Okay people, just took my vision field test today after almost one month after being on Plaquenil. Does anybody else totally hate that test and find that it is difficult?!?! Lady tells me only click the button when I am SURE I see one of the little lights flashing on the screen. Well I am not sure if I did it right or not...afraid I clicked when I wasn't supposed to and vice versa. I hate test taking..LOL..I get test anxiety!! Any thoughts about your experience with this test? I won't see how I did until July 7th at my next appointment. Thanks ...Mary
Mary,
According to the person who gave me my last field vision test, they allow for some "error". I got my results almost immediately. I have taken that test a couple of times, about a year apart. The Plaquenil hasn't caused any problems for me and I've been on it at least 5 years @ 400 mg daily. I hope all is well with your eyes as well.
Reanne
Mary: I've taken a couple of the field of vision tests, though not for Plaquenil - I haven't been on it long enough I guess. They had me take one when I had optic neuritis in my left eye - twice! That's one reason everybody thought I had MS instead of Sjogren's. The first time, they said I'd lost about 5% vision. The second test (years later) I knew what to expect so I wasn't nervous at all. In fact I thought about not clicking the stupid button at all just to see how many people would come running into the room. hehe ;D Turns out I have a total loss of about 10% vision. Not bad - it could have been worse. I wouldn't be too worried. I believe it's pretty rare to lose vision from the drug. They just need to check periodically to make sure.
LeoLady
Hi Mary,
Yeah, have had several of those critters, and let me tell you, I'd rather be doing anything else I don't find them painful, it's hard to concentrate on it, the flashing lights keep distracting me, go figure! :D
Take care of yourself -
Patze
I hate that visual field test! I usually hold my breath and try not to blink for fear of missing something--not good! I am very nearsighted and have found it helpful if I tell that to the technician. They give you a compensating lens to look through and I always tell them to push me up as close as possible to the lens. It really is easier to see those faint glimmers if you actually have a (somewhat) corrective lens in front of your eye. I had them every 6 months while taking Plaquenil.
Also had the color test---with that one you have to put a series of 15 color "patties" in order. I believe this is called the Farnsworth test --here's an online version if you're interested http://www.univie.ac.at/Vergl-Physiologie/colortest/colortestF-en.html (http://www.univie.ac.at/Vergl-Physiologie/colortest/colortestF-en.html). Plaquenil toxicity changes the color-sensitive cells in the retina, so this picks up on subtle changes in your ability to distinguish colors that are similar.
Calli
Mary,
I, too, find the field of vision test to be stressful. I click every time I even think I see a light, and my results have always been really good. The technician who administered it last time said that I must be doing it right. There's hardly time to consider some of the flashes before the next one happens! I am tested once a year.
Hope your results are good.
Cheryl
My opthalmologist told me a year ago that they've found using the Amsler grid is every bit as effective as doing the field of vision test.
The Amsler grid is just a black and white grid with a black spot or X in the center. To use it, you stand about 2 feet away, cover one eye at a time and focus on the center black X. If any of the lines in the grid are wavy or missing, call your opthalmologist pronto. (If you wear glasses or contacts, leave them on/in.)
Google it, print one out, and put it on the front of your fridge. Check it regularly once a month -- the first weekend, for example.
Prairie gal
Hi Prairie Gal :)
That's exactly what my opthamologist recommended I do the last time I saw him. He's enthusiastic about what 'patients' can find online.
Take care - Scottie :)
I haven't read all the responses, but I will say I HATE THAT TEST. :)
I can't stand this test. I get it once a year and tend to be tired whenever I'm at the eye doctor so I have a hard time keeping my eyes open and focused. I always feel like I'm going cross-eyed. It seems to take forever. Last time, the lady administering the test actually gave me the WRONG test on the same machine (white dots instead of red ones or vice versa, I can't remember), then realized her mistake and I had to do it all over again. This ran my appointment about 45 minutes longer than it should have since I had to wait for the person after me to finish their test before I could do it again. Big thumbs down for the field vision test.