Strobing/skipping peripheral vision

[skimordiegirl]

For the past year I have been experiencing a strange symptom after having major anxiety. When I walk or am in the car, everything in my peripheral vision flashes or strobes... Like it's in snippets and not smooth vision.

I have every test and MRI under the sun. Everything is clear. I do have migraines and I've had visual snow for a few years now as well.

Has anyone experienced this before??,

[lexi3309]

For the past year I have been experiencing a strange symptom after having major anxiety. When I walk or am in the car, everything in my peripheral vision flashes or strobes... Like it's in snippets and not smooth vision.

I have every test and MRI under the sun. Everything is clear. I do have migraines and I've had visual snow for a few years now as well.

Has anyone experienced this before??,

I experience this quite often actually. More so when I drive than any place else which I don't do very often because of the severe panic attacks that I have while behind the wheel. I have also had an EEG, MRI...and as scary as the experiences are and everytime I get a tiny headache or any foreign feeling in my head area, I can very easily flip out and think the worst. But I just try and stay positive and remind myself that if anything were wrong with my brain or my vision, it would have been seen by my doctor. Of course it's not always that easy but that's just what I try to do. Of course I am not expert on anything regarding anxiety. But I do know it's comforting to know you aren't the only one experiencing a symptom that you feel like you are alone in.

[skimordiegirl]

You are so right, it makes you feel better to know you aren't alone. I am sorry you are going through this too and that your anxiety is very bad. I used to have debilitating anxiety that kept me home too. I had to start seeing a behavioral therapist and was able to concur that, but then this vision stuff started happening and it makes me not want to do much. I know it won't kill me, but I get anxious about it getting worse or taking over all of my vision.

Do you also notice the car wheels looking funny or a spinning fan looking weird?

I wish there was some type of medicine I could take to help it, but I'm too scared to even try anything. Do you take anything?

I see you are in FL too!! What part? I am right below Tampa on the west coast.





I experience this quite often actually. More so when I drive than any place else which I don't do very often because of the severe panic attacks that I have while behind the wheel. I have also had an EEG, MRI...and as scary as the experiences are and everytime I get a tiny headache or any foreign feeling in my head area, I can very easily flip out and think the worst. But I just try and stay positive and remind myself that if anything were wrong with my brain or my vision, it would have been seen by my doctor. Of course it's not always that easy but that's just what I try to do. Of course I am not expert on anything regarding anxiety. But I do know it's comforting to know you aren't the only one experiencing a symptom that you feel like you are alone in.

[Kixxi]

For the past year I have been experiencing a strange symptom after having major anxiety. When I walk or am in the car, everything in my peripheral vision flashes or strobes... Like it's in snippets and not smooth vision.

I have every test and MRI under the sun. Everything is clear. I do have migraines and I've had visual snow for a few years now as well.

Has anyone experienced this before??,

Experienced that as well. I know it feels extremely scary and it is one of those symptoms that can really freak you out. I don't have it any more though, due to the fact that I don't get severe panic attacks any more. I only experienced it after really bad panic attacks, but it always stopped within a half hour.

[lexi3309]

You are so right, it makes you feel better to know you aren't alone. I am sorry you are going through this too and that your anxiety is very bad. I used to have debilitating anxiety that kept me home too. I had to start seeing a behavioral therapist and was able to concur that, but then this vision stuff started happening and it makes me not want to do much. I know it won't kill me, but I get anxious about it getting worse or taking over all of my vision.

Do you also notice the car wheels looking funny or a spinning fan looking weird?

I wish there was some type of medicine I could take to help it, but I'm too scared to even try anything. Do you take anything?

I see you are in FL too!! What part? I am right below Tampa on the west coast.


I definitely understand the worrying about it getting worse! As soon as my vision starts getting weird like that, I immediately start panicking and worrying I'm going to pass out or lose control of myself. I think that's the scariest feeling actually, it's the lack of control I feel when it starts to happen. I feel like my brain is floating away from my head and I just freak out. And I definitely notice things that spin look different. Not even things that spin, it can be my television. I can just be sitting there watching tv and out of no where I feel like I start to lose my peripheral vision and then the tv gets fuzzy and my eyes feel very tense and like there's a lot of pressure behind them. I definitely have a constant fear that it will take over my entire vision and one day it won't stop. It'll just keep going and going and that is absolutely terrifying. The whole vision issue is one o the main reasons why I can't drive. I currently am taking prozac (newly) so it hasn't really been in my system long enough for me to know if it's working or not. I also have a low lose of xanax for when I have actual panic attacks. That was all prescribed by my primary care physician but we have recently decided that I should see a psychologist and get down to the root of the problem since my anxiety is so severe. Hopefully they will be able to understand my situation better and know what medicine would be more suited for me. I would rather not take any medicine but I tried for 2 months to get a grip on it by myself and I just couldn't do it. Now instead of having panic attacks (which still occur) I have the constant anxiety through out the day.

And I live in Panama City Beach actually! So not far from the tampa area! I used to live in jacksonville where my husband was station for the navy. I am sorry you are going through all of this again. Hopefully you can keep reassuring yourself that the vision troubles are all anxiety related and they won't have a bigger affect on you than they already do! I feel like if I had understood every symptom I had from the beginning, I wouldn't have let it scare me so deeply to the point of turning me into a basket case now. Every hiccup or head ache makes me want to rush to the ER or call my dr. It's ridiculous what the mind can trick you into thinking or feeling.

[DoctorPotterWho]

Hi, Lexi! It's been awhile since we last spoke (Lost my old user information, but I was skimordiegirl). I wanted to see if you've gotten any better with the strobing vision? Mine is no better... actually seems a little worse. I also have afterimages and static and wanted to see if you have that too? Has anything helped you?

Thank you,
Candi