Seeing shadows, reflection and light sensitivity

Having the following symptoms

- seeing shadows everywhere.  I notice my own shadow and getting hard to focus as I need to focus on the objects,  people and the shadows. I am processing both object and it's moving shadows. I believe it's dark sensitivity. I getting used to it but it's quite irritating.

- seeing reflection on tiles,  glass doors and windows. 

- sensitivity to dim and light places.  It's like I notice the changes of lighting of a place (outdoor and indoor) as I move around. Worst is outdoor shadows of trees when I drive. Light to dark.. The shades of trees

 

Hope the forum members can help me.

 

I been on Ativan for 3 months and took 2 months to taper it off.

Its scary dealing with the perception disruption this process puts us through, but please be comforted by the fact that this is normal.  How is your hearing, has it reached bionic status in terms of sound sensitivity?

Thanks for the reply Pam. I am having tinnitus and hear things far away  It's like I am 'General Zod' in Man of Steel adjusting to 'earth atmosphere'.

Legendg2, this sounds quite normal to me for benzo injury.

 

It sounds like you are a short-term user? In your signature and history, you can write how long you were on the benzo, the type and dose, the taper, and how long you have been off. These things help people who have similar histories to find you to be able to compare notes with you and provide reassurance.

 

There is also a short-term user thread, if you want to join us there.

 

This is a tough process, but we get through it together here at BB.

Thanks for the reply Pam. I am having tinnitus and hear things far away  It's like I am 'General Zod' in Man of Steel adjusting to 'earth atmosphere'.

 

Hey, I remember that movie, I can see you're still witty through your pain. 

 

Here are the instructions for creating a signature and the link to the short time users thread.

 

Add your history/signature 

 

http://www.benzobuddies.org/forum/index.php?topic=130001.0

Thanks for the support Pam and Fluff.

Ok dont know if this is going to make sense but here it goes.

Im begining to think that we have been numb to a lot of things.

Mirrors, reflections and shadows.  Lights glowing at night.  Not really noticing there is a natural up and down motion

when we walk that might be throwing us off balance and sensory overload and vertigo.

Im begining to think that what we dont feel right say I feel like im intoxicated but think my mind from the klonopin

is not reckognizing the natural up and down movement as natural and is having a lot of difficulty adjusting and saying

ok this is the real new normal.  We might not have to say relearn to walk again but the brain has to adjust and say ok

up and down is normal while walking.  Mirrors say in k mart are throwing me off say in an isle.  Oh also I have

noticed colors seem brighter and I dont think I have been seeing in 3d.

klonopin I know is used also for seizure disorders so does it also control stimuli /  oh I think it does.  And so dont all benzos.

  Ty

 

 

Similar experience

I have lightheadedness and dizziness almost all the time :-( When I am able to drive, the shadows from the trees on the road makes me physically nauseous.

I have the same feeling when driving. Dark to light, shadows from trees on a sunny day really messes with my head. The lightheadedness is my only remaining symptom, BUT its a doosey!

 

Another similar experience

Isn't it amazing how you can find validation for what you're experiencing in these pages and its so important to find it.  It helps us know we're not alone or going crazy, the only thing better would be to hear from these members now to know how they're doing but too many don't come back to post their success stories.

Yes Pam,  BB been very helpful with my withdrawal symptoms.  Been a 'offline' member for the past two months and BB helped a lot when I had those crazy intrusive thoughts.

 

Hope more past members will come to write their success stories. 

My eyes are extremely messed up...when open i have sensitivity, dim vision floaters sparks static and afterimages. I see these mentioned and they are not the point of my post, what i dont see i need some help with. I see shadows everywhere, like im watching tv and all around the tv jagged shadows appear, I also see patterns, mostly square, think see through checkerboard. Secondly when i close my eyes, in complete darkness i see flashing and all sorts of colored circles lines dots and sparks, sometimes even tiny little light animation looking things. Please tell me this is normal. My horrible mental state plus dpdr is making the eye stuff unbearable

 

Another similar experience

I've always been super sensitive to fluorescent lights and bright light in general. (Now I'm thinking and realizing this is thanks to stupid BENZOS!)

 

Since starting my taper I feel like I'm MORE sensitive. Even  the slightest change in lighting will throw me off. Like say I am in a darkened room and then go into another room that is just a tad bit brighter and I'm all of a sudden dizzy and going into a panic attack. I hate it!

 

1. How do you manage this? I can't sit in a dark room all my life!

2. Does this get better? Please tell me it does. I had a horrible panic attack I had to work through last night preparing dinner.

 

Thank you all for your support. It means so much to me.

 

And another one

 

I have it as I feel like Im on an acid trip all the time, and have a lot of visual/spacial distortion, as though my brain cannot take in all the information at once in open space. This is all the feeling of derealisation where my own home town looks unfamiliar, its truly unnerving. The visual limitation is also bad, it feels like I have vaseline in my eyes, where shade seems really dark, and evening is completely dark visually. People seem unreal, as I dont feel connect. I am very sensitive to lighting, where I get continuous shadows and reflections, the worst is fluorescent lights. I am been told these are all symptoms DP/DR? It makes it really uncomfortable to go out into public space and just blows up the anxiety and into the panic fight/flight state.

Hi,

 

The other symptoms I've just started having once in a while is seeing  something like after images when looking at high contrast objects.  Not double vision really, but more like a shadow of the object will appear near the solid object if there is enough contrast. 

Any suggestions, experience, info would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks

Jinko

Mine did after about 3 months off everything.

Then I could see so clearly!

 

And it was bad

bad blurry and floaters

 

 

Thanks!

 

I know Sundanceshaman!

Are you seeing in black & white?

For me colours are too bright or too dark and the highlights and shadows are too over-emphasised.

 

I know Baylissa mentioned seeing in black & white for a while.

 

Are you getting worse?

 

I know some ppl get much worse right before they get better.

 

I hope that os what is happening for you lovely. Xxx

 

“The Accidental Addict” by Di Porritt & Di Russell, 2006

 

Eyes and Vision

 

Blurred, foggy or fading vision

 

“Episodes of blurred vision and difficulty in focusing bother most sufferers. People might visit an oculist (eye doctor) several times to have their eyes tested.”

 

"While blurred vision seems to affect the function of the eye itself, foggy vision is ‘out there’ in the environment, and might include an impression that the room is full of smoke or mist - you find yourself always trying to clean your glasses because they seem smoky or smeared, or there is a cloud in front of your eyes. A dimming of vision is also experienced."

 

 

“Some people see flashes of light.”

 

 

Acute sensitivity to light

 

“People in withdrawal tend to dread the bright, sunny days that everyone else welcomes as ‘lovely weather’. Strong light may induce extreme disorientation, anxiety, sweating, even nausea.”

 

 

Red, sore, watery eyes

 

“Many people are plagued by red, pimply, weepy eyes.”

 

“Eyes can be painful as well as red and unsightly, feeling sore, gritty, itchy, grating and burning- rather like bad conjunctivitis. These benzo-affected eyes produce a lot of liquid, usually referred to as ‘gunge’ or ‘gunk’.”

 

Perceptual distortions

 

“Many people find that their visual perceptions are no longer reliable. Things seem to be moving as they look at them. Their spatial sense suffers, making them clumsy and awkward: ‘I kept bumping into walls like a drunk’. Driving skills can be badly impaired by these perceptual distortions, making it hard to negotiate tunnels and traffic lanes.”

 

“Perceptual distortions can also make it difficult to talk to others in social situation. People around you start to look distorted, or to seem smaller or further away.”

 

 

 

 

 

 

“Recovery & Renewal: Your essential guide to overcoming dependency and withdrawal from sleeping pills, other 'benzo' tranquilizers and antidepressants” by Bliss Johns 2012

 

Symptoms from A to Z

 

Eyes: sore, dry, red, tired, blurred vision, double vision, floaters, glazed, glassy appearance

 

Visual: seeing things e.g. flashing lights

 

Blurred Vision: everything appears blurred, problems reading and seeing generally

 

Vision blurred or double: everything appears blurred, problems reading, seeing ‘double’

 

Visual perception distortion: seeing ‘things’, inanimate objects appear to be moving, people and objects appear flat, one-dimensional and paper-like

 

Light Hypersensitivity: everything seems intensely and unbearably bright, feeling the need to wear sun glasses even inside, unable to look at computer screen

 

Moving sensations: false perceptions of body moving

 

Perceptual Distortion: Speech is distorted, unable to follow a conversation, time delay or inability to reconcile words being uttered with movement of mouth.

 

False sensation of moving e.g. feeling as though falling through bed, chair or as if part of body is moving away

 

Visual (seeing ‘things’) e.g. flashing lights, inanimate objects appear to be moving, people appear flat, one- dimensional and paper-like, buildings leaning, undulating floors (wavelike movement)

Hey, Coop. When my dp/dr is at its worse, I'm having symptoms of absence seizures. I haven't been to the doctor for this because I'm coming off the bipolar cocktail, which is being done without help with the medical community.

 

Basically, absence seizures just means staring into space. It's like thick, wet cement has been poured into my brain and everything just shuts down for a few minutes.

 

I get tunnel vision, walls tilt, shadows become disconnected from their source, and sometimes it's accompanied by visual and / or audio hallucinations. I sometimes hear roaring sounds like rabid animals, see random objects floating, and everything feels like it's a dream.

 

There's no pain associated with it and for the most part, no fear. My emotions shut off a year ago and I "feel" everything at an intellectual sense.

 

Part of this may be my Seroquel withdrawal because I was on antipsychotics for 30 years.

 

Many people describe dp/dr accompanied by cog fog, so the fact that you're having trouble thinking sounds very common. It's very disorienting and disturbing, so having some anxiety and boatiness is also common for this.

 

You're mind / body are still in the process of healing but rest assured, you will heal.

Thanks guys...

 

In January of 2010 I started to have intense feelings of dizziness, and the ground beneath me felt as if it were falling.  I woke up one morning with very blurred- shadow like vision.  Almost double vision.  The worst was my balance.  When I walked, I felt as if I was walking on uneven floors/ or walking on a trampoline- as if my body had a gravitational pull from one side to the other.  When I twirl my feet or hands, I get lightheaded.  I had a brain MRI done which was normal.  I asked my doctor to prescribe me more xanax- which thankfully he refused (b/c he said that I will just keep asking for more and more).  He instead put me on Celexa.  After being on celexa for a month and working out regularly, I started to feel better and my balance problems went away (by mid March).  All along I was still taking my .25mg of xanax/night.  I didn’t like several of the side effect from Celexa (sleep, zombie like) so I stopped taking it.

 

I was okay from March til the end of April.  But in late April, I noticed a disturbance in my gait again- my off balance issues had returned.  I ran back into my doctor, who prescribed me Prozac.  He suggested that xanax was not to blame for my issues b/c I was on such a small dose.  I tried the prozac for a week, but it did not sit well with my system- and stopped. 

 

I had to go out of town on business for a couple days and my anxiety was high(don’t like to fly), so I increased my dosage of xanax- by taking 3 or 4 pills- which would equate to 1 mg per day.

 

Upon my return, I continued my .25mg a day xanax.  Symptoms started to pick up.  I had inner vibrations in my leg, crying, almost vibrating like vision, numbness in my legs.  I went to a neuro who suggested that I was fine, but I should not be taking drugs.  I followed his advice.  I occasionally would cut my .25mg pills in half at night.  Well three nights into that (this being mid may) I had my first bout of true vertigo.  Room spun.  I couldn’t move for several hours.  Rushed back into the doctor, suggested that all along my problems probably were related to inner ear.  Saw ENT- suggested a vestibular neuritis.  I will get better.  (Never had nor have tinnitus or hearing loss)  He gave me stretches to do.  Could vertigo be caused by benzo tolerance or w/d?

 

All along I had been taking my xanax—somedays ½ a pill, somedays a full pill (.25mg) .. In mid June, I decided to stop taking it altogether.  I have been benzo free since June 15.  But my symptoms have been awful.  My balance when I walk is still a problem- same goes for if I am sitting still and twirl my hands/feet as I get lightheaded.  I have a lot of muscle tension.  Some deep muscle pain.  Vibrating/humming in my legs.  Lots of muscle spasms/twitching.  Feelings of bugs crawling on my skin.  Still shadow-like double vision.  At times it feels like my vision is vibrating.  Anxiety obviously high.  Tightness in throat.  Etc…

Since I quit xanax, I have gotten more MRI’s (brain, spinal) which are all normal.  I keep looking for answers, and I can’t find them.  I went to seek a second opinion from a second neuro.  He wrote me a prescription for Valium at the beginning of July.  I filled it, but have not taken any—b/c that’s about the time that I started reading this forum.  And my hope was that all my problems were benzo related.  I saw that neuro for a second time today.  He was perplexed why I didn’t take the valium.  He suggested taking Klonopin then.  I tried telling him that I don’t want benzos.  He said that these are drugs that would help my balance problems as it most likely stems from an inner ear problem.  He said that the likelihood that my balance problems were from xanax is nearly impossible.  I told him of my other symptoms but he thought that they could by psychosomatic.  I turned down his offer for Klonopin.

 

So I sit here today with still a great deal of anxiety.  On one hand, I have a Doctor with all sorts of higher degrees of education giving me advice, that maybe I should take.  ON the other hand, I want to believe that my symtoms are benzo related.  But I keep going over in my head--- only .25mg per day for just over 8 months?  How could that be the cause of my problems now?    So maybe I should take his advice and take Valium- and see if it does help.?

Aside from balance and shadow/vibrating vision, the main problem that I am having right now is the vibrating/humming, muscle soreness and weakness, spasms, insects crawling on my leg.  But it is just on my right leg.  Can it be only on one side? 

I’m sorry for writing a novel—but like many others say, I don’t want to keep putting my family/girlfriend through all of this.  Any feedback/advice would be appreciated. 

Thanks & God Bless

I have a bad case of light & sound sensitivity. I'm in my 6th month since a fast wean off klonopin & 3 months since ct off vicodin, gabapentin, welbutrin. The bright lights really bother me & cause a neuromuscular reaction in the muscles around my eyes & hurt by head & eyes. The bright sun hurts. The fluorescent lights hurt. The low lights ALSO bother me & when it starts to get dark, the changing shadows bother me. The bright computer screen really hurts my eyes & feels like its burning a hole in my brain!!! There is nowhere to really go to escape! I feel OK in natural lights outside if its not too sunny. I have spent as much time as possible just sitting outside since all this started. Now, it's cold & I can't go outside as much. Restaurants really bother me because of bright lights & loud den/noidrs from radio & people talking. I don't have many avenues for distractions because of this symptom!

 

Please post & tell me if you had this hypersensitivity & HOW LONG IT LASTED before it got better.

 

Thanks

Light and Sound Sensitivity: This has really been a problematic symptom for me and it still persists, but is getting better. Initially, I would get  nauseous as the evening set in and the house would get darker with  the shadows. This is such a weird phenomenon. The bright light inside the house or stores, the  bright sunlight all hurt my eyes and cause a neuromuscular tension response with the muscles around my eyes. It was so much worse  in the beginning. I had to ride with a jacket over my head on a long trip. Torture! But  the low lights in the house also bother me a lot. I can't work on my computer for long, as it is so extremely bright. The loud sounds also drive me crazy. I can't eat out in restaurants, as it agitates me so much. I can't watch TV, as the light transmission and sound seem to scramble my brain. The light sensitivity is getting better and I actually cave being in the light now as opposed to the darkness. The dark  lights seem to bring on depression. I am tolerating loud sounds better.

 

Copy and paste from Hopedreambelieve

My question is this: Does anyone out there have or did you have vision trouble and what kind with w/d? I've heard of double vision and blurry vision, but mine is splotchy and it's hard for me to read things on paper and computer. I see the highlighting of all the words or objects when I look around. It's almost as if when the sun is out and you look at the ground and see the shadows of the trees and in between their leaves if that makes any sense.

 

Copy and paste

I posted on another thread about my experience with it...For me, the shadows from the trees on the highway creates a huge storm of dizziness. Even with sunglasses on.

I have this visual symptom that scares me when I'm looking in my rear view mirror I see double and also when I see my shadow its always two shadows instead of one. Then when I'm in my car I can see the stuff in my car reflected upside down I no I sound crazy but is this withdrawal I have never had this before

 

Copy and paste

I totally get what you're saying. I am overstimulated by everything. I was just saying earlier that the shadows on the road from the trees makes me absolutely ill. And it seems like once you've been overstimulated by one thing then everything else is amplified.

 

The same type of thing happened to me kind of! During acute I was sitting in the drive thru of a restaurant and there was a glass in front basically a window into the restaurant. It  was check out window, then once you pull up it was the window to inside the restaurant, I was sitting there at the check out window looking at it and you can see the reflection of every car going towards it and it looked like two cars going into each other and my mind couldn’t process it. My mind can’t process reflection and It looked like some type of trippy fun house and it made me physically sick. shadows confuse me also. There’s a ceiling fan over my head and if there is something shiney and reflective I’m holding it’ll look it’s moving when it’s just the reflection of the fan onto the object. It’s weird how this confuses your mind

My vision just keeps getting worse, aside from the perceptual distortions and blurriness i have both negative and positive afterimages (seeing what you were looking at for minutes after looking away) i also see shadows on the wall that i cannot figure out what they are coming from, usually in slight peripheral when im looking at something else. My static is getting worse and everything is really dim, yet im sensitive to light at the same time and seeing all kinds of colored sparks shapes and flashing....please chime in and help me, im really losing it.