24/7 Vision issues - Anxiety or even derealization?

Hey,

I wonder is it possible that after a long course of really bad anxiety, stress and depression combined with even really traumatic events to yourself... Could lead to "permanent" vision changes or disturbances?

I've had a really rough, horrible and traumatic events in the last year(For 8 months in row now) in my life. Terrible things have happened to myself, had chronic infections, couple failed big surgeries etc. All this has led to worst anxiety and stress ever in my life, which has also led to dark depression and none of it has gone away, since everything in life is still going just as badly.

All of the sudden at the start of this year I developed tons of new symptoms that I never had before. I was sure I had caught some serious disease suddenly. All my doctors told me at that point was... It must be flu or something. I had developed horrible cold intolerance/feeling cold/shivering symptoms along with severe pains all over my body, including horrible headaches. Also feeling tired and powerless all the time. Along came disturbances in my senses, especially in my vision. Some weird strange and horrible smell disturbances as well, which have mostly passed by now. But the disturbed vision stays!

I've been plenty of times in the ER, taken MRI of the brain, had wide infection tests done, seen plenty of specialists(neurologist, infection doctors, eye doctors) etc.

Been suspected having hypothyroidism, Type 2 Diabetes, Lyme disease, MS Disease, CFS, Fibromyalgia or something in my eyes like Optic Neuritis.

They've found nothing, aside of finally getting Fibromyalgia diagnosis last week. Lyme isn't 100% ruled out either, but at this point it wont be treated "for nothing" anyway.

The visual symptoms resemble closely to Optic Neuritis, but I've seen 2 different Eye doctors that have said my eyes are 100% perfect. Even though you dont always see that disease from the eyes...

So starting from January this year along with all the other symptoms I've developed this 24/7 visual changes that havent gone away at all. If anything, they've gotten worse only by time.

My vision seems to have dimmed, as if everywhere lights have been turned down(outside and inside) and contrasts are totally messed up. All colors look washed out and lifeless. My vision is more close to black/white sight than full vibrant color sight. Everything looks dark and "dead" often. Outside world may look really "grey" a lot of time, even that I know it really shouldn't be. All lights easily hurt my eyes and i'm really sensitive to them. Sunlight, traffic lights, lights from cars, lights inside the house etc. Everything looks to have awful lot of "glare" on it or just look glossy. My night vision has gotten awful and especially then the lights hurt my eyes even more and everything in the dark looks so foggy and blurry. My sight still is pretty sharp most of the time, even almost too sharp some times? A lot of times without any clear reasons it can get somewhat/really blurry too though all of the sudden.

All the familiar places I go to, all the familiar people or anything look completely different, weird and "new" unlike what I used to see before. All the darn time, every single day. The vision could still change a bit at times for some reason. So that everything looks even more dull, grey and lifeless. And lightning could look even too bright, making everything look so dull. Even though most of the time I got this usual dim/dark vision with the messed up contrasts like I've explained. But it still varies a bit.

Because of this constant vision issue I've become even more anxious and depressed and it stresses me out 24/7. I dont even want to go outside the house anymore barely, even in familiar places or see people I'd otherwise want to. Even at home i'm scared and disturbed by my vision issues all the time.

If nothing physical is found to be reason for my vision, then could it be only caused by the constant huge anxiety and stress that has been "on" for months and possibly even led to derealization that wont let go? After more than 4 months and tons of doctor visits and tests etc, everything remains the same and nothing is found... I'm thinking of still visiting a neurologist one more time and after that I guess I'm forced to finally ask a psychiatrist about this... Or could it still be the darn wrongly diagnosed Lyme behind it all?

Thank you all in advance if you can help at all! : )

hi, are you diabetic or pre? might need the optic nerves looked at if ya are. the orange dye camera test. welcome, I have diabetic retinapathy and know the importance of our eyes. 1 blown, the other tons of laser on both and 1 vitrectomy. intra ocular injections as well on both. but yes, sounds like ya stressing way too much. check out the resources on this forum, they really help. coping skills do really help. natural light is good for ya, and some refreshing eye drops may help as well. I am due for a few drops myself. take care.

Thanks for the replies!

I've even checked/been tested just recently for diabetes, because the vision issues could have been like diabetic retinapathy, but nope. No diabetes. Not sure what do you mean with "pre"?

Also thought(and kinda still do) I have Optic neuritis for a long time, since the symptoms have been closest to that. Also, everything actually started with horrible sudden pain in the eyes(looking, moving them, and even when the eyes were closed) along with the actual vision changes and the pain lasted for a couple weeks. The pain has gone mostly away, but the changed vision hasnt. But based on the brain MRI(which shows optic nerves as well) and the two eye doctors I've seen... Nope. No optic neuritis either. Even though I do know you cannot see it looking to the eyes always. But does a "clear" MRI rule it out? It was taken after I had the eye issues already for a while.

It's really hard to believe this could be bad anxiety based on the fact how the whole thing started. But like I said, I've been diagnosed now with Fibromyalgia now... Which propably started around the same time it seems. Fibro has it's own eye issues and pain along with it, but nothing like what I am experiencing overally.

Anyway, for Fibro pain and all the huge anxiety/stress and depression I've finally started Cymbalta 30mg 1½ weeks ago and been struggling with the starting effects, but I plan to keep on it anyway and moving up to 60mg. I used to take Cymbalta earlier in my life for 2½ years at 60mg dosage for depression only and it worked really well with tolerable side effects. Desperately hoping this would start to help slowly and have effect even on the vision issues...? Assuming it is caused by anxiety! Actually, as weird as it sounds, the vision has gotten even darker now(after starting Cymbalta?) and somehow everything seems to have "blue'ish" tone to it often? And I mean the colour! Instead of total greyness and dimness, now I see more blue(white walls, grass... etc everything)...

Do you guys think Cymbalta(on higher dose too of course) could help on all this? I saw a psychiatrist who said it's a good AD for "psychosomatic" issues too.

And what do you think about the whole derealization thing? Could I have been slipped even in to that? The vision at times really reminds of foggy/kind of dreamy/nightmare'ish/bad drunken vision. And I do question a lot of things or even people not looking real or how they should be... Everything seems so off?

Post Edited (Vimbetin) : 6/20/2016 8:00:49 AM (GMT-6)

Hi Vim! Sorry you have so many things going on. I know that vision problems can be caused by anxiety/stress. I have stress induced migraines which mess with my vision on a frequent basis, but also, I have noticed vision differences when I am having panic.

I hope you are feeling better soon! You didn't mention if you are getting therapy. Can't emphasize enough how much it has helped along with drug therapy. Best of luck to you!

I have same vision issues like you and I never thought about anxiety and vision issues to be related.

Cymbalta is good medicine,it is helpful.

Keep posting.

cilly said...
I have same vision issues like you and I never thought about anxiety and vision issues to be related.

Cymbalta is good medicine,it is helpful.

Keep posting.

Oh. Have you found any reasons or actual diagnosis for your vision issues?

This is so frustrating and at times i'm just trying to "learn to live with it"... I guess cymbalta makes me less anxious already about it, but doesnt seem to lessen it. But i'm still early on the Cymbalta with low dose... God I hate the sore throat/hoarse voice side effect it does every time to me and it seems to last a long time. Oh and the crazy sweating!

I'm still pretty sure this could be actual derealization... Stuff is way too weird and wrong without having any real eye disease(?)...

Hi Rathernotsay,

Welcome to the anxiety and panic forum. I hope you get an answer to your question. Check out the first thread on this page, it is called "resources". There is a wealth of information there.

Hugs, Karen...