Hi everyone,

I'm 46 and am pretty sure that I'm in perimenopause. I have a whole host of symptoms but the most recent are flashing white lights that appear in the periphery of my left eye.
Anyone else have this ? I also have some eye pain and blurry vision. Spent
two hours at the opthalmologist's office last week. The retina is fine but the
vitreous humor (liquid stuff on the eyeball) is starting to detach.

I feel like I'm coming apart at the seams. So many things seem to be "off" now.
I'm still having regular periods even though they have changed a bit (more and longer bleeding). But the symptoms I'm having would lead me to believe that I'm peri. Mental fogginess; internal vibrations/shaking; occasional night sweats, dizziness when standing and walking; anxiety and depression and so on.

I added topical progesterone a couple of months ago - don't know if this is working.

Anyone have the vision problems? Do you think I'm peri or crazy??!!

Suzy

Hi Suzy,

This perimeno/meno stuff is hard work--no, you're no crazier than the rest of us but please keep your optomologist appointments! Eye problems are nothing to mess around with. The flashing you describe could also be reaction to a drug ...have you started taking anything new? You mentioned progesterone...did the flashing start after that?

Blessings to you...

Hi Suzy,


Visual problems were one of the first symptoms I had with Peri-menopause. I had some strange and funny things happening with my vision. For example, I'd be reading a book and suddenly the letters would disappear. I've experienced flashing lights and I've seen stars, all very scary. Anyway, I went to see the optician who examined the back of my eye because I was complaining of flashing lights and floaters. She told me that everything looked healthy but to be absolutely certain, she administered drops in my ege to dialate the pupil so she could examine the back of the eye and take a close look at the retina. All seems fine, but I now have an appointment with an optomologist, basically to repeat the same procedure. The vitreous humour detachment is what causes the visible floaters and I dont think that is anything too much to worry about. I think mainly, they would be concerned about a detached retina.

I have my appointment on the 27th June but I am not really worried. I am certain its peri-menopause but its sensible to have the eyes checked anyway-


I agree with MerriPeri , its important to keep your appointment.

MeriPeri? I dont see whats Merry about Peri..rather have a Merri Christmas!

Love the name!

Take care,

Gez~

I didn't have my first migraine (aura) until I was 48/9 (memory loss too )

I had my first episode of flashing lights (it feels like the lights get brighter for a split second) 2 New Years Eve's ago when I was at a friends house. The ambiance was very dim lighting. I looked up to see if anyone else had wondered why the lights flickered but it was just me.

I have my eyes checked every year and they're fine.

Funnilly enough, I was at the same friend's last night and the ambience was the same and it happened again...very strange. Now that I have just about experienced every symptom of peri, it wasn't as scary to me as it could have been.

It's probably nothing but go get your eyes checked out. If for nothing more, you'll have some peace of mind.

EJ

Suzy-

I have had vision problems as well. Ji get blurred vision in the AM. I have been reading and had letters disapper (like Gez). I have seen colors on the page. I get migraines preceded by auras and lightening bolts.

Keep your appointment but don't worry too much. This seems common.

Sandy

I think I have the same thing or something close to it. One day I just all of a sudden saw little ..."sparkles, stars, crystals."..whatever you would call them, not sure. they were just floating in my vision. They scared the beegeebies out of me. I thought WHAT IS WRONG WITH ME NOW, maybe I'm just tired...I blame alot on this if I have no other explanation. I wonder how much can go wrong wiht me at one time. They always seems to be in my periphreal ( spelling check )and last a few sec. it is happening more and more so i thought i'd get my eyes checked again( I do wear reading glasses) I just was checked about 2 yrs. ago.

The more i come here the more I realize how hormones seem to control so many things in our bodies. I would have never related these episodes to hormones. I am releived to read this thread and see how this TOO is related to peri. Seems every few mo. I come up wiht another symptom and don't relate it to peri at first, I let it scare me. I'm so thankful for this site because now I can come here and see that this is all part of the whole process...we all feel the same way and I am not going crazy or coming apart HURRAY

Hi, all... I'm not sure it's related to peri, but I hope by offering my input, I can put your minds at ease. It will be three years ago this August that I finally, finally forced myself to go to an opthamologist about the crazy visual effects I had been experiencing for maybe 15 years (that's why I'm not sure it's peri-related - I would have been maybe 32 or 33 when it started, and I don't think I had begun the peri trail back then). Anyway, every three or four months, I would experience the STRANGEST, SCARIEST visual effects where I, too, would have a "dead" spot in my field of vision where I could see nothing, but I also "saw" a very bright, golden-colored, zig-zag oval or loop in my vision that seemed to radiate as it moved. It was there even when I closed my eyes. Talk about terrifying!! I would have the zig-zag thing for maybe 20 minutes before it made its way out of my eye (left). Because I have worn eyeglasses since the third grade, and since I would routinely see an optometrist for check-ups and eyeglasses and no one ever mentioned seeing anything troubling during those examinations, I convinced myself that there was nothing seriously wrong, and I never brought up the issue to any of the optometrists. I seem to remember that my motivation in finally going to an opthamologist three years ago was that these episodes became more frequent. The bottom-line: I was diagnosed with "retinal migraines". Basically, a migraine headache without the pain. WHEW!!! The doctor told me it was not serious, that I was lucky I didn't experience pain, and it was basically nothing to worry about. He also told me something very interesting - it seems there's a correlation between being prone to motion sickness and those types of headaches. Sure enough, motion sickness is a problem for me. By all means, for anyone who may have experienced such a thing (or even those pesky golden specks that appear from time to time) get it checked out by an opthamologist. My guess, though, is that while it is downright terrifying, it's probably not serious. Hope this helps!

I have experienced wierd visual effects also. All happened since I've entered peri. The one that freaked me out the most was a zigzag of bright light that cut right through the middle of the field of vision of my left eye. I thought that I was going blind. It only lasted about 30 seconds, but it sure scared me. I've had more floaters in the past few years, but the optomistrist said that it was normal at this age.

Wow, thanks to you all for your informative responses. It amazes me when I read how other women my age have similar experiences. The flashing lights in the eye are probably related to hormones and perimenopause.

I am so thankful for this site. It is like no other ...

I laugh alot reading some of your posts ! Like the lady who said she looked down at her dog one night and thought, "I could easily kill you." I must have laughed for ten minutes ! Or the woman who said she needs to get her sanity back so her teenage kids can have a crack at it. Funny, funny stuff.

It has helped me so much to post my questions and read all your ideas. I don't feel so alone and scared anymore. Thanks.

Suzy

Just a note on the flashing lights in the eyes--Same thing happened to me in 1990. At the time I was working for an optomitrist, and he sent me to an opthamalogist right away, (it happened while I was at work and I mentioned it to the Dr.) Long story short, I was diagnosed on the spot with a detached retina, and put in the hospital for emergency surgery!!! All went well, the surgery and recovery were totally painless. The worse thing was the eyepatch I wore for awhile afterward. Just don't underestimate the potential seriousness of this symtom.

Hey all
I am 27 and have hormonal problems. I have all the problems you guys have going through meno/perimeno. I need to get my eyes checked. Ever since last year I have been seeing these lights flashing. Not all the time but every so often and it started in mid-pregnancy. I totally think it is hormonal!

Ashley

Here's a problem I haven't related to peri-meno. I have the flashing lights like with a migraine, but have had aura's and no migraine. This happen for the first time right after I started peri-meno. I was visiting my daughter and while sitting on her porch saw the flashing lights, kept waiting for a police car but there was none. Kinda scary when they happen. I had total vision focal lost in my right eye 4 years ago and after seeing a top ophthalmologist on the east coast I was diagnosed with Central Serous Chorioretinopathy.
It's stress related condition, mostly found in Type A type people. I'm so worn out with this peri-meno crap!

add me to the list of white, zig zag lights. It don't happen too often but when it does, it IS weird and I just chalk it up to another peri thing.

Iamsueml.......I have the same identical thing. It started over 10 years ago in my early 40s and I was not sure what it was but it did scare the heck out of me. My GP sent me to a neurologist who did several test including an MRI to rule out the worst case scenario and it turns out that is was migraine without the pain, just the aura that some people get prior to the horrible migraine pain. I do find that high levels of stress bring them on more frequently. What I did not realize until I read your reponse was the motion sickness correlation. Very interesting as I have always had motion sickness problems but with peri and now postmenopause, the motion sickness is worse......to the point that I don't even like to go boating with the family anymore because the rocking of the boat just makes me feel awful and it last for several days after I get off the boat even.