new member with AMD and Black blotches - Macular Society

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new member with AMD and Black blotches

Rudder76 profile image
19 Replies

My name is Alexander Aitken, I am new to this site. I have AMD wet in right eye now only have peripheral vision in that eye, had 3 injections which done no good at all. About 2 years ago I had a bout of about a week waking to go to toilet in the night with a football size black patch centre of my good eye showing clearly on the hazy ceiling and completely obscuring the toilet bowl. Eye clinic doc. found nothing wrong in his exam. he wasn't really sure what I was talking about, also I could nearly see bottom line on the chart as this patch goes during the day. That time it lasted about a week, now I have it back persistent for about 10 days up to now, but this time it seems to leave me with my long sight getting worse gradually, if it is wet AMD surely I should be getting injections. Can anybody advise please. AA.

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Rudder76 profile image
Rudder76
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19 Replies
tallyho profile image
tallyho

Hi there sorry to hear of your issues where are u based? If in UK NICE guidelines mean that you will qualify fir treatment if your central vision is affected and if you can read to the bottom of the chart then they won’t think it is also the amount of fluid measured in Microns need to be a certain number before treatment is started (400). Are you being seen again?

in reply totallyho

Hi, wet AMD is defined on OCT, OCTa or FFA. Vision needs to be +0.3 or worse (6/12). The microns measurement pertains to diabetic macular oedema.

RP1944 profile image
RP1944 in reply totallyho

Sorry to hear of your eye issues. Are you still under the clinic that did the original three jabs? If so you should have another check up in the pipeline.

rosyG profile image
rosyG

Make sure you contact eye clinic snd have scans done.

udall profile image
udall

I have this same symptom and have had for a couple of years. Black patches at night when I lie down. I went to my optician and had a scan and they could find nothing wrong. I have had dry macular for about 3 years which seems stable at the moment. Had a scan recently which said no change. The black patches disappear in the daytime but are pronounced at night. the optician suggested it may be low blood pressure when i lie down. Am not sure of my next step yet but trying to get info from sources like this site. Helpful to hear that someone else has a similar thing. Hope we can get to the bottom of it!

Jihm profile image
Jihm in reply toudall

I'm not sure this is related, but I get black patches at night in very low light if I look up at the ceiling when I first lie down in bed. The size and intensity of the patches seem to be directly related to how much time, and how recently, I have been using a screen - a computer, or the tv screen. They seem to me to be akin to what we sometimes call "after images". The patches do not obscure objects however, and seem to dissipate altogether in less than an hour. I never see them during the day.

udall profile image
udall in reply toJihm

Just seen your comment. I also do not get them if I lie down during the day. I've not heard of "after images". Interesting clue!

Jihm profile image
Jihm in reply toudall

Try Googling "after image", or "negative after image". There are a lot of articles about that on the internet. In my case I think the black patch is a sort of negative after image of light emitted by LCD screens. (But that is just a guess.)

udall profile image
udall in reply toJihm

I have googled after image and it is very interesting thanks. Will pursue it further.

BetaFunction profile image
BetaFunction in reply toJihm

I have black patches first thing in the morning when I wake up. They disappear very quickly. I never see then during the day or at night before I go to bed.

Joysad profile image
Joysad

Are you using the Amstel grid to monitor your good eye? I had a similar situation but as soon as I had some blurring on the Amstel grid I was reviewed and they started injections in that eye as well. That immediately helped and the Consultant said that because it had been caught early the Eylea injections were more likely to be effective.Keep pushing and I hope something works for you.

Rudder76 profile image
Rudder76 in reply toJoysad

Thanks

Hammiepaeroa profile image
Hammiepaeroa

Hi I've just had my yearly eye test from the specialist and I have had these dark blotches for about 10 years so I drew a picture of what I see at night and early morning from each eye and showed it to the specialist so after my Oct scan we had a look at the results and we both agreed what I'm seeing is drusen from the back of the eye. Both eyes are stable and I see him next year. I'm really interested by what others think of this result.

My appt. was almost done when I mentioned black patch on the ceiling at night to my optician at annual spec review which made him go back and look closer in my eye then refer me to the eye clinic for wetmd. He mentioned drusen at that point and said the black patch was a clue.After Oct and fluoroscein angiography the eye clinic said it wasn't wetmd after all but brvo with macular oedema.

I still see the black patch ( it only appears at the place I'm directly looking, and only in my bad eye) after 7 years even though inj have regularly brought my daytime sight back when it gets bad.

I would push for a review just to be sure especially given your existing sight problems. Best of luck.

ElviraKate profile image
ElviraKate

I have these too, in both the wet and the dry eye: forming a circular speckled brownish patch sometimes visible against a white surface, definitely associated with after-images. I see them if I have been looking at a screen, even a Kindle with negligible backlight, and much worse if I have looked at a phone or tablet. They persist for ages, unlike normal after-images (eg when they take the retinal photograph with a flash of light). But I ask about them every time I go (every six weeks at the moment) and there is never anything really wrong. It is indeed where the drusen on the macula make it extra-sensitive to light. I am not aware of them in normal daylight. A scary nuisance but not permanent. However, make sure it's all monitored just in case it gets worse.

Rosalyn-helpline profile image
Rosalyn-helplinePartner

Dear Rudder 76,

Are you based in the UK?

You stated that 2 years ago you had 3 injections in your right eye, that they did not help and that you now have peripheral vision remaining in that eye. If you have already lost all of the central vision in that eye, then there is no function for the injections.

As you have noticed changes in your long sight in your right eye, and therefore possibly your peripheral vision, then it is important that you get your eyes checked as soon as possible, in case anything needs addressing.

Have you noticed any changes in vision in your left eye?

Kind regards,

Rosalyn

Macular Society Advice and Information Service

0300 3030 111

help@macularsociety.org

Rudder76 profile image
Rudder76 in reply toRosalyn-helpline

hi Rosalyn dark patches been gone for a week now app. Had a few days away may have overdone the wine a bit I wonder if that helps may thin blood etc. who knows, my good eye at distance seems not as sharp at distance, got a glaucoma test soon so see what happens, thanks Rudder 76

fed12 profile image
fed12

I first noticed a persistent "red sun" after-image, then a black spot. Both reported to my optician, who failed to photograph my retinas. The black spot may be a scotoma and is a cardinal sign of wet AMD. Get to an eye clinic soonest. How did you get on? Let us know, because speed of treatment is essential. xx sending you a hug.

oldoakowl profile image
oldoakowl

I have had those black spots in my central vision for 10-12 years now with no change in my perception of the Amsler grid. I figured that it was the rods and cones slowly thinning out due to dry MD. Never thought of drusen! At night they are black, now I have noticed that, during the day, if I look at a light-colored object, I cannot see details. It is as if a light-colored spot is making the details fade out, as the black spots make dark details fade out at night. The dimmer the light, the more obvious the effect

In the last year, both eyes have progressed to wet MD with no changes in the spots.

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