Temporary color-blindness

I was under a lot of stress earlier this week and at the apex of that stress, I experienced tunnel vision immediately followed by color-blindness. Everything was b/w except for the color red. It was very strange.

Right now my house is decorated for Christmas and I have all these little red velvet bows on things, those red bows seemed to be the only thing I saw in color.

This lasted for 2 minutes. I want to say 5, but realistically it was probably 2.

Anyone else have this happen before? I'm seeing my dr. next week and will talk to her about it then.

Nothing exactly like that, but migraine can cause all kinds of visual disturbances without a headache, and stress is obviously a trigger.

I had an acephalgic migraine where everything looked like it was split in half along a vertical line, and put back together crooked. :eek: Lasted maybe 5 or 10 minutes - as you say, maybe not even that long. They did all the tests to make sure it wasn't a stroke, and migraine was the diagnosis of elimination. There was one time in college when I had the mother of all headaches. Those are the only two episodes I've had in my 50 years.

Good you're getting it checked out though. Hope that's all it turns out to be.

I've never experienced that, but I have had a number of issues with my vision over the years. My eyesight is off the chart bad, so I've been schooled by my docs to treat any sudden changes in my vision as an emergency. I'm almost always seen that same day. That may sound alarmist given that your vision has apparently returned to normal, but if it were me, I'm not sure I would wait a week to be seen.

When you say you're seeing your doctor next week, do you mean your GP or your eye doctor?

Good luck. Let us know what they tell you. I hope your stress doesn't last much longer.

Aren't you a graphic designer, limewave? Very disconcerting to have this strange problem.

My friend's son has the exact same thing happen to him when he's really stressed.

Sometimes it even goes to the point of temporary blindness.

They are treating it by teaching him stress reduction techniques and self management.

Sounds like an ocular migraine to me. Definitely talk it over with your doc. As Oakleaf says, migraines don't have to manifest with headaches, they can do all sorts of screwy stuff to your vision.

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Originally Posted by skinimini

Sounds like an ocular migraine to me. Definitely talk it over with your doc. As Oakleaf says, migraines don't have to manifest with headaches, they can do all sorts of screwy stuff to your vision.

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True. I get scintillating scotomas.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scintillating_scotoma
Have had them on an off since I was a teenager. Never have a headache afterwards, but they can be quite disruptive. If I get one while driving, I need to pull over. Can't read or use the computer during one either. I usually just close my eyes and let it pass.

Lime, I agree you should see your doc. It may be nothing, but better safe than sorry!

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Originally Posted by Susan Otcenas

True. I get scintillating scotomas.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scintillating_scotoma
Have had them on an off since I was a teenager. Never have a headache afterwards, but they can be quite disruptive. If I get one while driving, I need to pull over. Can't read or use the computer during one either. I usually just close my eyes and let it pass.

Lime, I agree you should see your doc. It may be nothing, but better safe than sorry!

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I get them sometimes. Not often enough to need treatment though. They generally come and go within a half hour.

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Originally Posted by ny biker

I get them sometimes. Not often enough to need treatment though. They generally come and go within a half hour.

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I get 'em too, followed by a honkin' frickin' migraine.
But I never lose my color vision.

I had my first ocular migraine last year. Scared me nearly to death. I could only see a small circular area. I went to the eye doctor because I had never experienced anything like that before. I hope I never do again. It was followed by a killer headache.

Deb

I think I'd trade the light show for my hypersensitivity to smell, to be followed by a migraine. The aftershave the guy in the cube next to me is wearing is about to drive me over the edge :mad:

How do you ask - "Excuse me, but did you bathe in aftershave or cologne today? You stink!"


Limewave - I hope you have no more vision problems, and you don't get to join the migraine club either. Low color is an interesting photographic technique, but not so good when it's you own rods and cones providing the show.

I've not heard of ocular migraines causing color blindness. The ones I've had have been very pretty, actually, with lots of color.

This warrants at least a phone call to your doctor now IMHO, even though you have an appointment already set up for next week.

I will give the doc a call. Thanks everyone. Vision has been normal since. But I can feel that I am still carrying a lot of stress in my neck and shoulders. Perhaps I should schedule a massage too.

I don't mean to make light of your migraines but wouldn't "Scintillating Scotomas" be a great name for a rock band? ;)

I have occular migraines which scared the crud out me, but never color blindness. Mine are a tunneling of vision, sometimes the light show as Beth called it. I have been fortunate thus far not to have my occular migraines be followed by my real migraines. I had a lot of tests to rule out blood pressure and heart issues before being diagnosed. Good luck Limewave, for me vision issues scare me more than anything else. :(