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Now another eye issue has happened. Flashing in vision

taniaaust1

Senior Member
Messages
13,054
Location
Sth Australia
The other day I posted the following as I had a whole new degree of blurring http://forums.phoenixrising.me/showthread.php?15032-Blurred-vision Since then, my vision hasnt been as good as it usually is, forcing me to have to wear my glasses more then I usually do.

Now Ive had something else happen.
Yesterday I was at the library reading the back of a DVD when suddenly I started to get rapid flashing in my vision (like cameras going off in several places just on the outside of my vision which was lighting things up then right across my visional field (they were bright). As I was reading when it happened, I figured it was triggered off from reading. It only lasted several moments and then stopped as sudden as it had started. I was left afterwards for a while with like looking throu clouds/haze. (Ive since read a floater can appear like that. Floaters can be another sign of retinal issues)

Im now freaked out about all the new eye symptoms as on researching the flashing symptom Ive come across a description of different kinds of eye flashing and the one I experienced (happening from edge of vision) is exactly described for retinal tears which can lead to retinal detachment.
Ive since read a floater can appear like looking throu haze. Floaters can be another sign of retinal issues and happen with flashing.

Eye sites, recommendation on flashing etc is sometimes counted as a medical emergency and to promptly go to eye doctor to get retina looked at to make sure its not starting to detach. :(

Its Saturday now and my eye specialist I know dont work till Monday at the earliest... shit.. I dont know why this happens to me, whenever I get a new symptom which needs checking out it always seems to happen on either a Friday or weekend when I cant go and see someone.

Its not helping my stress either to read that retinal detachment is far more common in diabetes and Ive already had complications of diabetes happen (eg I ended up with a frozen shoulder at the age I did.. scar tissue/bad healing, orthopedia specialist put it down to autoimmune related probably due to my hyperinsulinemia and issues with sugar. Ive only just recovered after a very long time from the frozen shoulder issue). Scar tissue in eyes can lead to retinal detachment.
...

Im also wondering if retinal detachment is more common in the ME kind of CFS?? Does anyone know. I know vasculititis happens in ME (I wonder if the abnormal skin patch on my foot/leg which appeared 4-5? months ago, which doctors cant work out what it is, is a sign of vasculititis?? its like bruising but not a bruise). Could vasculititis too lead to retinal detachment????

My other question is can drugs help cause this issue??. I started a new med recently just before I started getting all the new eye issues, (Im resorting to self prescribing seeing I dont have a GP to help me). Could there be any relationship to taking Doxylamine succinate tablets?? (really hoping there is a medical person at this site or can give me a yes or no to that question. These new pills are giving me a far better sleep for the first time in ages).
.......

Medically Im a little overwhelmed right now and Im currently still without a GP but trying hard to sort that issue out and "may" have that sorted out with a little more time but may be without a GP for next couple of months.. seeing someone new in Mid Feb who I finally managed to get to take me on as a patient after 2-3 years of trying to get in). Also seeing the professor of Pathology at the main states hospital on the 20th of this month. Hopefully my health can hold up till then and not worsen more.
..................................................

health update for past 4-5 mths.
newish symptoms
* severe blurring, flashing and cloudy sight episodes. Sight worst then usual, suddenly having to wear my glasses more
* foot/leg skin discolouration (like bruising but not a bruise, 3 doctors dont know what it is)
* orthostatic hypertension worst then it was ever before (up to and over 170 systolic in one minute of standing and then I sat at that point so it would be going higher then this at times).

improving symptoms.
* insomina thou its still bad, the new pills are actually helping me to get to sleep at a better time (today Im up the earliest then I have been for a very long time)
* food intollerances I dont seem to be getting them anymore
* MCS is slowly improving with time (only issue now seems to be perfumes in things).
* brain improvement still happening (ability to learn new things is back, more able to concentrate). The brain shift is due to molybdenum (molyzinc) fixing my molybdenum deficiency or the selenium I started to take.
* Finally recovered from the frozen shoulder Id had for 2? years.

umm I guess I should be positive when summarizing past 4 mths ...
5 things fixed or improving and 3 different things worsening, so does that mean Im getting better?
(all other symptoms at same level, exercise intollerence extremely bad as normal, cant be active).

I just remembered, I have had increased sore throats again and often a new morning cough for past few months (cold air triggered... asthma??? My daughter had a slight morning cough to cold air for years and ended up having a severe asthma attack so was finally diagnosed at that point)
 

hurtingallthetimet

Senior Member
Messages
612
can you call around and see if an eye doctor might be open? i use to see one that was open on saturdays...i know its hard to see another doctor if you like the one you have but it sounds like it could be something that needs to be looked at asap...

ive always had blurry vision...night blind..just been told when i bring it up that i should be able to see with my glasses....and ive told several eye doctors i simply cant...so i dont know...maybe this is as good as it gets for me..

ive not had the flashing maybe someone will see post that has and give you some good advice and info on it..i do have migranes and will get blurry and see spots at times not sure if thats the same that you are describing....since youve not had before sounds like something that should be checked into...i know thats hard sometimes in my case im finacally drained due to all the past doctors and test..but if you can you really should get looked at...alot of urgent care places have seemed to pop up everywhere not sure how they do the insurance of anything...but like i said i did use to see a eye doctor that was opened on saturdays and i think some are open every other saturday..

hope that you get some good answers and that you are doing well..let us all know how you are...take care
 

taniaaust1

Senior Member
Messages
13,054
Location
Sth Australia
can you call around and see if an eye doctor might be open? i use to see one that was open on saturdays...i know its hard to see another doctor if you like the one you have

ah okay thanks. I guess I shouldnt assume he'd be shut on Saturdays, I'll try to ring his office in a moment to make sure he arent open.

I cant get to any others in another town (there is only one eye doctor here) as I just dont have any transport at all on weekends i could use, no one at all who can take me to any appointments on a weekend and I couldnt drive myself that far to the city and back for an appointment even if my own car was currently going. (I havent driven in a couple of years due to my health probs and car is sitting in driveway with a ruined battery and needs oil draining as its sat there for so long).

My night vision has been poor too for at least past several years (but that isnt something I really worry about). I suspect that just may go along with the ME.

i know thats hard sometimes in my case im finacally drained due to all the past doctors and test
Fortunately eye specialists dont cost those on the disability pension and are covered by the Aussie health system so at least I dont have to worry about money with the eye stuff.
...

thank you, thank you. Your comment about some specialists being open on weekend made me be more positive and just also has given me the thought to look throu the phone book and I may even be able to ring him at home to get an opinion if I can find his home phone number. (The eye specialist in my town, 20 years ago used to be my next door neighbour and thou we didnt know each other well.. maybe there is a chance if he thought my eyes was in danger, he could go into his office just for me and i could catch a taxi to there).
 

dannybex

Senior Member
Messages
3,561
Location
Seattle
It might have been what they call a 'silent migraine'. I had two episodes -- back in July, on an especially stressful day. Haven't had it happen since then, but you might google silent migraines for more information.

Hope this is helpful,

Dan
 

taniaaust1

Senior Member
Messages
13,054
Location
Sth Australia
that didnt work out, I left a message on his office answering machine (he may only work once a week on Thursdays, I know is business wasnt run full time) and hit a fax machine when i tried his home phone which I managed to find.

Looks like there is nothing else I can do.. if before this can be checked, i suddenly go blind in an eye and stay that way, I guess I'd then ring an ambulance. (trying not to use them, they were used about 4-5 times for me last year and this year and my health insurance has made it so one can only use them once due to their policy changes).

(maybe the eye flashing is related to my BP going too high? I had broken out in a sweat just after that happened, which happens when my BP gets up to the 170 range. Maybe that is it).
 

taniaaust1

Senior Member
Messages
13,054
Location
Sth Australia
It might have been what they call a 'silent migraine'. I had two episodes -- back in July, on an especially stressful day. Haven't had it happen since then, but you might google silent migraines for more information.

Hope this is helpful,

Dan

Thanks Dan. I hadnt thought of that. I arent really a migraine sufferer thou I did have a very bad one once when I was a teen (after eatting oranges and chocolate together, I avoided eatting that food combo for years due to that).

I wasnt at all stressed when this incident occurred but I guess silent migraine is a possibility, thanks.
 

November Girl

Senior Member
Messages
328
Location
Texas
tania, did you get in to see an eye doctor yet? I just had these for the first time as well. (Actually started 2 nights ago) If it's any comfort, these are almost always benign, though they still need to be checked! I had several when I was too awake to sleep, but still so tired as to be quite spacy. Last night I also had some, but not nearly as many. Reading online today, I see that they can be due to CMV retinitis, and I know that active CMV infection is common in us.
 
Messages
13,774
I've had a fair few of these symptoms over the last couple of years, but never looked in to them.

For me, flashing vision tends to be associated with a migraine. My eyes are pretty bad anyway, and high prescription glasses lead to funny vision effects anyway.

Sorry to hear about your problems, and hope things improve soon.
 

LBS

Senior Member
Messages
115
Location
Sacramento, CA
I get the "silent" migraines, too. For me they are rarely, if ever, associated with headaches, but the visual symptoms are annoying. I hope that's all this was.
 

Dreambirdie

work in progress
Messages
5,569
Location
N. California
Tania--

I went thru this last month... suddenly developed flashing AND a big floater (like a flock of bats) in my right eye. I went to the eye doctor and had a retinal scan. Turned out that it wasn't a retinal detachment (for now at least), but a vitreous detachment, which can sometimes have the same symptoms.

I still have the damn floater, though it has faded a bit. I've found that cod liver oil taken several times/day, seems to be helping. Also bilberry and goji berries.

What you need to watch for is the appearance of a sudden "black curtain" in your vision, where some of your vision in the affected eye disappears completely. THAT IS AN EMERGENCY, a sign of a tear in the retina, and you need to get to a doctor for retinal surgery ASAP, or you will lose sight in that eye.
 

taniaaust1

Senior Member
Messages
13,054
Location
Sth Australia
Stayed in bed most of today and doing better now so just up and able to post now :) I felt like crap last night.. soo sick (feeling feverish etc) and so weak when I woke up today so really had no choice but to stay in bed since that last post. It is giving me joy right now to be feeling okay (thou I havent done anything today just stayed in bed till now, so so grateful to feel okay now).

I went to the eye doctor yesterday. On walking in he goes "oh your appointment was yesterday". I'd screwed up my days and appointments and even wrote them into my diary on the wrong days. Im so badly struggling to organise appointments without messing them up. :( (i really need someone to be checking everything)

Fortunately he'd just finished early for the day as he was about to go to the hair dressers so said he'd squeeze me in just before he did so I still got seen. Turns out my eyes are fine and I havent got any retina damage :) . So Im guessing at this point the flashes were related to my BP going high when standing. Ive had no flashing since that one time.

He said that if I get like a curtian coming over my eyes (as another mentioned in this thread) to make an emergency appointment but as long as that dont happen, I should be fine :)

I screwed up my other appointment I had yesterday too to get a doctors referal I need for next week. Showed up on the right day and time but at the wrong place for it :eek: . Where I thought it was, turned out to be a dentist surgery rather then doctors surgery (so I had a moment of intense confusion thinking I'd accidently booked in with a dentist by mistake rather then a doctor).
So we ended up having to rush from one town to the other as soon as we realised my mistake. (I'll write more about yesterday which included seeing a new GP in my blog later).

Im going to do some research now to find out what heart clicking is. That was going on after I'd had a nightmare which woke me up during the night. As Ive noticed my heart is doing an abnormal thing by it dont increase when Im very scared (usually when I have a fright I find its beating very slow), I got the stephascope which hangs on my bed and listened to my heartbeat.. only to hear it clicking with its beats. The clicking lasted about 5 mins then it went back to a more normal sounding heart beat.
 

hurtingallthetimet

Senior Member
Messages
612
hello glad the doctor saw you i know how frustrating it is to get forget things and get confused..glad nothing serious with your vision....hope your bp stays normal so you dont have anymore problems
take care