Months long wave a year later, is that possible? Visual Snow!!

[[Ma...]]

Hey guys,

 

I'm about a year out, although I tapered extremely slow and had no issues tapering for the last 6 months. The recovery probably started nearly 2 years ago.

 

The recovery was linear, of course there were some days a little worse than others, but overall, I did not have the waves and windows that everyone here talks about. The majority of my symptoms went away during the extremely slow taper, I was left with Tinnitus and Visual Snow and low brain energy, which I still have to this day.

 

The ONE good news I have: The Tinnitus, which has always been constant and was my worst symptom at all times, has just recently started being a little less severe, I was 100% sure it would never get better before.

 

Bad news: The last 3 months or so, I've been feeling very off, very dizzy, very tired, hunger issues and the worst of all, the VISUAL SNOW IS HORRIBLE. My Visual Snow is generally manageable but the last few months I literally cannot work on the computer, I have light sensitivity and a bunch of other things also. The scary part is that, this is not a symptom that usually gets better, it has NEVER gotten better for me, not even temporarily.

 

The "wave" started when I went to travel 6 months ago, I've traveled the past 6 months non-stop (digital nomad, I wasn't pushing myself), and when I crossed many timezones at a time I would get worse for many weeks. It seems I got progressively worse in the past 6 months and jetlag travel made it worse each time.

 

I'm not sure how I can live like this, I need to work on my computer for my career, if I cannot even do that, I am essentially disabled and useless.

 

----

 

Sorry if this post is all chaotic, that's how disorganized my brain is now, my questions are:

 

- Has anyone else had a similar progression? No windows/waves and 9-12 months later just start a really long wave for no reason?

- Anyone has gotten improvements with Visual Snow? Or have gotten setbacks for 1+ month that eventually returned to normal?

- Anyone else that can related and tell their story?

[[Pa...]]

Hi MakeITStaph,

 

I've never heard of visual snow, was it related to your eye correction surgery or is it a withdrawal symptom?  When I first started reading your post I thought you were in pretty good shape but I can see this isn't the case, I'm sorry.

 

Can you describe the visual snow for us, what it looks like?

[[Ma...]]

It's a neurological symptom caused by the withdrawal. It often comes along with Tinnitus.

 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Visual_snow

[[Pa...]]

Thank you for providing this explanation, I can see why you're so concerned.  Have you visited a Dr for this condition, do you feel the suggested drugs for possibly lessening it are worth the risk given your benzo experience?  Do you have migraines?

[[al...]]

I also have the visual snow (in addition to some other really weird visual hallucination stuff around artificial lights) that has yet to disappear in the past 2 years of WD, but I will say that there are days where it does lessen/go away a little bit, and that gives me hope that in time the rest of it will go away too.

[[Ma...]]

Thank you for providing this explanation, I can see why you're so concerned.  Have you visited a Dr for this condition, do you feel the suggested drugs for possibly lessening it are worth the risk given your benzo experience?  Do you have migraines?

 

There are no treatments for Visual Snow. The few pills that help a small percentage of users have insane side effects. I just want to know if some users had it lessen, otherwise there is no hope for it.

[[Ma...]]

Nobody??

[[Jo...]]

I have visual snow, It lessened but at the expense of the quality of my vision.  My afterimages lessened some as well but still there.

[[st...]]

Visual snow is very common with DPDR. It’s a stress/anxiety thing because of your body being in fight or flight. Your eyes are more sensitive during it and pick up things it normally wouldn’t. It’s normal.

[[Jo...]]

I think it's safe to say VS and tinnitus are a result of the brain short circuiting due to glutemate damaging neurons.  It's most likely permanent.  I lost many gaba receptors through this process, I can tell in my vision, I can't see the edges of things like big letters in grocery stores the same and it's the gaba receptors that do this.  It sucks.

[[al...]]

I think it's safe to say VS and tinnitus are a result of the brain short circuiting due to glutemate damaging neurons.  It's most likely permanent.  I lost many gaba receptors through this process, I can tell in my vision, I can't see the edges of things like big letters in grocery stores the same and it's the gaba receptors that do this.  It sucks.

 

This is an old thread from last year and the OP ignored my initial reply, but I had the visual snow and it does go away. I still have other vision issues that haven't, but I still believe they will eventually go away whenever healing happens. Like Stereotokyo said, it's part of the DP/DR.