Sudden ’headrush’ and blurred vision came and went within seconds whilst driving

[LuckySeventhWave]

Just driving along, kids in car,

then without warning for about 4-5 seconds this effect suddenly came on where I felt like a bloodrush to the head and my vision went from clear to almost totally blurred. I felt lightheaded but not dizzy, and I quickly pulled into a side street where I was a bit shaky but that was probably just shock.

I have a propensity for occasional panic attacks which I’m managing to control better later and I managed this indecent fine and didn’t slip into a panic.

Never had this happen before. What the hell is it?
Never fainted so don’t know what that feels like to rule it out.
All I’d ate that day was a couple slices toast and one cup of sweet coffee.
My diet is terrible, I’m veggie, but can exist on couple slices toast a day and 2 cups of coffee, but that’s not every day.

I don’t smoke, drink, do drugs, no real exercise and am slightly overweight, have been quite active at work lately, never get enough sleep. I’m 51 with no signs of menopause yet.

Can I go for Occam’s razor and put it down to not enough to drink or eat today??

I also have a slight arrhythmia (my pulse is like trying to start a car in winter: fast, slow, normal, all over the place).
On no mediations other than asthma inhalers.

MN can be great for finding people who’ve been in similar situations so thought I’d ask about here first before doctor.

For me the feeling of fainting means that everything closes in visually quite quickly, pins and needles, probably a bit nauseous.

Why aren't you eating properly? Surely you can see that's dangerous?!

Husband had this with kaleidoscope and blurred vision.

He was told to go to A and E to check for a mini stroke but passed the tests and had a clear MRI. Theyve now diagnosed Ocular Migrane. A migrane that doenst necessarily have pain.

I should add he was told not to drive to A and E until he had a diagnosis

Definitely a feeling of everything ‘closing in’ suddenly.

I’ve googled ocular migraine and it doesn’t seem like this. I never have migraines.

When I am about to faint, my vision gets very blurry and colours go a bit strange so perhaps it was that? Only lasts a few seconds. Happened quite a bit when I was pregnant.

@Gretafamily is it an instant feeling though, not gradual ‘ooh I’m feeling faint I’d better sit down’. Mine was I need to pull over right now within a second or I’m going to crash the car.

I didn’t feel faint or dizzy, it was just like holding my breath sort of feeling everything went blurred.

@LuckySeventhWave instant feeling, have to sit on floor straight away or I will go over. When pregnant I used to get it sitting down as well. I had it when I was passenger in the car once and didn't know what to do because usually I sit down but I was already sitting down!! Apparently in that situation head between knees is meant to help. I only know it's a faint feeling because I have fainted when it's happened. I don't feel dizzy or woozy or anything. I just know the visual disturbances mean I am going to pass out.

@Gretafamily Thankyou that’s helpful. The visual disturbance meaning you know you’re gong to faint worries me, maybe I would have fainted then whilst driving. Blardy Nora .

If it's never happened to you before then hopefully it's a one off! Perhaps keep an eye on it and if it keeps happening then see your doctor. One off fainting isn't a problem though...unless driving of course!! But usually have a couple of seconds to pull over

I have an arrhythmia and that describes my symptoms when I'm about to have an attack.

Can you avoid driving without loosing your job etc? If you can it sounds like you should for the next few weeks, and concentrate on eating properly and getting 7 hours sleep per night until you're fairly certain it isn't going to happen again

The most common type of arythmia can be treated with beta blockers so it is very much worth seeing your GP about it and describing the episode, reminding them of your arythmia. Obviously just hoping it won't happen isn't enough if you need to drive daily/ regularly.

When I'm about to faint, my heart beats really fast and I go very hot quickly then cold and shaky.

I started getting similar experiences in the early days of perimenopause. It got quite regular and scary so I got pregnant (not really the reason, we did want another) and I’ve only had one episode in three years. It could well be hormonal related although no doctor ever agreed with me.

You hadn't eaten or drunk enough, very irresponsible to drive with so little intake.

I get this quite often, I have problems with my ears. I suffer with labyrinthitis which causes me to have dizzy spells and blurred vision.
Also if I have an ear infection coming on this happens, normally get this before the pain!
Also might be worth getting your blood pressure checked as this was also a contributing factor to my dizziness!!!

Sounds similar to what happened to me when my blood sugars dropped dangerously low, if you aren't eating particularly well this could be the case. Make an appointment with your GP as it could be a whole range of things, it might be nothing but best to get anything more sinister ruled out.

You really shouldn’t be driving on so little food. Your blood sugar would have been on the floor, making it impossible for you to concentrate and react as quickly as needed. It’s so dangerous.

I hope your funny turn is just related to low blood sugar, bit you should see your dr. But please don’t drive again if you haven’t eaten properly!

You are abusing your body through a bad diet and lack of sleep. Your kids were in the car, if you had passed out anything could have happened. You need to get this sorted out. Go to your GP asap. You will need to get your heart checked out.

I’d get my blood pressure checked, when mine is high I feel momentarily dizzy and “whooshy” (if that makes any sense!)

Thanks so far for replies. Sounds like a few people have similar experiences. My husband reckons it’s low blood sugar or hormone related.

The arrhythmia isn’t serious otherwise I’d have been put on tablets when they diagnosed it.

please do not drive again until you have seen a doctor and taken their advice on whether it is safe to do so.
please see a doc asap.
tell them exactly what happened, could be a TIA or lots of other things.
good luck.

I would get yourself checked out at the doctors, my ex husband had a few episodes like this & then suddenly one day when he was driving to work one day lost all his eyesight, he was diagnosed with MS, he got his sight back, but every time he had an attack, his eyesight would play up, the MS messed with the nerves that controlled his eyesight, he had his eyes checked out at the hospital before he was diagnosed & there was nothing wrong with his actual eyes, it was in his brain.

Another vote for low blood sugar here . Or electrolytes out of kilter.
I have digestive issues after surgery and have similar sounding episodes.

I hope ppl keep posting and describing their episodes as I find it v v hard to find a way of describing my attacks and this is v helpful to me !
Things closing in -yy .I get the closing in followed by the zooming out . And jerking .And a feeling of being switched on and off as if i were an electrical appliance .It is so scary .

@peridito

Agree I hope more descriptions get posted too. I don’t know if what happened was fainting otherwise I would have actually fainted, but this image describes it well for me...