Mimicks of Optic Neuritis - It's not always MS

Question

This just occurred to me and thought I would share my recent experience. 

I started feeling that old familiar pain in the back of my eye last week when that flu bug hit me so hard. I started to get concerned even worried when the pain wouldn't go away with advil, I started thinking that this was ON again. But just as I thought it was time to call the neuro, it went awayy. It lasted for about 2-3 days. I was relieved to hear that everyone I know who has had this flu bug going around has been complaining about the eye pain behind the eye and whenever we try to move our eye, and even more blurriness. 

It made me wonder if I had immediately went to see my doctor and told him about these symptoms, if he wold have put me on IV-SM. Thankfully, that did not turn out to be the case.   

As we often say around here, it's not always MS.  

Julie

Audrey_M · Answer

I would highly recommend investing in a humidifier, especially if you live in a cold place where heat is used in the winter.

I bought one when my teen aged son had his tonsils removed last year. With the dry air from both winter and forced heat, I did not want his throat to dry out while trying to heal from surgery. As Quix pointed out, other parts of the body (eyes, nose, throat and skin, just to name a few) can be affected by extremely dry air.

The other benefit from adding moisture to the air in winter is that it will make the house feel warmer, thus you don't have to raise the thermostat. Whatever it costs to run the humidifier will pay itself back in reduced heating costs.

Thanks for reminding me about this. I'm going down to the basement to get out the humidifier and start running it again.

Stay warm and healthy!

Audrey

Lulu54 · Answer

We should start a list of all the things we thought was MS and turned out to be something else   LOL

 I did the dry eye/ON confusion a bit over a year ago.  Those of us who spend a lot of time on the computer are particularly vulnerable to dry eye - when we are staring at the screen we don't blink as much as normal and it is the blinking that helps to lubricate our eyes.  Be sure to use some artificial tears - they do help.

Sarahsmom46 · Answer

Quix, you make a very important point - humidifiers. I almost bought one a few weeks ago because I was getting a bloody nose from the dry air. Instead, I thought I'd save a few buck and put on a kettle of water instead. Now as soon as I can manage, I'm going to go and just buy one.

Quixotic1 · Answer

Great comments!  I had deep, foring pain behind my right eye and it was lasting weeks.  My neuro (a neuro ophtho) and the regular ophthalmologist I went to, both said that this was lasting too long for acute optic neuritis.  I had some light sensitivity, but no other symptoms, like pain with movement or washed out colors.

The assessment was dry eyes.  I was surprised, because they don't feel dry nor irritated.  The ophtho said that dry eye can be a strong mimic for ON and that the deep boring pain was not unusual.  He recommended a whole list of drops to try and to try in different combinations.  He was right.  The second one I tried, in combination with using a room humidifier, stopped the pain.

Remember that in the winter using dry, forced air heating or radiant heating, the humidity in a closed room will drop to nil.  In the summer A/C works by removing the water from the air.  Some of the meds we use, especially like the ones for overactive bladder can also dry the tear layer.

Eye pain is not always MS, especially when it does not have the other associated symptoms.

Quix

Lulu54 · Answer

Julie, good to see you around here.  I've been missing you........  

You may have missed my post in early December on this very same theme ... it ain't always MS.  I had right hip pain that I thought was MS spasticity, but went to my  ortho just in case.... surprise! It was not MS after all - just an inflamed bursa that was cured with an injection of cortisone.  I was prepared to up my baclofen but a quiet voice nudged me to be sure, first.

I'm glad you avoided another round of solumedrol.  

be well, L

Sarahsmom46 · Answer

Yes, that was a mean old flu.  I am better now that the antibiotics have kicked in and are doing the job.  The sinus infection was the culprit for the eye pain.  I'm glad that was explained as I don't want to be on steroids unless it is absolutely necessary.  

Hope you are staying well - and Polly too.  

Hugs,

Julie