I am concerned because I have started seeing black objects floating around in my vision, as well as flashes of bright lights in my peripheral vision. I recently started taking Prozac. Could it be a reaction to that?

Yvonne

To answer your specific question, I am not aware of anything evidence linking the use of the antidepressant drug Prozac to the onset of "floaters." To understand what causes floaters, you need to know that the inside of the eye is filled with a jelly-like material called the vitreous, which is loosely connected to the retina. With increasing age or with trauma such as a blow to the head or eye surgery, some of the vitreous may liquefy and shift positions inside the eye. If this happens, the back part of the vitreous may detach from the retina. This detached piece of vitreous is opaque, and as it drifts through the vitreous gel, it is perceived as a dark object "floating" across your visual field.

A vitreous floater itself poses no direct threat to your vision. However, when the vitreous gel detaches from the retina, it may cause tension and pull on the retina, possibly causing a tear or hole. For this reason, if you experience a sudden onset of floaters, especially accompanied by flashes of light, you should see an eye doctor immediately to make sure you are not at risk for a vision-threatening retinal detachment. The doctor will also generally want to see you again in four to six weeks to re-examine the retina and look for any subsequent holes, tears or detachments.

Although the vitreous floaters usually do not go away once they have formed, they may settle farther down in your eye, away from your line of vision, as time passes. Additionally, your brain may filter out the image of the floaters from your sight. So, you may eventually find that you notice the floaters less or even not at all.