I have had blepheritis/dry eyes and floaters for many years but a
cobweb type floaters appeared about 9 months ago along with eye pain I
mentioned this at a regualy 2 yearly opticians eye test and was
referred to our local eye clinic. I was told that I had a retina
schisis on my right eye, it was probably longstanding would not cause
any problems and there was no treatment. Approx 4 months later I had
some strange fast moving dots appear and disappear and gradually over a
period of weeks these dots can now be seen at anytime looking at a
bright object like the sky. I went back to the optician and was assured
they are a type of floater again relatively harmless but I was referred
to the eye clinc again. They examined my eyes and I was discharged no
treatment required. So now I have pain,cobweb floaters and fast moving
dots I started to get concerned and I didn't understand what was going
on I looked up a local optician who was also a professor who lectured
at moorfields to see if he could explain what was going on. He examined
my eyes photographed my retina's and said the same all looked ok and I
still didn't need glasses explained in some detail how the eyes worked
and said I probably had a PVD but nothing to worry about. Shortly after
that I started to notice another symptom this time a bit more scary,
pulsing vision, tingling and twitching around the eyes. This is
starting to get to me now and I started to get minor panic attacks at
work and  palpatations at night. Another symptom appeared when I wake
up in the morning my eyes seem to take a while to adjust to the light
and dark with an aura in my peripheral vision.  I had to do something
so I went to the local eye dept again, the doctor didn't recognise the
symptoms suggested it might be migraine but referred me to his
consultant, the appointment came through NHS but I had to wait 6 weeks.
I searched the net and found a private hospital consultant
opthamologist with a good CV who I saw approx 2 weeks after the pulsing
vision started. The good news was that the pulsing had died down and
the palpatations and virtually dissapeared during the couple of weeks
that I was waiting, but I went anyway just to get some peace of mind.
The consultant examined my eyes found a retina schisis in my left eye
and told me that the problems I have are minor and nothing to worry
about. He didn't know what the pulsing vision was and also suggested it
may be migraine. Now approx one week after that eye exam the pulsing
vision has returned and I have a tight feeling to my eyes and sometimes
they tingle and my vision especially at a distance is becoming blurry.
I went to my doctor who not unreasonably has said that I have had my
eyes examined more than once and nothing has been found to be wrong,
and has suggested that it could be migraine or just anxiety. He also
said that if the pulsing was in both eyes that it was unlikely to be an
eye problem, the only alternative I have is to have an MRI scan of my
brain.

My guess is that all the examinations were accurate but the pulsing is
a reaction or side effect to the drops that have been used during the
examinations. Which drops I'm not sure
they use a yellow dye which I have had before without any problems, the
pupil dilating drops may be a cause but I believe it is most likely to
be the aneasthetic drops. As these were not used by the NHS doctors
only by the optician and the private consultant and the pulsing started
after the optician, got better and the started again after the private
consultant. I really don't know, but I would like to find out whats
going on as this is very disturbing.

Gary (aged 41)