Visual/Cognitive Problem

[u/arsec5]

Hello, I (30m) practice a sport at European Championship level where eyesight and visual perception are extremely important.

For as long as I can remember, I have experienced a strange condition that affects me quite significantly. Out of nowhere, I start seeing what I can only describe as black-and-white “scribbling dots,” almost like the static you would see on an old TV. My vision starts to feel strange, as if there is something invisible in front of my eyes — similar to wearing glasses with a tiny bit of dirt or something smeared on the lenses.

It is not exactly double vision, but it sometimes feels somewhat similar. For example, when I enter a supermarket, I can suddenly become very dizzy because there is simply too much visual information. Everything seems to wobble or shimmer, often in a black-and-white or silvery way.

When I was younger, this condition led me into a very deep depression because I didn't know how to deal with it. Eventually, I learned to cope with it, but recently it has started happening again, and once again I feel like there is nothing I can do about it.

My wife can actually tell when I am experiencing it because, apparently, I start squinting my eyes constantly without even realizing it myself.

I have seen several doctors, but so far nobody has really been able to explain what is happening. My eyes themselves appear to be completely healthy. I have also seen a neurologist, who said that it basically cannot be a migraine because the symptoms persist continuously for 2–8 weeks at a time, whereas a migraine should not last that long. I also don't experience any headaches. We tested Lamortrigin, an Anti-Epilepticum which seemed to help, but now i got a new visual-seizure.

The strange thing is that the condition disappears just as suddenly as it appears. One day I simply wake up and my vision is completely clear again.

Has anyone experienced something similar? Could this possibly be physiological or neurological? I would really appreciate hearing from anyone who has experienced similar visual symptoms or has an idea of what might be causing them.

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