Lasik and Dizziness

[larandsandy]

I am a 48 yo female that has been having problems with driving and dizziness. This year has been bad.  I had Lasik surgery done in 3/2000. The results were 20/20 in right eye 20/25 in left. 7 years ago, I had a vitreous detachment in the left eye and it resulted in a floater in the middle of my vision. Over the years it now moves down out of the vision, but still does move up and in the way. The reason my vision was corrected to only 20/25 in the left eye initially was because if my eyes were corrected both to 20/20, my dominant eye would switch from right to left and then I would need a stronger prescription in the right eye. So to prevent this switch and eating up prescription changes, my left eye is a little blurry to keep the dominant eye my right eye. Well, since the detachment, my vision is 20/30 in that eye, Also since the detachment, I have a lot of problems driving. I get really dizzy, sick to my stomach and feel like I am going to pass out.  It is really bothersome. Worse when the sun shines through the trees over the road, or if there are guard rails up, and also any repetitive movement like lines in the road. It is worse the faster I go, so I try to avoid the highways and have been taking the back roads.  It really is affecting my life.  I don't know what is causing this. I also notice that bright lights like camera flashes, sun reflections off of windows etc. leave the mark in my vision for like a half hour later.  Have you heard of this? Do you think that Lasik had something to do with it or the vitreous detachment? I feel it has to do with my eyes as I am ok at home except when I am on the computer. I will get it then as well. I cannot play games like solitare as the movement of my eyes gets it going again. Also, too much reading will. I do have a history of motion sickness. I have had it ever since I was a child. I could never ride a school bus.  Do you think it could be motion sickness? Any help for this? Thank you for any advice you have.

[Timothy D McGarity, M.D.]

Hello,
I don't think LASIK caused this, but you may benefit from having a temporary prescription for glasses. Even a very weak need for the prescription might help you. Also, consider amber, hunters orange, or photogrey tinting in you glasses, this may help. Some of your issues may be purely neurologic and I don't believe they are related strictly to vitreous detachment. Good luck!

[lost_in_despair]

Sorry to hear about your problems. I do not know how to address most of them but I'll make a comment about vision related entopic phenomenon.

LASIK can caused vitreous detachment, and hence floaters.

When the bright images stay in your vision for half an hour, that is called after-image phenomenon. But for 30 mins? That is aweful. I get afterimages for 30 seconds to 1 minute. I blame it on taking roller coaster rides after accutane treatment. Accutane destroyed my rods and cones probably, and then roller coasters induced partial abnormal PVD at a young age of 24.

There is no treatment for after images, as ophthalmologists think it is a "minor" nuisance.