zip sound associated w/ eye movement

I started 2 weeks ago hearing a zip sound when I move my eyes left or right.....more pronounced early in the morning.... Once in a great while I hear a random but very loud "puh-ting" (metallic) sound in my head...it does not hurt but it is alarming.  Does anyone have a clue?  I saw the other posts about the eye movement sounds but I see no explanations.  HELP!!!

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

There's nothing that would allow me to make a diagnosis from your description. I suggest you see an ophthalmologist. See one tomorrow.

JCH MD

[Ed76021]

OMG I know exactly what you're talking about.  I have periods of time without any trouble, then suddenly it's back for a few days or weeks.  

Did you ever find an answer?  It's such a bizarre symptom that you got exactly what I imagined I'd get if I ever got up the nerve to tell a doctor... I mean, if you're like me, you KNOW it sounds crazy, but knowing that doesn't make it go away.  From my experience:

- there is a definite sound when I look left and right (no sound when looking up / down)
- a zipper does sound a lot like it, but I've found it more sounds like whatever ambient sounds are around me are being "bent" as I look left and right.  This is most noticeable with white noise-- like the sound the air conditioner in a car.
- it makes me slightly dizzy

Other medical details that may or may not be relevant:

- After a decade of chronic anemia and a host of other seemingly unexplainable digestive problems, I have started an empirical trial of a gluten free diet.  Many of my symptoms disappeared during the first week of the trial, but this eye movement problem seems to be aggravated.
- Basic coordination problems—for years I have occasionally stumbled while walking, but the increasing frequency is making it difficult to ignore.  When tired or after lifting heavy things (like bags of cement), I find that I stumble a lot more, falling completely around three times a week.  (I never had coordination problems growing up and was a gymnast for many years…)

I fear it's something neurological and obscure, and frankly I don't have the money to really hunt this down (health insurance deductible is $8,000!).  It's been my experience that most doctors are NOT diagnosticians, but rather spend most of their time trying to fit everyone's symptoms into a few common buckets.  (I'm by no means anti-doctor-- I have a retired pediatrician father and a plastic surgeon brother...)  The simple fact is that if you have something out of the ordinary, you’re mostly on your own unless you happen to cross the paths of a doctor that specializes in your particular ailment.

Best Regards,

Ed

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

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