I had a coiling and stent procedure about 1 month ago at JH in Maryland. The doctor said that it couldn't have gone better. Music to my ears! But I have had about 3-4 episodes of crazy light flashes in my eyes since the procedure. It's like a full-on light show with flashing star patterns galore! They seem to last about 5 minutes and then slowly fade away. The first 3 came right after surgery so I attributed them to anesthesia. But then I had one yesterday so now I'm really perplexed. I called my doctor and left a message but I haven't heard back yet. (He must not be too concerned or I may have heard from him by now). Just curious to know if anyone else has had a similar experience after coiling....?
Kelly, congrats on the good news...then, many of us have gone thru, and still go thru those bright light swirls...awaiting a member to tell us they were advised of this potential before minimally invasive coiling...
My initial memory was apx a month after a f/up w/record of stent implant...frequency has reduced; but still shoots up on fatigue days or getting shocked by a bright light... I learned to lie down and close my eyes and do my yoga deep breathing...until they stop. Also have special sunglasses... I do not drive on fatigue days...a public, a/w/a personal safety.
Expect you will get lots more posts; and, you may want to google migraines and whatever terms you want to use...
Prayers for your healing and for follow-up from your doctor... and, for a great weekend...
I had the Pipeline, no coiling, and I saw gold flashes for several weeks after...still get them sometimes when I am tired or have been using my eyes and working with details for a long time....but they have definitely diminished since my surgery on 11/21/11....almost never see them, have decreased in color and amount to almost nil...Good luck, but they seem to be a byproduct of our type of procedures....
Hi Kelly, in the few days after my coiling I had some shooting stars swirl across my vision, and now, about 2 months later I have the occasional pin-dot flash of light, but also what I’ve found to be called migraine aura or ocular migraine. It almost sounds to me like this might be what you are seeing. If you google it, you’ll find illustrations, which were spot on for me. For me its a curved multicolor, flashing zig zag line (prismic/ kalaidescope -ish). This for me lasts 10-20 minutes and usually starts small and then grows to often a full circle around my line of sight and then finally fades small and away. I thought it was meds in the hospital too from my 1st angiogram but it has continued, albeit less and less these days…every 10 days or so now. I was very anxious at first but my dr isn’t concerned; he thinks it a blood flow thing. And I have found a few other folks on this site that have experience the same post coiling…which was reassuring as well. I am so glad to hear you are doing so well and feeling good. Hopefully our light shows will start fading away…
Thank you for your response! Yes, you describe it to the T! That's exactly how it is for me. The doctor's don't seem to know much about it though in so far as relating it to the annie... I'm surprised. So, the pin-dot flash of light that you describe... does it have a moving pattern within it? The reason I ask is b/c I have had a chronic dot of light that has a moving pattern inside of it for 4 straight months now. It is the reason I even found out about my annie. So it was a blessing, but it hasn't gone away since my coiling so it is seemingly unrelated according to the doctors. It has given me quite a bit of stress to say the least b/c no one can figure it out. My eyes check out fine and so do my brain scans. (Minus the annie of course!) I finally convinced the doctor to put me on Topomax yesterday (migraine medicine) to see if it is a migraine left in some vicious cycle. (We tried steroids first.) Just thought I'd throw it out there. Thanks again! Kelly
Hi Kelly, I'm right there with you - surprised to have found others who have experienced ocular migraine since coiling, yet drs unfamiliar and unaware of a connection. At least there is comfort in not being alone in this:) As for my pin-dot flash.... is just a quick flash or a dot in my peripheral - usually light blue-ish tint- and doesn't happen real frequently. It must be frustrating to have that in your field of vision constantly, but you're right....what a blessing that it led you to discovering your annie. I had a retinal tear years ago (repaired by laser); they had mentioned keeping an eye out for flashes due to retinal degeneration in my family, so I intend to go back, especially to get them in the loop of my annie discovery/coiling. Related to the tear, I also have floaters in my field of vision - -the squiggly lint-like and sometimes amoeba-like lines/blotches floating in my vision...some days they are annoying as heck, others my brain must just tune them out. But no constant light. Was it an ophthalmologist that checked out your eyes? I hope you get your answers soon. Hopefully the Topomax will bring you some relief.
Hi Kelly, is Topomax helping? I stumbled upon this link with more aura info... sounds like they are often cause by vessel spasms...while I am sure ours have been brought on by drs/catheter being in our head....looks like migraine triggers such as caffeine, tannins, msg etc can also set them off. I also read that calcium and cod liver oil can be helpful. Hope you're getting better. http://www.allaboutvision.com/conditions/ocular-migraine.htm.
Thanks so much for thinking of me again! I couldn't handle taking the Topomax on a daily basis. It made me so TIRED and totally out of it. But, I haven't had the typical kind of ocular migraine that I described in a few weeks at least. Just still seeing this light in my left eye. I'm trying to make it my guiding light in life and create a happy attitude about it but its hard sometimes! And today, I just started something called cranial sacral therapy which may help in some way too. Have you heard of it? It's really fascinating stuff!! Anyway, thanks for checking in. How is everything with you??
Hi Kelly, I had something different. I would be lying on my back and I felt I was standing
up and ready to fall. All I was told was my balance was off because the brain
was returning to its original form. But I would like to tell everyone that I was
having " micro seizures" that I had no idea I was having them. I went 16 years not knowing.
Not a good thing to find out so long after the surgery. My speaking was somewhat
affected. I had a EEG done and flashing lights gave me the seizures. I was put on Dilantin
to check the problem . Just have a family member or friend monitor ones speaking.
I am excited to know you are doing craniosacral therapy...so anxious to know your results... I have done lots of that...a/w/a the activator (light touch) chiropractic... acupuncture, vision therapy, auditory therapy, yoga, and other massages... was off all pharmafia products six months post-d/c... What is really grand is not having to read the labeling for Warnings and Contraindicators for craniosacral therapy.
Kelly, so excited to know more from you on your results...please remember, I have no expertise...just my personal experiences...
Thanks for writing! Wow, you are really into alternative medicine! That's great. What have you found to work the best for your needs so far? Also, what specifically has craniosacral therapy helped you with? Or is it hard to pinpoint? I had a session that was sort of a combination of energy work, body work and crainiosacral therapy from someone last Tues., and I got way more than I bargained for b/c it has brought up some uncomfortable memories from my past. I think it is all good b/c some stuff needed to come up, but I was just trying to get help for the light in my eye originally!! It's amazing what our bodies are capable of! I go again this coming Tues and am kind of nervous b/c it has been very hard to get through. I guess I'm going on a healing journey and need to just let it happen and be grateful it's finally happening. I'd love to hear more about your experiences if you want to share. If it's too involved (like mine is starting to be, you can email me directly).
Kelly
PS What is vision therapy? I wonder if it could help with the visual disturbance in my eye (That ended up having nothing to do with my aneurism btw!)
PS I'm curious, what is "vision therapy"? I was just thinking it may help with the light issue in my eye. B
It tremendously helped me w/reading/comprehension...I-could-read-each-word; but could not have told you what I read or what it meant. I am yet a slow reader; yet forget/blank on a subject. VT released the muscle pain in my right pupil that startled me when it popped back one day... also regained balance (i.e. inability to judge distance, falling down stairs, walking into walls, doors even before the ywere opened...
Google cranial nerves (CNs)...and the anatomy...CN III and others related to vision...auditory CN VIII (vestibulocochlear) which notes re: "balance" ...then, ask your MDs of which ones (may) relate to the area of your annie and/or the access artery(ies).
I had much vision damage (more late)...no memory of the streaks/ flashes until after my last, final angio/stenting...it was wild...
My dilbertonia is the platinum artifacts streaking...and, if naked or dressed in stent mesh...
Recently learned streaks/flashes are migraine aura; plan to google that...I yet get the aura on fatigue days.
Wanted to get VT off to you; will write more on craniosacral; to me, vision and balance are most critical for public (driving) and personal safety.
Initially, I saw neuro-oph; then into VT...then back to neuro-oph for documented neuro-med comparison of the results... VT is thru optometric; annually I continue to see my optometrist.
I also have this same thing, Ocular Migraines. I had two PED implants. The stents stop the flow of blood from going into the Aneurysm but it also stops the flow into the eye. The blood to the eye have to go through smaller veins. I have had Migraine headaches since I turned 13, my mother had them, my two sisters have them and my daughter has had them. Now that I have gone through Menopause, I still get them once in a while. Not as often nor as bad as they used to be. As soon as I feel one coming, I head for my Excedrin Migraine ( otc), take one, lay down, close my eyes and about 15 minutes later I can feel the headache begin to melt away. As for the Ocular Migraine, I sit down tip, my head back and close my eyes and let it happen. What else can we do about them!? I also have the Aura but that seems to go away with time. I still have those but not as often. I hope this helps you and others that have this same problem.
I’ve had these flashing lines everyday for 5 months all day long. It’s driving me crazy. I’ve had 3 brain surgeries and one more in October coming. But I’ve never ever had this with the others, this is the first pipeline, PED, that I’ve had the others were open craniotomy. They say go to your opthamologist cause it must be something with your eye. Retna might have detached. I did, he said my eyes were ok, my vision, is not as good, periphial is bad…but that it must be coming from the blood supply in the brain. He said it has to be vascular. But everytime I tell the neurosurgeons they look like, it’s not your brain. Yes, it is, I’m 100% positive…i haven’t called them since seeing the opthamologist, but i will this week…i mean every day all day long is enough to make you feel crazy…
So sorry you’re having to deal with this! Did they say anything about it being ocular migraines? If your flashes of light are anything like mine they will probably dissipate with time. I noticed mine were happening less and less as time passed. My neurologist said that anytime you manipulate the brain it’s bound to react in some way. (I guess that’s a given) Nonetheless I would keep at your doctor until you get an answer and/or get a second opinion. Hope this helps.
Don’t be sorry…i just found this sight and thought wow, finally people that understand…mine I thought would be less and less but now they are more and more…its just so confusing that you don’t know when something is really wrong or its no big deal. I feel like I’m bothering them when i call. So I dont. I guess I’ll just have to deal with it. And this Plavix with the nosebleeds and bruises and tired all the time. I feel like I’m gonna have a break down! Ty, so much for responding, it means alot…
I see lots of silver stars – at least that’s the way I describe them. I’ve had two stents - the most recent one was deployed on 7/5/17 and the first was in April 2016. I saw stars the first time around, too, but fewer and in a smaller area. They went away after some period of time following the first stent, so I’m hoping they disappear again this time. They seem to get worse when I’m looking at my computer screen or looking outside in the morning with the bright sunlight here in Florida. Hope your issues also go away soon.