Brain tumor fears, vision issues - flashes & sparkles

[worriermama]

Hi all,

Well, my health anxiety is giving me quite a run for my money.

About a month ago I noticed some flickers/flashes in my peripheral and lower vision. Sometimes like a sparkle/pinprick of light, sometimes a little bigger and more blurry. Naturally I have been freaking out since this started. It happens on and off throughout the day. It is not very bothersome, apart from freaking me out. Some days I don't notice it. It actually had mostly subsided until I ovulated this month when it started up again so maybe it's hormones/migraine?

I do have a history of migraine with aura and some other weird eye stuff (persistent spots/blotches in peripheral vision), but the sparkles and flashes are new to me.

I went to the eye doc and had a dilated eye exam, including visual field test. All was normal. I also went to a neurologist and he did a manual neuro exam, checking my reflexes, strength, coordination, etc. That was all normal too.

I am going to get an MRI for peace of mind sometime in the next week. I'm still so freaked out about the possibility of a brain tumor.

What are the chances that I would have normal eye, visual field, and neuro exams if I had a tumor? It must be quite low, right? Why can't I convince myself?

I welcome any advice from you all... Vision stuff is my achilles heel when it comes to anxiety. (Well, that and moles!)

Thank you!!

PS -- I should add that I do have some dizziness and nausea but that is not necessarily new for me, I tend to get those symptoms when I'm anxious and panicky. I also have a bit of a mild headache that comes and goes but I think and hope it's tension related since it seems to be worse when I'm crunching up my shoulders/neck, and better when I'm straightened out and relaxed.

[jenni89]

I have a lot of weird things with my eyes. They are very sensitive. I see flashes, sparkles, white bright dots when looking at the sky and all sorts of weird stuff. Earlier, I was seeing these little black dots rotating in my vision and then they came together and flashed and went away! I was like what is that?! By any chance, are your eyes blue or very light? I've heard that blue eyes are very sensitive.

[swajj]

It's unlikely that you have a brain tumour. You would have other symptoms. Did the eye specialist suggest getting an MRI?

[worriermama]

Hi and thanks for replying.

Jenni, I do have green eyes, that's interesting about light eyes.

Swajj, the eye doctor did not suggest MRI. She said she would refer me to a neuro-ophthalmologist if I wanted but she was fine to leave it be.

The neurologist said I could have an MRI if I wanted but it was up to me. I said no initially but now changed my mind and called back to try to schedule one.

I am having a really hard time with this flare.

Here are my symptoms in more detail if any kind soul feels like wading through this and responding:

Muscle twitches: All over. This is not a new symptom, I've had it on and of for many years but it's bad right now. It does seem to get worse with stress.

Nausea: Also not a new symptom for me, but also pretty bothersome right now. I do have a head cold so maybe that could be making it worse? My lower GI system does not feel perfect right now either.

Dizziness: Not a new symptom but was pretty bad a couple weeks ago. Has been better for the past week or so, not really bothering me right now, but scared me a lot when it was flaring up.

Headache: Not sure if it's a new symptom. I think I may have felt pain like this in the past. It's pretty mild, I think it might be tension/stress in my neck and shoulders because it gets better with relaxation, good posture, and massage.

Vision: The flashes, flickers, and sparkles ARE new, and are what set off this whole freakout. I do have a history of migraine with aura and ocular migraine, but my eye symptoms have been different in the past. I have permanent (going on for ten years) see-through spots/splotches that shrink and grow in my peripheral vision. They are not floaters. They're like after-images, but they're permanent. I had an MRI seven years ago after they had been there for a while and it was normal. My "classic" migraines with aura are only occasional (once every year or two), but I did have my first one ever the same year that my eye "splotches" started. I also had one for the first time in two years about 2-3 weeks after my NEW eye symptoms began. My migraines seem to be influenced by hormones. The last one happened the day before my period started. I also had an improvement in the flashes and flickers after my period started but they got bad again when I ovulated. Do you think this could mean that the eye stuff really is a strange migraine variant?

I apologize for the novel but eye/neuro stuff is a huge trigger for me, made worse by the fact that my mom has Parkinson's so I feel like I'm in some way genetically susceptible. Honestly though I would be okay with something like MS, it's the brain tumor fear that really stops me in my tracks.

Thank you for reading this.

I should add that I have been in therapy for my OCD and health anxiety. I haven't gone in a couple months because I have been too busy and my kids have been sick nonstop (preschool germs), but I intend to get back this week or next.