adult strabismus confusion

[murkel]

I have a question about my vision. IS there no hope for my lack of visual comfort.  I just went to the optometrist and had my vision measured.  I am R+ 4.50   w/2.50 add read, and L + 4.75 in  w/ 2.50 add for reading. He only added +.50 to right eye in both read and distance, and only added +.50 for read in Left lense.  I used to be R+4.00 w.2.00 read......L+4.75 w2.00 read.  
I have diplopia and this added change creates poor distance sight in good right eye and causes my turned out left eye, approx. 15 dioptors, to put two different images on top each other more noticable. I used to be where eyes turned in and at adult stage I had surgery on good right eye which straightened my eyes comestically but now my eye is a tad overcorrected and my brain  has many issues with this mixed up imagery.  Especially for the first 20 years after surgery.  So now I went back to my old perscription cause it is the better of the two evils.  I would rather have a little more eye strain sometimes than the wierdness and awkwardness of overlapping images that can give me a vertigo, walking with odd cordination through crowded areas.    I wore a prism for 3 months to bring my vision together. It worked a lot of the times for larger images as far as putting things together and not at all in the reading department . I didn't like the glare I got off the prisim when I was in a darker setting and outdoor light was refracting of the back side of the fresnel prism basically blocking me from temporary looking through the lens. So I removed it about five months ago..  I only see about 20/80 at best in left eye.  Why do I have to suffer so many years. I seemed to struggle with my brain to try to put things together without the prism now-a days and then want nothing to do with trying to keep them together cause I have to consciously force it a lot of the times .  My brain never gets a chance to relax.    Murkel

[allmymarbles]

I was not suggesting that vitamins would improve acuity, but rather than they might slow the progression of some age-related or degenerative eye conditions.

[JodieJ]

I don't believe that any vitamin or mineral will improve your acuity.  Strabismus involves an eye muscle imbalance.  Please consider seeing a "superstar" strabismus specialist at the places I mentioned above.  This would be your absolute best bet for improving your vision.

[allmymarbles]

Error in the next to the last sentence. "He has type II diabetes but his eyes do NOT show the degeneration associated with the disease."

[allmymarbles]

For general eye health, lutein, zeaxanthin, bilberry and vitamin A are helpful. My husband, who is 72, has been on this regimen (along with a multi vitamin and mineral) for 15 years. His eyeglass prescription has not changed in all that time. He has type II diabetes but his eyes show the degeneration associated with the disease.. He does not have cataracts.

[murkel]

   Thanks for feedback on this,  I wish there is a food product, herb, or whatever that would improve my visual faculty,  My biggest issues for the last 5-8 years was my good eye blanking out for a fraction of a second and the only picture you get is with the other eye which is in a different gaze which makes your heart stop when your talking to someone.  I think it is a product of my 1 year throw at vision therapy in '95-'96. I don't seem to get that anymore to much and also I have bad days where I don't see real clear. If I don't see clear it will make for a hard day at work.  More anxiousness.  That started after vision therapy I believe also but it might of been an age thing also,    I picked up a line on the eye chart with my amblyopic eye, but still only 20/80 on a good day.  
   The shutting off and coming on in the good eye has faded away this past year.  I did wear a prism (fresnal 17 diop.) the last March- July '10 in the amblyopic eye for about 4 months, That seemed to give me more confindence and my looking at someone and talking seemed quite a bit better , more fluid, and not so spacy and broken up.  Funny how the visual can make it tougher to listen and concentrate.   With the prism though I had good days and bad days and I was a little conscienous about the look of the prism and with all the different light refracting off the back side.  I think from what I gained was not strong enough to the neg. side of the cosmetic part and light interference.    Is there a food, or herb that might keep me from dipping into poor acuity days.  
MURKEL

[JodieJ]

I can understand your distress after reading your post.  You have a very complicated condition.  In your place, I would not be getting my glasses prescriptions from a local optometrist.  Are you far from the Mayo Clinic?  Having an evaluation performed by one of their senior strabismus specialists (not an ophthalmology resident or fellow) might be well worth your time and money.  Alternatively, Dr. Bertram Kushner at the University of Wisconsin (Madison) is one of the best strabismus specialists in the world.

[Ray T Oyakawa, MD]

These problems are not very fixable at an advanced age.

Dr. O.