Chronic Vertical Diplopia with pain

[ootie]

I've had this diplopia for three years now and my doctors don't know why, I saw an opthalmologist the other day and he can't see a reason either.  He can see my eyes are out of alignment though.  

I have both shooting and dull pain around and behind both eyes and swelling of my upper lids (quite bad!) below my eyebrows.  I have fibromyalgia and thought this might be a cause but apparently not.  I also see white blobs or flashes in my peripheral vision every day quite often.

I had an MRI done and I have the disc - the report said I had "a hyperintense on right thalamus of unknown significance".  They didn't commit themselves to calling it anything at all.  Are there other possibilities for my chronic eye problems?  By the way, I wear prism glasses and need new prescriptions almost every month.  I used to be able to 'straighten' up my vision by holding my chin up but this doesn't work anymore.  Please help me?  Thankyou

[John C Hagan III, MD, FACS]

Brainstem problems can cause double vision. You need to be under the care of a neurologist and a neuroophthalmologist (find one at www.aao.org). There are some serious things that might cause your problem although most would have gotten much worse over a 3 year period.

JCH MD