Vision symptoms: floaters, snow, blurred/dimmed vision, twitching, dry eyes and pain

[Ellen042]

It does sound like you need a thorough eye exam with a compassionate, listening doctor. Sounds like you have more than one thing going on.  I myself wouldn't rule out the possibility of AD WD contributing to your symptoms.  The other thing they have in common is fatigue.  Both focusing and eye twitches become worse with fatigue- and with caffeine too for that matter.  Good luck to you in finding relief for your symptoms.  Blessings, Ellen

[Tanya]

This sounds strange I know ,but did anyone suffer with huge pupils when they made a drop in seroxat? And also my scalp is so sensitive to touch ,horrid.... I just need some reassurance that this we'd can effect pupils.

Tanya.

[Tanya]

No one?

[JamesB]

Tanya,

This may be of interest:

http://survivingantidepressants.org/index.php?/topic/5623-visual-problems-on-anti-depressants-rxiskorg/

[eva]

Anyone else have dry painful eyes, with blurry vision, especially in the mornings and late evenings? And/or tip on what to do about it?

[Finn]

The past few weeks, I have developed a twitch in my right, and only my right, eye. My vision isn't affected or anything; it just feels like it is twitching. Could this be from withdrawal? or maybe some sort of vitamin deficiency?

[cymbaltawithdrawal5600]

Darn twitches. I had one on the back on the back of my right thigh for over a week. Then it stopped and moved to the outside of my left calf. I could see it fluttering. Lately my toes are extremely sensitive right across the tops of them. A while back it was the tips of my fingers, couldn't type till just recently.

 

Probably some nerves waking up.

[UnfoldingSky]

Yes, I've had this too.  It comes and goes. 

[trouper]

i had the right eye twitch for a few months. it went away but now after about 7 months the eye twitch came back. it went to my finger for a little while too. i assume its withdrawal.

[Bellisimo]

ive also had this..

[jg31]

I've had an eye twitch in my right eye for about 2 months, but it comes and goes. The better I sleep the less likely it occurs it seems. Before I experienced Prozac withdrawal symptoms I rarely got an eye twitch, and I suffered from insomnia, sometimes going for days without sleep. Now I sleep much better but the right eye twitch seems correlated with my withdrawal symptoms and worsened by lack of sleep.

[Aria]

When I was tapering I had pronounced eye and muscle twitches.  Now I have eye twitching due to insomina.

[WinningThrough]

Magnesium is good for twitches.

[NewMe]

Oh yes - left eye twitch was annoying as hell. 

[Petunia]

Yes, me too, had twitches in various body parts, got one now actually.  It seems to be quite common.

[Finn]

Wow, so it seems to be pretty common. Sorry about that.

 

I happened to be looking in a mirror when I got the twitchy feeling, and yeah, my bottom eye lid was actually, noticeably twitching--not just the feeling. It's pretty weird. It's been like 7 weeks since I took the last bit of Prozac so the withdrawal is somewhat fresh.

[arcticmonkey]

I started expirencing visual symptoms(visual snow,palinopsia) while back after I tapered off paxil for the first time.Then a few months after the visual symptoms appeared I started taking paxil again, and the visual symptoms improved.Now at a time when I am tapering paxil for the second time the visual symptoms seem to get worse.

 

Do you think that this happens because of a reduction in dosage or because of tapering too fast ?

 

Also has anyone noticed similar symptoms to these ?

Are they persistent or transitory ?

[Petunia]

Hi arcticmonkey,

Visual symptoms such as these are fairly common in antidepressant withdrawal, it could be a sign that you are tapering too fast.  Please would you start a topic for yourself in introductions and updates, then we can get to know you and provide more help with tapering.

 

Here is a link to a thread about eye problems in withdrawal:

 

http://survivingantidepressants.org/index.php?/topic/514-eye-problems-and-withdrawal-syndrome/?hl=visual#entry5235

 

Petu.

[Chemistry]

I have these symptoms really bad... I hope it  gets better for you. Definitely taper slowly. I think for most it gets better but it takes years for some.

[pjsandchocolate]

After being on Trazadone and Lexapro for nearly 7 years, I started experienceing random moments of vertigo with some moments being extremely transitory and others being enough to sweep me off my feet literally. After 40 hours of appointments, tests and specialists, I was told that non one knew what my problem was (I made it all the way up to seeing an actual neurologist/surgeon and he drew a blank).

 

I finally got in to see my opthamologist and he listened to everything I had to say, flipped the pages in my chart and said "Yeah, that's normal."

 

What?

 

"Well, you're a long-term antideppressant user. We see this all the time in opthalmology. The only way to get past it is to dry out from the antidepressants for about 6 weeks and then go back on them if you still need them."

 

So, it might not be the taper so much as the saturation levels in your body.

 

Good luck.

[Altostrata]

I merged similar topics.
 
Also see Visual Problems on Anti-depressants (RxISK.org) -- RxISK.org is looking for patient reports of these problems.

[Muddles]

I was prescribed glasses last year after suddenly developing bad vision. The optician said there wasn't a particular problem with my eyes - did lots of tests, but it was obvious i wasnt able to focus properly. He asked about medication and did say that antidepressant's can have this side effect.

The glasses helped but gave me headaches.

 

This has got better since reducing my dosage. I haven't had to wear the glasses at all for about 3 months. I just get the drugged kind of vision which is different.

[NewMe]

Lately my lower lid eyeball thing is spazzing - aka twitching. Anyone have this as part of the taper? I did not have this prior to taking ssris but when I went on paxil I had it. It went away after a time. Now as I am tapering, the twitch has returned w intensity and besides looking goofy,  really annoying. 

 

I also have muscle twitching spazz in other areas. Weird areas. 

 

It's very weird. 

 

 

Anyone???

[erikjms]

I searched the forums for any talk of electrolytes and muscle pain and came up empty so I want to offer a little of my experience as well as describe my confusion. Maybe a bit of venting but I do think I am on to something.

 

The most persistent withdrawal symptom, still with me after almost two years post Zyprexa discontinuation, has been muscular aches, spasms, and twitches that occur in almost every muscle on my head and occasionally down to my shoulders, chest, and upper back. I have these "attacks" that last anywhere from an hour to several days, although mostly they are shorter than 24 hours anymore: I can feel twitches in my cheeks, eyelids, eyebrows, and on the bridge of my nose and down both sides. My jaw muscles start to tighten and it feels like two tiny drill bits are slowly making their way through the skin and muscles at my brow, just above each eye at the inner corner. Often my neck muscles will start to tighten as well. As all these muscles get tighter, I become extremely sensitive to light, my pupils constrict, and the muscles that focus my eyes also begin to tighten and ache. Sometimes the tinnitus that got worse after quitting Zyprexa will become quite loud as well.

 

What I have noticed is this: Magnesium helped a little bit--except for when it made things worse. I mostly used it in water solution topically, but whether it would help or hurt was unpredictable, and taking orally it triggered an extremely intense and painful episode. After that I stopped trying to use it at all because I could not detect any sort of pattern that might help me decide when to use it and when not to.

 

My primary care physician suggested I increase my Klonopin dose, which I have ever so slightly for some time now, and that can help to keep these at bay, but not always, and I am not interested in increasing it any more. I have taken it for several years, and eventually I would like to try coming off of it, but that will not be happening anytime soon that I can tell.

 

A few months ago I had another very intense and painful "attack" after I had eaten a relatively high-sodium meal--it was prepared food that I bought because the kind I usually buy was not available, and I did not look closely at the label until I was in the middle of trying to calm my face down, and I noticed that it had about three times the sodium of my usual fare. It occurred to me that muscular contractions are partially dependent on sodium ion channels that regulate nerve communication, and so because there was nothing much else to be done, I drank a liter of water to see if I could bring my sodium concentration down a bit.

 

It worked! Or, it worked well enough that I made a note of it and started paying greater attention to the effects of salty meals in particular but meals more generally, and I did discover that this cluster of muscle symptoms often occurred right after eating, and that drinking a fair amount of water during and after meals helped quite a lot in calming things down.

 

And so things have been going relatively well with regard to this one little syndrome. I have not had the energy to research things like sodium, calcium, magnesium and potassium levels and how they fluctuate with hydration and food and exercise, but I have been wanting to know more.

 

Well, now I am trying to figure this out a little further. We have had a heat wave this week and I have needed to do a bit more walking than usual (my physical stamina is still shot, but that is another topic sort of..)  in this heat. I sweat like a horse and have done so for several years (topic number three!) when it is warmer than 40F out; at 80F and higher, you would think I was living in Death Valley. Water drips from me as though I were a not-very-well-hidden spring!

 

I try to stay hydrated out on the street, but once I come home the face muscle pain has been starting up, accompanied by nausea and regular old headaches and just overall feeling lousy. Yesterday I drank two and a half liters of water after coming in and drying off, but while I was replenishing the H2O, it occurred to me that since I had sweat most of it out, I was probably also now dealing with low electrolyte levels instead of high ones. And so I have been trying to find a way to intuitively balance food and water intake to even things out again, but it has been very tricky so far. Yesterday and today I left the house for a little while and then spent the majority of the rest of my waking hours guessing at what might help the pain and nausea subside.

 

I am thinking of picking up some sort of electrolyte liquid supplement, like Pedia-Lyte or whatever else might be available, to see if it is any quicker to help.

 

I am so tired of this. And  I am so tired of being tired, which exacerbates everything else!

 

But if anyone has any insight to add here, I would very much like to hear/see it. It is very difficult for me to focus on hard research, but even looking at abstracts of studies that are related in any way to muscle action, electrolytes, calcium and sodium ion channels might be of value. I am just not sure where to start and my old grad school search skills are also flagging just out of fatigue. And it is frustrating to know that research should be done on xyz but nobody has done any yet. Kind of discouraging, you know?

 

Erik

[overcomer58]

I too still have painless muscle twitches that bounce from one body part to the next.. and right now for the past week they have been on my eyelids.. then are gone as soon as they appear. This has been going on now for almost a year. I also get these headaches that then make my body really hot and I sometimes get a little confused.. I had gotten Serotonin Toxicity for the month of August 17th - Sept 22,2013.. and have for the most part gotten Waaayyyy better.. but these twitches, and the fatigue.. I am so tired of being tired.. and so done with these twitches.. I try NOT to focus on them.. but when they are on your eyelids..its almost impossible to NOT notice. Blah!! :-) I have had so many tests ran, ALL of my vitamins look fine, but D-- that was really low.. Potassium, Calcium, B's, all fine.. But I do try to increase my Calcium with my Vitamin D levels being so low.. and that when I keep up seems to help out a bit more.. I am just tired of this whole experience and want it all to be over.. I look back at where I came from and I have hope that this too wil pass.. and one day I will feel myself again.. Until then, I too drink lots of water, try to cut back on sugars, and am preparing to eat a clean- diet, free from processed foods and more fruits and veggies.. 

[overcomer58]

I too have experienced random and painless muscle twitching on and off now for almost a year after WD from Sertraline/ Serotonin Toxicity ( 8/17-9/22/13)

I am ready for them to end, and the fatigue. They are now on my eyelids.. Lame. :-) Other than that, so many of the other intense symptoms have resided and I can see wholeness in the future. 

[Bellisimo]

Did anyone develope eye floaters in their withdrawling or while on SSRI?

 

I developed it around 6 months off ssri and still have it now 15 months off, they dont bother me and i see them most clear when i look up at a blue sky.

 

 

[LexAnger]

I had bright lighting during sleep during taper but not when I'm awake. See the link below for this problem from another member.

 

http://survivingantidepressants.org/index.php?/topic/6982-goldieloc-my-introduction-trying-to-stop-lexapro-more/

[steeley]

Hello fellow travellers,

 

Trying to squeeze this this question in before my computer crashes again.

 

My right eye is hurting like all hell and the globe feels swollen, tears run from the corner of this eye, and my left eye hurts but is not so bad.

 

I've made an appointment with an opthamologist for Wednesday 7th to try and have it sorted.  I can only read the big A on the eye chart when I visited my GP last week, hence appointment with specialist.

 

I just looked up "eye problems" and Mirtazapine and read that yes, eye problems can occur when taking the drug, but as can be expected nothing on when withdrawing.

 

Has anyone else experienced problems with their eyes whilst on, or withdrawing from Mirtazapine or other AD's?

 

Sorry that this last bit is in bold and larger font.  It's this bloody computer and has a mind of it's own.

 

I hope this reaches you as don't know whether it will even allow me to send.

 

My best to you all friends.

 

as always, steeley 

[cymbaltawithdrawal5600]

Well, Steeley, that bold font sure made me sit up and take notice this early in the morning.

 

I was thinking that this post, because it is so specific to you, really belongs in your thread but I decided to leave it and see if anyone comments. Let us know what you find.

 

My thinking is this: It is a good idea you are going to see someone about it. WD symptoms are usually felt bilaterally (both sides) because it is a 'whole body' thing. One eye sounds like you have something wrong with just it.

 

As I was sliding into protracted withdrawal last year, the first thing I noticed was a feeling of pressure above my left eye and when I looked in the mirror, my left eyebrow looked permanently raised (it is still higher than the right, maybe sleeping on that side had now made it permanent rearrangement of my face and I just never noticed it before). Doc thought I had a sinus infection and recommended I take my existing script for atarax as it is a rx antihistamine. That was a BIG mistake.

 

So let us know what you find and if no on else comments I'll move this to your thread.

[steeley]

Dear Cymbalta,

 

Thank you so much for your reply.  I hope that this reaches you given my crappy computer.

 

Thanks for the bilateral explanation, which was very reassuring and comforting.  So many things crop up in WD that it's hard to tell the forest from the trees.  Seeing specialist tomorrow. 

 

I put my question into the "Symptoms and Self care" forum because I thought that was where I was supposed to put my/our "symptoms".   

 

When you say you were thinking about moving it to "my thread" do you mean mean into the "Intruduction and Updates" Forum?

 

Is that the place people go to follow how people are progressing, rather than a journal/diary type thing which existed in the site that will not pass my lips? 

 

I didn't think anyone would read my diary so took a punt and went to "Symptoms and SelfCare".

 

My font sizes are all over the shop, but this one looks like it's working.  I'll try a "smiley" just to practice, and hope it does not send this post to the Never Never.     

 

Thank you so much for your help.  Please God send me a new computer.  I promise I'll be good.

 

As always ..... steeley

[Songbird]

Hi Steeley, I'm not on mirt, but it is interesting to see this about eyes becase a couple of weeks ago I was thinking of posting about eye stuff too.  My eyes seemed to be more watery and if I rubbed them they felt kind of sore like they were bruised or swollen.  It was only mild though, just annoying rather than really upsetting.  I had it for a few weeks but it seems to have gone now.  My eyesight has deteriorated a lot over the past few years, but at least some of that could be down to age.

[Moonlitelotus]

Steely,

 

Although I don't think I've had eye issues as severe as yours sounds at the moment, I have had eye pain and vision issues with SSRI withdrawal. Sometimes I feel like I have mild double vision and blurriness. It's so annoying...

I get eye pain too but it seems to be related to a headache as well. Do you also have headaches with eye pain? It could be eye strain too. I know my eyes sometimes just get exhausted from the blurriness/ and being unfocused. Staring at the computer or cell phone all the time doesn't help with the eye issues either. :/ Sometimes the eyes just need a break from all that. I also have eye floaters! Those are so annoying too and seem common with withdrawal. AND my eyes are so sensitive to light. I wear sunglasses on cloudy days so I would say yes eye issues happen during withdrawal. When my eyes feel swollen they are usually more light sensitive that day. Do you wear contacts or glasses? I went to the eye doctor too and basically my vision and eye health was great except I barely had astigmatism but was given glasses for reading anyway. I don't use them like I should lol. But I never had so many eye issues until I went through withdrawal. It is good you are going to the eye doctor to make sure.

[Songbird]

A few years ago I suddenly developed floaters in both eyes, lots of them, some of them quite big.  I immediately got my eyes checked and they didn't find anything wrong.  Back then my eyesight was still good.  The floaters are very annoying and get in my way when trying to read.  I don't know for sure that they are related to the AD, but I do suspect they may be.

[spectio]

Hi, Steely, I just saw your post about an eye problem and thought I'd throw out my experience. I've been off mirtazapine for 3.4 years. I took anywhere from 45 to 135 mg for eleven years. Six months ago an opthamologist found I have a deteriorating optic nerve in both eyes and called it "normal pressure glaucoma". I tried drops for a couple of weeks until they started making my eyes burn and discharge like crazy. A few months before that I had my vitamin b12 levels measured and found them to be 268 which is probably a deficiency in someone experiencing anxiety and depression which I do have and have had since WD ( and while on drugs!).

 

A deficiency of b 12 can lead to optic nerve degeneration. The opthamologist agreed this could be the real reason behind the degeneration. I have tried supplements off and on a few times since and now I can't even get by with 250 mcg. I get worse stimulation than feel normally.

 

Anyway, I hope your exam showed no big issues but I would be curious what he found.

[ikam]

I wonder if people experience any problem with vision. It seems that my eye sight got worse. Especially in one eye...is this wtthdrawal and does it go away?