Weird experience. Opticians? Doctors?

[cluelessandhopeless]

I had a weird thing happen today.
The doorbell went and I went to answer the door. When I opened it I could not focus my eyes, I couldn’t see, couldn’t focus but also, everything seemed to go a bit blank? Then it’s as if I snapped back into the world and I was looking at the post woman who I actually know very well, who was stood smiling at me… but also looking a bit bewildered.
The blurred vision is something I noticed a couple of weeks ago and mentioned to my husband I may need an eye test, but this felt very extreme today and the feeling of blanking out was really weird.
I have some other bizarre and unusual symptoms happening recently which I’m not sure are worth mentioning or whether they are related but I have had things like the feeling of extreme electric shocks in my neck and hand, a sore stiff neck and brain fog.
Would you go to the doctors about this? I’m really worried about wasting peoples time. Or would first point of call me the opticians? I really don’t want to go to the opticians if I’m honest as I am really really squeamish with eyes so I’m really putting this off.
Advice would be appreciated or if any one else has had similar experiences?

They need to run some tests on you and maybe a brain scan. I'd contact your GP.

It could be a few things. Urgent referral to neurology via GP is required. Good luck, I've been waiting a while now due to NHS backlogs. I would look up the local hospitals nerologists & see if they do private consultations & if you can afford it, have an initial private consultation then you'll be referred back into the NHS. You'll be put through various movement tests by the doctor & nerve studies with tens like pads on you and maybe needles. I had an MRI to rule out MS. Also a CT scan. Good luck op

Good luck today, OP, ring your surgery as soon as they open, the important things to say are blurred vision, the electric shock in your neck when you tip your head forward, and all the other symptoms you have experienced, as you will be speaking to the receptionist rather than a clinical member of staff, say you are concerned it could be Multiple Sclerosis, I hope you get an urgent ref to neurologist.

As a pp mentioned, check the waiting times at your hospital. If going private the costs are around £250 per appt with Neurologist, you would need two consultations as a minimum, one will inc examination, then imaging, then a further appt to give you the results of the scans, my MRI scans cost £850, GP did all the bloods under NHS, Neurologist gave him a list of what blood work he wanted (these rates quoted are going back 10 years). All the neurologists have NHS lists too, so the chances are the Neuro will add you to their NHS list if necessary.

If you can’t go private, ring and speak to Neurologist secretary and say you are prepared to take a cancellation, even at short notice, if you can. I hope you won’t be waiting for to long OP.

Good luck.

That's a GP thing, rather than an optician thing and it's definitely not an eye A&E thing.

It could be so many things to be honest OP. It could just be a problem with your neck. Th symptoms may also not be associated.

Has the vision blacking out only happened when you've gone from sitting or standing?

I'd keep a diary until your GP appointment - list all the times and dates of your symptoms and what you were doing before and after they occurred.

Some good advice on here. Forgot to mention, your GP will give you some initial neurological tests prior to referral such as look up/down, follow their finger, touch it then your nose, raise legs, grip their fingers & push apart,scratch feet. Any holes in vision. My nervous system went berserk after Covid/vx/Covid all close together, not saying your symptoms are down to this but another consideration. All the best.

Thanks everyone. I called the doctors this morning and just waiting for a call back from the doctor some time this afternoon.

It's very, very rare that MS causes epileptic seizures.

OP if you are worried head to eye A and E - this is the quickest way to be seen and get your eyes checked out. They are wonderful. They will ask you to do the colour blind check thing to rule out swollen optic nerve, but also check pressure and have a good look. You won't be able to drive afterwards.

They can refer to a neurologist urgently if needed.

My MS gave me epilepsy, although rare, I've connected with 12 other people on a UK members FB page who have the same.

Just to update everyone.
I spoke to the doctor today.
I am booked in for a face to face appointment Thursday and she is referring to physio and to the opticians.
She didn’t seem concerned about anything I told her (or she was just desperate to get me off the phone because the surgery closes soon) she just told me to tell the physio and the opticians, so I don’t have much to update everyone with at the moment.

That sucks OP! Optitions is a good idea though. Keep pushing.

Thursday??? Wow! See if you can see an Optometrist before then, OP. That will rule out one of the GP’s suggestions. Optometrists can spot various health issues, if they don’t have any concerns about your eye health, at least you can update the GP at your appt. Optoms can also refer if they feel it necessary. Good luck.

I think they rule out musculoskeletal before referring to neuro.
similarly rule out eye first.

@Mytortoiseisbetter Yes I was thinking this may be the case actually. It makes sense, and there’s no point rushing ahead of all I need is a pair of glasses and a bit of physio, and it probably is as simple as that.
I did feel the doctor was a little rushed and dismissive on the phone but now I think about it it’s probably because she was booking me for a face to face appointment Thursday anyway, and as you say, perhaps she’s thinking we’ll see what physio and opticians say first.

With me the gp thought it was multiple sclerosis.
referred me to musculosketal
then to neurologist
fine now (not ms just needed an osteopath)

with my son the optician saw inflamed/swollen back of eye, sent him to eye emergency
then MRI
then neurosurgery
fine now (head injury)

If you ring optician and tell them your fear they can help with it I expect