What is done for vision problems

[amas]

I'm having vision problems and go to urgent care.  I'm seeing yellowish areas on blue and white backgrounds and words are dimming and blurring after a couple of seconds.  They tell me there is nothing to do for me.  That its just one of those variant MS issues. (I know that!) But isn't there something they would give me for this?  Also a comment was made that my vision just won't go.  Is this true?  I'm so frustrated with this visit.

Anamaria

[Rena705]

I am soooo glad that you are getting good care from your neurologist honey!  To hear that your eyesight is improving is such a great relief!  I would imagine that they will hear from him about you not getting the steroids that night...not that it will help you now but perhaps it will help someone in the future right?  Best of luck on the roids and keep us updated as to how you are feeling will you?

Lots of Hugs,

Rena

[amas]

I had an appt with my neuro this morning that went well.  I've had three doses of oral steroids and my vision is better.

Neuro looked at my eyes and said he can't see anything but said that didn't mean I don't have ON because it won't always show by this exam and he had already scheduled the MRI w/contrast for me.  Hopefully this will be done Wednesday.  He still wants me to see the Opthamologist on Friday too.  When he finished looking in my eyes I got the most intense, disturbing neon blue green and fushia pink colors in my eyes.  It took a while before my eyes adjusted. This only confirmed to him my ON plus all the other symptoms I've had this week.

He was bothered a bit that they did not give me IV steroid than night.  He went over statisctics on how IV steroids proved to be better in ON relapses.  Although he said over a two year period it was only a small difference.  He extended my steroids to a total of 20 days.  

Thank you all for helping me through this.  

Anamaria

[amas]

Thanks.  Yes I'm learning now how bad Urgent Care can be.  I don't know why they sent me there in the first place.  When I visit with my neuro tommorrow I will ask for specific instruction on how they want me to handle anything that may arise in the future.  

As for my eyes, they didn't dialate them.  Maybe it's the strain I'm feeling from using them.  I read quite a bit but am not right now, just here on the forum trying to get help.  
I've gotten so much good info here. Anamaria

[GrannyJo6]

I'm SO glad you went to the ER! Vision is nothing to sneeze at and Urgent Care is almost worse than no care in something this serious! Take it easy and hope all goes well for you at the neurologist! Did they dilate your eyes in the ER? I'm thinking maybe your eyes are dry because of drops they may have used?

[amas]

Update.

Well things were better in the ER.  That doctor heard my story and definately agreed that waiting for Opthamology wasn't correct given my MS condition.  He said we can cut some corners for now.

He called and spoke to my neurologist and told me there were three options.  I don't remember one of them (no surprise I'm sure). The first was to admit me and have and MRI W/ CONTRAST done early in the mornig and start steroids (i think). The one I chose was to have steroids prescribed and be seen early Monday by my Neourologist and that day they will do the MRI W/contrast.  So they gave me a liquid steroid to take there and I filled a prescription for the rest.  (Quix I didn't get the chance to see your comment about IV Steroid being better before going, but not sure I could have been admitted being that my husband was leaving early morning at 6:00 to San Diego and preparing for someone to take care of my three children would have been difficult).  But I'm learning.  They drew blood for test that my neuro requested to have for when I see him Monday.  While I was waiting there in the room I got a lot of floaters in my vision which I still have, added to my previous symptoms.  I'm glad I went because I have the tendency to play down to much.  (Which is why I just got dx this year and my neuro thinks I've had MS since 1990).

I have a new question added to this. Last night I had to take medication (Methocarbamol)for painful muscle spasms that started up late last night while sleeping.  As soon as I woke up this morning I felt I had to breath deeper to get a satisfying breath.  It's better now but am wondering if this could be do to the muscle spasm medication or from the steroid.  My eyes also feel dry.  Any ideas?

Anamaria

[Quixotic1]

No matter what, you need to see an ophthalmologist.  Do not let them try to say this is just high blood pressure, because they do not know that, and they will not be able to tell without first checking with Ophtho.  So, demand to see an ophthalmalogist as recommended by your neuro's office (Whether or not they said that.  You need it)

Now, if your eye exam is normal, that does not mean it is not ON.  Just over 50% of cases of ON it cannot be determined from looking at the optic nerve on fundoscopic exam.  So if the eye doc says "It looks good.  There is no Optic Neuritis" then you got an eye doc that doesn't know much about ON.

But, loss of vision and wonky vision has to be checked out.  Your BP is high, but not all that dangerously high.

Urgent care guy was a dork, dufus, dumb, dimwit of a dingdong!

Quix

[amas]

Thank you all for responding and confirming what I thought all along. I am dx with MS and had called my Neuro's office which informed me that they would email my doctor (I guess it was an early day for that department since it was 1:30 when I called).  They told me to try and get into opthamology to make sure it wasn't a totally separate issue, and then they can move forward with it as an MS symptom.  Well ophamalogy returns my call at 4:00 and say they can't see me, go to urgent care and they will call in the opthamologist there.  That never happened, it was all done by phone based on the urgent cares dr. opinion on what he saw.

They gave me an appt with opthmalogy on the 10th. (not soon enough) and will be scheduling a MRI.

So here now is my concern and confusion.  I've had the seeing yellow and light sensitivity first then days later the vision diminishing. Wendnesday i started getting dizzy/disoriented feeling.  Thursday, everytime I stood up I got dizzy. I sat all day long. Wednesday and thurday morning I was nauseated as soon as i got up.   Friday, sudden headache at about 11:30 with vision problems two hours later.  

When i went to UC last night my BP was 148/101.  I have a cuff at home, because I do have Hypertension and am usually quite controlled with my medication.  Today I take it and it is 151/93.  Now I think this could be blood pressure related. Some of these symptoms fit both MS and Hypertension.  I called the advice nurse and she agrees its hard to tell what is what and told me to go to the ER not urgent care because that would be a disservice to me.  So that's what I'm going to do when I can figure out my transportation and babysitter.  Any opinions.  I want to go prepared to ask the right questions.

[Quixotic1]

There really is nothing that the docs at an Urgent Care can do for you.  I'm sure they don't even know about the things that are happening to you.  This was, indeed, a wasted visit.  Yes, you can lose vision suddenly like that with inflammation of the optic nerve.  The doc in the Urgent Care are wrong about that.

Your color/vision problems sound like Optic Neuritis and you must be seen by a Eye Specialist to make the diagnosis.  DB is correct that the best one to be seen by is a neuro-ophthalmologist, but for the immediate time you need to get into to see an regular Opthalmologist.

I would recommend that you go to the Emergency Room of the largest/best hospital near you.  Tell them you are losing you vision, that you are seeing all sorts of colors,  Are you already diagnosed with MS?  IF so tell them that and that you are worried that you might have Optic Neuritis - (pronounced "Ahp-tick nur-eye-tis").

You should also tell them if the bright light hurts your eyes or if your eyeballs hurt or if it hurts to move your eyes around.

Please do this.  If you have a very good primary care doctor, you can call him or whoever is on-call this weekend and tell them this also.  Sudden loss of vision (even if only part of the vision is lost) is a medical emergency.  It could be something more serious even than Optic Neuritis.

Any episode of ON that severely affects the vision is often treated with IV (not oral)Steroids.  This can make the symptoms go away faster, though it does not affect the ultimate outcome or any ultimate damage to to vision.  The doc in the Urgent Care is wrong to just dismiss it.  Your sight is precious and we should not assume that it is ON and "just one of those things."

Tell us what happens with you.

Quix

[doublevision1]

I would recommend seing a neuro-ophthalmologist for these symptoms.

[Deb61]

Did they dialate your eyes to look at the optic nerve?  This doesn't make sense that they would dismiss you without at least telling you what it is.  I don't know how they know that this isn't serious when optic neuritis can be very serious in people with MS (if this is what you have).  People on this forum have had permanent vision loss because of ON.  My vision isn't so great because of ON, either, and this has stuck around for a long time.

I'd see a different opthamologist, if I were you.  

Deb

[Lulu54]

Anamaria, I am newly dx'd and am seeing the eye doctor this tuesday to get a baseline on my vision and discuss the mouse in the corner phenomena I experience from my right eye peripheral vision.  I will ask about the transient nature of these vision problems then... I have heard the same thing that even blindness from our MS is only a temporary problem.  

Have you contacted your neuro about this?  I wonder if you might benefit from additional treatment like IV steroids?  Just a guess on my part, but I would call the MS doc and find out.

I hope you're seeing better today!
Lulu