Visual disturbance

I just had the weirdest visual disturbance, nothing like I've had ever. I'm 64.

Sat opposite my wife having breakfast and suddenly my eye sight went funny, mainly (I think) in my right eye. I felt perfectly fine but it was as though my right eye was going round in circles, or maybe someone was holding a magnifying glass in front of the eye and moving it round in circles. So I could see two wives and one was moving round. It lasted just about a minute then just went !

Could that be a TIA or my drugs, low dose of Flecainide + Warfarin?

I have Googled symptoms of TIA's and mainly get physical things but visual disturbance is mentioned but not very strongly.

Just wondered what people thought, and in the meantime just off to hospital or doctor to check it out if they can. My INR was 3.3 last time so going to get that checked as well.

Many thanks

[jeanjeannie50]

Hi Koll - Yes a good idea to get this checked out. Let us know how you get on please.

[Hidden]

Hi Jean, Just phoned the out of hours doc and she thought not a TIA (phew!) but got to go get my eye pressure checked even though I have recently been tested clear for Glaucoma (spelling?). So just off now into Shrewsbury to get it done. Going to get my INR checked first thing Monday as well as it was high and climbing at last test. No Warfarin tonight for me.

[BobD Volunteer]

Hi Koll. Could be migraine related. I get a situation when a hole appears in my vision. Sometimes a bright zig zag light filament appears and gets larger till it goes out of the edges of sight. No pain these days but there was a time when I had bad headaches with it as well.

Good luck

BOB

[Offcut in reply to BobD]

I have that to but I get a headache too it starts like a ziggy pacman and spreads out and then gets smaller.

[Hidden in reply to BobD]

At the A&E the doc told me of migraines that only affect your vision, and don't give you a headache. So it could have been that as Bob suggested, but I think when I said it went in a minute of two, they thought not (I think!).

[Hidden]

I had no other symptoms Bob and don't get migraines or even headaches. I sat there talking normally to my wife (both of them!) telling her what was happening as she/they were going round and round !

Must be my eyes, sorry for posting this as it's probably got nothing to do with heart/AF, but I thought it might take some time getting responses so got in early .

[Dodie117]

I had visual disturbance although not like yours. I had 2 episodes which happened about 5 years ago, long before AF diagnosed. I was watching TV and suddenly I could only see the bottom half of the TV. This lasted about 20 minutes. Later I went to optician who said eyes were OK and maybe tired/droopy eyelid. My cardiologist/ep now thinks it was tia but can't confirm as too long ago. Get it checked! Marie

[Maitha]

I'm familiar with such thing which is part of my migraine long time back

But since you never had migraine before it is better to check your eye pressure and your INR as well

Hope nothing is serious

Maitha

[Hidden]

Had my eyes checked, all OK but got a small bleed at the back of one but they didn't think that was at all related to the double-vision, and not unusual to have a small bleed either.

But as my INR was 3.3 last time and possibly heading upwards that made me worried. So have tried all day to get my INR tested, not possible on a Saturday around here other than go to A&E. So I did and they went through the whole procedure ECG, blood tests, sugar etc. All OK, cholestoral fine (even though I've taken myself 100% off Statins months ago....hoooorray), blood pressure a bit high as I would expect, heart rate going from 97-175 and back again like a yoyo, pulse all over the place but ECG fine because they took it when nothing was happening (not a problem), INR 2.7 which I'm very happy with.

So I'm no wiser really but at least I know my INR isn't up to 4 or 5 when I have an eye bleed, however small!!!

Not bothered about my ticker playing up, does it all the time and I'm used to it and EP seeing me again in the next couple of months with a bit of luck.

So I'm a happy bunny, thanks for the replies, very much appreciated.

[mzoren]

I had a similar experience about 4 months ago. It cleared up in the ER and the doctor said he saw nothing significant - he referred me to an ophthalmologist. She said it was an ocular migraine and that it was not dangerous and asymptomatic, other than the visual issue. It hasn't happened since.

[Hidden in reply to mzoren]

Thanks mzoren.

[acfxr12]

In my research for post ablation symptoms and complications as well as personal experience, I would guess you experienced and ocular migraine. As Mzoren stated. I had a few years when I would get them periodically, have to stop whatever I was doing and wait for them to subside, sometimes I would get a headache afterwards, but most generally not. It reminds me of the kaleidoscope tubes we had as kids, starts out a small dot and then envelopes my entire vision, then slowly dissipates, usually 20-30 minutes peer episode.

I too went to GP and ophthalmologist they both had the same diagnosis. I found sites that had ablation discharge instructions posted on them and a couple of the instruction sheets actually listed ocular migraines as a possibility, mine did not. I had several in the first few weeks post ablation.

One of the white papers I found speculated that they were due to the perforation from the right to left side of the heart and in their trial data, patients who experienced these only had them during the three month blanking period and they subsided. Their conclusion was that as the perforation healed the symptoms disappeared. I know they are scary, but the research shows that they are non-life threatening. I just get in a dark space alone and "enjoy the light show" best of luck to you!