I've just had a strange thing in the vision in one eye. Hard to explain. It was s bit like a lightning bolt shape occasionally passing through my peripheral vision in my left eye. I don't have pain or any other symptoms. I'm tapering from 15 mgs to 12.5 of Pred (also on MTX) using the alternate days method. Today was to have been a 12.5 day. It happened while I was out shopping, every few minutes for about two hours. As soon as I got home, I took 5 mg of Pred and it has stopped now and it all seems normal. It may be completely unrelated to PMR/gca, I don't know.
Has anyone had anything like this?
Thanks in advance for any advice.
Gerri.
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GerriMc
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I had something very like you describe 10 years before PMR.
Soon after the ‘flashing lights’ I developed a couple of floatersin my vision. Was sent to eye hospital just in case, and told this can be quite a normal occurrence in over 50s. But was advised to return immediately if I developed a vertical ‘curtain ‘ obscuring half my vision as that could be sign of a retina detaching.
The experts will be along soon, to advise on any links with PMR or GCA.
Hi Gerri, I had similar to Mary, about 3 years ago. Really dazzling zigzag patterns in my left eye, also as if I'd been looking a bright light with one eye. It went on all afternoon and evening then by bedtime a dark shadow started obscuring my vision but I found if I moved my head the 'thing' would move too. A quick trip to Tesco's optician the next day revealed a PVD - posterior vitreous detachment - a giant floater! Quite common in the over-60s they said but referred me to our local hospital's Ophthalmology dept to make sure the retina was ok. I read somewhere that (if you're lucky) it can take about 6 months to clear up but I still occasionally get a dark shadow when I'm tired though am used to it now so just do a few eye or head movements and soon forget about it.
I had the lightening bolt zig zag on the side of my eye .It usually lasted for 5-10 minutes.i was told by my primary and opthamologist it was an ocular migraine.It kind of goes with floaters.
mayoclinic.org/diseases-con... Sounds similar to what happened to a friend and she did have a detached retna. Not saying thats what you have, but i would take it seriously.
You need to go to eye hospital to get it checked I've had it in both eyes - I now have posterior vitreous detachment which is what can develop in older age and people with myopia. It can also be something more serious so it needs checking.
Much the same as all the others really. I developed bright flashing lights on the outer curve of one eye that was very disturbing especially in the dark. Went to eye hospital who said posterior vitreous detachment. More common in short sighted people. As we age the jelly in the eye shrinks and can gently fall forward and away from the retina as its happening which makes the retina panic a bit and chucks out giant floaters and flashing lights. Normally a harmless action but as the symptoms are much the same as the start of a retina detaching then it needs to be seen quickly (we have an eye A & E). I was told it would happen to the other eye (which it did) and both where monitored closely until jelly completely detached and both eyes ok and safe. All the best cc
I was diagnosed with GCA after terrible headaches, jaw pain and visual auras. A biopsy of the temporal artery clinched it. I was sent to the diagnostic unit of our local hospital, put through all the tests, all the scans and x-rays, talked with consultants from cardiac, neurology, vascular, eye clinics. After all their findings were submitted, their conclusion was confirmed and correct. Now under the monitoring care of the hospital rheumatologist who checks frequent blood tests and medications. Glad to say it is just as they said - all's well. It's treatable and manageable. No more pain or visual disturbances and I can chew and swallow as normal. Now all that's left (since diagnosed in December 2016) is coming off prednisone. Should be completed by next June.
Please get your eyes checked. GCA limits the blood flow to the eyes causing a build-up of pressure behind the eyes and could result in blindness in one (or rarely) both eyes.
Thank you all so much, you guys are great. I went to the A&E dept of the Eye and Ear hospital this morning but the queues even to get to the desk were out the door. The waiting room was jammed. So I went to Specsavers and saw the optician there. It is posterior vitreous detachment. Had drops put in to dialate the pupils. I actually have very good eyesight for my age, 63, and only wear glasses for reading. I have been told to be careful of any more sudden changes particularly curtailing, as the vitreous detachment can sometimes not come away cleanly and can pull on the retina causing a tear. If this happens, I have to go straight back to the hospital and tell them it is an emergency. But that's worse case scenario. For now, I just need to hope that the jelly comes clean. I'm really glad I asked you guys, I may have been tempted to just wait and see what happened. At least now I know what I'm dealing with. I'm sending big virtual hugs to you all. Thanks again.
A visual disturbance can be the sign of a stroke. And a stroke does not cause pain. I've had a stroke and a TIA and my my stroke I had cross-eyed vision for a few hours and it wasn't until my GP told me to get an MRI 5 days later that I found out it had been a stroke. But I also on another occasion had something happen kind of like you're describing. I kind of had a flash of light and then I had a big black ball in front of my right eye obscuring my vision actually. I was sure it was another stroke so I went to the emergency room. But it turns out I'd had was what they call an ocular migraine. Ocular migraines don't cause headaches. It's all to do with things you see in your eye. And after a little bit they go away. I think mine took a good 6 hours maybe more but it did go away the same day it occurred. Although I don't think you had a stroke and I'm certainly no doctor and I'm not making a diagnosis but what you probably did have was an ocular migraine.
Sorry to hear about your stroke. Thanks for your reply. I have been told I have posterior vitreous detachment which is not too serious. It pays to be vigilant though.
There are several causes of this sort of phenomenon and as Mary says, some are totally benign. But it is best to go to an optometrist to get it checked out.
I get occasional what I would describe as a loss of visual control in my right eye followed by what I describe as white blindness where I am left with 50% vision; not blindness, just whiteout. Bright lights with structure similar to a Rubik cube, at times other patters moving across the field of vision. This is followed at times with a degree of aphasia, confusion,and a headache. I think mine is neurological and is a form of migraine. Scary at times. Recently I conducted 2 hours of one-on-one interviews in this state seeing only 50% of the interviewee. The exposure extinguished some fear.
Gosh, John, that sounds scary. I have a friend who suffers a lot with migraines. She gets that white-out pattern and what she calls "frills " around the outside of her field of vision. It is usually a prequel to a bad headache. Hope you are able to manage yours.
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