eye movements

Hi all, I am new here. I had something strange happen to me a couple of weeks ago. I was just just messing around on my computer and playing music for my little girls when my eyes shifted and moved and I had double vision for about a minute or so. It actually seemed longer than that and I wondered if my vision would ever return at all. It did though. I was having a panic attack at this time but was unsure if the panic had caused this to take place or if the double vision had caused me to have a panic attack. It was so sudden. I have been having an increase in panic attacks recently. I am currently on risperdal, topamax, and zoloft which the latter has been successful in treating my panic attacks before. Something went wrong this time though. I called the hospital where I am treated on an outpatient basis and the psychiatrist on call said that I needed to be evaluated because it sounded like I was experiencing neurological problems. I was terrified. This was on a Friday so I had to wait until Monday before I could see my Primary Care Physician. On Monday I went in for my appt and explained that I wasn't quite sure if my panic attacks had caused this episode or not but that ever since I had pain behind my right eye and haedaches. The DR decided to schedule me for an MRI/MRA to rule out any chance of a brain aneurysm. Well a week later my results were back and there was no such aneurysm leaving my DR to conclude that when I get panicky that my cortisol and epinephrine levels go up and cause my blood levels to constrict and that this one time it caused my eyes to have a spasm of some sort causing a vision disturbance. Has anyone else here experienced anything like this? It actually felt like my eyes were crossed when this happened and I could not move them at all. I just wondered if I am the only one who has ever experienced such a thing like this.

Hi Ariadne..

Welcome . You doctor is right *cortisol and epinephrine levels rise and sometimes they can constrict the blood vessels*

I think he may well be right - that coupled with the computer screen which is never good for us particularly when the light is on it..

I think your psych really overreacted and was pretty silly in view of your history...

If you still have the pain I do think its always worth getting eyes checked out regularly by an optician with their specialist equipment.
We know you don't have anything dire but checking whether they are under strain is a good investment in your general health .

Meg
www.anxietymanagementltd.com

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hiya, i don't know if i had the same as u, but my anixity first started when my eyes used go like that, it always happen when i was on the computer at work or reading something, i would then get v hot, panic, legs would go to jelly and i thought i was going to die or faint, i had 2 get out of the building walk round drinking lotsof water and smoke like hell till it stopped, it would happen out the blue and could'nt understand why- was it an anixity attack or did i panic cos my eyes went funny?everyone said it was anixety, anyway had eyetests fine and blood tests fine, i used 2 get so scared that in the end i actully bought it on in the end so i guess it was anixity. but i still can't undestand why it happen. xxx jwonka

hello Ariadne,

Welcome to the forum!!

I have had that same problem with my eyes so I'm sure that it must be down to anxiety..

Sarah :D

Thanks everyone, it is nice to know that I am not going crazy. this was really the first time I had this sort of experience and it really disturbed me. I have been having panic attacks for 3yrs now and there has not been any hope of recovery. I DID HAVE A SORT OF REMISSION WHEN I WAS PLACED ON ZOLOFT AND NEURONTIN but once I was taken off those two meds it has been down hill ever since. I usually get the occasional blurred vision for a split second when I am driving and a panic attack comes on but when that happens I roll down my window all the way and try to get some air and the feeling dissipates. This felt like things have gotten worse. I have recently started taking klonopin again and that has helped but knowing my psychiatrist that will not last long.She will probably try to take me off of those as soon as possible.

I saw my psychiatrist today and she seems to think that there is no way that my eyes could have had such a spasm due to a panic attack. She wants me to have my eyes checked out again. She thinks that something is wrong there and I need to have it looked into.I did see my eye dr about two months ago and he found nothing then. This is certainly strange. I have a feeling he will tell me that I need to see a neurologist as well. I have already had an MRI and an MRA which showed no abnormalities. HERE I GO AGAIN. MORE TALK OF NEUROLOGY.

hello there,

My eyes do the spasm thing when I have a panic attack. I have been to three neurologists and had all the MRIs and EEGs a couple of times and nothing was ever found. I have spoken to quite a few people whose eyes spasm when they have a panic attack so don't worry as it is very plausible that nothing more serious is wrong with you..

Sarah :D