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    Created in 2008, Phoenix Rising is the largest and oldest forum dedicated to furthering the understanding of and finding treatments for complex chronic illnesses such as chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS), fibromyalgia (FM), long COVID, postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome (POTS), mast cell activation syndrome (MCAS), and allied diseases.

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Intense, vivid colour

Messages
56
I'm finding that I'm very aware of colours & shades. I've read that people can be very sensitive to light & I have my moments of needing darkness but this is , for want of a phrase , a bit trippy. I'm very aware of shades of colours. Maybe it's a diluted version of light sensitivity . I don't know . Anyone else had similar?
 

Sea

Senior Member
Messages
1,286
Location
NSW Australia
Not sure Furball, but i think it is a neurological symptom. It is common in migraine sufferers as a prelude to the aura which is itself a prelude to the migraine. It is also noted in epilepsy patients
 

perchance dreamer

Senior Member
Messages
1,691
Furball, colors looked extremely vivid to me when I was doing brainwave training. It didn't last, but I really enjoyed it.
 

justy

Donate Advocate Demonstrate
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5,524
Location
U.K
Hi furball - trippy- yeah the only way to describe it. I know people with severe anxiety also can have this symptom. I dont have this so much anymore (no idea why) but i do have problems with light and shade and also 'seeing' after effects from light for ages (shadows on things like after you have looked at the sun or lights)

Just wanted to say i know what you mean. But i dont know what causes it. there was a thread discussing it a while ago.. cant find it though... discussed wheter it was a processing disorder (i think)

Take care, Justy.
 
Messages
56
Interesting stuff. It's nice to know that others have experienced similar thing. I told my Doc but she just said " oooooh thanks interesting"
 
Messages
2,565
Location
US
I think that is from higher acetylcholine levels and dopamine. Also it could be normal levels but more sensitive receptors.
 

triffid113

Day of the Square Peg
Messages
831
Location
Michigan
I think that is from higher acetylcholine levels and dopamine. Also it could be normal levels but more sensitive receptors.
interesting...I frequently feel like the world is colorless. Would that be from LOW acetylcholine and/or dopamine? (I actually thought it was from anemia...just kidof a 'too tired to see color')
 

taniaaust1

Senior Member
Messages
13,054
Location
Sth Australia
Feeling like the world is colorless if having colours go dull, can be a sign of depression.
............

Furball, I understand what you mean by that symptom and yeah it is trippy, I've had it once before I had a POTS collapse. At the time I was somewhere where I couldnt lay down when I felt the POTS coming on and needed to lay (and wasnt allowed to go home when I needed to), then the world went all trippy in its colours, more vivid and not only that, like the world went more spacy too (and echoy a bit too), my distance perception went a bit trippy too. I then went to stand up (as I was forced to do so as I was being called into court.. so this whole thing was a stress situation too) and ended up fainting after about 2 steps, came to on the floor after, several minutes later ?? all shaking still (like a seizure incident), I just came properly consciousness just before the ambulance people arrived but I still couldnt sit up even 15 mins later without more symptoms coming in again.

This was all caused by my POTS and lack of blood getting to my brain with maybe intense stress being involved on top of that (I havent had colours alter like that before my other POTS collapses). People had rang an ambulance and as I was told I couldnt stay laying on the floor, the ambulance officers carried me out to my boyfriends car. (one of the ambulance officers on that occassion actually understood POTS, so didnt insist on me having to go to hospital).

anyway.. I see my experience as what is called an "aura" which can happen right before a migraine or seizure, so take care if you are getting this symptom (do not try to drive).