Visual Snow Floaters and After Images. Anxiety? =/

[Worrier12]

Hi,

My health anxiety started 4 months ago after I had a panic attack (my breathing was feeling restricted) for the first time, thought I was dying of heart attack, ambulance came out etc. I even prayed to god to give me another chance whilst it was happening, despite being unsure of my beliefs.

I've had various symptoms come and go, and these are the only symptoms that have stayed :

• Visual Snow - it looks like billions of coloured busy dots are moving around over everything constantly - more clear if I look at bright sky, or when it's dark at night.
• Floaters - loads of big and small floaters developed over the past couple months. Never had them before. They are more clear in the bright light/sky.
• When staring at sky I see loads of white comma shaped things moving around in circles - apparently this might be white blood cells?
• AFter Images - just from staring at an object (e.g. outline of a mirror or picture frame) even in the dark, If I blink or movve away, it's like the outline is burnt into my eyes like a plasma TV for a few seconds.

I also get ringing in the ears which started before the panic attack, but I think may be noise induced (about 6 months ago after a club). I did have it before though, just not as bad and only in a quiet room.

Those are always there whether I think about them or not. My health anxiety calmed down a lot recently, however the visual problems and ringing keep me thinking I Have a brain tumour. does anyone get any of this?

I also get numb limbs and pins and needles a lot just from sitting with leg over leg, or with arm streteched out accoss back of sofa, so I worry I have poor ciculation for whatever reason. I also get heart palpitations (feels like my heart skips a beat then has a really hard beat and also random racing) and random throbbing pains in my head.

Sorry to write and write and write, it's just all of this is running my life, I'm almost certain I'm going to die, so decisions I make are based on that, I think why not spend all this money on my credit card I'm going to die anyway. It's horrible and makes me feel really alone =[ If I tlak to my friends about these visual things they just laugh and look at me like I'm joking or crazy

Would appreciate a response if anyone else has had any of these symptoms.

[OliviaD]

Hi! Please don't worry about these disturbances. I've had them (and some others) forever and only in the last 6 months they have become more intense. Two eye doctors saw me and said anxiety is the cause. As a matter of fact, it's been a very, very stressful period for me.

---------- Post added at 14:16 ---------- Previous post was at 13:39 ----------

If you read posts here and on other forums (like Thosewithvisualsnow) about visual snow and related disturbances, you'll see that they often come with tinnitus (I have it too) and anxiety.

Sure I can't tell you what's best for you personally, but people have had improvements from anxiety meds, stress supplements (magnesium and potassium - I'm taking it - fish oil...), better hydration and a healthier lifestyle in general, relaxation.

I can understand how horrible these things are. :( Your friends shouldn't laugh about them! I've always been paranoid about my eyes, and after these disturbances got worse my anxiety skyrocketed... It's a vicious circle. But slowly I realized what I see can't hurt me (and doesn't mean I'm ill or anything) and it will eventually go away. As a matter of fact I'm getting better and, though with ups and downs, I'm going on with my life.

[Em84]

Hi

I also have all of the above...obv at different times...

The ringing i have all day long everyday, different pitches volumes...Ringing in the ears can be caused by stress etc etc....or loud noises as you say.

When its bright, i look at my tv and look away quick i also see the outline for a few seconds but a light version on the wall for example....

As the the floaters...too i get them, sometimes gold, silver (could be my BP, blood pressure) and the white things in the sky...ive seen them all my life so i think its pretty normal....

Anxiety has many symptoms...i too suffer with numbness in my limbs and tingling...infact when i got a drink a min ago my left calf went numb, only in a small area....

Im having a pretty bad day today with the anxiety so it def is hard to tell yourself its this and this only...

dont worry all seems anxiety stress related symptoms...

xx

[Dizzydoll]

I have floaters alot n also see after images of like picture frames or if ive looked at a bright light or camera flash...does n e one know y this happens? xx

[OliviaD]

Well, opthalmologists say retinal persistence is highly subjective (in my experience it also varies in time).

Search "afterimage" > "medical conditions" on Wikipedia.

[Scrumptious]

I have floaters in my vision all the time, I've got so used to them I just had to check if they were still there. The worse time is if it's really bright for example when it's snowing, I get confused which is which, snow or my visual disturbance.
I have had the ear disturbance a few weeks ago when I was panicky but didn't realise it was connected to anxiety until reading this. As I got calmer the ringing subsided.
I'm sure knowledge that it's not just you, you're not going mad all help.

[Worrier12]

Thanks guys

I got rushed into A&E last night because the right side of my face went completely numb and they thought I was having a stroke. After hours of waiting they did a neurological exam on me, said it was fine. The doctor asked if my family had a history of Multiple Scelerosis which scared me a bit, but he said he thought I would have had pain also.

I think the numbness may have been caused by Betahistine Dehydrochloride which I was recently prescribed to relieve pressure in ears to calm the ringing.

[OliviaD]

Jeez, how scary :(
Thankfully you're fine. Are you feeling better now?

[Britlove]

I know this post is from a year ago but I am currently having the same exact to a T symptoms as you and I am terrified that its something wrong with my brain or im terribly sick and I cannot afford to go to a doctor because I have no insurance :/ but seeing that you have the same symptoms from your anxiety...which I have very bad health anxiety and GAD which has calmed but I still have all of the after images, floaters, ect this post kinda makes me feel better

[Lissa101]

God I'm so glad you posted this! I have all these symptoms, especially the after images. Feel much better about it now x