General Medical Question - Non Urgent - A few things - flickering vision?

[sunshine!]

Sometimes I get what I call flickering vision, it's like the lights go on and off for a second or two, everything goes black, which is a little scary! Last night I tried to go to sleep, closed my eyes but it was like there was a strobe light behind my eyes? flashing light, dark, light, dark, making it impossible to sleep. That was the first time it has happened though, the flickering has been going on for as far back as I can remember! I also often see movement out the corner of my eye when there is none, although this could just be from watching too much ghost hunters!

Most likely unrelated but also a bit annoying:

My hands and feet are always freezing!

Rapid pulse rate. These are the only times I have actually checked it in the last few years, I don't really see what could have made the difference unless it's a side effect of the meds, which i doubt it is.

2007 - perfectly normal, healthy resting heart rate

2008 Jan - during hospital admission, get told to calm down as i have tachycardia - they say it's anxiety

didn't check again until...

2008 May - Risperidone overdose - very high pulse, had an ECG and i'm assuming it returned to a normal level as they discharged me without saying much?

didn't check again until....

2009 May - have measured my pulse a few times lately as I feel it pounding when i get anxious & stuff, it's usually around 100bpm (!) during these times, which concerns me. is stress a factor?

I can go for a run, and feel less out of breath than when i'm in a room full of people worrying!


Erm, I was supposed to get a blood test a while back because of the risperidone, but I quit cold turkey and didn't see the point of getting a blood test either. when i started it in 2008 i had all the standard tests and as far as i'm aware there was nothing abnormal.

Maybe I just need to chill out. I guess either I'm really unfit (I mean, I try to walk & run as much as possible, I'm good at aqua aerobics!) or i'm really anxious. Or i have a heart problem, but i kind of know i don't :|


I'm not too worried, although reassurance that I don't have some terrible illness would be nice! Also I am really embarrassed to go to my GP about minor health problems, i'm not really sure why, i just don't want to get laughed at!

Thanks :)

[Aidee]

How long does the flickering last?


As for your heart rate, normal is considered anything between 60 and 100, so 100 isn't really that alarming at all. Anxiety, stress and some medications can all raise your heart rate too.

[Geranium]

Hi,
I don't know what the flickering is - sounds worth checking with a doctor.
I doubt the other things you mention are related though - so I probably wouldn't bring up the whole list unless they ask you...

The heart rate thing is very likely anxiety - unpleasant but not physically serious. Sometimes seeing movement out of the corner of your eye probably isn't anything to worry about either- it happens to me once in a while esp. if I'm on my own late at night. Poor circulation is also fairly common.

Hope you find out what's causing the visual thing soon.

[Animad]

Do you feel any different when the flickering occurs or have you noticed a pattern to it? Any blurred vision? Do you ever lose periods of time or find yourself on the floor and don't know how you got there?

Do you have restrictive disordered eating patterns?

It can be normal for this sort of thing to happen when tired or stressed and some meds can cause it too. I'd definately see about the blood tests; what they'd want to check is that the meds didn't cause you any damage or to monitor it if it has and so it is a good thing to have done even though it'll hopefully show nothing.