Hi all,
I remember the pharmacist saying I would get these. Today was crazy, getting slithers of black snakes in my left eye. Crazy when you look at a white background or in sky. Any tips on how to clean them up and manage them better? Hopefully coming off the Amioderone after my Ablation on 25th May 2022
They started out as small dots like usual floaters but they really came on big time today
Peace in our 💕
Jamie
Best speak to your doctor right now IMHO as this sound excessive.
I got eye deposits but they certainly weren't visible to me, they did not affect my vision in any way. They went away after I stopped the amiodarone. I would see an optician urgently.
Thanks, I've emailed my local EPs secretary to see if they can ask my EP for advice
I would go to an optician ASAP. I had something similar to what you describe years ago and was told to go to A and E.. It was like chocolate sauce poured across my vision.
What did they do to treat you?
It was a long time ago but I think it was some sort of haemmorage which would eventually disperse on its own. I still get slight traces of it in bright sunlight.
The slithers have gone now, they went in around 10 mins after getting them and I just have the tiny black dots here and there now that are like floaters and can only see on white background, the chocolate sauce is a great description for the time it was happening, there is a noticeable bit in my left eye but to see it I need to stink eye to the left and down
I had the same thing 12 months ago , it was picked up by my optician having been on Amiodarone for 7 months, my consultant took me off them straightaway and a week later was put of Dronedarone. I personally would get an optician appointment straightaway and pay the extra for the behind the eye scan ( £40 circa extra ) it would save time unless via A&E you can to see an eye doctor quickly. I use VisuXL eyedrops which contain CoQ10 4 times a day now and that certainly helps, I was advised to do that but that was from my eye consultant and of course doesn't mean it would be right for you.
I have been on amiodarone for 10 years. Granted it was only 200 mg/day, now 100 mg/day. And the deposits don't bother me at all, nor do they concern my ophthalmologist. In the US, dronedarone is over $400 a month WITH insurance whereas amiodarone is really cheap, $5 or less a month. IF you are one of the lucky ones like me who tolerate amiodarone with little to no side effects, cost alone might be a factor in what treatment you get.
Wow! $400 I knew it was expensive as it hasn't been licenced out yet, but that is so much a month.
This happened to me quite recently. I had only started taking my meds ( Bisoprolol & Edoxaban ) & woke up one morning with silver flashes shooting across my right eye & larger than usual floaters.It is frightening as I wondered if this was the cause of a detached retina?
I was advised to pay a visit to A&E!
Unfortunately as this was a Sunday no real diagnosis so referred to our local eye clinic next morning.
After a thorough check & investigation with the opthomologist I was told this was an age related thing 😒 & not caused by the meds. Apparently, it’s bits of the lining from the back of the eye coming away.
He advised that these floaters should improve over time as the brain learns to deal with them & eventually I’ll not notice them in my line of vision.
Hope you get some answers🤔.
Take care
This can be a sign of either retinal detatchment ( serious) or detatchment of the vitreous ( not serious) and absolutely needs to be checked out as the retinal detatchment can lead to loss of sight in the eye but can be fixed if caught early by an op.
I spent about 4 hours in A&E this week after I had flashing in my right eye and a long black hair like filament appeared.
I've had floaters in my eyes for a long time and had tests done about 10 years ago. They told me that if anything changed I should go back and get checked out ASAP.
The flashing is related to the gel in the eye separating from the retina and sometimes a small piece of retina comes away. The hospital needed to check that the retina wasn't torn as this could lead to detachment. (reminder to take sunglasses next time as dilated pupils are no fun in bright sunlight).
The bad news is that they can't do anything about floaters and I'm left with a black smudge that keeps floating across the centre of my eye. It's very annoying but I hope my brain can find a way of filtering it out.
The advice is to get your eyes checked immediately.
I was reading about an amazing study about people with floaters eating lots of pineapple 🍍 as they have an enzyme in them that cleans out the floaters, wish I could eat a load of it but as we know it interferes with Amioderone and so many other meds
I hadn't heard of that but a quick search revealed that it wasn't very conclusive with no controls groups taking part.
Here's the vid I saw youtu.be/SoMPJWhsb2U
I recently had the sudden experience of floaters & flashes in one eye (I'm not on Amiodarone) and knew this could be an eye emergency. The possibility of a detached retina needed to be excluded as it can be treated successfully if caught early, so I booked an urgent appointment at my local optometrist. It turned out to be PVD (Posteriot Vitreous Detachment) which is quite common as we age, and usually needs no treatment. However, it can sometimes progress to a retinal tear or detachment, which does need immediate laser treatment, so I was advised to report any further changes urgently. Four months later the same thing happened with the other eye - same diagnosis. The flashes have stopped but the really annoying floaters still persist. Although this is an AF forum, I felt it important to flag up this common condition to fellow members as it's so treatable, but only if acted on quickly.
Further to other replies: 9 years ago I was watching TV in the dark absorbed with the program and and was brushing a hair out of my left eye in automatic mode. After a while I realised that there was no hair. In the morning fearing g a detached retina ( after googling) I went to an opticiams and I had a bleed from the bottom artery branch in the eye. That area is now blind as the retina fed by it dies from lack of oxygen. It is only a small area in peripheral vision. But if more central it could have been much more serious. Not medically trained but if you have nor seen an optician yet suggest you do so immediately.
Best wishes
Seeing the eye guy tomorrow 11.45 taking everyone's advice, will let you all know what they find
Peace in our hearts
I hope the appointment went well and I'm anxious to hear about it. May you have good luck!I have an appointment Monday with a cataract surgeon because I had a sudden onset of blurry vision in my right eye only. Recently I've taken a front load of amiodarone, 400 mg, twice a day for 7 days then 200 mg. once a day for 30 days. ( pre and post Cardioversion on the 23rd of March.) I stopped taking amio on the 19th of April. The sudden onset of the blurred vision concerned me and I saw an Ophthalmologist who did not think it had anything to do with amiodarone though he admitted that cataracts usually happen in both eyes, not just one so he referred me to the surgeon. I've found research studies showing the drug can cause a cataract - one or both eyes or other vision problems so I feel my problem IS related to amiodarone. I won't be sure it's a cataract until I see the surgeon... stay tuned.
I have the deposits. I had an eye exam with a newbie optometrist and she freaked out when she saw them. Turns out she'd never seen someone with deposits from amiodarone. She referred me to an ophthalmologist who examined me and said that that I definitely have the deposits but they aren't going to cause any trouble. I have no noticeable symptoms from the deposits and what is going on with you doesn't seem at all like what I've got- FWIW, I've been on amiodarone for more than 10 years, so my deposits are definitely long term. I would talk to your opthalmologist about what's going on with you because what you describe is not at all like what I'm seeing.
Hi I do get the odd mild fly in the eye floaters but nothing excessive. I'm now 1 week post new metal heart mitral valve replacement and was also given a maze procedure to protect against AF.I dropped back into mild AF after being in nsr for 5years plus 4weeks before op so was a ideal time to try and sort af for good.
Post op I was in very irregular aaf beat but slowly improving and surgeon says he would hope I flip back to normal Sr shortly. They are already easing and hopefully I can get off the ammeodorone for the past 10-15 years.
Best of luck to every sufferer of this horrible restrictive condition.
Tony
Well I seen the eye people, had the dilation and eye pressure tests and a good manual and camera check of the eye along with other tests, said they could see that 'slither' along with normal floaters, the slither goes up beyond of what they can normally see so I've had a referral to the hospital from them so they can see what is going on behind the eye. They said if I get what looks like a curtain coming down over my sight to call them if they are open or if not go straight to A and E, so awaiting my appointment now
Hi all, been to outpatients in hospital, I have a PVD Posterior Vitreous Detachment
calcium deposits in veins
Corneal deposits 
What do other AFib members use instead of Amioderone?
Eyes
