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Neurology (Expert Forum)
Seeing tracers,double-triple vision upon waking in middle of night
Answered by
Lama Chahine, MD - Neurology
Cleveland Clinic
Cleveland - OH
This forum is for questions and support regarding neurology issues such as: Alzheimer's Disease, ALS, Autism, Brain Cancer, Cerebral Palsy, Chronic Pain, Epilepsy, Fibromyalgia, Headaches, MS, Neuralgia, Neuropathy, Parkinson's Disease, RSD, Sleep Disorders, Stroke, Traumatic Brain Injury.
Seeing tracers,double-triple vision upon waking in middle of night
by laylasland, Aug 16, 2009 09:54AM
Currently I take; 125mcg levythyroxin( for hypothyroidism), 150 mg Trazedone (to help me sleep), 50 mg topiramate 2x per day (to prevent my almost daily migraines - only have been on this treatment for a month now), (& when needed 40mg relpax for my breakthrough migraines).
Have recently begun seeing tracers upon waking up. Triple vision of things and tracers. Iam a life long sufferer of migraines. I have been in and out of hospitals for my migraines. Just recently was hospitalized for pneumonia in the beginning of July. Since coming home I was referred to a new doctor and he is the one who prescribed me for topiramate for my migraines. I have been on many many other preventatives. with none being successful, til now. Although topiramate has not taken them away completely, it has reduced them from 3-4 a week to 1 a week.. which has been a huge relief! The doctor treating me in the hospital recommended my new doctor to refer me to a neurologist abt my too frequent/debilitating migraines(which he in fact seen personally all the days I was in the hospital for my pneumonia.. because most of the "cocktails" and prescriptions he wrote didnt work on them)however I am moving in 2 weeks to FT Campbell, KY .. so I asked if he could just first start this treatment of the preventative .. and maybe recommend to my new doctor to refer me to a neurologist out there. However now these visual disturbances have become very frequent. should I be worried abt this??
Its more like seeing triple vision than double vision and last well over 5-7 minutes while waking up .. sometimes even longer. At times it will happen even after just having my eyes shut and not even sleeping. Please if you could help. ( I also have degenerative disc disease since the age of 21.. when i had a lumbar and a cervical mri done... - I am now 32)
Thank you for all your help.
Layla
Have recently begun seeing tracers upon waking up. Triple vision of things and tracers. Iam a life long sufferer of migraines. I have been in and out of hospitals for my migraines. Just recently was hospitalized for pneumonia in the beginning of July. Since coming home I was referred to a new doctor and he is the one who prescribed me for topiramate for my migraines. I have been on many many other preventatives. with none being successful, til now. Although topiramate has not taken them away completely, it has reduced them from 3-4 a week to 1 a week.. which has been a huge relief! The doctor treating me in the hospital recommended my new doctor to refer me to a neurologist abt my too frequent/debilitating migraines(which he in fact seen personally all the days I was in the hospital for my pneumonia.. because most of the "cocktails" and prescriptions he wrote didnt work on them)however I am moving in 2 weeks to FT Campbell, KY .. so I asked if he could just first start this treatment of the preventative .. and maybe recommend to my new doctor to refer me to a neurologist out there. However now these visual disturbances have become very frequent. should I be worried abt this??
Its more like seeing triple vision than double vision and last well over 5-7 minutes while waking up .. sometimes even longer. At times it will happen even after just having my eyes shut and not even sleeping. Please if you could help. ( I also have degenerative disc disease since the age of 21.. when i had a lumbar and a cervical mri done... - I am now 32)
Thank you for all your help.
Layla
Doctor's Answer
by Lama Chahine, MD, Aug 19, 2009 08:27PM
, Aug 19, 2009 08:27PM
Thanks for using the forum. I am happy to address your questions, and my answer will be based on the information you provided here. Please make sure you recognize that this forum is for educational purposes only, and it does not substitute for a formal office visit with your doctor.
Without the ability to examine you and obtain a history, I can not tell you what the exact cause of your symptoms is. However I will try to provide you with some useful information.
Your visual symptoms are unusual; there are really not many neurologic causes of triple vision that come to mind. Floaters are much more often opthalmologic (due to eye issues) rather than neurologic; with migraines, flashes of light at the periphery of the visual field can occur, but floaters are rarely neurologic symptoms (eye not from brain problems). However, it is important to know that topiramate can cause glaucoma. Therefore, evaluation by an opthalmologist (eye doctor) to exclude this as a cause for your symptoms, and to investigate other causes for your vision symptoms, is recommended. Follow-up with your neurologist is also recommended.
Thank you for this opportunity to answer your questions, I hope you find the information I have provided useful, good luck.
Without the ability to examine you and obtain a history, I can not tell you what the exact cause of your symptoms is. However I will try to provide you with some useful information.
Your visual symptoms are unusual; there are really not many neurologic causes of triple vision that come to mind. Floaters are much more often opthalmologic (due to eye issues) rather than neurologic; with migraines, flashes of light at the periphery of the visual field can occur, but floaters are rarely neurologic symptoms (eye not from brain problems). However, it is important to know that topiramate can cause glaucoma. Therefore, evaluation by an opthalmologist (eye doctor) to exclude this as a cause for your symptoms, and to investigate other causes for your vision symptoms, is recommended. Follow-up with your neurologist is also recommended.
Thank you for this opportunity to answer your questions, I hope you find the information I have provided useful, good luck.
Member Comments (2)
by Ozgirl1, Oct 01, 2009 11:25AM
To: laylasland
I have the exact same symptoms...were you able to find out why this happens...recently it went from double to triple and much more intense I've had about 5 episodes over 18 months. I don't know what it is and I have an appointment for a neurologist, but not until 10-16-09. I worry about it. It only happens when I get up during the night. Anything you have learned regarding these "unusual" symptons is greatly appreciated. Thank You.
