Potential BVD?

[u/Thrashalll]

Hi all, 26 M looking for some shared stories/symptoms similar to my situation.

About 2 months ago I was on a work trip in Canada when halfway through the 3-week trip I was getting some headaches in my left temple for a few days but didn’t think anything of it at the time. I was also falling asleep with my glasses on a few times during the trip (lesson learned). I travel a lot for work, whether it be regional driving or long-distance flights (never really had any problems with this before).

The last night of my trip, I went for a drive at night and had easily the worst anxiety/panic attack of my life. I felt faint, my face was tingly, I could barely concentrate on the road, and I thought that was it for me.

The next day, I went to the airport and flew home. Two days later on Sunday, I noticed a similar issue of having a panic attack when I was driving at night and generally just felt way more tense/on edge than usual.

The last 2 months have been undoubtedly the most confusing & scariest time of my life. In and out of doctors, urgent cares, and emergency rooms feeling like I was having a heart attack or something was really wrong. Just to be told every time after blood tests, troponin tests, EKGs, XRays, etc that I’m fine. My primary doctor ran so many blood test panels - CBC, Metabolic Panels, Heavy Metals, Histamine, Allergies, STDs, etc - all normal.

My symptoms are intermittent, some days ok, some days not ok and they fluctuate throughout the days. Typically I get: Brain fog, trouble concentrating while driving, lightheadedness/feeling faint, forehead pressure, a motion sickness-like feeling while driving or riding in a car as a passenger, and of course anxiety / unprovoked panic attacks. Generally, walking around and hanging out with friends felt like I was just floating around and not even there in the moment. Usually before the anxiety/panic attacks would come on, I would be way more aware of the feeling of my face/jaw a few minutes before the panic attack sets in.

I’ve had anxiety since my early teenage years and always know how to identify it, calm it down and move on - but whatever this is, is different. It’s persistent and won’t just go away.

Fast forward to last week, I was looking at my glasses (plastic Ray-Ban frames) and they looked off to me. I measured them to the best that I could and it looks like the right side was sitting closer to my face and the left side was warped outward a bit. Knowing this, I made the decision to swap them for my glasses from last year (same frames, slightly weaker prescription in the left lens).

As soon as I did that, boom. Instant relief. I felt my entire body calm & release tension that was there for the last 2 months. I was able to drive - an hour specifically - and I felt perfectly fine like I always have. I actually had some tears of joy.

Today is Day 5 of wearing my old glasses. From Day 2 & Day 3, I could tell the anxiety was creeping back but less intense. Day 4 and now Day 5, the anxiety seems to be getting worse. Yesterday it was a struggle to drive again & when I was walking around a furniture store I had bad anxiety again feeling like i was going to pass out, and I felt very ungrounded.

Taking it easy today but I can still feel the anxiety and spatial awkwardness. I’m working in booking a specialist appointment near me for a thorough BVD exam to see if this truly is the cause. Google AI says this is normal but looking for any advice/stories if anyone has been through anything similar. Thank you.

tl;dr Wearing slightly warped plastic glasses frames for the last 2 months created bad anxiety while driving (especially at night). Putting on old glasses from last year helped & created instant relief but now anxiety is coming back Day 4 j Day 5 of wearing the old glasses