• You are currently viewing our forum as a guest, which gives you limited access to view most discussions and access our other features. By joining our free community, you will have access to additional post topics, communicate privately with other members (PM), view blogs, respond to polls, upload content, and access many other special features. Registration is fast, simple and absolutely free, so please join our community today! Just click here to register. You should turn your Ad Blocker off for this site or certain features may not work properly. If you have any problems with the registration process or your account login, please contact us by clicking here.

Psychosomatic Illness?

Sparrow

New member
Joined
May 28, 2010
Messages
2,366
Instinctual Variant
so/sx
A couple weeks before Halloween I suddenly lost vision in my left eye. I got an MRI, numerous blood tests, and even a chest x-ray, the results were all totally clean and spotless! I have been on numerous visits to the Optometrist & Neuro Ophthalmologist and am getting really frustrated because I still have no answers regarding my Optic Neuropathy.

A friend of mine asked me yesterday if I thought it might be Psychosomatic. I have been under extreme intermittent stress for the past 2 years, its been a bumpy road for sure. I am wondering how Psychosomatic illnesses are diagnosed and treated? Should I see a psychiatrist? I really don't want to waste time and money on getting another MRI when I know what the outcome will be.
 

Qlip

Post Human Post
Joined
Jul 30, 2010
Messages
8,464
MBTI Type
ENFP
Enneagram
4w5
Instinctual Variant
sp/sx
This may not be related at all, but I had something similar happen to me. My sight became impaired for about half a day. It really freaked me out. But I did some research and I found out what was going on. I had an Ocular Migraine. <--- Link.

Maybe this is what you were experiencing?
 

Sparrow

New member
Joined
May 28, 2010
Messages
2,366
Instinctual Variant
so/sx
Hey Qlip, thanks for the response. I have been partially blind for 4 months now...it hasn't gone away at all :(. I wish it was an Ocular Migraine!
 

King sns

New member
Joined
Nov 4, 2008
Messages
6,714
MBTI Type
enfp
Enneagram
6w7
Instinctual Variant
sp/sx
I have heard of people under a lot of stress- and if they saw something awful they may lose some of their vision, (like as a protective mechanism) or heard something awful they may lose their hearing, etc. Seems rare and unlikely but it is a possibility.
 

Saslou

New member
Joined
Feb 1, 2009
Messages
4,910
MBTI Type
ESFJ
Holy hell Sparrow :hug: That must be frustrating especially if there is no conclusion.

A few years ago i was under a lot of stress and got 3 bouts of sciatica. I look back now and realise it was my body telling me to pay attention and rectify some of the crap going on in my life instead of ignoring it. As usual i chose to ignore it but the last lot of excruciating pain lasted 5 months and i still went back to work in agony. (Yeah, me thinking i could handle it all)

The only thing i would say is sit down and look at ways in eradicating the stress, or part of it. Have you considered any alternative medicines? I tried acupuncture but it didn't help but then i knew it wouldn't work so set it up to fail before i even started. You may have better success.

I hope you get better soon :hug:
 
A

A window to the soul

Guest
A couple weeks before Halloween I suddenly lost vision in my left eye. I got an MRI, numerous blood tests, and even a chest x-ray, the results were all totally clean and spotless! I have been on numerous visits to the Optometrist & Neuro Ophthalmologist and am getting really frustrated because I still have no answers regarding my Optic Neuropathy.

A friend of mine asked me yesterday if I thought it might be Psychosomatic. I have been under extreme intermittent stress for the past 2 years, its been a bumpy road for sure. I am wondering how Psychosomatic illnesses are diagnosed and treated? Should I see a psychiatrist? I really don't want to waste time and money on getting another MRI when I know what the outcome will be.

I've heard of this happening when inflammation or trauma causes a tear in the retina. A torn retina leads to fluid seeping in and causing retinal detachment. I think it's critical to get to an eye doctor because once the retina detaches, I think the blindness is permanent; assuming that's the issue. I'm guessing that would be a more common issue.

Sounds like you've already been to the doctor that could check for that.
 

Redbone

Orisha
Joined
Apr 27, 2010
Messages
2,882
MBTI Type
ENFP
Enneagram
9w8
Instinctual Variant
sx/so
This may not be related at all, but I had something similar happen to me. My sight became impaired for about half a day. It really freaked me out. But I did some research and I found out what was going on. I had an Ocular Migraine. <--- Link.

Maybe this is what you were experiencing?

Same thing happened to me. I still have problems with it from time to time.

Sparrow, I would think that if your vision problem was a manifestation of psychological stress, it would be different. Both eyes instead of one. Intractable headaches, insomnia, pain syndromes, fatigue, nausea, vague GI complaints. Chronic low back pain is a big one, too. Those are more of the kinds of things you see with stress-related/triggered problems.

Don't forget, doctors can be wrong and often are. Diagnosing a condition is an art and some of them lack critical skills. It is not necessary "you", it may mean they have not been thorough enough, may have missed something, or maybe not performed the right diagnostic procedures.

Are you taking or have you taken any medicines on a regular basis right now? There's quite a few that can mess with your vision.
 

INTP

Active member
Joined
Jul 31, 2009
Messages
7,803
MBTI Type
intp
Enneagram
5w4
Instinctual Variant
sx
I kinda doubt its psychosomatic. Did you hit your head or something before this happened? Did the mri show for 100% sure that there isnt any tiny lesions? Did they test(or have you noticed) whether its sending information to reflexes? If the problem is somewhere between eye and thalamus, it isnt able to trigger reflexes, but if the eye and thalamus is ok, but the problem is on wires between thalamus and visual cortex or on the visual cortex. The blind eye can for example stop you from stepping on a road if car is coming at you, or make you dodge something.

But :( for this sort of shit happening.
 
A

A window to the soul

Guest
[MENTION=10137]Sparrow[/MENTION]: I did a little research. Did you have your blood sugar checked? I read that diabetes is the number one culprit for vision loss and blurred vision in the United States. It can affect only one eye.

Source: http://EzineArticles.com/484072

Edit: I see you had blood tests, but was wondering if they specifically tested you for blood sugar issues because that would be a specific evaluation where they would give you a series of blood tests (from what I understand).
 
Last edited:

CzeCze

RETIRED
Joined
Sep 11, 2007
Messages
8,975
MBTI Type
GONE
Wow I'm so sorry to hear about your eye. Was there any pain or sensitivity to bight associated or did it just go cold turkey? I've had LASIK so I'm familiar with blurriness and dryness and weird vision but I haven't heard of an eye going Lblind without pain. I saw a show once where a woman went blind in one eye temporarily but it was due to the common herpes virus (the kind that gives you cold sores) having infected part of her retina. It was very painful snd took some months to restore, it was found later she had some rare medical condition involving her gall bladder not functioning correctly that was somehow linked to it and also the fact she had very dry eyes.

Basically, have you see a non eye specialist? An internist may be able to give you more answers. Your eye issue may be connected to something that doesn't seem direct right now.
 

Catoptric Cistula

New member
Joined
Aug 13, 2007
Messages
19
MBTI Type
INTP
Enneagram
5w6
Instinctual Variant
so/sp
Not to freak you out or anything, though I knew an old guy (in his eighties) awhile back that invited me to his home while I was visiting relatives. He was entirely blind at this point due to other reasons that I'm not referring to what you are stating. However since you are considering the psychosomatic element, the man was telling me of an episode before he became blind that involved the perception of an alternative dimension. In one eye he couldn't see and in the other he claims to see people moving about their daily lives.

At the time he was fairly lucid and didn't show any "out of it" character, even if he was in fact preoccupied with constructing a remote controlled device that resembled a flying saucer, and could in fact fly as such (or so he claims. . .) The guy was in fact brilliant and had been involved with electronically wiring skyscrapers, so he knew what he was doing and set up regular rocket model thrusters that would be triggered electronically.

Anyway his dementia type of experience went away after he suggested getting vitamin supplements (possibly B vitamins, such as niacin). I couldn't get a thorough explanation about his health condition though from a book he wrote and published privately (that I have) he seems to have had various encounters with the vision of his mother (whom died while he was young) and these visions he claims to have occurred like some Deus ex Machina throughout periods of his life. Whether or not he was simply making things up (or didn't honestly know he was) they occurred throughout his claims of events such as being in concentration camps (he was a Polish immigrant) or abandoning a sinking ship and being in the water for extended periods of time surrounded by sharks.

Either way it is true that stress can provoke things like epilepsy and other neurological conditions, and it may be some short intermittent experience that will go away after awhile. The brain is a strange organ.
 

SilkRoad

Lay the coin on my tongue
Joined
May 26, 2009
Messages
3,932
MBTI Type
INFJ
Enneagram
6w5
Instinctual Variant
sp/sx
I don't have anything useful of a medical nature to add, but I'm really sorry you are going through such a difficult experience and I hope it gets sorted out soon. :(
 

Stanton Moore

morose bourgeoisie
Joined
Mar 4, 2009
Messages
3,900
MBTI Type
INFP
[MENTION=10137]Sparrow[/MENTION],

I was diagnosed with MS about 13 years ago. I got most of the shitty symptoms as one time or another, except optic neuritis.
Anyway, I had such a bad flairup that in 2003 I decided to really try to beat it, since the available drugs just made me feel sick and didn’t really slow it down. Here comes the part relevant to you…
I found a small study on turmeric. It stopped the progression of the disease in mice. I started taking it daily at that time. It’s a powerful anti-inflammatory. You can get it at almost any health food/supplement store.
I haven’t had a flairup since then. Nothing. I consider it beaten, for the most part.
I’m not saying that you have MS, but what you experienced may respond to the stuff that helped me. Other things to do:
stop smoking
get aerobic exercise
Limit pro-inflammatory foods (cured meat, hard liquor)
Eats lots of veggies and fruits
Stay hydrated

So many problems are caused by inflammation in the body. Doing this will give you back a sense of control.
 

Sparrow

New member
Joined
May 28, 2010
Messages
2,366
Instinctual Variant
so/sx
[MENTION=10137]Sparrow[/MENTION]: I did a little research. Did you have your blood sugar checked? I read that diabetes is the number one culprit for vision loss and blurred vision in the United States. It can affect only one eye.

Source: http://EzineArticles.com/484072

Edit: I see you had blood tests, but was wondering if they specifically tested you for blood sugar issues because that would be a specific evaluation where they would give you a series of blood tests (from what I understand).

Thanks for researching you rock for that! Yep I sure did take a shit load of blood tests, no diabetes, no Anemia, no Vitamin B deficiency, no liver problems, no lung problems, no Lime Disease...etc etc. :( Zilch! I was hoping that it was something as simple as a vitamin deficiency :(!

Wow I'm so sorry to hear about your eye. Was there any pain or sensitivity to bight associated or did it just go cold turkey? I've had LASIK so I'm familiar with blurriness and dryness and weird vision but I haven't heard of an eye going Lblind without pain. I saw a show once where a woman went blind in one eye temporarily but it was due to the common herpes virus (the kind that gives you cold sores) having infected part of her retina. It was very painful snd took some months to restore, it was found later she had some rare medical condition involving her gall bladder not functioning correctly that was somehow linked to it and also the fact she had very dry eyes.

Basically, have you see a non eye specialist? An internist may be able to give you more answers. Your eye issue may be connected to something that doesn't seem direct right now.

No pain…it just went bye bye all of a sudden. Every now and then it feels weird, but not really painful. It probably is a good idea to see another doctor as well. Good suggestion! I don’t think I have herpes though lol...THAT WOULD SUCK!
 

Sparrow

New member
Joined
May 28, 2010
Messages
2,366
Instinctual Variant
so/sx
Not to freak you out or anything, though I knew an old guy (in his eighties) awhile back that invited me to his home while I was visiting relatives. He was entirely blind at this point due to other reasons that I'm not referring to what you are stating. However since you are considering the psychosomatic element, the man was telling me of an episode before he became blind that involved the perception of an alternative dimension. In one eye he couldn't see and in the other he claims to see people moving about their daily lives.

At the time he was fairly lucid and didn't show any "out of it" character, even if he was in fact preoccupied with constructing a remote controlled device that resembled a flying saucer, and could in fact fly as such (or so he claims. . .) The guy was in fact brilliant and had been involved with electronically wiring skyscrapers, so he knew what he was doing and set up regular rocket model thrusters that would be triggered electronically.

Anyway his dementia type of experience went away after he suggested getting vitamin supplements (possibly B vitamins, such as niacin). I couldn't get a thorough explanation about his health condition though from a book he wrote and published privately (that I have) he seems to have had various encounters with the vision of his mother (whom died while he was young) and these visions he claims to have occurred like some Deus ex Machina throughout periods of his life. Whether or not he was simply making things up (or didn't honestly know he was) they occurred throughout his claims of events such as being in concentration camps (he was a Polish immigrant) or abandoning a sinking ship and being in the water for extended periods of time surrounded by sharks.

Either way it is true that stress can provoke things like epilepsy and other neurological conditions, and it may be some short intermittent experience that will go away after awhile. The brain is a strange organ.

The brain is a strange organ indeed! That dude sounds like quite a character lol :).

[MENTION=10137]Sparrow[/MENTION],

I was diagnosed with MS about 13 years ago. I got most of the shitty symptoms as one time or another, except optic neuritis.
Anyway, I had such a bad flairup that in 2003 I decided to really try to beat it, since the available drugs just made me feel sick and didn’t really slow it down. Here comes the part relevant to you…
I found a small study on turmeric. It stopped the progression of the disease in mice. I started taking it daily at that time. It’s a powerful anti-inflammatory. You can get it at almost any health food/supplement store.
I haven’t had a flairup since then. Nothing. I consider it beaten, for the most part.
I’m not saying that you have MS, but what you experienced may respond to the stuff that helped me. Other things to do:
stop smoking
get aerobic exercise
Limit pro-inflammatory foods (cured meat, hard liquor)
Eats lots of veggies and fruits
Stay hydrated

So many problems are caused by inflammation in the body. Doing this will give you back a sense of control.

So Tumeric ey? Interesting, how did you take it? Is it in pill form? I am on a healthy path now...minus the smoking, but I am trying to cut down :). My neuro opthmalogist says smoking wouldn't have anything to do with it, but I should quite anyway. I don't know if I can even trust that guy...it's hard to trust any doctor these days period.
 

Stanton Moore

morose bourgeoisie
Joined
Mar 4, 2009
Messages
3,900
MBTI Type
INFP
So Tumeric ey? Interesting, how did you take it? Is it in pill form? I am on a healthy path now...minus the smoking, but I am trying to cut down :). My neuro opthmalogist says smoking wouldn't have anything to do with it, but I should quite anyway. I don't know if I can even trust that guy...it's hard to trust any doctor these days period.

It somes in capsules. You can get it at PCC, GNC, Central Market, Ballard Market, Whole Foods, pretty much anywhere these days. Or you can buy it in bulk and drink it in orange juice or something, but capsules are easier, if more expensive.
If you neuro doesn't know what's wrong with you, how can he say that smoking or anything else, won't effect it? I don't trust most doctors anymore. I've known too many who where just highly paid technicians with little empathic capacity. They're paid to follow a protocal, but when there is no easy answer, the protocal doesn't tell them what to do. that's why I followed my own intuition, with good results.
Go get some turmeric and take it. It may sound crazy, but it worked for me, and it's no more crazy than doing nothing.
 

Sparrow

New member
Joined
May 28, 2010
Messages
2,366
Instinctual Variant
so/sx
It somes in capsules. You can get it at PCC, GNC, Central Market, Ballard Market, Whole Foods, pretty much anywhere these days. Or you can buy it in bulk and drink it in orange juice or something, but capsules are easier, if more expensive.
If you neuro doesn't know what's wrong with you, how can he say that smoking or anything else, won't effect it? I don't trust most doctors anymore. I've known too many who where just highly paid technicians with little empathic capacity. They're paid to follow a protocal, but when there is no easy answer, the protocal doesn't tell them what to do. that's why I followed my own intuition, with good results.
Go get some turmeric and take it. It may sound crazy, but it worked for me, and it's no more crazy than doing nothing.

Thanks Neb :). I'm going to try and get my hands on some after work today <3.
 

Sparrow

New member
Joined
May 28, 2010
Messages
2,366
Instinctual Variant
so/sx
Good! Take 2000 mg morning and night. It won't upset your stomach, I promise.

I'm going to take something lower then 1500mg just to be safe :) thank you again for the suggestion, I read up on it a bit and it says that it helps with eye problems! I will keep you posted on my progress.
 
Top