Barb's Guestbook

Hello Barb, I have a bio-prosthetic mitral valve by open heart surgery in March 2018 to correct valve prolapse, regurgitation, hypertension and congestive heart failure. Post surgery I developed atrial fibrillation that was managed for a year and a half with digoxin and then went to sinus rhythm for years. It returned and has been treated with Ablation so it won't continue and become progressive and heart damaging. Since the return of A-Fib in October 2021, I have experienced double vision several times a week with duration's from 15 seconds to as long as 50 seconds. It goes away when it wants to and eye movements and trying to stop it don't work. I have also had rare occasions of balance problems. In my case, I had gone off of Eliquis during the A-Fib due to a bleeding issue that needed to be stopped and given time to heal, and then returned to using Eliquis until the recovery from A-Fib and the Ablation is confirmed. A CT of my head did not show any obvious abnormalities that would explain it. Again, in my case, my electrocardiologist is concerned that I may have a small stroke in my brain stem and I am scheduled to see a neurologist. I didn't develop double vision occurrences right after my heart surgery, they began after the return of A-Fib over three years following the surgery and may have been a result of stopping Eliquis while in A-Fib and at risk of clotting and strokes. I have never had it occur before in my life. I don't see any direct correlation between my developing it and you developing it. My response to you is to let you know my circumstances just in case the information is useful to you. I hope that we both recover from it, whether or not a cause is found. You did mention that you are no longer on any blood thinners. Does that include baby aspirin? Hopefully it isn't stroke related. I don't know yet what is causing my double vision, but everything so far is pointing towards a minor stroke. God Bless You.