Does anyone else have visual disturbances ?

I'm wondering if anyone else out there has any kind of visual disturbances and if so, what they have been diagnosed with.  I have had scotomas (blind spots) now for 13 years which only seem to worsen over the years.  I also see numerous floaters ( these do seem like true "floaters" and do not worry me at all ).  I also have very poor night vision and see floating lights in the dark ( kinda like fireflies ) when my eyes are OPEN or SHUT.  During the day ( some days worse than others ) my vision has a "sparkle" to it ( kinda like maybe I'm seeing those fireflies in my day vision ).  Does this sound the least bi familiar to anyone out there

[pennst8r]

Yes, I have several. I have floaters, the sparkles, cannot drive at night as the road lines and oncoming headlights kill me, and my visual field will "jump" to the left. I also see flashy yellow lights at times. My vision prior to my onset of symptoms 2 years ago was perfect except for the floaters. Now I do have macular degeneration, but am pretty sure none of this, except possibly the floaters (???) applies to that.

I am not Dx with MS... just recently got a working dx to start with that only addresses my spasms and myoclonus.

Anyway, the point to all this is you are definitely not alone. I have had conversations with many in my time on the forum who have strange visual disturbances. Hope this helps a bit

Penn

[JonM]

Although visual disturbances are common in MS, what you describe are not typical.  MS will cause optic nueritis.  This is an inflamation (inflammation) of the optic nerve.  The most common symptom is pain, head ache behind an eye. A blindness in one or both, full or partial (spotty).  This blindness is more often a "graying" out or foggy appearance, also blurred or double vision. MS does not affect the eye itself but the nerves going to it and areas in the brain that sense sight. What you describe does not sound MSish.  However you should get it checked out.  Have you seen a doctor, specialist?

Jon

[tot_teacher]

Thanks for your input.  I too suffer with double/blurry vision and with pain upon moving my eyes up/down left/right.  My scotomas are small grey areas of fuzziness which some days seem to be more prominent than others, but they are always there.

I have seen my ophthalmologist on a yearly basis, most recent in September, and he finds no optic reason ( as usual ) for me to be having any optic trouble.  He feels that since I have problems in both eyes, he's fairly certain it is neurological. As you know, the optic nerve is not visible from the Drs view, so he can't really rule out optic neuritis.

I'm pretty sure at this point something is interfering neurologically and want to find answers sooner the better ... I'm interested in stopping any further progression of whatever it is.

Thanks again for your insight.

[JonM]

You should see a Neurologist to have a VEP (Visual Evoked Potential) test done.  This will detect if you have had Optic Neuritis.  The MD may refer you to a Neuro Opthomologist who is more qualified to examine when the nerves are suspected.

Good Luck

Jon

[Deb61]

I was diagnosed with MS February this year and ON in August.  I have blurry and doubled vision.  My vision is better, now, (very little pain and less blurriness), but I notice when I'm outside and a little bit warm (not hot mind you), I will have almost total colorblindness in my right eye with the reds completely greying out.  My eye returns to normal when I'm inside and I'm not warm.  Plus, the night vision is still blurry.  

Lately, I'm having more problems with the muscles of my eyes--they cross late in the evening and early morning and sometimes even in the daytime.  My eye problems just don't seem to want to go away, I guess.  

Jon has a good recommendation about the VEP and a neuro-opthamologist.

Deb

[tot_teacher]

At my next appt with my PCP in a couple of weeks, I plan on insisting on a referral to another neurologist, one who is willing to listen and see the WHOLE picture.  If not, the least I need is to see a neuroophthalmologist.

Though my vision problems troubled him, I was still released from his care with a "no neurological problems"  WHAT !?  Releasing me before a descent head/spine MRI was done w/ contrast, or VEP.  Thorough, huh?

I'm studying my MRI reports for clues on why I should insist upon further images.  I posted a question re white lesions vs. gray lesions.  Hope I get an answer ... I'm stuck.

I'm obviously dealing with doctors who are under the impression that you can't have MS if you don't have the typical symptoms of weakness, foot drop, or the like.

Anyway ... the search continues.

[Sunnytoday]

Hang in there, and I hope your search continues well. I have the typical symptoms, foot drop, weaknes and the like and I can't seem to find that elusive diagnosis.

I too have all these fun visual  disturbances... such as double vision, blurry vision, floater, halos round objects, and weird colors, and I've seen the kaliedoscope effect a few time (weird, I know), and my reds are muted.

Please stick around and ask questions as you continue to search!
Sunnytoday

[jensequitur]

Hey, kids!  My eye disturbances are:

One bright PING of light in my right eye - looks like a bright spark, or the light from a welder's arc.  I'm pretty sure this is something wrong with the nerve.

Nystagmus - my eyes jerk around when trying to read

Double vision

A 'waviness' in my vision, especially in daylight

Color desaturation in my left eye - everything looks like it's faded in the wash, compared to the right eye.  However, the right eye is the one with all the problems.

[ladylwalker]

i have issues at day and night..... in the morning i have bright wavy lines that changes shapes like a snake...then it disburses to another shape, and another... it makes my body cringe....this happens all day long....then ill see a circle thats darker....and then the clear lines again...floaters and a fog like issue that comes around my face,.... with little black dots that form to a line and then the clear bright wavy lines again....also at night i see huge rays of light that comes to my windshield, in the front and back, eye strain and night vision. 4 lines of on each side of my vison at night in the sky. i went to two eyes specialist, one told me i would have to live with this for the rest of my life, and another said i was fine...20/20 vision and that the eye retains jelly and thats what i see moving in the eye....she stated that to get eye drops....what do i do to get treatment because it gets worse everyday.... and who do i go to know that they wont play dumb with me....???? i live in the new york city/westchester area.....

[biowham]

I have three eye/vision things. (1) My vision blurs on me sometimes. Lasts a few hours, then clears. With it is a weird color desaturation in my right eye...black text, for example, looks blue. (2) I get blue flashes in one of my eyes when I'm reading. I saw an opthamologist about (1) and (2), and she said my eyes are fine. I get the flashes at night. They're not sharp, they're kind of fuzzy and soft and lavender. Sounds nice, doesn't it? (3) Sometimes, when I have my eyes closed (e.g., going to sleep), I get an enormous and kind of frightening lightning flash in my brain. I don't know how else to describe it. It's an overwhelming flash of bright white light that takes up my whole field of "vision" behind my closed eyes. Very strange.

Bio

[Rachelinpain]

i do not have a dx of MS but have many of its symptoms, i have no test results to correlate with my symptoms so they have not diagnosed me, but eye problems are one of my symptoms

i have very poor night vision as well, i am afraid to drive at night.
i sometimes see fog...like i am walking through smoke
i also have perceived nystagmis which i have been told is called oscillopsia (since my eyes muscles do not actually move)
i also have bright spots on occasion as well as some severe pain behind the eye
my biggest problem right now is blurry vision in my right eye

it seems you are far from alone.

[immortalitylost]

I've got the sparkles too! Not at night, usually only in bright light or against a light colored background. It's like living glitter, that's the best I can describe it. I also have this really weird thing, where, if I'm looking up at the sky, or a reflective white object like a snowbank, or, I've had this happen underwater, I can see a tunnel. My vision isn't decreased, it's just, there is a bright tunnel there. And it's not bright at the end, just, like the walls or ohatever, if it were a physical tunnel, would be bright. And it's like bright bands that move farther and farther away. It's really strange. Doesn't really affect me much though, just a curiosity.

[Gaucho25]

I have a lot of visual symptoms too...besides my other 1000s symptoms. I see halos around lights at night, specially with my left eye, I see a circle filled of light around lights... also lots of floaters, sperm-like structures that move across mi vision...like they are swimming... sometimes i see objects that shake..I have this white pillow with blue stripes on it, and if i stare at it, the stripes seem to buzz/shake. My eyes feel swollen some times, or they hurt behind them... etc. Have had every single test you can imagine (MRIs, visual evoked potential, visual field, tomography, etc)..everything is (OF COURSE) normal.... and about the drs being able to see your optic nerve, YES they can...they can tell if it is swollen or if you hve an ON.. I do not have it, I do not what I have... according to my neuro-ophtalmologist this is my vestibular system that is acting a bit crazy. If you read about vestibular system problems, many people have been erroneously diagnosed with MS, while it was not the case. Symptoms mimic that of MS.
hope it helps.

[cainer]

yes i have sparklies  and colors  wash out  its really black  but it looks blue  just  enough 2 drive  u  over the edge!  tick  hope  u  get better