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Suggest Treatment For Partial Complex Seizures, Migraines, Syncope And Fibromyalgia
Question: I have several health issues including partial complex seizures, migraines, syncope, fibromyalgia, have a pacemaker, and recently had additional blood work done and took a prednisone pack suspecting lupus or similar. I also have high blood pressure that has been difficult to control, last week the highest was 200/100, lowest was 138/92. I was recently diagnosed with weakened eye muscles causing blurry and double vision. And am depressed and see a therapist regularly. I am on several meds to control conditions. Two days ago, i awoke with a "bleeding" eye which has not shown any improvement. I am extremely tired and have a headache, and i have had a low-grade fever off and on. I have so many drs i don't know who to call for what. Help.
Brief Answer:
Read below.
Detailed Answer:
I read your question carefully and I understand your concern.
If I was to refer to your bleeding eye alone I would say it is not something alarming. If by bleeding eye you mean simply a patch of red on the normally white part, without any associated visual issues, or drooping eyelid, double vision, bulging of the eye ball etc, I would say it is a subconjunctival hemorrhage, a hemorrhage from the rupture of a blood vessel.
It can happen after coughing, sneezing, exertion etc, at times no such precipitating can be found even. More frequent in those suffering from high blood pressure. Takes 10-14 days to dissolve so the fact it's still after two days is not alarming and needs no treatment.
However you have many previous symptoms which is unclear whether they were properly investigated. You mention weakened eye muscles, double vision, complex partial seizure all things which indicate a brain involvement. It is unclear whether they were investigated, if you had a brain MRI, what were its findings and what suggestions were made regarding the diagnosis, the cause.
If no such evaluation was made, no neurologist has seen you, no brain imaging, then with so many symptoms this subconjunctival hemorrhage can't be considered as a benign isolated phenomena as usual and you need a neurological evaluation as soon as possible and brain imaging to consider conditions like stroke.
So to answer your question on who to call, you should be checked by a neurologist.
I remain at your disposal for further questions, possibly though with some more info regarding neurological testing you have done.
Read below.
Detailed Answer:
I read your question carefully and I understand your concern.
If I was to refer to your bleeding eye alone I would say it is not something alarming. If by bleeding eye you mean simply a patch of red on the normally white part, without any associated visual issues, or drooping eyelid, double vision, bulging of the eye ball etc, I would say it is a subconjunctival hemorrhage, a hemorrhage from the rupture of a blood vessel.
It can happen after coughing, sneezing, exertion etc, at times no such precipitating can be found even. More frequent in those suffering from high blood pressure. Takes 10-14 days to dissolve so the fact it's still after two days is not alarming and needs no treatment.
However you have many previous symptoms which is unclear whether they were properly investigated. You mention weakened eye muscles, double vision, complex partial seizure all things which indicate a brain involvement. It is unclear whether they were investigated, if you had a brain MRI, what were its findings and what suggestions were made regarding the diagnosis, the cause.
If no such evaluation was made, no neurologist has seen you, no brain imaging, then with so many symptoms this subconjunctival hemorrhage can't be considered as a benign isolated phenomena as usual and you need a neurological evaluation as soon as possible and brain imaging to consider conditions like stroke.
So to answer your question on who to call, you should be checked by a neurologist.
I remain at your disposal for further questions, possibly though with some more info regarding neurological testing you have done.
Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar
I do have a neurologist. He is the one who diagnosed the seizure condition via EEG. I also failed 2 tilt table tests. The pacemaker was installed BEFORE being referred to the neurologist, who wanted to do an MRI but told me i could not have an MRI due to having a pacemaker. Is that correct? I also have a cardiologist but only see her for checkups on pacemaker, and of course I have a PCP. An opthomologist diagnosed the weakened eye muscles about a year ago via testing for the blurry and double vision. I had to get new glasses with prisms to help with the vision problem. My most recent visit to him showed the weakness was continuing but at a slower rate. I guess with all of my issues, i am uncertain what to do or which dr to call. I have no trust in the facilities close to me, so i go to drs and facilities 1 to 2 hours away. Do you suggest i contact my neurologist or is it significant enough that i go to the ER? Fyi -- i still have a headache, but have not checked my BP today. Thanks for your time.
Brief Answer:
Read below
Detailed Answer:
Thank you for that additional info.
Yes, it is true that the pacemaker renders MRI impossible. I still think a CT scan with intravenous contrast might have been done. Admittedly it doesn't give as much info as the MRI, there are things it might miss, but can still show valuable findings.
However now that I know the eye muscles and the double vision issue has been present for so long, I do feel much more serene regarding the eye “bleed”. That distance in time of onset separates the two phenomena. What I had in mind was the possibility of a stroke, like cavernous sinus thrombosis, which can manifest with headache, red eye, eye movement limitation etc, for that going to ER would be advisable, but it’s an acute event, so having those symptoms from over a year ago excludes that possibility.
So, now I think that the eye bleed in itself is nothing to worry about, as I said a subconjuctival hemorrhage, facilitated by those high blood pressure values which might be causing your headache. You do not need to go to the ER for that in itself, will go away over a couple of weeks. However you should check your blood pressure. That high value you mention is very high and if found again over repeat measurements, you should consult your PCP to add something to blood pressure treatment (if repeated values of 200/100 even the ER would not be unreasonable).
I hope to have been of help.
Read below
Detailed Answer:
Thank you for that additional info.
Yes, it is true that the pacemaker renders MRI impossible. I still think a CT scan with intravenous contrast might have been done. Admittedly it doesn't give as much info as the MRI, there are things it might miss, but can still show valuable findings.
However now that I know the eye muscles and the double vision issue has been present for so long, I do feel much more serene regarding the eye “bleed”. That distance in time of onset separates the two phenomena. What I had in mind was the possibility of a stroke, like cavernous sinus thrombosis, which can manifest with headache, red eye, eye movement limitation etc, for that going to ER would be advisable, but it’s an acute event, so having those symptoms from over a year ago excludes that possibility.
So, now I think that the eye bleed in itself is nothing to worry about, as I said a subconjuctival hemorrhage, facilitated by those high blood pressure values which might be causing your headache. You do not need to go to the ER for that in itself, will go away over a couple of weeks. However you should check your blood pressure. That high value you mention is very high and if found again over repeat measurements, you should consult your PCP to add something to blood pressure treatment (if repeated values of 200/100 even the ER would not be unreasonable).
I hope to have been of help.
Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar
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