Flickering vision, other symptoms, long term anxiety.

[Vasoka]

I'm a 19 year old male, and since 3 years, I've been getting all sorts of neurological issues which come and go in periods, just like MS relapses would. More things than I can list, random even - let's see if I can explain. It -all- began 3 years ago after a very stressful period in my life, i began getting headaches. Headaches which lasted for months, non stop. They were in the back of my head, and soon established only on the left side of my head like a migraine would, yet they never changed sides. Naturally I started going to neurologists. I've visited at least four. I've had a CT scan, a MRI without contrast, an EEG, 5 neuro exams, blood tests, etc etc. All clear. I was put off to a migraine. Since then the headaches calmed down, yet I still get them sometimes. Months after the fiasco with the headaches was resolved, I started getting tingling around my body. Strong tingling. It moved around. It was either in my arms, or in my trunk, or in my legs, or in my scalp and face - it was maddening. OF course, I freaked out about that as well, and I went to get a cervical spine MRI, knowing that MS symptoms of tingling tend to come from spinal lessions rather than brain. It came back clear. So, apparently brain tumor and MS were ruled out, or so did the doctors tell me. Years passed, I was on anxiety meds for 1 year, which helped me quite a bit to get back on my feet, the tingling disappeared, and i stopped the meds. Eventually, however, 5-6 months ago - it came back (i was no longer on meds), for a few days. Then it came back again, and again. I also experienced a very strange tingling tightness around my waist and lower abdomen, creeping up my flanks, which i freaked out and thought it was the MS hug. The thing is, that this "hug" came after I had fallen from a chair and hit my waist, and I was told that it was from the fall. Mayhaps a pinched nerve or a herniated disk, even if I kept thinking it's MS. My greatest fear, however, is a brain tumor. Now, I spend a lot of time in front a computer. A lot, a lot of time. I stay up all night literally, and stay in darkness in my room all the time. Two-three months ago, I started having weird visual symptoms. The main ones are, I had a period where I thought my eyes are moving as if I had nystagmus, yet they weren't really, because I had that checked out. It was a feeling. The most disturbing one however, is that I often get flickers of vision. No particular shapes of forms or colors seen, simply flashing - or what's more strange, it's as if someone flicked the lights in the room on and off very fast, for a split second, I get a flash of darkness, then it comes back to normal. As if someone turned off the lamp then very quickly turned it off. I've also had my eyes feeling very heavy and with pressure in them, as well as dry. After some "flashing", I tend to get a very weak headache in the same spot I tend to get my headaches, left side of the head - the back of it. Yet it disappears for 5 minutes or so, it's almost as if something got irritated. So, naturally I think I am getting sensory or occipital seizures due to the flashing lights, which scares me a lot, that I have a tumor, even if it has been 3 years. The symptom is new, from a few months ago. Thus, my question is, what might be causing this? The flashes of light, and especially the flicking the lights on and off feeling - I've read several posts about that, and some people have said it's from eye tiredness or anxiety, even if it seems strange that it would be so. I'm not getting another scan, surely, because doctors no longer think there's anything wrong with me after the exams and scans I've had. So i'm pretty much stuck. Occipital lobe tumor is my greatest fear, as are simple partial occipital seizures. Thanks in advance for any help. I also forgot to note that both the flashing and the flickering on and off happens only when I'm at home and in artificial light. Only when there's a lamp on, never when I am outside in the daylight. I don't know if it's relevant.

[Serenity1990]

Visual Snow. It often comes along with BFS, which is secondary to anxiety and explains your other symptoms.

What you describe doesn't even sound slightly like MS.

[Vasoka]

Thank you for the answer! I've read about visual snow, and I've established what it is, I have it as well since years on a medium level. My question is if it's possible for the flashing lights and the blacking of vision for a split second to be a sort of seizures, occipital ones? Seeing as my greatest fear is a brain tumor.

[puzzledlass]

I've recently experienced the vision blackouts too! I have no idea what they are but docs don't seem worried.

[Vasoka]

Also, would it be a good idea to get another MRI, or try to? Even if I had one one January 2013 when my headaches started?

[Biscuitmuncher]

I have all these kinds of symptoms too, the flickering vision, rippling vision every morning when I wake up, bright flashes, dark spots. I also get creeping flesh, tingling, dizziness and nausea and it has all been put down to visual migraine and fibromyalgia. I have never had any kind of scan though, I do sometimes wonder if something has been missed :unsure:

[Vasoka]

Thank you for the answer, Biscuit! Does the vision flickering occur only when you're in artificial light as well?

[Biscuitmuncher]

yes it can, but my eyes are very sensitive to the sun as well, if I am in bright sunlight and then go into a darkened room, my vision flashes on and off for ages! Its quite scary but I have had my eyes checked countless times and they are always ok:) I have changed all my light bulbs to the old fashioned kind as I find the new energy saving ones play havoc with my eyes, they cause a lot of trouble for people with migraine, fibro and lupus as they do flicker very fast, supposed to be too quick for the human eye to see but they are not good for sensitive eyes.

[Vasoka]

Is your flickering as if someone flicked the light off and on again? It's like blinking for a second without actually blinking.

[Biscuitmuncher]

Yes it like the light being switched on and off very fast. Also when I close my eyes, in the shower or in bed, I get a lot of flashes. Also for the past 3 years, I get a lot of movement in my peripheral vision, straight lines appear to move and jiggle about, the only way I can explain it is like when someone on TV is wearing a tweed jacket and the screen flickers, that is what my eyes do. I think it is overexcited nerves, I have just learnt to try and ignore it and focus on other things. :D

[Vasoka]

Thank you very much, Biscuit! It's helpful to know I'm not alone and this is maybe not a seizure. I am terrified of the thought of having a brain tumor. I'd love to hear from more people and see if they too experience this.

[Vasoka]

Bump.

[Vasoka]

Bump. More opinions are welcome, please. I'm quite worried still. :/

[blueangel]

I've had every single one of your symptoms as a result of anxiety. The symptoms of a brain tumour are much more severe, and they absolutely don't come and go.

[Vasoka]

I'm terrified that it can be some sort of an occipital seizure due to a brain tumor. Would it be possible for the vision flicking on and off to be something like that if there's nothing else like colored lights or lightings with it? I tend to get a headache sometimes after it where i always get my headaches which were said to be migraines years ago.

[WorriedTeen221]

I have some of the same symptoms you have. Do you ever get waves of dizziness that last like 5-6 seconds then go for about 15 minutes then come back? like an elevator feeling. I have a black spot in my vision when I blink and sometimes slight ghosting although I haven't had my eyes checked in like 3 years so could be a prescription change

[Vasoka]

Yes, Ive had those, mostly when i'm in an actual elevator or when going outside and breathing in some fresh air. I'm freaking out majorly due to the split second black outs, however. Does anyone know if it can be some sort of seizure? It's really getting to me.

[WorriedTeen221]

I've actually just scraped a lot of wax out of my ears and popped them and I can feel a lot clearer, maybe that could be it? I have a terrible sleep pattern and poor diet a drink like 4 cans of coke a day and no water. Can't be doing much good :( All is changed though so hopefully on the up!

[Vasoka]

Yes, it's possible that the wax built up was the problem, I hope it works out for you, mate. Still waiting to hear if someone knows of occipital seizure and tumors and if it's possible what I'm experiencing to be this. :)

[fedup36]

Have you seen my recent post? We seem extremely familiar!

[Vasoka]

Hmmm. no. Where can I find it? New to the forums, sorry.

[WorriedTeen221]

the seizures you described are quite similar to migraine auras apparently, have you ruled that out? I've had a few of them in the past and they are quite scary.

[fedup36]

I've copied and pasted it below :)

Hi All

So it's been a while... I had some great therapy and had started to feel pretty normal!

However the past week it's all come back :(

I've started getting the following again...

-Dizziness including boat sensations and feeling drunk.
- zaps - I've started having my zaps again with tingles and these intense waves of dizziness :(
-Eye movements, my eyes feel like there moving and jumping around
- Tingling, my face and head keep tingling and I keep getting weird hot patches on my head when I get a headache.

Now none of the above is new as I had this about 4 months ago for nearly 2 years pretty much everyday. What is worrying me is it may be Ms and I'm having a relapse...

I'm trying to say it's just anxiety and I'm hyperventilating again which is what they think caused my symptoms initially but I am just not convinced...

I don't want to slide down the slippery slope again as I was doing really well..

Any advice would be greatly appreciated x

[Vasoka]

I always tingle, all the time. Months ago it was so intense that I was almost shaking, all around the body - literally was tingling -everywhere, it was moving from my arms to my legs, then to the trunks and mostly around the face and scalp, it was horrible. I got the exact same eye movements before the split second black outs began, I was sure I have nystagmus, yet none was detected on the examination and doctors told me it's anxiety.

[JustBenn]

Hi, :) Are you scared of Epilepsy OP? I'm not scared of Brain Tumours or MS, but Seizures terrify me greatly, :weep:

Do you sometimes feel like your gonna fall? or feel like your on a boat?

[Vasoka]

I am not scared of Epilepsy, no. I am scared of brain tumor invoked seizures. Anyone knows more about the flickering problem? Thanks to all who answered by now, yet I'm still so worried..

And yes, I've felt the falling feeling, especially when I'm in bed. Or the floaty boat feeling while I'm walking.

[Vasoka]

Bump. A lot of people seem to have vision worries and seizure worries as well, let's keep the thread going. :)

[claireypoo]

Hi,

I am having these problems too. Problems with patterns, vision seems to jump particularly when I look at pictures on my iPhone, trails from LED lights, halos, bright flashes, flickering vision in low light (I get migraine auras too but these aren't them. I know auras very well unfortunately) I am thinking it's probably a combination of eye strain and anxiety as I had my eyes tested in Feb and all was fine but I just wanted to ask members how long these visual symptoms lasted and if they had remedies or any success in alleviating them.

X thank you

[sial72]

[ just like MS relapses would.
I went to get a cervical spine MRI, knowing that MS symptoms of tingling tend to come from spinal lessions rather than brain.
creeping up my flanks, which i freaked out and thought it was the MS hug.
Occipital seuzures.[/QUOTE]
Ok so, the fact that you know all these words and facts suggests that you have really looked into this, so if your anxiety is very high you know that we can somatize symptoms that we learn about. I would say that given your age and all the tests you have had that your symptoms can be put down to anxiety. Did any of the neurologists ever suggest there could be anything wrong? X

[TinyDemons]

Is your flickering as if someone flicked the light off and on again? It's like blinking for a second without actually blinking.
Sorry about the bump, but your thread popped up as I have been searching for any kind of relevant information when it comes to vision disturbances, especially flickering vision and that of, blinking without actually blinking.

This summer I began noticing that whenever I blink or squint extra hard or long with both my eyes, for a short period of none more than 3-5 seconds, I seem to get the feeling of an extra blink, without blinking. I have been to several eye doctors, taken OCT Scans etc, and they could not find anything wrong or give me any answers to what the cause is, which is really beginning to drive me crazy as all the symptoms are there all the time, clear as the day.

[TinyDemons]

2013
After my old computer suddenly decided to shut down for good I went out and bought a brand new laptop, everything went ok at first but then suddenly after no more than maybe 5-10 minutes of sitting infront of the new PC I felt a burning sensation in both eyes, as they seemed to be irritated by the bright LED light and it did not help by turning down the screens brightness. Somehow my eyes reacted badly and became very red. I ended up with a new fear that the bright lights from the laptop had caused damage to my eyes and got into panic mode, and of course at the same time I began noticing more floaters than before. Anyhow my eye doctor told me that nothing was wrong and I got no explanation of why or how the new laptop had irritated my eyes so much.

2015
After almost a year with no worries about vision or eye troubles, I fell back into panic mode big time in february when I began noticing Halos/rainbows around streetlights at night (sure they could have been there forever, but somehow I began seeing them and obsessing over them last year). Of course I remembered some symptoms/information from good old, Dr. Google which said that when one are seeing Halos and rainbows. one should seek medical help as soon as possible, because it could be one of too many horrible diseases and everywhere I read/looked it said the same thing.

Beside seeing halos/rainbows my eyes began feeling stingy/irritated by bright lights, especially LED lights and my eyes would often be very red, and
as the year went on I ended up having my eyes checked by 8 eye doctors and none of them could find anything wrong.
In early december after thinking that all these vision symptoms is related to MS or something horrible I had an MRI of my head which resulted with the news that there is nothing wrong.

2016
As of now I still see the halos/rainbows around light sources at night, sometimes the inner circle around the light seem to flicker/vibrate along with small rings around it, I also notice that sometimes the light seems to look a lot like a small cobweb.

Symptoms that has either stayed or popped up now and then for the past 2 and half year:

Floaters I had seen since 2007 or 2008 but did not put me in a worry, but in summer 2013 there seemed to be more of them.
In summer 2015 I began noticing what looked like a small black blot or spot that seemed to move very fast and fade away almost within a second.
Light sensitivety or a stinging/burning sensation in both eyes and sometimes neck/shoulders and chest when staring at bright lights/the sun. Began noticing in mid october 2015.
Halos and rainbows around lights at night, but sometimes with indoor light too, but not as strong. Began noticing this back in february 2015.
Starburst with cars and sometimes bright indoor lights like small LED lights. Began noticing this in september/october 2015.
Flickering/vibrating vision sometimes when I wake up in the morning, just for a couple of seconds my eye sight seems to vibrate/flicker but when I blink it goes away like nothing happened. I also notice that sometimes when I squint my eyes, the vision seems to flicker but not always. Began noticing this in november 2015.
In early 2015 I began noticin that straight lines sometimes looked like it vibrated from a distance. Now I seem to see it from time to time.
Afterimages and the feeling of blinking an extra time without blinking twice.
The afterimages I began noticing in summer 2013 but the feeling of looking at the sky and then blink, then somehow it seems like there is an extra blink afterwards, its so fast that it does not last for a second, but it scared me pretty good when I began noticing it i summer 2015.
Red and bloodshot eyes has caused me lots of concerns over the years as the veins in both my eyes alway seems to be red and irritated. Began noticing this in early summer 2012.
Optic flash or something that reminds me of a small photo blitz in one or both eyes. This happened almost daily back in september 2015, sometimes when my eyes closed but now it happens maybe a couple of times a week or less. I also experienced a large yellow/orange flash which kind of looked like a flower, it lasted for no more than a second or two, and have not seen any of it since early october 2015.

[Mountain8105]

This is a very old post but what you all have described is what I have been dealing with for the past year. Did you all ever get any answers or have you gotten rid of the symptoms?