Restasis and blind spots

[vtmommy]

So, I was pretty happy to be put on Restasis since I've heard it helped a lot of other people.  Unfortunately, after being on it for about a month now, I've noticed occasional bouts of blind spots for the past few days.  It only lasts for 20 minutes or so, but today's episode was enough to make me decide not to continue the Restasis until I talk to my eye doctor tomorrow.  I lost half of my vision in my right eye today and had a few blind spots in my left.  I couldn't read my computer screen and decided it was time for my warm eye compress.  After the compress, it seemed to clear up enough for me to focus and an hour later it was better.  Yesterday it was more of a blurriness in just my left eye which cleared up after about 30 minutes.  I've searched the forum, but most of what I found dealt with burning, which really hasn't been an issue for me.

Anyone else have this and does it sound like the Restasis?  I'll see what my doc thinks tomorrow, but would love to hear personal experiences.

Thanks,

Susan

[Cheryl]

Susan,
  Please go get your eyes checked in the morning!  You may be dealing with a serious problem.  (I hope that your suspicions are right, because stopping the med would be an easy fix.)  Please let us know what you find out.
  I am not aware if this is a possible side effect of using Restasis, but I'm glad you stopped it until you get checked.     Best wishes!
Cheryl

[anita]

Good idea to stop the restasis, but I doubt it's the cause.  Blind spots or sudden, short lasting, loss of vision can be amaurosis fugax, which is from blood clots...and of course very serious.  I have concerns because you mentioned the short lasting head pains in one of your other posts.

I have had two amaurosis fugax and 3 strokes.  The amaurosis fugax can be loss of full vision (in one eye), or partial vision.  If it's happening in both eyes at the same time, it's likely NOT a clot or amaurosis fugax.

BTW, I saw in one other post of yours from a couple weeks ago that I should have commented but didn't, then forgot to go back to it.  I go to JH for most of my care (even though I live 3 hours away).  My rheumy/neuro (he's both) is at the Sjogren's Center.  He was the one to diagnose me, even though I'm sero-negative.  My schirmer's was positive (2 in both eyes) and my lip biopsy was very, very positive.  If you want to be seen at JH's Sjogren's Center, you'll have to have the lip biopsy...they require it, just to be seen there or will get an order for it to be done.  If you need a firm diagnosis for treatment and you're sero-negative, I would suggest the lip biopsy.  Anyway, just wanted you to know that you can get a diagnosis at JH when sero-negative...but you'll need the lip biopsy to be positive.

Please let us know how you eye doctor appt goes tomorrow.

[A66eyroad]

I agree with Cheryl --- it's important to keep those peepers healthy!

I often get what my eye doc calls "ocular migraines" which start with blind spots that get larger and larger until they open up in the center like a donut with wavy edges. Does that sound like what you're having?

As both Cheryl and Anita said, please let us know what you learn.

[vtmommy]

I had an ...interesting...day today.  I woke up with pretty bad shoulder and neck pain, so coupled with my 3 days of temporary vision loss, I called my primary, who told me to go to the walk-in clinic.  After 3 hours at the walk-in clinic, they consulted with my primary and sent me over to the ER at the main hospital for a head MRI after they consulted with a neurologist.  After 6 hours in the ER, IV in, ready to go, another neurologist comes in and tells me he thinks it's just migraines (without pain) and doesn't warrant the scan.  He prescribed me 5 days of prednisone with the first day being 20 mg, then 15 the next, 10, etc.

Needless to say, I was pretty annoyed that it took them 6 hours to tell me this.  I'm very hesitant to go on prednisone because I know it can be pretty nasty stuff.  He said some people break up the dosage throughout the day, but he wants me to take it all at one time in the morning (the 20mg one as well) to have an "anti-inflammatory" impact on my body. 

I don't think my primary is in the office tomorrow, so I don't think I can run it by her.  If both my primary and a neurologist agreed I should have the MRI, I can't quite bring myself to start the prednisone without talking to them first. 

Has anyone ever taken that high of a prednisone dose at one time?  I thought 5 mg was the norm, but would have to search the boards.  Any feedback would be appreciated.

Thanks,

Susan

[anita]

That's pretty disappointing that they didn't think your vision loss warranted a scan.  If it continues to occur, get another opinion outside the ER.

20mg is not very high for a taper dose.   Take with food so it doesn't upset your stomach.

[A66eyroad]

Migraine without headache is what an ocular migraine is. You can read about them here http://www.allaboutvision.com/conditions/ocular-migraine.htm and here http://www.migraine-aura.org/content/e27891/index_en.html and see how the "donut" thing looks. 

I usually don't even realize I've got one of these until the blind spot is pretty big. Once, I was sitting in a doctor's office staring out the window. Apparently, another patient came into the waiting room and sat down across from me and I didn't see her there because of the blind spot. When I turned my head she came into view and scared the bejeebus out of me and I yelped! She must've thought I was a crackpot.

I take "burst and taper" doses of Medrol (Methylprednosolone) starting at 30 mg. all at once and tapering 5 mg per day. I take this type dose whenever I have a "flare" (which to me is the sudden onset of a screaming migraine-type headache with nausea and body aches, kind of like an aburpt case of flu from out of nowhere).

Usually, the ocular migraine doesn't have anything to do with my flares.

I hope this helps.

Let us know what happens when you see your PCP.