Strange vision problem, desperately seeking answers

About 6 months ago I began to experience what can be best described as
a persistant migraine aura, in which I get small colored or black/gray
spots that appear suddenly then fade over several minutes. They occur
in 1 eye at a time. I've been getting this every day, many times a day
ever since.

The trouble is, is that some of the spots have NEVER gone away, and
since this all started, I've accumulated about 3 or 4 fixed spots in
each eye, in random locations. The color the spots had when they
originally appeared faded over a week or two, but it leaves a small
blank or blind spot. Letters on pages I read that fall in range of
these spots vanish. It's just a blank.

In addition to having several of these permanant blind spots, when I
look at lines, they look slightly wavy or blurry in isolated areas of
my peripheral vision.

I've been to 2 opthomologists, a retina specialist and a neuro-
opthomologist and I've had general exams, an angiogram, an MRI, visual
field tests, and a retina thickness test. None of these showed
anything out of the ordinary.

I'm rather alarmed at this, as my symptoms are progressing and I don't
know what to do. I'm 28 yrs old, nearsighted, and I do a lot of
computer work at my job. I have no known family history of such a
vision problem.

Any help, ideas, or advice would be deeply appreciated. Thank you.

>
> In addition to having several of these permanant blind spots, when I
> look at lines, they look slightly wavy or blurry in isolated areas of
> my peripheral vision.
>
> I've been to 2 opthomologists, a retina specialist and a neuro-
> opthomologist and I've had general exams, an angiogram, an MRI, visual
> field tests, and a retina thickness test. None of these showed
> anything out of the ordinary.

How can you have the symptom of a "permanent blind spots" and not have these
show up on a field test?

Don W.

PS. The retinal thickness test is an OCT?

To Don:

I don't know why the spots couldn't be detected. It's very troubling
to me. I had what I think is called the Humphry test(?) The test is
the one where they flash little points of light and I clicked on a
button indicating when I saw wach flash. Also when I look at the
Amsler grid I can see missing areas and swirling/blurry areas.

These blind spots and disturbances are very tiny I assume, but they
are large enough from my perspective that I see gaps in lines and
missing vision when looking at things that fall in range of these
spots.

I wonder if these spots are too tiny and scattered to be successfully
detected? Are there other tests that could be done?

There are a few other people I've found on various websites like this
one who have reported nearly identical symptoms, but most of them have
had little success in the way of getting any diagnosis or treatment.

Thank you for responding.

It would appear that the problem areas are able to respond to the
bright light of the visual field test, but are not sensitive enough to
provide normal vision.

Glenn Hagele
Executive Director
USAEyes (R)
Patient Advocacy Surgeon Certification

"Consider and Choose With Confidence" (TM)

Email to glenn dot hagele at usaeyes dot org

http://www.USAEyes.org

Lasik Bulletin Board
http://www.USAEyes.org/Ask-Lasik-Expert/

I am not a doctor.

Copyright 2008
All Rights Reserved

My other question was did you have an OCT (optical coherence tomograph)
also?
Was that the "retinal thickness" measurement?

Don W.

On Aug 2, 11:32�pm, "Don W" <dwil...@prodigy.net> wrote:
> � My other question was did you have an OCT (optical coherence tomograph)
> also?
> Was that the "retinal thickness" measurement?
>
> Don W.

Oops sorry about that. Yes it was an OCT.

I think the gaps in the Amsler grid, undiagnosed, would bother me the
most.
After all of these tests, I would hate to suggest an nth opinion, but I
would tend to lean that way.
I would defer to professionals on this site for more advice.
I think daily checking of the Amsler is important to see if there are
"other" changes.

Don W.

On Aug 4, 10:08*am, "John Hasenkam" <jo...@goawayplease.com> wrote:
> Definitely what Don said, this is a problem you should keep investigating..

sorry. I don't have any suggestions. you are seeing the right
people. this is an issue for a retina specialist and/or a
neuroophthalmologist.

> At a big guess I wonder if you're suffering from transient ischemic
> attacks(momentary loss of blood supply) at the retina, optic nerve, LGN or
> V1.

if it happens in only one eye at a time, then it has to be either a
problem at the level of the retina or at the optic nerve anterior to
the chiasm.

so it sounds like you are saying there is no objective confirmation of
a visual field defect. if no defects show on a Humphries VF, retinal
tomogram, or MRI you probably are having difficulty getting very far
with the doctors you are seeing since they can't correlate your
complaints with any measurable defect.

are there any other non-visual neurological issues that you are
experiencing? muscle weakness, paresthesia?

> are there any other non-visual neurological issues that you are
> experiencing? �muscle weakness, paresthesia?

Nothing of that nature. I feel healthy otherwise and I exercise.

Only other things that trouble me are bouts of depression and general
anxiety. Only a couple of weeks prior to noticing this vision problem,
I had a series of panic attacks and high anxiety.

About 10 years ago I tested positive for anti-nuclear antibodies
because I have rosacea and I was sent for some bloodwork at the time
to check for signs of possible auto-immunie diseases. I saw a
Rhumatologist for awhile but was never diagnosed as having anything.
The rosacea was affecting my eyes at that time, I was told I had a
'nodule' on or in my right eye for about a year, it constantly felt
like a grit. I was given eyedrops that contained a steroid ingrediant
and it helped and the problem subsided. I don't take any medications
at this time. Still have the rosacea on my skin but it seems stable.

I truly appreciate all of the responses.

John, Too bad we're not in the "Dear" era, I would write you a "Dear John"
letter!
All I can say is Q10 is IN my medicine cabinet.
I tried to write your email but got a "Retun to Sender" message, at that
time.
How are you doing?
And
What are you doing?
Reminds me, got some _positive_ zinc papers to (hmmm) digest.

Don






"John Hasenkam" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
news:(E-Mail Removed)...
> Definitely what Don said, this is a problem you should keep investigating.
> At a big guess I wonder if you're suffering from transient ischemic
> attacks(momentary loss of blood supply) at the retina, optic nerve, LGN or
> V1. Given the apparent lack of retinal abnormalities that suggests the
> cause
> ïs "behind the eye". Too hard to know but if this is an ongoing
> deterioration of your sight you had better do something real quick.
>
> Hey Don,
>
> Did you ever get around to trying phototrop?
>
> "Don W" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
> news:4Lmlk.9473$(E-Mail Removed)...
>> I think the gaps in the Amsler grid, undiagnosed, would bother me the
>> most.
>> After all of these tests, I would hate to suggest an nth opinion, but I
>> would tend to lean that way.
>> I would defer to professionals on this site for more advice.
>> I think daily checking of the Amsler is important to see if there are
>> "other" changes.
>>
>> Don W.
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>
>
>