Does anyone else experience white flashes in the dark? Hello, brain tumor fears.

[becomebecome]

I posted a while back with concerns about feelings of pressure around my head. I've seen a few doctors about this, have been prescribed nasal spray, antibiotics and am now taking Diclofenac for it. Not sure if it's helping yet. The most recent doctor I saw doesn't even think it's a sinus infection: she said it sounded more like pressure headaches. This worries me too - each doctor seems to have a different opinion.
Right now, though, my vision is a concern. At night I can sometimes see very strange things with my eyes open and closed. Often I'll have my eyes closed and I'll begin to see flashes of white, and then on opening them the flashes will continue for maybe five seconds or so. I see other kind of blurry white shapes that move around sometimes, too - are these floaters? I've also started to notice double vision. I can very slightly see the outline around words on a screen.
I went to an optician today which has made me even more concerned. I couldn't quite articulate myself and my symptoms: he said they were all over the place! He was worried about the double vision, and said something about white flashes being a sign that my eye might be detaching(?!). Overall though, the tests he done came back fine I think. He said my vision has changed slightly and he's changing my contact and lens prescription to see if that helps. If not he'll refer me to the hospital. Fun.

Has anyone had/does anyone have similar visual experiences? Needless to say I have anxiety, and also depression too. These things might be contributing to the vision problems I've been having, and it doesn't help that I'm so obsessed with my vision because it makes me notice every little oddity. Guess I'm just trying to make myself feel better, these might all just be excuses.

[sixpack]

brain tumors don't cause white flashes.  they cause blindness.  My dad experienced peripheral vision blindness because of his tumor.  My sister didn't have vision issues from her tumor.

white flashes can be a sign of a detached retina. But there is also a HUGE influx of floaters AND a black like curtain that crosses over the vision that doesn't go away.

BUT flashes are also uber common anxiety symptom with anxious folks.  It likely has to do with all kinds of the fight/flight hormones being released to excess in the body.

the eye doc was concerned about the white flashes but, guess what?  detached retinas are easily found when doc looks at the back of the eye.  I'm bettin' the eye doc was no longer concerned about the "flashes" after he saw that your retina was fine.

btw I do have an eye condition that is kinda/sorta similar to detached retina.  I have fluid collecting/leaking behind my retina.  It has a big special word for it.     When the doc had a looksee, it was quite apparent and he ordered some retina picture exam to confirm what he saw.  I go back to the eye doc tomorrow to see how things are going.  I didn't have any "flashes".  I had some other fun things though  (and still do  )

[sixpack]

some of the common vision symptoms:

Sight (anxiety symptoms commonly associated with sight):

Distorted, foggy, or blurred vision

Dry, watery or itchy eyes
 
Eye tricks, seeing things our of the corner of your eye that isn’t there, stars, flashes :  You may see stars or movements out of the corner of your eyes that don't exist. You may also see flashing lights in your eyes or your vision may seem almost kaleidoscope-like. Sometimes you may feel that there is a dark object or something just on the outside edge of your vision, or that your vision is narrowing.

Eyes sensitive to light

Spots in the vision

Flashing lights when eyes are closed

Your depth perception feels wrong
 

[becomebecome]

Thanks for your response.

brain tumors don't cause white flashes. they cause blindness...My dad experienced peripheral vision blindness because of his tumor...black like curtain that crosses over the vision that doesn't go away.

I find that I can kind of make myself blind when I'm in a dark room. I have trouble sleeping, and if I stare at one spot for a few moments I slowly lose my vision, almost like the 'black curtain' you describe... I had worried about this and subsequently searched 'blind yourself' finding: http://gizmodo.com/5911404/how-to-temporarily-blind-yourself which did make me consider it might be normal, until you mentioned it and what it's linked to.
The optometrist did a peripheral vision test with me today and I think I done okay; they made me repeat the test with my right eye though. Overall worried sick about this. Have to wait until Thursday to get replacement contacts to see if they help things. Otherwise it'll be a referral to the hospital, which I think is highly likely now.

[sixpack]

what part of my post makes you think you have either a brain tumor or detached retina?  Because your post says nothing about the things I am talking about.  truthfully.


you do realize that once the "black curtain" comes from detached retina, it doesn't go away UNLESS or UNTIL the retina is repaired.  It has nothing to do with a person staring at a spot and having the vision go away for a bit or "making yourself blind."  What I am saying about the 'black curtain' and what you are thinking I am saying is not the same thing, AT ALL. A person who develops a detached retina has ZERO control over what is happening with the vision---looking at a spot or not.  AGAIN if you had a detached retina and had the "black curtain",  the 'curtain' would stay down until it was treated or repaired..  You would have greatly impaired vision not some blurriness or the little white floaty things or the minor ghosting that you are describing. .

you do realize that  blindness caused by tumors is not a coming and going sort of thing?  once the vision is gone--blind, can't see-- it is GONE. My dad DID lose his peripheral vision due his tumor.  of course, HE KNEW it was gone.  he didn't need a doc to tell him.  My daughter didn't do well with her "peripheral" vision testing a few months back.  I think the tech did the test with her two or three times.

Even with my eye issue, I have a giant gray blob in my central vision.  It is non-stop.  it is 24/7.  it has dropped my visual acuity GREATLY.  before this happened I was 20/30 in that eye.  Now I might be  20/100.  When looking at light in my right eye, its brightness  is half of my left. Looking out my right eye only things are distorted and much smaller.   And all I have is a type of retinopathy.  the opthamologist didn't say things were normal, or overall fine or okay with my eye. He didn't say my vision has changed slightly and he's changing my contact and lens prescription to see if that helps.    He said, "I see fluid behind your retina.  You need to have pictures taken of your retina." and then after looking at the retina pictures he said, "you have central serous chorioretinopathy.  It is caused by excess cortisol being produced in the body.  Have you been stressed lately?"

So if there were big things happening with your eye, the doc would have said so.  Having looked back at your original post----you said you saw an "optician".  Did you mean optometrist or an opthamologist (who is the MD for eye issues).  If you simply saw an optometrist or just the guy who makes the eye glasses as that what I call an "optician", then you may be better off seeing an opthamologist.  I don't know why you'd be sent to the hospital????


I understand you are scared. However based on your post, imo, your fears of brain tumor (or even detached retina)  are pretty much unfounded.  It sounds pretty much like some minor changes in your vision and a good bit of anxious over thinking thrown in there to get you hyper focused on your vision.  THis will cause all kinds of weirdness---as I mentioned in the above post.


What do you do for your anxiety disorder?  What is working? What isn't?

[oregoncoastlady]

A couple of years ago  I started getting flashes in corners of my eyes and new floaters. I saw the flashes a lot in the dark or if my eyes were closed. I got very nervous, of course. My dad and sister had both had detached retinas. Went to see the opthalmologist. It ended up being posterior vitrious detachment, which is common in people over fifty and nearsighted people. No torn or detached retina. Just part of aging. I'm sure my anxiety does not help any when it comes to my vision. I currently have a film that goes across my eye and makes things blurry. I had it before and the eye doc said I have some really big floaters. Never even entertained the idea of a brain tumor. Just old, tired, anxious eyes.

[WyattsMomma]

Oh, I totally had this! It was as if someone was flickering a flashlight at my eyelids while my eyes were closed. And it was in the midst of a HORRID brain tumor fear. I had (and still suffer daily headaches). I was SURE I had a BT. I WAS WRONG. MRI clear. It was anxiety. Purely anxiety caused me the white lights. Sixpack is right (as always:) When I told my doc about this symptom, she laughed and said that it wasn't a symptom of a BT, they present much more blantently...but she reassured me it was, in fact, a symptom of anxiety. And, she was right. Anxiety calmed= no more white flashes :) And clear eye exam as well, so yeah.

[becomebecome]

Having looked back at your original post----you said you saw an "optician".  Did you mean optometrist or an opthamologist (who is the MD for eye issues).  If you simply saw an optometrist or just the guy who makes the eye glasses as that what I call an "optician", then you may be better off seeing an opthamologist.  I don't know why you'd be sent to the hospital????

I'm not sure what kind of person I saw. He was part of the team at Specsavers. One lady took pictures of the back of my eyes and conducted a kind of eye focus test, then I talked to the guy who done a general eye test and decided I needed different contact lenses. I'd only been in a month ago and my prescription had changed slightly, and now after less than a month there are more visual differences that need to be corrected.

What do you do for your anxiety disorder?  What is working? What isn't?

Nothing, at the moment. I was prescribed zoloft a week ago for anxiety/depression but decided not to take it and give a week of exercise a go first before committing to medication. The exercise isn't helping much right now - in fact the opposite, on taking a run I noticed I could see two moons.

A couple of years ago  I started getting flashes in corners of my eyes and new floaters. I saw the flashes a lot in the dark or if my eyes were closed. I got very nervous, of course. My dad and sister had both had detached retinas. Went to see the opthalmologist. It ended up being posterior vitrious detachment, which is common in people over fifty and nearsighted people. No torn or detached retina. Just part of aging. I'm sure my anxiety does not help any when it comes to my vision. I currently have a film that goes across my eye and makes things blurry. I had it before and the eye doc said I have some really big floaters. Never even entertained the idea of a brain tumor. Just old, tired, anxious eyes.

Thanks for the reply. I can understand that anxiety could heighten my consciousness of what's going on with me visually, and I notice I'm aware of it now more than ever.

Oh, I totally had this! It was as if someone was flickering a flashlight at my eyelids while my eyes were closed. And it was in the midst of a HORRID brain tumor fear. I had (and still suffer daily headaches). I was SURE I had a BT. I WAS WRONG. MRI clear. It was anxiety. Purely anxiety caused me the white lights. Sixpack is right (as always:) When I told my doc about this symptom, she laughed and said that it wasn't a symptom of a BT, they present much more blantently...but she reassured me it was, in fact, a symptom of anxiety. And, she was right. Anxiety calmed= no more white flashes :) And clear eye exam as well, so yeah.

I visited a doctor today and he didn't seem too concerned because I'd had images taken of the back of my eyes, but he said if it would help he would refer me to get a CT scan which I agreed to. Has anyone else had a CT scan? What should I expect?
It's horrible that we should feel like we need brain scans to ensure that we're okay, I can't believe I'm putting myself through this. I'm not confident though. I'd like to think everything comes back clear. If it does I think I'll start taking the zoloft.

[WyattsMomma]

Instead of the ct scan which is high in radiation, I would recommend an mri if you simply MUST have it checked (It will not show a BT, I am sure) but I understand you *need* to be sure. The mri I just got strapped into a "bed", they strapped my head into some gadget and put headphones on me so they could reassure me and talk to me during the test. The "bed" moved into an enclosed tube like  machine with a mirror angled so I could see the examiner behind me and he talked to me during the whole thing. It was really loud but only lasted 10 minutes tops. Nothing bad about it. I have never had a ct, and refuse one when offered UNLESS I have a true reason to need it. IE.Doctor says "you need it because I am concerned"

[sixpack]

wow your MRI only took 10 mins?

all of mine or the ones my kids have had have been at least 30 minutes.


but as we anxious peeps all know those "reassurance" med tests don't fix what ails us.  It doesn't fix our anixous over thinking. If we actually BELIEVE the test and no longer fixate on a brain tumor or whatever the fear is at the moment, then we just move onto the next fear not covered by the test we just had.

of course everybody can deal with their disorder as they see fit, I simply find it useless chasing disease fears down one after the other.  and it doesn't fix the anxiety anyway.

[WyattsMomma]

Yep, 10 minutes tops. It shocked me how quickly it was done. Took me longer to get undressed and put on the robe and get strapped in!   And sixpack is right AGAIN! As soon as my BT scare was squashed, I went directly back to Lung Cancer and have lingered there ever since. It is a vicious cycle. I had a clear x ray, but I "what if" it to death. AND if I do get myself calmed and reassured that I do NOT currently have LC, I go on to the fact that I smoked heavily for 15+ years and I will get it eventually anyways. Ugh! Testing for real possibilites is sensible. Testing for reassurance and putting yourself through radiation for it, is not. But we HA people aren't sensible, now are we :p

[JunoX]

I have had flashes before and still do on occasion. I go to the eye doctor once a year because of my terrible myopia and they have never found a problem with my eyes. When I began getting ocular migraines, I thought it was my eyes at first and went to several specialists, which found nothing and I was eventually diagnosed with migraines by a nuero.

I have floaters, terrible static, spots, blobs, fireworks, unable to focus, depth issues, halos, shimmers, waves, auras, webs/branches, comas, sensitivity to light, pressure, pain, trails, burn ins, you name it. When I was particularly anxious because of the migraines, I experienced horrible flashes at night. It looked like someone was turning the lights on and off, it was that prominent and bad. I had experienced flashes before but not to that extent. It was caused by anxiety. Once I stopped freaking out because of the migraines, the flashes stopped. I still have my bouts every once in a while but never like that time.

So anxiety does play with our vision, especially when we are being hyper vigilant about it. I know that when I start focusing on my vision, I see all kinds of stuff I would otherwise miss.

[becomebecome]

Thanks for all the replies. I've really been fixating on the double vision thing now, and that's probably the thing that's worrying me the most. I think by Thursday I'll have replacement contact lenses and hopefully that will correct things but I'm not so sure. I'm constantly asking my friends now 'do you see two of this? and 'can you see that?'.
Would someone be able to tell if I had a tumor just by looking a picture of the back of my eyes, as well as looking behind them by with their torch?

[WyattsMomma]

I also get horrid double vision at anxiety peaks. And yes, it would show if it was pressing on you optic nerve.

[becomebecome]

Well, just got new contact lenses and unsurprisingly I can still see double. It seems to be more prominent when I close my right eye and focus with my left but with both eyes open words/everything is a bit glazed and sometimes double. I'm wondering if it's connected to the sinus infection I might have, it's the only other thing I can think of. Oh well, to the hospital I go. 

[sixpack]

Well, just got new contact lenses and unsurprisingly I can still see double. It seems to be more prominent when I close my right eye and focus with my left but with both eyes open words/everything is a bit glazed and sometimes double. I'm wondering if it's connected to the sinus infection I might have, it's the only other thing I can think of. Oh well, to the hospital I go. 

why not go to an opthamologist? 

why are you unable to accept that anxiety does affect us physcially?

what happens if you have that ctscan or mri and it turns up normal?  whatcha gonna do then.

[becomebecome]

I totally do accept that anxiety can be very physical, I've just never had vision problems as a result of it. I think it's a bit odd and worrying that I have daily head pressure too. I'll visit Specsavers again tomorrow and tell them I'm still seeing double and see where things go. The guy there mentioned referring me to the hospital at first (to an 'eye doctor' or for a scan I'm not sure, but he seemed concerned), which sparked the whole brain tumor fear to begin with.

[sixpack]

people always say-----------  I've never had X type symptoms before with my anxiety so............   well geuss what?  anxiety is varied. it does different things.  when I get anxious, I get different stuff now because I'm smart enough to learn that symptoms x, y & z that used to scare the pee out of me are from anxiety.  thus they no longer scare me.  thus they either don't happen OR I don't freak about them which doesn't allow them to take over.  BUT what happens is my mind will see some other anomaly that is new or has a bit of a twist that can capture my attention...... 

what is specsavers?  sounds like a pearl vision type place.  which would only have optometrist.


if you had a brain tumor you'd have MORE crap going on---serious stuff.  my dad and sis sure did.


I'm not going to tell you to go and get a scan or not.  it is your body.....   It doesn't make a huge difference to me.  Other than I just hate when peeps continually spin their wheels doing the same sort of thing.  Mostly I'm just pointing out that if you think it will solve your anxiety disorder, you are going to be disappointed. 

[becomebecome]

Yeah, guess I've only saw an optometrist then. How do I go about booking an appointment with an eye doctor? I visited the optometrist today, repeated my symptoms and concerns, retook the peripheral vision test and was told just to monitor my vision and come back if it worsens.

[sixpack]

Yeah, guess I've only saw an optometrist then. How do I go about booking an appointment with an eye doctor? I visited the optometrist today, repeated my symptoms and concerns, retook the peripheral vision test and was told just to monitor my vision and come back if it worsens.

opthamologists are MDs.  they are just another specialist.    you make an appointment with one just like you would any other doctor.  My optha---belongs to a large eye doctor group... one that includes optometrists and optician and about 4 opthamologists.  My health insurance doesn't require a referral from my primary care.  I'm thinking most insurances won't require one for opthas but you should find out.  so look up who is covered under your insurance and call docs on that list.  if you have family/friends that have an optha that they like, use them.  if you don't have insurance then you can call any optha that you want.  If you don't have insurance though, you'll have to pay up front. But that is STILL tons cheaper than running up an unnecessary ER bill.

personally, though, I believe your anxiety is getting the better of you.  whether you believe it or not.

truth is I KNEW beyond a shadow of a doubt that something was quite wrong with my vision.  there was no hemming/hawing about it.  I didn't ask people what they thought, I just made the appointment.  I saw the optha the following day.  when the doc saw my eye, he dx'd me right away. 

[becomebecome]

Update: had a CT scan this morning and then headed to my doctor because my sinuses were sore and the pressure is still persisting. I was feeling hopeful, considering that I might actually be able to draw a line under all of this and that I could move on with my life. On visiting the doctor I thought I could try something else that might help my sinuses. She felt them and said they aren't even tender, suggesting that we just wait and see if anything shows up in the scan (the results of which can take up to three weeks to arrive). I also told her about my visual problems and she said I should go to another optician for a second opinion. Things aren't looking great. No pun intended.
I've been holding on to the idea that this is all just a result of blocked sinuses yet my doctor seemingly doesn't think it's even a sinus infection. I had been steaming my face which had been helping. I'm focusing on my vision now more than ever, and I find myself wondering if my perspective is right. Sometimes when I walk down the street it looks as if part of my peripheral vision is black, and like I've said before: at night if I stare at an object for about ten seconds I can temporarily blind myself, the darkness seeps in from the outer-corners (i.e. my peripheral vision).
Guess all I can do now is wait.

[freakycat]

I know exactly how you feel. I have had all of your eye "symptoms" and it is scary especially when you have anxiety. I saw floaters more than ever. those blurry shapes that you see are the floaters. I first started to see many floaters and I all I thought about was my vision. the more I thought about it the worse that it got. which developed new symptoms. one of them being double vision. as of today, I can still see the outline of things even with my glasses. sometimes they are there and sometimes they are not. but the more I think and worry about it, the worse it seems to get. as for the white lights. I see throes suckers all the time! in different colors too. it's perfectly normal. I see them with my eyes open and closed. I know exactly what you mean by making yourself blind. it has happened to me in the daytime and night time. but really, there is nothing wrong with you :) I lived in fear for almost 6 months because of my vision problems. it is not fun at all. you just need to tell yourself that you're okay. you are not the only one going through this. when it starts to bother you, get your mind off of it by doing something else. like cleaning or listening to music. try not to worry about your CT scan. you will be fine. :)