Suspecting BVD
Hey everyone, I’m wondering if anyone here has had a similar experience and ended up being diagnosed with BVD.
I’ve been dealing with a strange feeling of being dizzy/lightheaded and almost like I’m drunk. It isn’t all day every day but when I am experiencing it I feel a little “off” or like my brain isn’t processing what I’m seeing correctly.
One thing I’ve really noticed is that it gets noticeably worse in grocery stores, busy places, and visually stimulating environments. Lots of aisles, lights, people, movement, etc. seem to make it much worse. I can feel relatively normal in some environments and then suddenly feel really dizzy in a busy store. Today I felt good all day and stayed away from screens and my phone and then the dizziness came randomly in the evening for no apparent reason that I can think of. I’ve been battling this for the last 3 months and have tried everything to combat it.
I recently saw a neurologist who thinks I’m dealing with migraines and started me on Topamax (topiramate). I do get headaches sometimes, and I know headaches can also be associated with BVD, but I’m not completely convinced migraines explain the dizziness and the way it gets triggered by certain visual environments (grocery stores).
I also have a history of multiple recent concussions (healed), so I’m wondering if that could have contributed to a binocular vision/eye coordination problem.
I just recently started reading about BVD and some of the symptoms sound surprisingly familiar.
For anyone diagnosed with BVD — does this sound familiar?
And how did you actually get evaluated for BVD? Was there a specific type of optometrist or specialist you went to? I’m planning to see my optometrist this week but I’m not sure if they can test me for this?
I’d really appreciate hearing from anyone who has had a similar experience or just any insight. I’m trying to figure out what direction to pursue next.