Middle of night temporary blindness

I have had temporary wake me up middle of the night blindness for years - in one eye only - varies right and left - I can only see white for about 30 seconds like the blood supply gets cut off temporary then I blink many times and vision comes back slowly.  Get no pain or any other symptoms.  Last nite happened for only like 15 seconds - about 1-2 hours later woke up with headache in back of my head, took tylenol.  Once I got up, headache gone.  My opthamogist said migraines - she also has me as suspect for glaucoma because she thought my optic nerve changed a little - normal pressure in eyes -that just happened about 6 mos. ago.  I had higher than normal pressure about 20 years ago and was suspect for glaucoma for about a year then it went away.  Also I sometime see like a glare in my left eye especially in sunlight.  Have tons of floaters which were checked several times for detached retina, but diagnosed with something normal that detaches as you get older. I am a 54 and female.  Also have had abnormal brain MRI's which never was truly determined what I have either small blood vessel disease or MS or nothing - have white spots on the MRI that get a little worse everytime I get one done except last time was a little less -went to many neurologists - vary on opinion and are not certain - may have nothing to do with eyes.  I am on High BP meds (Toprol XL -75 mg.a day) - started in my 30's (25 mg. a day) with spiking of BP due to exercise or being upset, anxiety, panic, etc.  Also take Xanax for same.

[mandy38]

I have the same thing!!  Mine started in the last say 12 months, would wake up like I was looking a pin of glass dripping with water and now have the white light thing that is literally cleared in seconds.  I also am suspicious for glaucoma, high iop and suspicious optic nerve (read my post further down) and I'm worried sick because I am only 38.  I thought that maybe those things I am having when I wake are due to this problem, don't know but so nice to hear that someone else has been through the glaucoma thing and didn't have it.

My doctor also said it was eye migraines!!

mandy

[John C Hagan III, MD, FACS, FAAO]

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