lights/lamps appear to flicker/strobe

Since last sunday I have occasionally had lamps and lights appear to turn on and off in my peripheral vision. Sometimes the lights are actually flickering (confirmed by others) while other times I am the only one sensitive to the light changes. I've noticed it happens with voltage changes (fridge turning on etc.) But also happens without changes. My NS says its stress related from the new diagnosis and unrelated to my BT in my thalamus. I've searched the web and haven't come across much, just ocular migraines, photopsia (perception of flashes) and iritis. Anyone else have similar experiences?

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Permalink Reply by Jane Edgell on March 2, 2010 at 6:29pm

I have had the ocular migraines but nothing other than that. I know Dr's like to blame everything on stress...especially when you are a woman! (I kept going to the Dr.because I would have dizziness and get sick to my stomach. He kept telling me it was stress because I had 3 kids. We later found out I was suffering from carbon monoxide poisoning. When I told him that he acted like he did not believe me.) And they never seem to think symptoms are a result of the tumor. Hope you get an answer soon.

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Permalink Reply by Wendy Felsenthal on March 2, 2010 at 7:08pm

Amen sister! I am sooooooooo sick of doctors blaming physical symptoms on stress. I KNOW stress causes all kinds of symptoms, but could we dig a little deeper in our medical education to come up w/ a better answer than that???
I had a kid who had a brain tumor and had/has alot of issues that affect him daily. I was having physical issues for months, and all the docs could say was I was depressed. Well, duh....maybe, but its situational....then they find out I have a brain tumor and they shut up. BUT even now, when I go to regular docs and OLD neurologists, right away they blame ANY and ALL symptoms on stress. I could be bleeding out of my eyeballs and they would say it was from stress...Now I have a woman neuro-surgeon seeing me and she is very empathetic and takes the cause into her own hands to find out what is causing what...

Jane Edgell said:

I have had the ocular migraines but nothing other than that. I know Dr's like to blame everything on stress...especially when you are a woman! (I kept going to the Dr.because I would have dizziness and get sick to my stomach. He kept telling me it was stress because I had 3 kids. We later found out I was suffering from carbon monoxide poisoning. When I told him that he acted like he did not believe me.) And they never seem to think symptoms are a result of the tumor. Hope you get an answer soon.

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Permalink Reply by Wendy Felsenthal on March 2, 2010 at 7:10pm

oh, and Javi....I am very sensitive to light changes. Maybe you are too. It doesn't neccessaruily mean something is physically going haywire in your head, although migraines and seizures can have that affect, but just the slightest voltage change in the lighting and I will notice....

Hope you are having a better week this week. Thinking of ya'

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Permalink Reply by Javi on March 2, 2010 at 9:12pm

Thanks for the input ! I guess i am not sure if to treat as a new symptom, a sign indicating tumor growth/ or increased pressure on the optic nerve. Could the actual appearance of the dimming be an eye seizure? I've noticed it was worse with stress. Hasnt happened today so we'll see if the doc was right about nerves....

Wendy Felsenthal said:

oh, and Javi....I am very sensitive to light changes. Maybe you are too. It doesn't neccessaruily mean something is physically going haywire in your head, although migraines and seizures can have that affect, but just the slightest voltage change in the lighting and I will notice....

Hope you are having a better week this week. Thinking of ya'

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Permalink Reply by Becky on March 25, 2010 at 11:29pm

I've had something occur a few times that isn't exactly what you are describing, but kind of similar. I will have moments where there will be some lights around me (while it's dark out) and it feels like the lights are "jumping" and flashing with my movement. It's very difficult to describe, but I had never experienced anything like it until a few weeks ago.