice would be great! Thanks. Btw only 25 never had a virus, all started when I was sprinting on tredmill.

[Hope]

Have you seen a Neurologist?

[Agreeky]

Yes 3 different ones : ( im going to one in June at Boston Medical Center that is supposed to be really good. I hope I do not get dissapointed again.

[badhbt]

I also have eye issues. I went to 2 different Doctors and I finally found a ophthalmologist who did a 2 hour eye exam. My vision was blurry and almost like living in a bad dream. My symptoms were hard to explain. I had a lot of movement in patterns, and I was having a lot of ghosting. After the test she told me that my eyes had slight problems teaming or working together, which causes double vision or ghosting and other symptoms. Also she thought the communication from my eyes to my brain is effected....which she thinks is caused by POTS or a neurological problem.

I have just chalked it up to POTS. I know a few people also have had vision problems on this site. It doesn't seem to be the most complained about symptom.

[Susanhs]

I totally can relate to the tunnel vision. Just had my eye exam and my vision is 20/20, although extremely blurry. Did the eye doctor do a field vision test on you? I assume doc checked your optic nerve and blood vessels in your eyes. My optic nerve and vessels are fine, but my field vision test was poor. I also have many floaters in my eyes but the doctors always blow it off like it's nothing.

Hope you have better luck with this new doctor. Can't wait to hear what he has to say. Take care of yourself and gentle hugs,

[Agreeky]

Thanks for the replies! Susan do you have true floaters or visual disturbances? They said mine were not true floaters? Also is your tunnel vision at night? I always wonder if my night time problems are related because I have been telling friends for 4 years now I have trouble seeing while I drive at night. So who knows if it is part of this or not... My field vision test was good. They want to send me to a more neuro specialized eye doc though. If I look at something too long my eyes begin to burn too almost like something is off with the tear duct. Very fraustrating.

[Agreeky]

Also, badhbt what type of eye doctor did you go to? I feel like there is a miscommunication between eyes amd brain. Sometimes when I am in a store I confuse floor pattern changes for a step. Like if I am walking on tile and it changes to carpet my body takes it as if it is a step and I stomp over it... Sorta hard to explain..

[badhbt]

I totally understand the floor pattern changes, it can really throw you off.

I went to a Neuropthamologist and a regular eye Doctor and my eyes checked out healthy. The neuro Dr. could tell that I was having problems, but did not know why. I then found a eye Doctor who specializes in visual disturbances. She deals with MS patients, autism...etc. I am doing vision therapy once a week which has helped me so far....I think? My vision has improved...not sure if it was the therapy or just time. In the therapy they use 3D images, patching, red and green glasses...different exercises to get the eyes to work better together. I never knew that the eyes are like muscles and you can work them out. They fatigue really easily though so each exercise is only 5 minutes each eye.

Maybe your neuro eye Doctor will be more helpful then mine was, I hope your appointment goes well.

[Susanhs]

Agreeky, I have true floaters but I have visual disturbances with my migraines sometimes, like flashing lights and bright halos.

I have started with depth perception issues too.

The tunnel vision usually does occur at night but it's when my blood pressure dips. I don't drive at night or that much during the day anymore because of the dizziness, fatigue and my peripheral vision is so bad. Maybe another eye doc will be more helpful to you. My eye problems have gotten gradually worse over the last couple of years.

[Agreeky]

Thanks guys! Yea my tunnel vision is not related to blood pressure. So it seems my vision problems could be unique maybe with the right eye doc it could lead to a diagnosis. I spoke to a lady with chronic lyme and she said lyme could be changing the mechanisms in my eye. Hence the night time issues. I am doing a lyme igenex test in June so we will see if that shows anything. I will update you guys! Thanks so much.

[Hope]

I sure hope the next neurologist has some answers for you. It's too bad we can't all get full body MRI's =) Keep us updated.

[Agreeky]

Thanks hope! Actually I saw that on Greys Anatomy where they had a whole body MRI haha. Wonder if it will one day exist!

[corina]

Welcome to the forum Agreeky!

[llynnchurch]

Agreeky, What do you mean exactly when you say rotational vertigo. I have recently developed vertigo but only for a few seconds a few times a week. It is as if whatever i'm looking at rotates about 90 degrees and comes back to normal, sometimes it almost occillates. I have also had a feeling of almost on a wave or im falling backwards with dizziness and then it returns to normal within a few seconds. Is this similar to you? Or has anyone else experienced this. I have had pots for 6 years and this is by far the scariest symptom. I recently had a baby 3 months ago, I also had a head neck massage in the mall post pregnancy to see if it would relax me. The vertigo began after but not instantly. Any ideas what this sounds like. Had a normal Head MRI with and without contrast. Thanks

[Agreeky]

llynchurch, I had two bouts of benign positional vertigo. Where when I would lay down or I would look up to thr ceiling I would get it. It is almost like having the spins when you are drunk. I think it is what you described it moves like 90 degrees. But I also have a new dizziness now where it feels like when I am sitting it feels like I am on a sea saw, maybe that wave feeling you described. Also, if I am standing it feels like objects are moving that are not. Dunno if that is vertigo too?? My MRIs come out clear too except fluid in my sinuses.

[clare]

This sounds very familiar. I have had Palinopsia/after image problems for years now. I too get pattern problems, certain floors and wall paper can make me feel dizzy if not altogether sick. Plus it is very hard to be in a room with a fan that is below a light(flickering) I have seen one of the best Neuropthamologists @ Penn. and my eyes check out. He basically told me that he sometimes sees this kind of thing with people who have POTS/CFS...I have been told that I have a-typical migraines and I have had numerous eegs to rule out epilepsy. My visual symptoms do get worse right before my period. I must have my family trained well because they will always warn me if they are going to do something that will cause flashes. Please update if you find anything interesting at the Neuropthamologist's office. Good luck!!

[Agreeky]

Clare, did your doctor tell you why people with pots have these eye issues? I wonder if some signal gets messed up? You do not have the tunnel vision I described do you? I cannot find anybody else with it...

[seattle chris]

I had blurry vision a couple of weeks ago but it only lasted for ten minutes or so. Since then, I have had a few instances where it seems like my eyes are blurry but I don't have any visual impairment - it is difficult to explain like so many of these symptoms. I also wondered whether there is some kind of brain signal issue rather than a problem with my eyes.

[ShakeyTheOwl]

Hi!

Had a two hour testing with opthamologist recently which revealed dry eye (can be common in OH and cause blurred vision) as well bundled nerve in left eye. It was referred to as papilledema, which am being monitored for.

The dry eye was definitely something new to learn about.

And am finding some relief via drops and ointment at night.

The blurry vision waxes and wanes.

[Agreeky]

Thank you all for your replies. I will update after I see the Boston Eye doc tomorrow!

[icesktr189]

I had optic neuritis. They were really worried about MS for awhile. Mine are because mine dont work together. Dr. Goodman actually found it when he put his light in front of my eyes, and instead of constricting, they dilated . They are also VERY slow with dilation and constriction, so if I go from a dark room to light, it takes forever for them to catch up. Movie theaters are BAD. When I get out of one, they are so dilated that everything seems very off and I actually walk into walls. I refuse to get them dilated when I saw the neuro opthamologist.

[icesktr189]

Also i have had this really annoying floater in my right eye for over a year now. It will not go away and it drives me crazy because I can constantly see it. I also have blind spots too.

[Birdlady]

I have a lot of eye symptoms. The lights and floaters started several years ago, but everything got a lot worse in Oct when I woke up with a permanent blind spot. Now i have several more and in many areas the vision isn't quite right, but it's not a total blind spot. On exams my retinas are fine.

I have visual snow, blue, yellow and red dots, afterimages, as well as dark and bright spots in my vision. The one day I was driving home and the sky was flickering. Several times now I've had a large black scotoma appear out of nowhere for 30-45 seconds at a time and then go away completely. It's pretty hard to even describe everything I've seen.

My eye problems are related to all of my POTS symptoms. The longer I am upright or if I am overheating, the worse my vision gets. Take for instance today it was very hot and the flashes in my eyes were terrible.

I also have closed eye hallucinations in dark rooms which could be the tunnel vision the OP was talking about. The movement of the images can make it seem like you are blind! When it first started happening, I had my husband turn the light on a few nights. Supposedly this is normal, but many people have never experienced these (unless on drugs).

My eye symptoms aren't related to low BP. I've had those problems where the vision goes all white or the edges turn dark and start to pulse. What I have now is definitely different.

Since I've been examined so many times, I figure it's probably something neurological. My doc now says it may be Persistent Positive Visual Phenomenon.

[dpeeps]

Forget which two posts caught my eye - no pun intended - but, my vertigo or dizziness is like the ground is falling away beneath me. It is similar to being on a boat that is rising and dipping over waves. I don't have this very often, only during bad flares. Somebody else mentioned lights positioned above a ceiling fan. The this effect this makes me sick. I had this happen just recently at a restaurant. The "flickering" was really bad off of the reflection of the utensils. I had to cover them with a napkin, but it only helped a little. I could not engage in any of the conversation at the table. Similiar to the way it is hard for me to focus on one conversation when there is a lot of background noise - it was the same experience. That flickering light consumed all of my energy to try to ignore it. I sound a little crazy, I guess. The flicker competed with everything else I was having to take in and overpowering it at a sensory level. I found it EXHAUSTING trying to ignore that flicker on the table. That is the best I can describe it.

[Agreeky]

Hey all thanks for the comments! The Boston eye doc did not have much to say. I have no optic neuritis, true floaters, or abnormal eye movements. Pupil dialtion normal... So now I have to go to a retina specialist. He only sees one patient a month! But I guess he is the best of the best in Boston. They will try to see why my eyes are doing these things in the dark. The doctor really does not think night blindness. Dani I have that annoying right eye floater too. I only get it in the sunlight though. Never inside the house? Dana I think we get the same symptom in the dark. That tunnel vision.. People think I am crazy when I tell them. Please describe it more. My eyes also burn in the dark if I look at an object. Also if I look at the object too long I can make it dissapear it is scary. Djeeps that vertigo is just like mine. Feels like the ground is shaking or I am on a boat. The local neuro just laughs at me... Thanks again everybody