I am experiencing a strange visual disturbance in my right eye. I have had aura migraines in the past, but this is different and I’ve never had problems with my right eye. I thought it was a migraine at first because I have left-sided migraines and I’ve had four of those in the past week and a half. That in itself is very odd because I only have them about 3-4 times a year. I’m not so worried about that, though.
I am more concerned about the eye because it is now all the time. It is like a moon-shaped floater that sometimes resembles an eyelash. I sometimes see it as dark and smoky and other times as light and flashy, but only if I’m moving my eye. If I’m just looking straight, I don’t really notice it. It’s when I move my eye that my brain goes “what was that?” Anyone else have something like this? I don’t see any recent posts on this, although there are some a few years back.
I am sorry this is happening to you.I hope it gets better.Just wanted you to know wishing it will go away.If doesn’t stop in this week I would give your doctor a call.
Yes, you are not alone. I never get migraines, even after two craniotomies and after 4 years post surgery, I started having these issues. Sometimes the first letter of every word goes missing, sometimes whole pieces of my vision go out, jiggle, turn a strange greenish black neon color. The neuro team says it is from the dura being distrupted and consider a form of migrane auora. Still happens and it has been 9 years since I had two craniotomies. Good luck, you are not alone.
I would make an appointment with your Ophthalmologist. They will do an eye examination of your physical eye (retina, optic nerve) to see if there is any damage. Get a copy of Neuro-Surgeon notes which will indicate the exact location of the coiling. After this examination and if the physical eye is discounted, you may want to see a Neurologist (Migraine specialist) as some variant of migraine. There are also Neuro-Ophthalmogists. There are not many of these specialist so wait time is pretty long in my experience. I also suffer from visual disturbance (halos from light sources at night) which so far has not been diagnosed or treated. But, the above was sequence of doctors that I saw. Be prepared for a psychological evaluation or questions of drug use. Both these issues were discounted but there is a strong bias against someone who complains of visual disturbance in the medical community in my experience. It is annoying.
I lost a good bit of peripheral vision which is hard on the lawnmower deck. Some days it’s better, some days worse. And for years I had these beautiful filigree like lights that I only get now if I cough or sneeze hard. My ophthalmologist did extended testing, had a colleague do some testing and said I didn’t need to see a Neuro ophthalmologist as his dad was one…not sure what his dad being a specialist had to do with it…
Thank you all for your replies. I went to my internist who told me to follow up with my neurologist. He is very difficult to get into and I have an appointment in October. There is no neuro-ophthalmologist close and also a long wait. I am going to make an appointment with my regular eye doctor and then follow up with the neurosurgeon when I go back up to Mayo at the 3 mos. mark (still 2 mos. away). This is exactly what I worried about when having the coiling/stenting out of town and it’s a little bit frustrating, especially since I talked to all involved prior to the surgery and they assured me it wouldn’t be a problem to get in locally. Yeah, okay. Wouldn’t trade my Mayo doc for the world, though. He was great.
The visual disturbance is most noticeable when I move my eye but also depends on what I am looking at. I just noticed today as I look at a screen that the floater is similar in shape (curved like an eyelash) but looks almost like something you’d see through a microscope because it takes on the screen texture. On white background, it looks dark and shadowy and in the dark and in bright light it looks more white and flashy. Very odd. I’m hoping for something simple like debris floating in there that will go away. It’s not affecting my vision so much as its distracting. Anyway, I am back to work on Monday so no time for all this nonsense. I am feeling really good other than episodic pains/headaches. Much better than before surgery which I wasn’t expecting so yay!
Thanks again for the support. You guys are great!
Jennifer