Transient blindness upon waking

[tohealth123]

Hello

I have experienced transient blindness upon waking April 2011.This occured three times.  Note that I have epilepsy (grand mals since January 2010), and schizophrenia (since March 2011) - both are controlled with medicine.  I am a 47 year old male.

I currently take serax, seroquel, invega for hullicinations, and divaproex for epilepsy.

Note that there were no other symptoms, and the transient blindness has not reoccured. However, I had a severe bought of auditory hullucinations April 2011, and was given Invega.  Also, I last had an eye exam October 2011 with an Optometrist.

What could be the cause?  The medicine, neurological disorder or something else?

This is what happened.

Blindness – three times when I woke up in the
morning.  Twice full blindness.  Once my vision was restored in about 10
seconds.  On the second occasion my right
eye came back gradually beginning from the right part in about 20 seconds
before my left eye was restored about ten seconds later.  On the third I become fully blind, but it was
soon restored

Thank you in advance for your reply!

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

No low sodium should not cause that. I suggest you ask your psychiatrist to refer you to an ophthalmologist and also ask if any of your medications might cause that.

JCH MD

[tohealth123]

My blood sodium has been low in the past which is in part responsible for my past seizures, AND the medicine for my past hallucinations did not work very well.  Now I take salt twice daily to help prevent seizures in addition to the medicine.  The hullications went away within 30 minutes after taking salt in April.

So, I am wondering if low sodium could have been a caused to my transient blindness?