Floaters and "glitters of dancing lights"

[irishroses35]

I have no idea what is going on with my eyesight.  I have floaters and what appears to be flashers but they are more like "glitter being tossed in the air" but its constant and they seem to flash here and there but there are many of them.  They are most clear when I look at solid colors and even up at the sky.  I have had eye exams where everything looks fine, even went to a opthoneurologist who couldn't find anything.  I have even had a brain MRI that came up clear.  Someone mentioned migraines but these flashes of light are constant.  When I close my eyes I can still see them plus what looks like waves of colors fading in and out.  I am concerned and would like to know who to see and what could be going on.  Just some suggestions as they have been going on for years with no stopping.  

[John C Hagan III, MD, FACS, FAAO]

Just today I gave a lecture at the Association of Migraine Disorders.  Two of the speakers spoke of problems exactly like yours.  The one that most meets your description was "visual snow" which is more common in migraine patients but can occur in non-migraine patients. It can be very difficult to diagnose.  The researcher that presented the talk "Visual Snow and Atypical Visual Symptoms" was Claire Fraser, MD from the U of Sydney Australia  This is a link to the program which but chance happened today  LINK  https://www.migrainedisorders.org/migraine-symposium-2021/#agenda  

[John C Hagan III, MD, FACS, FAAO]

IrishRoses35:  I have sent your posting to Dr. Fraser as well as some other experts. If they offer anything helpful I shall post. Where do you live? Perhaps I can find a center near you experienced in diagnosis and treatment of visual snow.

[irishroses35]

I live in Las Cruces, NM not far from El Paso and Albuquerque

[John C Hagan III, MD, FACS, FAAO]

Why don't you do some reading about visual snow.  Also search for research by Dr. Clare Fraser, MD of Sydney Australia.  I cannot make a definitive diagnosis on the internet but your description fits almost exactly with several cases she presented. I'll let you know if Dr. Fraser responds. Please check back in a day or so.

[irishroses35]

Thalamocortical dysrhythmia is something that came up as well.

[John C Hagan III, MD, FACS, FAAO]

Yes her lecture covered a number of related disorders with visual symptoms but origin in the brain.

[irishroses35]

Also lyme disease as well I think.

[John C Hagan III, MD, FACS, FAAO]

Have not heard from the doctor in Australia. She may be too busy to answer. I think you will need to find a neurology/neuro-ophthalmology research center that does work in this field.   She didn't mention Lyme disease but that is easy enough to test for.

[John C Hagan III, MD, FACS, FAAO]

It looks like the Australian doctor is not going to answer my email. I would take your problem to a University School of Medicine dept of Neurology and take in the information about visual snow and the other things you have found.