# Flickering Vision and Twitching



## peachy (Feb 9, 2008)

Hey, I've been experiencing something lately and I'm curious if anybody else has had a similar experience or knows what might be going on. Lately, this usually occurs when I'm lying in bed at night, my body will become more numb than usual and kind of stiffen. Then I start to experience involuntary twitching in several different parts of my body. It kind of feels like electricity in my body or brain for a second. Also, when I am reading a book during this time, I will have flickering peripheral vision. Sometimes I experience a slight headache, but nothing major. I've also noticed that a couple of times it has occurred right before I've started my period, so maybe a hormone thing? I'm not sure... Anybody?


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## York (Feb 26, 2008)

I've read about all those symptoms you describe in a book I have about DP (feeling unreal). I think they are all anxiety-related. I find that when I've had a lot of anxiety during the day, laying in bed at night will make me twitch as the muscles start to relax, and I can also feel stabs of pain in my head or limbs. I have visual disturbances a lot too, it comes and goes, I'm not sure what sets it off, maybe fatigue. All my symptoms worsens around my period :?


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## peachy (Feb 9, 2008)

Hmm interesting. I've read Feeling Unreal but I didn't remember that part. However, I'm not experiencing any anxiety in the day or while it is happening, quite possibly the opposite lol, I felt very calm and carefree.


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## York (Feb 26, 2008)

Well, I started experiencing the numbness and the twitching and stabs of pain when I listened to relaxation cd's.. Which lead me to believe what I wrote.. That there must have been some tension in my body letting go.. The numbness, I don't know what is..


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## York (Feb 26, 2008)

It almost sounds like epilepsy, have you ruled that out? ( I have).


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## Surfingisfun001 (Sep 25, 2007)

york said:


> It almost sounds like epilepsy, have you ruled that out? ( I have).


good point
:?:



peachyderanged said:


> Hmm interesting. I've read Feeling Unreal...


Is it a good book? I've never read it but I've heard of it from somewhere. :wink:


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## peachy (Feb 9, 2008)

york said:


> It almost sounds like epilepsy, have you ruled that out? ( I have).


Hmm no I have not. I'm hoping to get some brain scans done soon, got some stuff to check out and I'm sure something like that would show up on there if it is the case, which it probably isn't but definitely worth ruling out, thanks.

That's interesting what you say about your body relaxing. Although I'm not experiencing anxiety, I do feel tense in my body. I've had this cool thing happen lately where my feet or another part of my body will start to kind of heat up...not just be warm but almost like I can feel the blood flow much better as if my body is alive...I don't really know how to explain it other than good lol. It seems to happen when I'm feeling an emotion. Feels much better than the twitching/flickering vision thing...didn't feel like making another post about it though. It's cool how the body and mind both react to each other....feels good to keep that in mind too because it makes mind and body feel more connected. If you can acknowledge what your body is doing with your mind or feel the effects of stress and anxiety on your body, you're partly good to go.


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## Johnny Dep (Feb 8, 2009)

peachyderanged said:


> Hey, I've been experiencing something lately and I'm curious if anybody else has had a similar experience or knows what might be going on. Lately, this usually occurs when I'm lying in bed at night, my body will become more numb than usual and kind of stiffen. Then I start to experience involuntary twitching in several different parts of my body. It kind of feels like electricity in my body or brain for a second. Also, when I am reading a book during this time, I will have flickering peripheral vision. Sometimes I experience a slight headache, but nothing major. I've also noticed that a couple of times it has occurred right before I've started my period, so maybe a hormone thing? I'm not sure... Anybody?


This happens to me when I do kundalini yoga, a form of meditation. Its supposed to happen when you do kundalini and its supposed to be good for you.


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## York (Feb 26, 2008)

> Is it a good book? ( feeling Unreal) I've never read it but I've heard of it from somewhere.


In my opinion, you'd do better reading about something else, this book is very thorough, but like other books and articles about DP, may just make you feel worse. You don't need all that information, especially coming from scientists or whatever, that has never dealt with DP themselves and look at everything in a very clinical fashion.

Other, more philosophical books, like The Tibetan Book of Living & Dying (which I will keep bringing up until all of you've read it), may actually help you understand and cope better with DP, or any other dysfunctional thoughts or bodily sensation this life brings you (or your next). :wink:


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## Guest (Apr 30, 2009)

peachyderanged said:


> Hey, I've been experiencing something lately and I'm curious if anybody else has had a similar experience or knows what might be going on. Lately, this usually occurs when I'm lying in bed at night, my body will become more numb than usual and kind of stiffen. Then I start to experience involuntary twitching in several different parts of my body. It kind of feels like electricity in my body or brain for a second. Also, when I am reading a book during this time, I will have flickering peripheral vision. Sometimes I experience a slight headache, but nothing major. I've also noticed that a couple of times it has occurred right before I've started my period, so maybe a hormone thing? I'm not sure... Anybody?


Im a dude and I experience everything youve mentioned here every day, especially the body getting numb when you lay down and i also i see flickering in my peripheral vision like something moves suddenly but i look and theres nothing there, especially at night when i go out on the porch to smoke. and when im trying to go to sleep, the nerves in my legs and feet jump.


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## SistA HazeL (Aug 10, 2008)

Jinelle, I've been twitching a lot lately, mainly when lying down in bed... weird.


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## bigspinningrock (May 23, 2009)

I have just started experiencing the twitching lately, usually when I lay down to go to sleep. One night it was so bad that every time I started to drift to sleep, some part of my body would jerk me awake and I ended up not sleeping at all. Now it's only periodic, and I get a little numbness in my legs and head as well. I have been under a lot of stress and anxiety lately so I think it's related to that.


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## Deja_vu_256 (Apr 27, 2009)

i have twitching sometimes too... and i know (normal) people who get that too (particularly right b4 sleeping) - i think it has something to do with the mind trying to go into sleep mode... 
i get the flickering vision and light flashes too... that maybe more related to dp...


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## Deja_vu_256 (Apr 27, 2009)

hypnic or hypnagogic jerk is the term for the twitching and flickering vision may fall into the category of hypnagogia


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## BusyBee (Aug 7, 2010)

peachy said:


> Hey, I've been experiencing something lately and I'm curious if anybody else has had a similar experience or knows what might be going on. Lately, this usually occurs when I'm lying in bed at night, my body will become more numb than usual and kind of stiffen. Then I start to experience involuntary twitching in several different parts of my body. It kind of feels like electricity in my body or brain for a second. Also, when I am reading a book during this time, I will have flickering peripheral vision. Sometimes I experience a slight headache, but nothing major. I've also noticed that a couple of times it has occurred right before I've started my period, so maybe a hormone thing? I'm not sure... Anybody?


i have flickering peripheral vision constantly ever since i started with DP, but its more marked when ive overslept. So bad i cant acctually read books anymore.

I posted a new thread on this in the discussions section i think.


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## Visual (Oct 13, 2010)

bee1 said:


> i have flickering peripheral vision constantly ever since i started with DP, but its more marked when ive overslept. So bad i cant acctually read books anymore.
> 
> I posted a new thread on this in the discussions section i think.


I take medication to increase dopamine (levodopa [Sinemet], Wellbutrin, ect...) If I let dosages get low, the flickering starts. It is mild compared to many accounts here.

Anyone taking medication that reduces dopamine such as anti-psychotics may experience Parkinson's like symptoms. In high dosages used sometimes with schizophrenics, they actually appear to have Parkinson's Disease. This abates when dosage is reduced. While rarely talked about, PD has visual problems as well - this is my reason for levodopa.

Also, increasing serotonin will tend to decrease dopamine. Doctors love serotonin and knee-jerk-react to prescribing it. And some are scared of Wellbutrin.

So some visual problems, muscle tightness/spasm, or twitching can be from either medication or from the need to increase dopamine.


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