Uneven Pupil size, So scared!

[Gotagetthroughthis]

Hi everyone hope your all ok

For the past few weeks ive had uneven pupil size on and off. Its my right pupil which goes a lot bigger than my left, it usually happens for a good few hours and after a sleep it returns to normal but now it has not returned to normal. I have other symptoms such as constant brain fog and some dizzyness and just generally feeling unwell, i get some random shooting headaches but not very often. I am on Citalopram but im sure these things started before i started taking it.

I have been to the opticians for an eye test and they said my eyes are fine but he given me a letter to give to my doctor to get me referred to see a neuro-ophthalmologist or neurologist just to see if anythings wrong.

So now i am crapping myself, my anxiety is out of control with the thoughts hanging over me.

I no theres not really many words of reassurance anyone can probably give me because the uneven pupils can be a sign of something serious. But just need someone to talk to about it.

Has anyone experienced anything like this before or know anything about it? Could it be the anxiety causing the uneven pupils?

[terror-x]

i have seen this before in a freind it happened to him it was very weird and he went doctor and had eye exam and everything was fine with him

[mumx3boys]

Hi there , my sister has had this condition for many years. In certain lights or stress situations one pupil is bigger than the other. Hope this helps x

[Anxious_gal]

How long is the wait to see the specialist doctor?

I'm sorry, I'd be worrying myself sick too :( but it's best to try not to focus so much on it and not let your imagination run wild.

The good news is your eyes are ok :)

[Gotagetthroughthis]

Thanks for the replys.

Im not sure How long the wait is, im going my doctor with the letter now and then hopefully they will refer me. Its probably a few weeks im guessing, unless they see it as more urgent. Everything ive read about uneven pupil size usual suggests you need to be seen immediately.

[Anxious_gal]

Try not to google, seriously google is always telling me I am going to die :(
A common reason is just a nerve issue.
I would guess they'd at least do a head scan or two to check that every thing inside is ok and maybe some blood work to look for infection.

I hope you get seen soon, less time to worry :hugs:
Maybe tell your doctor about your fears and anxiety so he might help you get seen faster.

[Gotagetthroughthis]

Ok so have just got back from the doctors. They would not refer me even though I had a letter from the optician asking them to do so. He said both of your pupils are reactive to light so they are ok. Of course the difference in pupil size was not so great when i was in the doctors office.

I told him about my other symptoms off dizzyness, brain fog and twitching muscles but he said he cant think of what to refer me for and if he did refer me to a neuro-ophthalmologist or neurologist he doesnt think they would see me anyway. He said visit the eye hostpital if the uneven pupil returns but if it reacts to light then it is ok.

He didnt give any reason why my pupil might be doing this. He said the other symptoms may be down to the citalopram and to see how i feel in a few weeks.

This did reassure me a little bit but at the same time hasnt helped much as i still havnt had anything checked out so i am in the same position as before and still wondering if theres something wrong with me. They obviously think im fine and dont need to see anyone, its just so hard to believe what they say when no checks have been made.

[Jules147]

I had this last year when I was getting tension headaches that were worse on one side than the other. Once I had had a couple of sessions of CBT both the headaches and one pupil being bigger than the other went away.

It scared the hell.out of me at the time.

[Gotagetthroughthis]

My pupils still seem to be doing this and there is a major difference in size today. I no my doctor said its ok but it was like he didnt believe me because they were hardly uneven at the time. I no I shouldnt read things on the internet but anything about different pupil size says it should not be ignored.

[Anxious_gal]

I would go to the eye hospital simply for the reassurance .

[NervousA1]

If I look in the mirror, my pupils get bigger and smaller as eyes are constantly focusing. I wouldn't worry about it. As long as you can see ok. :)

[Gotagetthroughthis]

:mad:

[Supersal1984]

Mine were like this the first time I was on Prozac and then the same again the next time! I have had my eyes checked, or different reasons, I was having flashing lights and floaters, and my eyes are fine. So based on that it seems to be a harmless effect of the medication. However, I think if it is worrying you this much, you should go to your doctor for reassurance, but unlikely to be anything wrong. I hope that helps a bit x

[Gotagetthroughthis]

Thanks Supersal1984. I have been to my doctors and they didnt seem to be to bothered about it but my pupils werent very uneven at the time of seeing them. They dont really take anything i say seriously though. There is a big difference between the two at times.

I think it may be the anti depressant that im on doing it aswell but even if it is surely that isnt good?

[Supersal1984]

I put it down to relaxing my brain a bit, so that is why one took longer to adjust to the light. It was a massive difference, sometimes one was small and the other massive.

It did not affect me at all. so if the doctors have given you the all clear, then you are fine, promise xxxxx

[Gotagetthroughthis]

Thanks that reassures me a bit, but you say its like one takes a bit longer to adjust to the light. Its cant be that because, Im not saying there different sizes for a few seconds or minutes and then they even out. They are different for days or weeks without them going back to the same size.

[ceecee]

hiya ...please don't worry:-) I realised 10 years ago my pupils r different sizes....my friends son pointed it out to me!!!! I was worried sick too, but its amazing how many people have the same thing... xx

[Supersal1984]

That's what I would put it down to, but they did stay different. I hope that helps xxxx

[Jules147]

20% of the population have uneven pupil sizes anyway. As long as they shrink to pin pricks in bright light and are fully-dilated in the dark they are normal. I worried about this one too but the doc had checked my eyes using a bright light and asking me to look at different things while he shone the light and switched it off when I first presented with symptoms. He said my eyes were fine.

[rainbow]

Hi, i have this also. I first noticed it 5 years ago and totally freaked out. I found that in artificial light it was more noticeable. I went into full on panic mode and ent to the opticians to get it checked out, i was convinced i had a brain tumour.

The optician did a full check on my eyes and said that as it was reactive to light them it was ok, she also said it could be hormonal or i may have been born like that. She told me she could refer me to the hospital t have it checked out but i declined as i thought that waiting for an appointment would make my HA go into overdrive.It does'nt bother me anymore, i've also noticed it in my son and my grandson, i've read that its quite common in people with blue eyes, we all have blue eyes!

I hope this has helped.

Tracey.

[fozzy is crying]

In most parts if not all of England you can actually refer yourself directly to your local eye clinic. A telephone call you your nearest would confirm this or not. When I had eye problems some years ago my optician as yours first picked it up and wrote to my GP. GP then referred me and I got an appointment in a very short time. Problem was diagnosed and in my case then lead to operations on both eyes after only a few weeks on the list.

However my problem was not one like yours. I had nuclear sclerosis in both eyes.

I posted so if you still want it followed up there is a good chance you can do this yourself.

Gordon

[MRS STRESS ED]

I no its hard I also read things then omg I tell myself Ive got it ,its the bloody aniexty makes us do it we are dammed if we do read and dammed if we dont lol:Dxxxx

[Gotagetthroughthis]

This is doing my head in. I want to just ignore this but i cant. It has now changed from my right pupil being bigger to my left, it changed to different degrees of uneveness every day or every few hours.

[traciec39]

Hi there. I've had this for 15 years now, must admit I think that antidepressants cause it.
I've been to numerous opticians and a specialist at the eye hospital.
Thing is, I can actually feel it happening then run to the mirror and check it.
It's scarey but quite common, more so I'm women I've been told.
David Bowie has this!!! Pointless bit of info ha ha.
It's Aides tonic pupil, a harmless condition.
The more we stress about it, the more you will notice it.
Hope this reassures you. Take care xxx

[Gotagetthroughthis]

Thanks Tracie39. It changes from eye to eye every few days now, can that be Adies tonic pupil?

I dont know what would reassure me to be honest, just doesnt seem right that they are always uneven makes me think something messed up is going on in my brain or if its the anti depressants it makes me think they are damaging my brain.

Wish I had a break when i switched Anti depressants to see if they went back to normal.

[traciec39]

Yes, it would seem to transfer from eye to eye as our pupils change size constantly in various light.
I had my sertaline dose increased to 100mg and it made my eyes much worse, that's why I do think there's a link with Antidepressants.
I soon went back down to 50mg even though the doctor looked at me as if I were mad.
I first noticed it years ago when on Prozac, I thought I had something sinister and that it was the answer to how bad I was feeling. 15 years on, I still have it, I still have panic disorder, but I'm still alive and kicking!!!
I've got a phobia about eyes and have to see a retina doctor next month due to another problem I'm getting, I'm in a state about it so I really understand how your feeling.
Please don't stop the medication just to see if your eyes normalise, it's a small price to pay for feeling better.
Going blind is the worst fear for me as I'm sure it is for many people, but your pupils are reacting normally, just at different speeds. Exactly the same as mine.

Hope this reassures you xxx

[Gotagetthroughthis]

I know something funny's going on with this as when i start feeling strange and ill, that's when the difference in pupil size is at its worst. I woke up this morning feeling really strange, felt like i wasn't inside my body, my head felt numb. I went to go to the toilet and then noticed my eyes again and the difference in size was huge. I can not believe the doctors do not listen to me, just because there is not a huge difference in size when i am sitting in front of them in a bright doctors office.

[Lifewillgetbetter]

Maybe you should go to the hospital, they can do a brain scan then you will know if there is anything sinister going on inside there which I'm sure there is not. When you panic or are anxious your pupils get bigger anyway and difference in size doesn't mean much really to be honest, antidepressants do that. What you should be looking out for is reacting to light which I take it they are so nothing to worry about.

[notsogooduk]

I know somebody who had this happen and they were worried, they went to the doctor and everything was fine.

Other causes could be tiredness or from looking at a screen etc.

[Gotagetthroughthis]

This is an old thread of mine but thought Id post in here as I have been feeling increasingly dizzy the past couple of days and my pupils are doing this random stuff again. I just dont get it, I have been doing well, i feel ok, but i am getting fed up of these symptoms thats are appearing for no reason.

Unless im suddenly starting to withdraw from my meds which i stopped taking 6 weeks ago after tapering down really slowly.

:mad:

[Lilharry]

I have pupil issues and didn't even know about it until an optemetrist pointed it out to me. I didn't know it was something to worry about to be honest! I've had it for years and years. One of my pupils is WAY bigger than the other. I truly think that you are possibly making yourself feel sick by worrying about your pupils. Can you try not to check them for a few days and see if that helps the dizzyness? If you don't check them and you don't feel dizzy then you will know that it's the checking that is making you dizzy. If your doctor was worried then they would have sent you for further tests. However, if you are still worried, then there's no harm going back to the doctor for reassurance. Just say you are really worried about it and want to be referred for further testing as it's affecting your life. Also, try the modules on this website and see if that makes you feel any better. If it does, then you know that it is just anxiety and you don't need to worry http://www.cci.health.wa.gov.au/resources/infopax.cfm?Info_ID=53

[Gotagetthroughthis]

Thats the point mate, you have had them for years and years, I haven't. I just start feeling strange and dizzy and have a look in the mirror and they are really uneven, when usually they are the same size.

Its not the checking them that makes me dizzy, the dizziness comes first.

Im not overly worried, its just annoying me that these symptoms seem to be creeping up again and making me feel ill.

Thanks for the comment and reassurance though, I appreciate it!

[Lilharry]

I would go back to the doctor then. I have dr googled this and the things that keep coming up over and over are the following:
Inner ear problems
Dehydration
Anxiety

It doesn't seem like it would be something serious, but maybe if you went to the doctor and told him how you feel dizzy first then you notice your eyes and it's bothering you and you'd like more tests, perhaps they would refer you on. If not, then maybe you need to change doctors. they should be taking your concerns seriously because those kinds of symptoms are bound to make anyone feel anxious and ill.

[graciebear]

I know this post is old, but since it took me 12 years to get answers, I figure it's worth saying:

I have this and the other symptoms you were describing. I was just diagnosed with CIDP. You should check out the symptom list for that or related conditions and decide if it's worth asking your doctor.

[zebra]

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*28-03-18, 14:23

zebra*

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Join Date: Mar 2018

Posts: 4

Unequal pupil Anisocoria

Hello, one month ago I have noticed unequal pupils (i don´t know if i ever had before, i never din´t control it before the mirror), but only a few minutes in the morning a maybe also when i am tired a while in the evening. They both react normally. I was at eye doctor and have there many tests, everything is ok, at neurologist, everything ok. But logically i ve read about brain tumors etc. I have no other problems. only the anxiety, cancerophobia cca 1 year :-) is here anyone who had unequal pupils and then it went away? can it be caused by stress, tiredness, anxiety?i take no drugs.thanx! (sorry for the english, i am not native english speaker)

[zebra]

Hi...I have to ask one again..sorry...but is here anyone with different size pupils and after some time it went away? I notice it from february...i have no problems...at the eye doctor is everything fine, at the neurologist everything fine...but of course i ve read about brain tumour etc...