Help, Can't Seem to Shake Off This Visual Snow Thing

[JurgenG]

I was starting to deal better with T, now I can't do but focus on this "visual snow".
I think I always had some form of it as a child, in the dark.
But since it started with seeing floaters now I just can't focus at my PC screen, seeing some kind of noise almost everywhere.

And for the first time I am seriously scared concerning my job, since I am a cameraman I can't afford this..

If this is included in the T-package then I'll just not survive this. For real.
I am starting to hope I'll get hit by a truck if this continues as it is.

I am trying to focus as little as possible on it, but it's even harder than with my T..

Can any of my supplements be responsible for this?
I am taking NAC, Mag, took 2 courses of prednisone, Gikgo, Zinc, high amounts of antioxidants,..
Now I'm taking VIT C & B.

 

[Zorro!]

I wouldn't think the supplements are responsible for the eye problems. In fact, zinc and NAC are supposedly good for the eyes. (I'm not including prednisone in this equation as it's a medication, not a supplement.)

I see that you are taking C and B but what about vitamin D (and to a lesser extent vitamin A)? A quality cod liver oil supplement contains both and might be helpful. I have found Carlson brand, in liquid or softgels, to be quite good.

As for noticing the floaters, you might just be in that phase of tinnitus where everything is noticeable and scary and annoying. I went through a horrible period like that but, thankfully, I came out of it. I guess it's a type of habituation, which seems to have more to do with how I mentally handle the tinnitus and floaters as opposed to actually eliminating them. I still have both problems but they bother me far less these days than they did just a year ago. I got to this point by learning relaxation techniques (breathing exercises, etc.) and getting cognitive behavioral therapy.

Hope this helps.

 

[Daveyrvancleef]

Hey,

I know how you feel. I also have visual snow and allot of other visual disturbances (shaky vision, floaters, flashes, etc).

All I can say to you is this:

Worrying will increase your perception of it. If there is something happening in your body that is to blame for visual snow, stress will not help in your 'recovery'. Also try to decrease your screen time, eat healthy and focus on positive things. The more positive I am the less I notice these annoying visual disturbances.

Accept that it's there. If you try to ignore it then you will classify it as a problem. When we have a problem we want to fix it.

Stay strong.

 

[Asia88]

have them too, but I'm so tired of worrying and my own psychotic attitude, so just shrugged them off eventually.

sometimes i think if i didn't have T, i wouldn't be bothered about a thing in my body.

oh, and aging is responsible for floaters and things like that, not supplements know this from an eye surgeon, a good friend of mine, who also has tons of them

 

[JurgenG]

I just wonder if my T made my excisting snow worse.. There is no way to tell is there..
There is also NO logical reason why I could be worse.
I damaged my haircells in my ears, and MAYBE the nerve, but this is not the same as the visual nerve..

 

[Rubenslash]

You should assume it didn't got worse if you can't figure it out clearly. If it was worse you would have noticed it.

 

[dgray]

I just wonder if my T made my excisting snow worse.. There is no way to tell is there..
There is also NO logical reason why I could be worse.
I damaged my haircells in my ears, and MAYBE the nerve, but this is not the same as the visual nerve..

I'm not a doctor but I have taken prednisone. It caused me to have blurred vision. THis could be your culprit.

 

[JurgenG]

I'm not a doctor but I have taken prednisone. It caused me to have blurred vision. THis could be your culprit.

Did you have this permanent?

 

[Rubenslash]

Did you have this permanent?

Just saying that some VS sufferers try to treat it with Prednisone, so this is definitely not the cause.

 

[dgray]

Did you have this permanent?

No sir. Once I stopped the prednisone my eyes went back to normal. Prednisone is bad shit.

 

[dgray]

Just saying that some VS sufferers try to treat it with Prednisone, so this is definitely not the cause.

Respectfully, I have seen prednisone have bad side-effects on folks

 

[Rubenslash]

Respectfully, I have seen prednisone have bad side-effects on folks

Of course, but I don't think visual snow is listed as a side effect as people use it to treat VS, that's all I am saying. I am not denying that you got the blurriness from the Prednisone.

And these side effects only occur in a small portion of the people taking this drug, otherwise it wouldn't be on the market.

 

[dgray]

Of course, but I don't think visual snow is listed as a side effect as people use it to treat VS, that's all I am saying. I am not denying that you got the blurriness from the Prednisone.

And these side effects only occur in a small portion of the people taking this drug, otherwise it wouldn't be on the market.

You are 100% correct, it is not 'listed' as an adverse effect.

 

[lolkas]

I was starting to deal better with T, now I can't do but focus on this "visual snow".
I think I always had some form of it as a child, in the dark.
But since it started with seeing floaters now I just can't focus at my PC screen, seeing some kind of noise almost everywhere.

And for the first time I am seriously scared concerning my job, since I am a cameraman I can't afford this..

If this is included in the T-package then I'll just not survive this. For real.
I am starting to hope I'll get hit by a truck if this continues as it is.

I am trying to focus as little as possible on it, but it's even harder than with my T..

Can any of my supplements be responsible for this?
I am taking NAC, Mag, took 2 courses of prednisone, Gikgo, Zinc, high amounts of antioxidants,..
Now I'm taking VIT C & B.

Hey man. I understand you, believe it or not.

I do suffer from VS (static across entire vision, objects shake, halos/starbursts at night, light sensitivity, trials) as well as Blue field entoptic phenomenon and eye floaters.

I work in IT and that's what I do most of my time - stare at the screens. I use app called f.lux to make my screen to block blue lights and it's not that bad then.

The things are keeping me going is knowledge of possibility that there might be something out there to fix this horrific condition.

 

[JurgenG]

Hey man. I understand you, believe it or not.

I do suffer from VS (static across entire vision, objects shake, halos/starbursts at night, light sensitivity, trials) as well as Blue field entoptic phenomenon and eye floaters.

I work in IT and that's what I do most of my time - stare at the screens. I use app called f.lux to make my screen to block blue lights and it's not that bad then.

The things are keeping me going is knowledge of possibility that there might be something out there to fix this horrific condition.

Did you alway had this or ?
I understand people with VS have a lot of chance on getting T, but what is the link.
How can damaging your hearing worsen this VS?

 

[RandomAccess10]

Hey,

I know how you feel. I also have visual snow and allot of other visual disturbances (shaky vision, floaters, flashes, etc).

All I can say to you is this:

Worrying will increase your perception of it. If there is something happening in your body that is to blame for visual snow, stress will not help in your 'recovery'. Also try to decrease your screen time, eat healthy and focus on positive things. The more positive I am the less I notice these annoying visual disturbances.

Accept that it's there. If you try to ignore it then you will classify it as a problem. When we have a problem we want to fix it.

Stay strong.

Hey Dave how would you describe your shaky vision? I have this problem too it drives me crazy, also double vision when I look at the TV...

 

[JurgenG]

Will this settle over time, when I get less stressed for instance?
I can't take this.

 

[maltese]

Will this settle over time, when I get less stressed for instance?
I can't take this.

No. It was always like that. And it will be always like that.

Dude, I'm fairly sure nothing changed in your vision. Nothing.

You just became hyper aware of *everything* that goes on in your body.

I know what I'm saying. My VS got so bad it would distract me when I was reading. Then I forgot about it somehow. And haven't thought about it for longer than a minute since.

I haven't seen it in a week- two. You reminded me of my VS, I started concentrating on it (intentionally) and it is slowly worsening.

It's going to "disappear" as soon as I start working and get distracted. I mean, I can see it all the time but I do not notice it *at all*.

I'm a classic example of hypochondriac, and from what I read, you might be too

Julian Cowan Hill has some YouTube videos that might be of interest to you.

He referres to it as "central nervous system being in red alert".

 

[lolkas]

Did you alway had this or ?
I understand people with VS have a lot of chance on getting T, but what is the link.
How can damaging your hearing worsen this VS?

First of All: Hearing and Vision are two of Five senses that human being is using constantly and is able to detect changes in these almost instantly.

Vision and Hearing are basically processed in different brain cortex'es, however share same signaling pathways. Based on this knowledge, it is logical to come up with idea where if any sort of abnormal signaling present (aka: noise or trash signals) both senses might be affected in processing their own signaling.

Basically it's like if we will use COAX cable to provide video/internet via cable modem and there is issue with "interference" on connector side. You could end up with just slightly pixelated or statick picture, but no problems with internet since whatever "interference" there is, it may or may not be enough to cause you problems with internet. not best example but you get an idea.
I think that audio and visual cortex as well as signaling pathways do have their capacity to correct "errors/noise", however since we all are different in terms of our bodies go - some have less of that error correction some more.

We could also vote for pointing out on the problem being in signaling pathways (which are basicaly cross-connections of nerves) like nerve damage or what not, however that would be shown on contrast MRI with leasion of some sort, but not the case with most if not all people with both VS and Tinnitus).

 

[JurgenG]

No. It was always like that. And it will be always like that.

Dude, I'm fairly sure nothing changed in your vision. Nothing.

You just became hyper aware of *everything* that goes on in your body.

I know what I'm saying. My VS got so bad it would distract me when I was reading. Then I forgot about it somehow. And haven't thought about it for longer than a minute since.

I haven't seen it in a week- two. You reminded me of my VS, I started concentrating on it (intentionally) and it is slowly worsening.

It's going to "disappear" as soon as I start working and get distracted. I mean, I can see it all the time but I do not notice it *at all*.

I'm a classic example of hypochondriac, and from what I read, you might be too

Julian Cowan Hill has some YouTube videos that might be of interest to you.

He referres to it as "central nervous system being in red alert".

Thanks man, I needed that.

 

[JurgenG]

First of All: Hearing and Vision are two of Five senses that human being is using constantly and is able to detect changes in these almost instantly.

Vision and Hearing are basically processed in different brain cortex'es, however share same signaling pathways. Based on this knowledge, it is logical to come up with idea where if any sort of abnormal signaling present (aka: noise or trash signals) both senses might be affected in processing their own signaling.

Basically it's like if we will use COAX cable to provide video/internet via cable modem and there is issue with "interference" on connector side. You could end up with just slightly pixelated or statick picture, but no problems with internet since whatever "interference" there is, it may or may not be enough to cause you problems with internet. not best example but you get an idea.
I think that audio and visual cortex as well as signaling pathways do have their capacity to correct "errors/noise", however since we all are different in terms of our bodies go - some have less of that error correction some more.

We could also vote for pointing out on the problem being in signaling pathways (which are basicaly cross-connections of nerves) like nerve damage or what not, however that would be shown on contrast MRI with leasion of some sort, but not the case with most if not all people with both VS and Tinnitus).

Yeah, I read about it and somehow it sounds logical. But not completly.
First off, the noise is not some filtering problem but a generating one?
And the signal might be trashy from our ears, I'd disagree as well, since our brain doesn't know if it's a tone generated outside your head or a tone generated by haircell damage?

If it is the brain searching for a signal where there is none, the same probem arrises, since it's in a different cortex? Or does the brain boosts the nerve sensitivity somehow?

 

[Zorro!]

Of course, but I don't think visual snow is listed as a side effect as people use it to treat VS, that's all I am saying. I am not denying that you got the blurriness from the Prednisone.

And these side effects only occur in a small portion of the people taking this drug, otherwise it wouldn't be on the market.

Sure, prednisone doesn't cause visual snow but it does cause excruciating anxiety in a number of people. This crippling anxiety can last for months following a course of prednisone. Believe me, I know first hand. Turns out I'm highly allergic to the stuff. I learned the hard way just how awful that crap is -- several times.

You can find lots of anecdotal reports of prednisone having a negative psychological effect on people. And that could be what is happening to Jurgen. His original post sounds almost exactly like what I have experienced. The good news is that after several months I regained my equilibrium; the bad news being that those intervening months were sheer hell. But, there is light at the end of the tunnel. I still have tinnitus. I still have floaters. But my overall psychological state is much better these days. Learning relaxation techniques and avoiding steroidal medication like prednisone has pretty much been the key to my return to happiness.

 

[lolkas]

Yeah, I read about it and somehow it sounds logical. But not completely.
First off, the noise is not some filtering problem but a generating one?
And the signal might be trashy from our ears, I'd disagree as well, since our brain doesn't know if it's a tone generated outside your head or a tone generated by haircell damage?

If it is the brain searching for a signal where there is none, the same problem arises, since it's in a different cortex? Or does the brain boosts the nerve sensitivity somehow?

Well, watch this:

Everything in our body is controlled by Nervous System which consists of main processing unit as a whole - brain. From brain we get "branches" of wires (nerves) and main one is spinal cord. In the Scull we have nerves that go to eyes, ears and etc. From the Scull down the neck we have brain stem -> spinal cord. Out of spinal cord we get branches of nerves that go all over our organs and control them.

Now, the way our brain controls everything is through electric signaling and chemicals that are released as a result of specific signaling command(s).

Brain as brain processing unit has own "modules" (cortex) that do control different things (audio, visual, emotions, etc).

If something alternates the "norm", your brain will respond accordingly and give you a symptom or a set of such to alert you that there is an issue. Example: lets say you have shooting pain that radiates to your leg - that is signal to you from your brain via nervous system that you have an issue. This helps doctors with diagnosis to help you solve this.

Human body is highly intelligent and is not doing anything "stupid". Due to its high complexity medical community is still struggling in understanding most if it functions, this is why we still have not solved issue with T and VS.

Now, what i was trying to say originally is that there is always a level of "toll" that our nervous system can absorb, however when it is over it - we start experiencing symptoms.

If you look around yourself, you will see that a lot of technological things do in a way mini how things work in human body. I can easily compare hearing in humans to telephone call works.

In telephone call, quality of sound is most important thing. Everything is highly depended on headset (speaker/microphone), quality of connection (traffic is able to make it to destination within correct time-frame, proper order). Now, if something in this setup is not working right - callers will experience all kinds of weird audio problems (choppy/delayed voice, static and etc).

Since our brain has "live" connection to all of our organs, it obviously does so to our cochlea too.

Cochlea as you might already know consists of whole bunch of nerves that are intelligently laid out in specific order to presieve different frequencies of sound (20hz (deep inside cochlea - bass/low freq) up to 20000hz(on outer side of cochlea(high freq). If you somehow alter their "normal" natural state (chemical/physical damage through sound - does same) you might be still in 'tolerance" window, where lets say you wont be able to hear that frequency as well, but damage is not that critical to give symptom except your perception of sound might not be same at lower db. If you reach point where there neurons (hair cells) get damage to the point where they are out of "tolerance" range for nervous system, you have a great chance of getting Tinnitus (and as you see, pretty much all people do).

Now, what is Tinnitus in my opinion ? Its that static that you get when phone line is bad. Your brain is supposed to have its "normal" signalling to cochlea and is waiting for proper feedback, however it is not since something wrong on the side of cochlea or nerve that connects it to brain.

Body has its own "regenerative" norm, this is why some people go to concert/club and get out with ringing but next day its gone (smart people actually google this shit up right away, and even when next day it is gone - they either never go to these types of events anymore, or wear hearing protection. Simply because - f*ck this club, few hours of music not going to make it up for possibly life-long Tinnitus).

I am pretty positive actually that there should be some sort of nutrition or something like that that would elevate these supporting neurons to become new "primary/main" ones to restore sensory input to the brain.

At this point what i am thinking is that brain - is indeed involved, however i don`t think that auditory cortex is a problem here(unless you have a lesion due to some sort of damage problem in that part of your brain). Whoever is trying to solve tinnitus in the brain will treat Tinnitus solely as symptom and won`t "cure" it for good (lets say there will be device you connect to your neck and it will take Tinnitus while it is on - you will have to always wear it).

If tinnitus caused by toxic drug that is capable making it to cochlea ad screwing with neurons or acoustic trauma - one and only one "cure for good" will be to regenerate what is lost. Once that is done - Tinnitus will go away, sine your brain will have "normal" connection to neurons in cochlea and there is no need for your body to give you this horrific symptom.

At this moment there are few companies + universities and i believe hearing Restoration Project organization that are trying to get drug/treatment that will promote process of regeneration of these neurons via supportive neurons that humans have and could be turned in to primary (hair cells).

Sorry for lengthy post, i just wanted to express to you what i am thinking of sine we are pretty much in the same boat buddy.

 

[Daveyrvancleef]

Hey Dave how would you describe your shaky vision? I have this problem too it drives me crazy, also double vision when I look at the TV...

It shakes to the left, right and forward. I feel like it's connected to my heartbeath. In the dark the objects i'm focussing on tend to move in the same direction. It's like my brain is shaking. Can you describe yours?

 

[MrBonk]

I noticed an increase in floaters and some visual noise (which I think might be the same particles that make up floaters in my eyes. Just smaller, broken up or how I see them when i can see through the floaters). I had noticed discomfort in my eyes, long before I got T however.

I also noticed the Blue Entoptic Phenomenon after I got T, which I can see in front of a computer screen and can't look at the sky without seeing it to some degree. My eyes are red and have a lot of red veins lately too the last few months. Eye drops dont' seem to do anything to help.

Using computer screens (Computers are my life basically) has been pretty difficult at times. My eyes start to hurt or I see noise (Not like film grain noise, or like the simulated pictures of visual snow i've seen. It's more like the noise you see in low light)or the finish of the screen surface. (Which is grainy).

My phone's screen is glossy glass. Which I find more pleasant to look at the majority of the time. I need a new PC monitor though, as this one is crappy and has PWM which I think is partly responsible for my eye discomfort. The TV i used for a long time had it as well. So I got rid of it.

But I tell you, the floaters can be overwhelming sometimes, and disrupt my entire field of vision or cause discomfort as my eyes attempt to focus beyond them.

 

[RandomAccess10]

It shakes to the left, right and forward. I feel like it's connected to my heartbeath. In the dark the objects i'm focussing on tend to move in the same direction. It's like my brain is shaking. Can you describe yours?

Mine's is 24/7, non stop what I've found is called 'gaze instability'. When I look at something especially in the distance it's never still...Like it bobs about as if looking at something floating on the water.

When looking at the TV or people's faces for some reason they are doubled but not really double, almost like my brain doesn't add the two images together properly (this still happens when either eye is closed).

If I look at a busy pattern it shimmers and flickers, I guess my brain can't make sense of it.

I've bad visual snow too, and haze contrast sensitivity similar to what you'd experience from being in sunlight to going indoors. Also, depth perception is poor.

It's an absolute nightmare, in ADDITION to tinnitus, and hearing loss, all my symptoms started with antidepressants and stress and still persist almost a year later, I literally just want to die.

 

[PatrickG]

I also have pretty severe VS and tons of floaters. Got it over night after a couple of days on the poison Trobalt. Don't believe what people are saying that it has something to do with perception and that you are supersensitive and because of that are noticing something that has always been there. It hasn't!

I don't know why so many people with T also get VS, but there is a connection. Some sort of overactivity in the brain. I'm fighting with this everyday and hope to get a cure someday. Stay healthy, do what you love and you will learn to live with it. Believe me you will.

Become a member of this group on FB to find other people with VS and all the latest news about it: https://www.facebook.com/groups/visualsnowsupportgroup/

 

[PatrickG]

Mine's is 24/7, non stop what I've found is called 'gaze instability'. When I look at something especially in the distance it's never still...Like it bobs about as if looking at something floating on the water.

When looking at the TV or people's faces for some reason they are doubled but not really double, almost like my brain doesn't add the two images together properly (this still happens when either eye is closed).

If I look at a busy pattern it shimmers and flickers, I guess my brain can't make sense of it.

I've bad visual snow too, and haze contrast sensitivity similar to what you'd experience from being in sunlight to going indoors. Also, depth perception is poor.

It's an absolute nightmare, in ADDITION to tinnitus, and hearing loss, all my symptoms started with antidepressants and stress and still persist almost a year later, I literally just want to die.

I have exactly the same type of double vision! So damn annoying. It's rare but it is one of the symtoms of VS.

 

[PatrickG]

No. It was always like that. And it will be always like that.

Dude, I'm fairly sure nothing changed in your vision. Nothing.

You just became hyper aware of *everything* that goes on in your body.

I know what I'm saying. My VS got so bad it would distract me when I was reading. Then I forgot about it somehow. And haven't thought about it for longer than a minute since.

I haven't seen it in a week- two. You reminded me of my VS, I started concentrating on it (intentionally) and it is slowly worsening.

It's going to "disappear" as soon as I start working and get distracted. I mean, I can see it all the time but I do not notice it *at all*.

I'm a classic example of hypochondriac, and from what I read, you might be too

Julian Cowan Hill has some YouTube videos that might be of interest to you.

He referres to it as "central nervous system being in red alert".

This is not true sadly. If has nothing to do with being hyperaware. VS is a syndrome, just like T. If you have it mild you can easily ignore it. If you have it bad (like me) you notice it everywhere.

 

[JurgenG]

This is not true sadly. If has nothing to do with being hyperaware. VS is a syndrome, just like T. If you have it mild you can easily ignore it. If you have it bad (like me) you notice it everywhere.

I wonder what the case is for me. My T is not extremely severe so I guess my vs can't have gotten that bad all of sudden