Optic Neuritis?

[lilmiss1999]

I have had some issues and eye pain over the past few weeks and really need some feedback.

I have a lot of headaches (not migraines) and a couple times including now have pain behind my R eye. Hurts to move it.

I have noticed some floaters? maybe and so today decided to investigate.

I stood in front of a white wall (better to see them) and I have 5 small spots of black scattered in my field of vision (R eye). They do not move. I have noticed them for a few weeks but actually counted them today.

I was switching from one eye to the other to see if there were any in my L eye and noticed that my vision in my R eye is a few shades darker than my L.

I also noticed that with my L eye if I stare at one spot (within just a few seconds) everything goes black and then comes back when I move my eye and look at something else. It only happens when I stop and stare.

I have never lost all vision in my eye but wonder if this may be a sign of things to come.

I also suffer from my eyes twitching and actually disrupting what I am looking at (but only for a second or two), clonus, hyper reflexes, muscle spasicity on my left side (arm and leg), muscle cramping, tremors, numbness, tingling, and my first complaint was excruciating headaches that are sometimes in my forehead area and behind my eyes (can last for months at a time)

I am in the second round of testing as my first MRI was "normal" even though one of the Neurologists I saw mentions a few lesions but said because they were not the usual MS lesions they were probably overlooked.

Any suggestions would be appreciated.

Thank you

Jen

[COBOB]

Ophthalmologists miss diagnosing ON quite a bit.  You need to seen a neuro-ophthalmologist.  Pain, pain on movement, loss of the ability to detect red color saturation are the big 3 in Optic Neuritis(ON).  Floaters are normal as we get older.

I think Quix quotes 64% of the cases of ON are retro-bulbar.  That means that the damage is behind the globe of the eye and most likely a fair distance into the brain.  Having an ophthalmologist look in your eye for pale edges on the optic disk is really a crap-shoot.   VEPs are fast and accurate.  MRI depends on skills of the technician and the radiologist.  OCT has no diagnostic value for ON.

Bob

[lilmiss1999]

Thank you Bob.

I know I will have the VEP done soon. I guess we will see how that goes. My MRI is over a year old so they are wanting to redo that.

Going to a different place for that as they have a better imager.

This just went from being told that it cant be MS  because the lesions were nothing to "I dont want to freak you out but this may be MS"...... NICE!!!!

It has been over 3 years of symptoms and loosing my job because of that.

Just very frustrated. I wont get into the rant. :) Have a good day.

[lilmiss1999]

I plan on calling my Neuro today and letter her know. I have been blown off so many times because my first complaint was the headaches and even though I dont fit into the typical migraine catagory (no light or sound sensitivity, I dont need to go into a dark room and they last for days, or weeks, or months) ..... I still get the Atypical migrain with aura run around.

I saw an opthomolgist earlyier in the year and was told everything is ok. What do you have to do to get these drs to listen to you?

Been to the er for pain and tremors even and nothing.....Everythime a nurse or DR came into the room they would turn off the light. I had to keep remindind them that the light did not bother me! .I was given a shot for migrain and sent home.

Thank you so much

[sllowe]

lilmiss,

You need to get to a neuroptha, and at minimum call the neuro office and ask to be seen and describe the going black, and the standing black spots. Very important.

Stick to the biggies when you call - that being the loss of vision.
Please be seen while this is occurring.
-Shell

[lilmiss1999]

the "everything going black" thing is my R eye mostly. i said L. sorry about that. Hope someone can offer some advise. This is starting to scare me