For about the past 2 years I have suffered from a sudden feeling of visual imbalance or cross-eyed sensation (although not actually cross-eyed)! This in turn causes a type of vertigo involving loss of balance accompanied by nausea. This lasts for approx 10-15 minutes before my vision returns to normal. I have had 2 eye tests which confirm nothing untoward (I have replacement single vision lenses in both eyes following cataract surgery). My doctors have given up trying to diagnose this condition having carried out blood tests for Pituitry, thyroid, diabetes, anaemia and infection which are all perfectly OK. I would be interested to know if anybody has suffered similar or knows a possible cause. I have not been rfeferred to a neurologist or recommended for CT or MRI. I am female aged 65
I have experienced the same symptoms & my Optician said it is probably a form of migraine & nothing to worry about. I must admit it makes me feel weird & nauseous. I helps to keep your eyes closed & remain seated until the symptoms pass.
I also suffer from vertigo and the doctor has said that it is connected to my sinuses and given me Nasobec nasal spray I have been taking this since last Wed and as yet no improvement but will give it a week and then go back to doctors
I too had these exact symptons a few months back. Feeling of being cross-eyed but wasn't actually and pronounced dizziness. This lasted well over an hour, almost two hours. I was taken to the hospital and checked thoroughly for a stroke (including cat-scan, MRI, etc) which proved negative but my blood pressure was reading 210. It was diagnosed as a mild heart attack, even though I felt no pain.
I have the exact same symptoms, went to the doctor he couldn't tell me a thing told me that I might have an ear infection or sinus problems, went to a different doctor she picked up a heart murmer I had an echocardiogram and was diagnosed with a bicuspid valve and Aortic aneurysm. Due to have surgery later this month.
Don't know if its relevant or not but test all avenues!
I'm a 34 year old female no one would usually think to check for what I have .
i have had similar symptoms for 15 years now...it still scares me because when it happens i can't control my vision...it sort of becomes electrified (i don't know how else to describe it) and detached from reality...some parts of my vision even disappear temporarily...and my mind starts to panic...lying down with closed eyes has the best effect but when you're downtown it's awkward...to say the least...in my case it probably has something to do with brain overload...we are living in fast paced times with much sensory stimulation...it is also important to keep blood sugar in balance...i am a male nurse and on the workfloor it struck me about 8X per year...very distressing...lying down with eyes closed in quiet surroundings for 20 minutes and drinking some water usually made it pass...but sometimes i had a terrible headache after which would last the whole day...i had an MRI scan of the brain...no tumor...so it is something which i will have to live with...a medical alert necklace is handy to warn others of the condition...
I am currently having that problem and what I terorise to be my cause is that I take a strong sleep med every night that gives the same senation for only a few seconds which are sopposed to make me sleep. It does work but I think it might work TOO well...
I am 64 and I am having the same thing happen to me or it sounds like it. My vision, for no reason, will split in the up down direction and I see two of the same things. Also I have a very strange feeling in my face and head. It will pass in about 10 minutes and I can shut one eye and still see good no matter what eye I close. It comes on out no where even when I'm driving. I told my eye doctor about it and her reply "It's your brain doing that, for some reason your site is not synchronized" that is all that was said.... No help what so ever and it's happening more often. I have not found much on the internet to guide me to a fix or a droctor so If you find good infomation please pass it on.
I had this begin about 20 years ago. I was told i had positional vertigo since initially it happened when I stood up after squatting down..Then it started happening when I got excited or hurried.. Then it started happened when I got excited or hurried..even while driving..I had to close one eye to see where i was going..It usually only lasts a few minutes. I had to close my eyes or focus on one thing before it got better. I had my eyes checked and while they didnt find me completely noraml, i was not offered a solution. if I can remain calm it doesnt happen much. Im guessing it has something to do with my autonomic nervous system or vagus nerve, but honeslty i have no way of knowing for sure. I was just suprised to find others with this cross-eye symptom..
I do know however that it is not simple positional vertigo as the doctor once dianosed, since it happened when I get an adrenalin rush or hurried as well with no change to my position.. It all started when I was pregnant in my forties..
Yes! This began happening to me after multi-vision lens implant cataract surgery. Ithspoens every couple of months and I get the same feeling v as what you are describing. Feel like it's related to the implants of surgery.
I have Had this Problem for at least 6 Years. The feeling that I was getting crossed eyes. And Dizzy. Thr last time it happend about 2 months ago my lips went Numb. I was at work and I asked my partner to Look at my eyes to see If they looked odd. He said they looked Normal.The Numb lips made me feel a little freaked out . It only lasted for about ten mins then went away. I made a Doctors appointment and told him what happend. After blood test and a couple other test all came back Normal. Blood pressure was perfect. So ive been looking around on the Net. I found some interesting info on working hard and working out to much can make these symptons. It told me that it can be lack of water and blood not getting to the Brain fast enough. I do tend to not drink enough water. So im going to try and keep water with me at work.
Thank you for your response. My symptoms lasted for more than 4 years and after exhaustive tests I was told it must be atypical migraine which I think was right and in my case caused by changes in chemical and hormonal balances as the next year I was diagnosed with a large ovarian tumour. Following surgery it was found to be not fully malignant and once the internal healing was complete my dizzy symptoms disappeared. It sounds as though you could have a form of silent migraine which can cause numbness or tingling in various places.
I too have been getting pretty much the exact same surreal sensation you've descibed. Over the last year or so... every now and again, suddenly and without any warning, my vision kind of (ever so slightly) splits into two in the up and down direction (as you've described) and I suddenly have this weird as all hell 'vacant disconnected floaty feeling in my head'. It seems to last up to 10 minutes or so... then kind of lifts. I've tried as best as I could to describe this to my doctor but he can only put it down to some kind of stress related issue, perhaps to do with my slightly high blood pressure, for which I've been taking the same medication now for around 4 years. It's a pretty darn freaky sensation and frankly it's starting to worry me a little. Has anyone got a good answer for this yet?
Hi Kate,
Does the sensation come about as a random bout or with a specific, maybe sudden, movement? It could be related to vestibular migraines.
Also, if the spells are short and provoked by movement, it may be a case of prolonged BPPV. These things are known to cause all sorts of wonky eye discomfort.
I suffer from what sounds like the same condition. How ever I have a butterfly rash and am being tested for Lupus. I worry it will effect my driving. I usually close one eye until it passes, however this effects my vision to because I'm looking out of one eye. I have been to numerous doctors and none of them can diagnose or treat the condition. It's like a unsolved physical mystery. I hope you will keep us all informed. I'll do the same. Take care
I am going through that now and dont know what it is
I went through my second episode of this yesterday. It was much longer than the first time it had happened but only lasted 3-5 minutes. I'm just glad I was in the passenger seat of the car because I would've crashed for sure. I went to the doctor and like many of you they just said that it was a type of migraine. They think it could be caused by so much Time spent on our smart phones and TV. I think they could be right. I've also been having brief but sharp pains in my left temple. They've become more frequent. I had an MRI done yesterday and will soon have the results. I'll keep you all updated. I'm 24 yrs old, by the way.
I have experienced the same symptoms for about a year now. They are completely random and from what I can tell unrelated to anything. My health is good, slightly elevated blood pressure sometimes, but not on medication. I had a spell earlier this morning while sitting in a meeting. Complete double vision and it's very hard to concentrate and continue a conversation, but no one is aware anything is wrong. Lasts for at most a minute. My eyes stay weak and I have a slight headache for awhile. I see clearly with one eye shut, but that's weird when you're having a conversation with someone. Eye doctor suggested ocular migraines. Regular doctor says stress. It is just such a weird sensation, something should be causing it to happen. I'm watching this thread to see what others find out.
With me it is also a sudden 5 or 10 minute thing, just as you've described. Just started last year when I switched to an especially hectic job and unfortunately usually happens just after work when I am driving home. Not the best time for double vision as you can imagine. Only a couple times a year but very alarming and no warning. I have had a few optical migraines in the distant past but these episodes "feel" different due to a numbness in the head so I'm not buying that they're the same thing. It sounds like a overwork or stress related symptom that is epidemic and that doctors are completely missing. I correlate it with 'info overload' days but maybe that's just me.