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Neurology (Expert Forum)
Optic Neuritis and other symptoms
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Optic Neuritis and other symptoms
by skc04, Mar 24, 2006 12:00AM
Hi - I am at my wit's end and appreciate any help or information anyone could give me:
About 4 years ago, I noticed dim/blurry vision in my right eye - come to find out it is inflammation of the optic nerve ( optic neuritis). This condition had persisited for almost 4 years - not recurring/remitting ON, but CONSTANT Optic Neuritis that has never gone away. In addition to this - other symptoms I have experienced include, but are not limited to:
- headache almost every day - occasional migraine
- swollen/stiff joints, expecially hands, hips, feet, knees, and back
-white coloring of toes and fingers when cold
- IBS
- weak muscles, especially legs
- intermittent periods of high blood pressure
- DEBILITATING fatigue, general feeling of illness ( like the flu)
*** I have undergone every test known to man including, but not limited to:
- Bloodwork for lupus, cancer, diabetes, STD's, Lyme disease, cat scratch, and others
- 2 lumbar punctures
- 3 MRI's
- Flouescein angiogram
-Thyroid tests
- Urinalysis
All tests come back negative for any sign of disease
I am 28 years old and have been an aerobics instructor for 10 years - so I am very fit, active, and healthy
No family history of disease
Never done drugs, hardly drink alcohol
***All the research I have done pertains to ON lasting a few weeks, then getting better - I have never heard of anyone having it this long and my Neuro-opthamologist is baffled. I am sure there is an underlying disease caud=sing all of these symptoms and I would really appreciate your input. Thank you kindly. :)
About 4 years ago, I noticed dim/blurry vision in my right eye - come to find out it is inflammation of the optic nerve ( optic neuritis). This condition had persisited for almost 4 years - not recurring/remitting ON, but CONSTANT Optic Neuritis that has never gone away. In addition to this - other symptoms I have experienced include, but are not limited to:
- headache almost every day - occasional migraine
- swollen/stiff joints, expecially hands, hips, feet, knees, and back
-white coloring of toes and fingers when cold
- IBS
- weak muscles, especially legs
- intermittent periods of high blood pressure
- DEBILITATING fatigue, general feeling of illness ( like the flu)
*** I have undergone every test known to man including, but not limited to:
- Bloodwork for lupus, cancer, diabetes, STD's, Lyme disease, cat scratch, and others
- 2 lumbar punctures
- 3 MRI's
- Flouescein angiogram
-Thyroid tests
- Urinalysis
All tests come back negative for any sign of disease
I am 28 years old and have been an aerobics instructor for 10 years - so I am very fit, active, and healthy
No family history of disease
Never done drugs, hardly drink alcohol
***All the research I have done pertains to ON lasting a few weeks, then getting better - I have never heard of anyone having it this long and my Neuro-opthamologist is baffled. I am sure there is an underlying disease caud=sing all of these symptoms and I would really appreciate your input. Thank you kindly. :)
Doctor's Answer
by CCF-Neuro-M.D.-PW, Mar 27, 2006 12:00AM
Optic neuritis has several different causes - the term is just descriptive for inflammation of the optic nerve.
one of the most common causes is MS, and in this case it usually recovers over about 1-2 months, although repeated episodes can result in permament damage. Other causes of ON, could cause longer periods of symptoms. It just depends on the degree of damage - 1-2 months that you read is just the sort of 'average', there are shorter periods and longer periods.
I do not know how you were diagnosed with optic neuritis - MRI evidence of optic nerve swelling or enhancement, an abnormal exmaination of the retina, an abnormal visual evoked potential? these are the usual way that ON is diagnosed, although there are times when we make a purely clinical diagnosis, perhaps with less accuracy. If you have persistent symptoms, then almost certainly your visual evoked potential will be abnormal, if the diagnosis is ON.
Other causes of ON include sarcoid, Lyme, alcohol, B12 deficiency, medications like ethambutol or chloroquine, some genetic conditions, a single demyelinating event that does not develop into MS, syphilis, Hepatitis B, HIV, some other viruses like CMV.
Perhaps try to find what objective evidence was there for a diagnosis of ON, then start from there trying to generate a list of posssible causes with your doctors
Good luck
one of the most common causes is MS, and in this case it usually recovers over about 1-2 months, although repeated episodes can result in permament damage. Other causes of ON, could cause longer periods of symptoms. It just depends on the degree of damage - 1-2 months that you read is just the sort of 'average', there are shorter periods and longer periods.
I do not know how you were diagnosed with optic neuritis - MRI evidence of optic nerve swelling or enhancement, an abnormal exmaination of the retina, an abnormal visual evoked potential? these are the usual way that ON is diagnosed, although there are times when we make a purely clinical diagnosis, perhaps with less accuracy. If you have persistent symptoms, then almost certainly your visual evoked potential will be abnormal, if the diagnosis is ON.
Other causes of ON include sarcoid, Lyme, alcohol, B12 deficiency, medications like ethambutol or chloroquine, some genetic conditions, a single demyelinating event that does not develop into MS, syphilis, Hepatitis B, HIV, some other viruses like CMV.
Perhaps try to find what objective evidence was there for a diagnosis of ON, then start from there trying to generate a list of posssible causes with your doctors
Good luck
Have you experienced the onset of floaters or small little flash lights in your vision?
Did you suffer any infection up to one year prior to the onset of your main symptoms, treated with powerful antibiotics?
If you are suffering these weird symptoms, I suggest you check out the following sites:
www.medicationsense.com
www.fqvictims.org
http://health.groups.yahoo.com/group/quinolones
Thank you for the information, I was on Levequin and Tequin as part of the anti-biotice course. I again have the same symptoms of putrid smell in my right nostril and was put on amox/clav again. My eye is still blurry, I'm at wits end? Thanks Maria Beland