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What Causes Pulsations Of The Eyelid?
Question: My eye pulsates whenever I read. A doctor thinks this might be a neurological condition. Is this likely? The neurological medicine I took made my situation worse. Within 5 days of taking the medicine (Topomax), I see darkness whenever I look at the distance and there is a contrast between lightness and darkness. In other words, If someone is sitting a distance away from me in front of the lamp, I can't see that person's face, it's all blurry. Similarly, I can't clearly see digital clocks at a distance anymore. Do you have suggestions on what is causing the pulsating? Do you have suggestions on how this can be fixed? Do you have suggestions also as to how I can get my eyes treated to fix the problem caused by my medicine?
Brief Answer:
Pulsating of eyelid is not neurological problem.
Detailed Answer:
Hello
Welcome to Health care magic.
I am Dr. DADAPEER K, an ophthalmologist and I answer health problems related to eye.
I reviewed your history.
It seems from the history that you are having pulsations of the eyelid. This is probably because of twitching of the eyes. The common causes for this condition are eye strain, excessive use of caffeine containing drinks, deficiency of essential nutrients and minerals. If this condition is associated with pulsation of the face it can be because of hemifacial spasms, tics.... and other neurological problems.
Pulsation of the only eyelid is usually benign condition and is because of the factors I mentioned like stress,eye strain, excessive use of caffeine containing drinks, deficiency of essential nutrients and minerals.
If the pulsation is continuous and always present vascular abnormalities like aneurysms need to be ruled out. Since you are not having continuous pulsations it is not the case, hence no need to worry.
The treatment is basically by avoiding the risk factors if any and use of multivitamin supplements. Avoiding use of caffeine containing drinks will be of help. Applying cold compression to the eyes is also useful for symptomatic relief.
Coming to the other vision related problems of not able to see at distance, blurred vision. These symptoms appear to be related to the side effects of the drug Topomax. Topomax is usually used for treatment of epilepsy, prophylaxis of migraine... It is known to cause side effects on the eye like ocular pain, myopia, angle closure glaucoma, blepharospasm...
Hence I advice you to consult your doctor who has prescribed Topomax to prescribe alternate drug to prevent these problems.
Hope I have answered your question and the information is helpful to you.
Thank you
With regards
Pulsating of eyelid is not neurological problem.
Detailed Answer:
Hello
Welcome to Health care magic.
I am Dr. DADAPEER K, an ophthalmologist and I answer health problems related to eye.
I reviewed your history.
It seems from the history that you are having pulsations of the eyelid. This is probably because of twitching of the eyes. The common causes for this condition are eye strain, excessive use of caffeine containing drinks, deficiency of essential nutrients and minerals. If this condition is associated with pulsation of the face it can be because of hemifacial spasms, tics.... and other neurological problems.
Pulsation of the only eyelid is usually benign condition and is because of the factors I mentioned like stress,eye strain, excessive use of caffeine containing drinks, deficiency of essential nutrients and minerals.
If the pulsation is continuous and always present vascular abnormalities like aneurysms need to be ruled out. Since you are not having continuous pulsations it is not the case, hence no need to worry.
The treatment is basically by avoiding the risk factors if any and use of multivitamin supplements. Avoiding use of caffeine containing drinks will be of help. Applying cold compression to the eyes is also useful for symptomatic relief.
Coming to the other vision related problems of not able to see at distance, blurred vision. These symptoms appear to be related to the side effects of the drug Topomax. Topomax is usually used for treatment of epilepsy, prophylaxis of migraine... It is known to cause side effects on the eye like ocular pain, myopia, angle closure glaucoma, blepharospasm...
Hence I advice you to consult your doctor who has prescribed Topomax to prescribe alternate drug to prevent these problems.
Hope I have answered your question and the information is helpful to you.
Thank you
With regards
Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar
Hello,
My eye lid is not pulsating. My eye ball is pulsating.
Maybe I should add some more information?
Since XXXXXXX of last year, it has been painful for me to read or focus on writing on the board. My eye pulsates when I do these things, and then my eyeball becomes painful.
I had been seeing ophthalmologists since September 2013. They were unable to figure out what has been causing my eye to pulsate and be painful.
Recently, I saw a neurologist for the first time. He said he thinks I have a migraine-related problem that's causing my eye pain. He wrote "migraine tic syndrome" as my diagnosis. He prescribed Topomax because it is known for preventing migraines. However, after those extreme side effects, I stopped the medicine; but the side effects--the vision problems--have continued.
He did suggest that I have an EEG, VER, carotid doppler test, MRI, and bloodwork. All of these tests came back as normal, but the neurologist did not examine them yet.
Also, this pulsating results in much pain after I stop reading or focusing on something.
Interestingly, the neurologist I talked to said my eye pulsating might be related to a migraine-equivalent condition, and he said something about arteries.
Do you have any suggestions on what can be causing my eye problem and how I can alleviate it?
I also got more vision problems while taking the Topomax medicine. Also, I have been off Topomax for six days, but the vision problems have continued. Will it just take more time off the medicine for my vision problems to get better? Would an ophthalmologist or neurologist be better for me to talk to about these vision problems? I began getting these problems while taking a neurological medication, Topomax, so I am wondering whether a neurologist is who I should talk about this? Or should I talk to an ophthalmologist because it is a vision problem? In case I didn't describe the problem clearly enough, ever since a few days after I began taking Topomax, I've had a painful and blurry time trying to see things where there is a contrast between light and dark. For instance, if someone walks through a door into the house during the day, that person looks like blackness, and the light behind that person is painfully bright.
Thank you for the help. I would appreciate your thoughts on what type of condition might be causing the eye pain, pulsating, and side effects. I would appreciate any suggestions about how this problem can be resolved. Also, do you think I should see an opthalmologist again, even though multiple ophthalmologists whom I saw from September 2013 until July 2014 could not diagnose it, besides suggesting that it might be migraine related?
My eye lid is not pulsating. My eye ball is pulsating.
Maybe I should add some more information?
Since XXXXXXX of last year, it has been painful for me to read or focus on writing on the board. My eye pulsates when I do these things, and then my eyeball becomes painful.
I had been seeing ophthalmologists since September 2013. They were unable to figure out what has been causing my eye to pulsate and be painful.
Recently, I saw a neurologist for the first time. He said he thinks I have a migraine-related problem that's causing my eye pain. He wrote "migraine tic syndrome" as my diagnosis. He prescribed Topomax because it is known for preventing migraines. However, after those extreme side effects, I stopped the medicine; but the side effects--the vision problems--have continued.
He did suggest that I have an EEG, VER, carotid doppler test, MRI, and bloodwork. All of these tests came back as normal, but the neurologist did not examine them yet.
Also, this pulsating results in much pain after I stop reading or focusing on something.
Interestingly, the neurologist I talked to said my eye pulsating might be related to a migraine-equivalent condition, and he said something about arteries.
Do you have any suggestions on what can be causing my eye problem and how I can alleviate it?
I also got more vision problems while taking the Topomax medicine. Also, I have been off Topomax for six days, but the vision problems have continued. Will it just take more time off the medicine for my vision problems to get better? Would an ophthalmologist or neurologist be better for me to talk to about these vision problems? I began getting these problems while taking a neurological medication, Topomax, so I am wondering whether a neurologist is who I should talk about this? Or should I talk to an ophthalmologist because it is a vision problem? In case I didn't describe the problem clearly enough, ever since a few days after I began taking Topomax, I've had a painful and blurry time trying to see things where there is a contrast between light and dark. For instance, if someone walks through a door into the house during the day, that person looks like blackness, and the light behind that person is painfully bright.
Thank you for the help. I would appreciate your thoughts on what type of condition might be causing the eye pain, pulsating, and side effects. I would appreciate any suggestions about how this problem can be resolved. Also, do you think I should see an opthalmologist again, even though multiple ophthalmologists whom I saw from September 2013 until July 2014 could not diagnose it, besides suggesting that it might be migraine related?
Brief Answer:
You need to consult neurologist.
Detailed Answer:
Hello
Thank you for the follow up question.
Pulsating eye ball is typically caused by vascular lesions like aneursyms, carotid fistulas....
Migraine headaches can sometime result in pulsating eye ball in the prodromal phase.
The vision related problems caused by topomax will resolve since you have stopped the drug.
For treatment of migraine other drugs like flunarizine or beta blockers like propranolol can be used which do not have vision related side effects.
Since MRI, carotid doppler have come normal this rules out vascular causes. Migraine may be the probable cause in this case. Hence you need to consult your neurologist for treatment.
Hope the information is helpful to you.
Do write to me for further questions.
Thank you
With regards
You need to consult neurologist.
Detailed Answer:
Hello
Thank you for the follow up question.
Pulsating eye ball is typically caused by vascular lesions like aneursyms, carotid fistulas....
Migraine headaches can sometime result in pulsating eye ball in the prodromal phase.
The vision related problems caused by topomax will resolve since you have stopped the drug.
For treatment of migraine other drugs like flunarizine or beta blockers like propranolol can be used which do not have vision related side effects.
Since MRI, carotid doppler have come normal this rules out vascular causes. Migraine may be the probable cause in this case. Hence you need to consult your neurologist for treatment.
Hope the information is helpful to you.
Do write to me for further questions.
Thank you
With regards
Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar
Answered by
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