Bright circles with eyes closed and moving

I've had a rather odd effect for years now, like a good decade or so.

In the dark, with the eyes closed, normally in bed, I can get
quite bright circles, one in each eye, something like about 20%
in diameter, when I look from one side to the other. The bright
image only lasts while the eyes are actually moving and they
are a circle, not bright in the middle, with the bright part at
most say 2% of the diameter. Quite bright, very noticeable.

Dont get it all the time, not at all clear what its associated
with when I do get it. Maybe only get it about 5% of the time.

The GP had clearly never heard of it, suggested that I ask the
optometrist the next time I got a prescription, and I managed to
forget and dont get an eye exam very often at all, my short
sight changes quite slowly and I only bother when I need new
lenses when medium distance sharpness, at say 3M, has gone.

Not something that is easy with google without a name.

 

Yeah, that certainly looks like it, particularly the pics on P9
http://www.bausch.com/us/resource/pharma/proview_flipchart.pdf

 

Dunno, I would have expected the GP to have known
what it was if it was that. He's pretty competant
otherwise and I've used him for decades now.

Looks more like phosphenes now I have that name.

 

I'm not sure I always do, I've got a vague recollection that
they arent always complete, tho certainly mostly complete.

I havent had a chance to check again, I only get
that effect at night and only from memory when
I wake up, not immediately on going to bed.

I dont get any effect at all myself in daytime, tho admittedly
I didnt press hard enough to be too uncomfortable.

Dont forget what that did to the cat.

 

Sure, I obviously meant that producing
that particular set of symptoms that I get.

Yes, and that is likely why I only get it when the eyes are moving.

Why would that produce circles in both eyes simultaneously ?

Maybe I didnt say that clearly enough initially, when I get that
effect, it happens in both eyes simultaneously and when I am
not getting that effect, its missing in both eyes simultaneously.

And I should have said that sometimes I dont get
the very pronounced bright circular rings, at other
times its much less pronounced and more of a
filled in circle, again in both eyes simultaneously.

Yes, but its hard to explain the simultaneous effect in both eyes.

He didnt use anything, just said that he had not heard
of that effect and suggested I ask the opthalmologist.

 

Yeah, not always complete on waking this am.

Just checked it again, this time there isnt a very pronounced
effect, not very bright circles, and they faded away with only
a few eye movements, basically fading to a situation where
it wasnt clear if there was anything much visible or none at all.

Didnt return with the eyes rested for a bit, and then I got up.

 

Hi Rod - I have your exact circles/rings description. Like two intensely bright letter circles - most often when waking - sometimes I even see them in my dreams (presumably REM makes them flare up!!!). I worry about it but don't know what to do about it either. Did you ever get any more info on clinical diagnosis or cause? Still having same issue? cheers! miked

 

I get this too. In my left eye the circle is quite bright. On the right still there but not quite so bright. They are like glowing coffee rings from a mug. I have them in the mornings, in the dark when I move my eyes with the lids closed.

I also get flashes in my right eye on waking which I think is related to a PVD. (My other eye has a 12 month pvd.) But this isn’t like that.

I also have dark feathery oval shapes in the very centre of my Vision when I wake up in very very low light and look at a light background (dim light from my window). I’ve had these things for at least 6 years and have no idea what they are.

The rings worry me because sometimes they happen when I’m exercising or bending down.