Does anyone else suffer from weird visual trailing?

[Allofaflutter]

About 4 weeks ago I started having weird visual trailing. By this I mean at times, not all the time, when I see something for example my hand in front of my face as it moves I see like trails or like the outline of the hand where it had been like it’s lagging behind like a shadow. It’s both eyes and only really when I’m tired. No pain just weird trailing. Saw dr who was unsure, sent me to specsavers, they said nothing on the scans, so now I’m having a head CT this week. I’m really worried. Anyone else have this?

So that’s a no then lol.

I get something similar. White ovals that perform an ‘S’ shape before fading out. Sometimes it can manifest like a rolling ball tracing its way from middle left to bottom right of my vision. Been to opticians and doctors, but neither can find anything wrong. Had it for 5 years now.

I’m sorry to hear that, my dr was baffled to be honest. Suggested migraines but I have no pain.

It sounds a bit like something called ‘persistence’ - the visual image doesn’t clear. I get it in low light conditions when looking at something that’s lit, or sometimes in bright light. It was checked out at Ophthalmology and it was unusual but completely harmless.

You should definitely get the CT scan of course.

You can also have ‘optical’ migraines which I think can be painless.

That’s reassuring thanks.

It’s just the last thing I need atm after having blood clots and back issues this year.

I get this, I was told it was an optical migraine. I’ve had it for years.

DH has this, had it for maybe 40 years now. Seems to just be a weird quirk.

I sometimes get a wavy effect at the bottom of my vision and I have 'floaters' which are irritating if my brain tries to focus on them.

I get this with my migraines but not at the same time as the pain, usually before. It often goes on for days.

I hope you get some reassurance from the CT 💐

Thank you everyone that’s reassuring.

I've had this too!! Have you had any colds/viruses recently? Mine started a few weeks after I had a bad cold mid-May, and has only just started going back to normal (although I'm not 100% sure if I'm back to normal or if I've just got used to it). The cold also left me with no sense of smell which has only just started returning. Tested negative for covid but really wonder if the test was faulty!

Yes, I’ve had this for the past 25 years!
It started when I was taking epilepsy meds at uni and would happen every time I was either tired or drank alcohol while on them. I don’t take those meds anymore, but I still get the visual trailing when tired in the evening or in the daytime if badly sleep deprived. For me, it’s like there’s a series of snapshot images trailing behind moving objects. Almost a slight strobe effect to it. I’ve had multiple brain MRIs over the years for various reason and there’s never been anything abnormal found.

Are you perimenopausal?

Only after acid

I’m early 50’s so very definitely!

I had amitripline and then it started, but I’ve stopped now.

I had covid in Jan. but it only started 4-5 weeks ago.

For me, menstrual migraines with accompanying visual weirdness, and not necessarily a headache, were a perimenopause symptom. They stopped as soon as I hit actual menopause, thankfully.

Many years ago I had this. It turned out to be migraines but totally without pain. When I stopped working full time they it also stopped instantly.

Was going to say optical migraine. I get usual migraines with aura, that begins as visual disturbances and can sometimes be like OP is describing, as well as spots, tunnel vision and lines through my vision. The usual migraine symptoms usually follow after and are pretty awful. However, I went through a period a few years ago where I was getting the visual aura but then the actual migraine headache/sickness etc wouldn’t follow. It was just visual with no pain. I went to GP who told me about optical migraines. They subsided by themselves and never got to the bottom of what caused them.

Epilepsy for me. Dunno if epilepsy or medication. You learn to live with it

But could be retinal migraines. Are you stressed? I sound really annoying but lifestyle has an impact. Try and ignore it, that is honestly the best advice

Sounds like ocular migraines. I had very weird visual disturbances including double vision and distortions for a while with no headaches. Got loads of tests, told it was ocular migraines. I now get the bad headaches and these visual disturbances are the precursor to them.

I’m very stressed, major medical things this year.